Knowledge Base

Before you begin

You will need an active WPHost WordPress Hosting plan and a registered domain pointed to our nameservers (ns1.gethost.co.zw and ns2.gethost.co.zw).

Steps

1. Log in to your account at my.gethost.co.zw and click My Services.
2. Select your hosting plan and open the Control Panel.
3. Under the Web Applications section, click Install WordPress.
4. Choose the domain, set your admin username and a strong password, then click Install.
5. Installation takes about 60 seconds. You will receive an email with your WordPress admin URL (yourdomain.com/wp-admin).
6. Log in using the credentials you chose and your site is ready to customise.

Logging in

Go to my.gethost.co.zw and enter your registered email address and password. If you have forgotten your password, click Forgot Password to receive a reset link by email.

What you can do from the dashboard

• My Services — view active hosting plans, renewal dates and resource usage (disk, bandwidth).
• Domains — manage DNS records, nameservers and WHOIS details for your registered domains.
• Invoices — download PDF invoices and check payment history.
• Support Tickets — open a new ticket or reply to existing conversations with our team.
• Account Settings — update your contact details and change your account password.

What is included

Every new WPHost WordPress Hosting plan includes one free migration of an existing WordPress site. We handle copying your files, database, and media library. The process typically takes 2–4 hours and your live site stays online throughout.

How to request

1. Log in to your dashboard and open a Support Ticket.
2. Set the subject to "Free Migration Request".
3. Include: your current host name, current site URL, and your current cPanel/hosting login credentials (we handle these securely and delete them after migration).
4. Our team will confirm receipt and provide a timeline within a few hours.

Installing a plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress admin at yourdomain.com/wp-admin.
2. Go to Plugins → Add New.
3. Search for the plugin by name, then click Install Now followed by Activate.

Installing a premium / uploaded plugin

1. Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
2. Choose the .zip file you downloaded from the developer, then click Install Now and Activate.

Installing a theme

1. Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New.
2. Search or upload a .zip theme file, then click Activate.

Enable caching

Install a caching plugin such as WP Super Cache or LiteSpeed Cache (recommended on WPHost servers). Caching stores a static version of each page so WordPress doesn't need to rebuild it on every visit.

Optimise images

Large images are the most common cause of slow pages. Use a plugin like Smush or ShortPixel to compress and convert images to the modern WebP format automatically on upload.

Minimise plugins

Every active plugin adds load time. Deactivate and delete any plugins you are not using. Avoid plugins that load scripts on every page when they are only needed on one.

Use a CDN

A Content Delivery Network serves your static files (images, CSS, JS) from servers closer to your visitors. Cloudflare's free plan integrates with WordPress easily via the official Cloudflare plugin.

What is included

Every WPHost plan includes a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate. It is installed automatically when your domain's DNS is pointed to our servers. The certificate renews automatically every 90 days — you don't need to do anything.

Checking your SSL is active

1. Visit your site in a browser — you should see a padlock icon in the address bar.
2. Your URL should start with https://.

Forcing HTTPS in WordPress

1. Log in to WordPress admin and go to Settings → General.
2. Change both the WordPress Address and Site Address from http:// to https://.
3. Save changes. WordPress will now always serve your site over HTTPS.

What is mixed content?

Mixed content happens when your page loads over HTTPS but some resources (images, scripts, stylesheets) are still referenced using http://. Browsers block or warn about these, causing the padlock to disappear.

Fix it with a plugin (easiest)

1. Install and activate the Really Simple SSL plugin from the WordPress plugin directory.
2. Click Activate SSL. The plugin automatically rewrites all internal links to HTTPS and handles the redirect.

Fix it manually

1. Open your browser's developer tools (F12) and check the Console tab for mixed content warnings — these list the exact URLs causing the issue.
2. Update those URLs in your WordPress database using the Better Search Replace plugin: search for http://yourdomain.com and replace with https://yourdomain.com.

When you need a custom certificate

Most sites work perfectly with the free Let's Encrypt SSL. A custom (paid) certificate is typically needed for wildcard domains (e.g. *.yourdomain.com), extended validation (EV) SSL, or specific compliance requirements.

What you will need from your certificate provider

• The certificate file (.crt)
• The private key (.key)
• The CA bundle / intermediate certificate (.ca-bundle)

Installing via the control panel

1. Log in to your hosting control panel from the WPHost dashboard.
2. Navigate to SSL/TLS → Manage SSL Sites.
3. Select your domain and paste in your certificate, private key and CA bundle.
4. Click Install Certificate.

Before you transfer

• Your domain must be older than 60 days from its last registration or transfer.
• The domain must be unlocked at your current registrar.
• Obtain your EPP / authorisation code from your current registrar — this is usually in your registrar's domain management area.
• Make sure the domain's WHOIS email address is one you can access, as you may receive an approval email.

Initiating the transfer

1. Go to wphost.co.zw/domain-transfer and enter your domain name.
2. Enter your EPP / auth code when prompted.
3. Complete checkout. You will receive a confirmation email.
4. Approve the transfer via the email sent to your WHOIS address (some registrars require this step).
5. Transfers typically complete within 5–7 days. Your site stays live throughout.

Supported domain extensions

WPHost supports a wide range of domain extensions including .co.zw, .com, .africa, .org, .net, .io, and many more.

How to register

1. Visit wphost.co.zw and use the domain search bar on the homepage.
2. Type your desired domain name and click Search.
3. Select your preferred extension from the results and click Add to Cart.
4. Complete checkout. Your domain will be registered immediately after payment.

Registering a .co.zw domain

To register a .co.zw domain you must be a Zimbabwean citizen or registered business. During registration you will be asked to provide your national ID number or company registration number for verification.

WPHost nameservers

To host your site with WPHost, set your domain's nameservers to:

• ns1.gethost.co.zw
• ns2.gethost.co.zw

How to update nameservers

1. Log in to wherever your domain is currently registered (your current registrar's website).
2. Find the domain in your account and look for Nameservers or DNS Settings.
3. Replace the existing nameservers with the two WPHost nameservers above.
4. Save your changes.

DNS propagation takes up to 24–48 hours worldwide, though it is usually much faster (1–4 hours). During this time your site may briefly resolve to the old host.

Your email settings

Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain in all settings below.

Incoming mail (IMAP)

• Server: mail.yourdomain.com
• Port: 993
• Security: SSL/TLS
• Username: your full email address
• Password: your email account password

Outgoing mail (SMTP)

• Server: mail.yourdomain.com
• Port: 465
• Security: SSL/TLS
• Authentication: required — use your full email address and password

Adding to Outlook

1. Open Outlook → File → Add Account.
2. Enter your full email address and click Advanced options → Let me set up my account manually.
3. Choose IMAP and enter the settings above.

How to access webmail

1. Open any browser and go to https://mail.yourdomain.com (replace with your actual domain).
2. Alternatively, go to https://yourdomain.com/webmail.
3. Enter your full email address (e.g. info@yourdomain.com) and your email password.
4. Choose your preferred interface — Roundcube is recommended for its clean, modern design.

Forgot your email password?

1. Log in to your WPHost dashboard at my.gethost.co.zw.
2. Open your hosting plan's Control Panel.
3. Go to Email Accounts, find your address, and click Manage → Change Password.

Creating a new email account

1. Log in to the WPHost dashboard and open your hosting plan's Control Panel.
2. Click Email Accounts.
3. Click Create, then enter the username (the part before the @), choose your domain, and set a strong password.
4. Set a mailbox storage quota if needed (leave blank for the plan default).
5. Click Create Account. The account is ready immediately.

Changing a password

In Email Accounts, click Manage next to the address, then Change Password.

Deleting an email account

In Email Accounts, click Manage → Delete. This permanently deletes all emails in that account — ensure you have backed up any important messages first.

Billing cycles

WPHost offers both monthly and annual billing. Annual plans are billed once a year and include a discount compared to the monthly equivalent. You can choose your billing cycle when signing up or switching plans.

Invoices

An invoice is generated automatically 7 days before your renewal date and sent to your registered email address. You can also download all invoices as PDFs from Dashboard → Invoices.

Payment methods

• EcoCash
• Visa / Mastercard (online card payment)
• Bank transfer (USD)

What happens if payment fails

If your renewal payment fails, we send reminder emails on days 1, 3, and 7 after the due date. Services are suspended after 7 days of non-payment and permanently deleted after 30 days — so please ensure your payment details are current.

Upgrading your plan

1. Log in to your WPHost dashboard at my.gethost.co.zw.
2. Go to My Services and click on the plan you want to upgrade.
3. Click Upgrade Plan and select a higher-tier plan.
4. You will only be charged the pro-rated difference for the remainder of your current billing period.
5. The upgrade takes effect immediately — your new resources (disk, bandwidth, email accounts) are available straight away.

Downgrading your plan

Downgrades are handled by our support team to ensure your data fits within the lower plan's limits. Open a support ticket with the subject "Plan Downgrade Request" and we will assist you. Downgrades take effect at the next renewal date.

Renewing your plan

Plans renew automatically if you have a saved payment method on file. You will receive an invoice by email 7 days before renewal. You can also renew manually at any time from My Services → Renew.

Cancelling your subscription

1. Log in to your dashboard and go to My Services.
2. Click the plan you wish to cancel and select Request Cancellation.
3. Choose whether to cancel immediately or at the end of the current billing period.
4. Confirm the cancellation. You will receive a confirmation email.

Before you cancel

• Download a full backup of your website files and database from the control panel.
• Export your emails if you need to keep them.
• Update your domain's nameservers if you are moving to a new host.