Getting started
Do I need any technical skills?
No. Press Start my site and we email you a link. Open it and we create your WordPress site and host it. You do not install WordPress, and you do not open a hosting account.
What does WP Sofa offer?
The Standard plan is a WordPress site in one click. It includes hosting, updates for WordPress, themes, and plugins, a full daily backup, security, and SSL. The site is real WordPress, already online. You run the site. We take care of the hosting behind it. The Extended plan adds hands-on help inside WordPress. See plans.
What happens when I press Start my site?
We email you a link. Nothing is created until you open it. Then we build your site and open your dashboard. If that email already has an account, the link only opens your dashboard and does not start another site.
Do I have to give my site a name?
No. Leave it blank and, after you confirm your email, we choose a random site name. Press Login when you want to come back to an account you already have.
How many sites can I try?
Up to 3 at the same time, each with its own 30-day free trial. Each paid plan covers one site, so when you put a site on a plan, a trial spot opens up for another one.
Is it really WordPress?
Yes. Your site is the same WordPress that runs millions of websites. The database is SQLite. WordPress translates ordinary MySQL queries so SQLite can run them. You skip installing WordPress and opening a hosting account. We take care of those.
How much does it cost?
Start with a free 30-day trial. No credit card is needed, and you can try up to 3 sites at once. After that, each site has its own monthly plan, from $10/mo, including hosting, SSL, daily backups, and updates. You choose it on your dashboard before you pay. Running 10 or more sites? Contact support for a discount. See plans.
Logging back in
How do I get back in later?
Go to WP Sofa, enter the same email, and press Login. We email you a fresh login link. There is no password to remember for your dashboard. From the dashboard, one click opens your WordPress admin.
My login link does not work.
Login links expire after a while for your security. Enter your email again and we will send a new one. Still stuck? Email us at support@wpsofa.com.
Editing your site
How do I make changes to my site?
Open your dashboard, pick your site, and click to view it or open WordPress admin. From there you can write content, add pages, and change the design. Come back as often as you like.
Can I install new themes?
Yes. You install a theme from WordPress admin, on the same screens as any WordPress site. A premium theme needs your own license.
Can I install plugins?
Yes. You install a plugin from WordPress admin, on the same screens as any WordPress site. A premium plugin needs your own license.
Do Elementor, Divi, Bricks, and premium themes work?
Yes. It is real WordPress, so those themes, page builders, and plugins work. A premium one needs your own license.
Do I have access to my site's files?
You can edit theme files and plugin files in the built-in WordPress admin editor. To download the whole site, use the UpdraftPlus Backup/Restore plugin. It backs up the site and lets you save that backup on your computer.
Can someone else work on my site?
Yes. Open your WordPress admin, go to Users, and add a team member or a web designer there. They sign in to WordPress with their own account. Do not send them your WP Sofa login link. Your dashboard stays linked to your email. To change that email, write to support@wpsofa.com.
Can I build sites for clients and hand them over?
Yes. With one WP Sofa account you can create and manage as many client sites as you need. Each site has its own monthly plan. To give a client access, open WordPress admin, go to Users, and add them with their own WordPress login. Your WP Sofa dashboard stays yours. You are billed at first, and you can move billing to your client.
What if my site runs out of space?
Each plan comes with 5 GB of storage, shown before you pay. If your site fills it, you will not be able to upload new files, but the site stays online. You can delete heavy files or contact us for help.
Who keeps WordPress up to date?
We do. On a paid plan, WordPress, themes, and plugins update automatically.
Moving a site
Can I move my site to another host?
Yes. Use the UpdraftPlus Backup/Restore plugin to back the site up, then restore that backup on the other host.
I already have a WordPress site. Can I move it to WP Sofa?
Yes, on the Extended plan, including a site that uses MySQL or MariaDB. Email support@wpsofa.com and we will help you bring it over. See plans.
Using your own domain
Can I use my own domain, like example.com?
Yes. Connecting your own domain is included with every paid plan, and you do it from your dashboard. During the free trial, your site uses a WP Sofa address. You can keep that address for as long as you like.
What do I need to do at my domain company?
Log in where you bought your domain and find the DNS settings. Add two "A records": one for your domain and one for www, both pointing to the address shown in your dashboard. Then type your domain into the connect box in your dashboard and press Connect. If you are unsure, your domain company's help team can add the records for you. If they cannot, contact our support at support@wpsofa.com.
My domain will not connect.
Both records need to be in place before we can connect your domain and secure it with HTTPS. Changes at the domain company can take a little while to go live, so wait a bit and try again. If it still does not work, email support@wpsofa.com with your domain and site name.
Can I change or remove my domain later?
Once connected, a domain stays with that site. If you need to change it, write to support@wpsofa.com. Only connect a domain you own, and one that is not already used by another WP Sofa site.
Plans and payment
How do I pay?
Choose a plan for your site from the dashboard. Payment goes through a secure PayPal subscription, and we never see or store your card details.
What does a plan include?
One monthly plan covers one site. Standard keeps the site online, with hosting, your own domain, SSL, a full daily backup, security, and updates. Extended includes all of that, plus help setting up and looking after the site inside WordPress. You see the price and what is included before you pay. See plans.
Can one plan cover all my sites?
No. Each plan covers one site. To keep another site after its trial, give it its own plan.
Can I switch plans?
Yes, anytime. Cancel the current plan on the dashboard and pick the other one.
I paid, but my site still shows as a trial.
Give it a minute, then refresh your dashboard. If the plan still is not showing, email support@wpsofa.com with your site name and your PayPal transaction ID.
Cancelling and coming back
What if I want to stop?
Press Cancel on your dashboard whenever you want. Billing stops. The site stays online until the end of the time you already paid for. There is no separate refund period.
What happens when my paid time ends?
You have 7 days to renew, and we will email you a reminder. If you do not renew within those 7 days, your site is paused, and visitors see a short notice instead of your website. The paused site is kept for 30 days.
Is a paused site deleted?
A site paused after a paid plan is kept for 30 days. Open your dashboard and choose a plan during those 30 days to bring it back online. After 30 days paused, we remove the site. A free trial that ends is paused too, but if it is never put on a plan, we remove it 2 days after the trial ends.
How do I bring my site back?
Log in with your email, open the site, and choose a plan.
Help
Can I get technical support?
Yes. A person reads every message.
On Standard, support covers the server and a working site: the site is down, you cannot log in, or your domain will not connect. It does not cover building pages, choosing plugins, or fixing a theme.
On Extended, support also covers WordPress itself. That includes setting the site up, help with pages, menus, and content, help choosing and setting up plugins, and fixing something that breaks inside WordPress.
Email support@wpsofa.com and include your site name. We usually reply within one business day. See plans.
For technical folks
What does each site run on?
Each site runs on a Kamatera cloud server, served by Apache, with its own SQLite database. Each site is capped at 5 GB of disk, 512 MB of RAM, and 20% of one CPU. The cap is separate for each site.