This guide explains how to resolve issues that may occur with a Web Hosting if it has undergone changes to its IP address (e.g., a server move) and your computer retains the old position in its DNS cache.

Flush the DNS cache…

When you visit a website, your computer locally stores an association between the domain name and its IP address in the DNS cache. This speeds up the DNS resolution process for future visits to the same site, as the computer can avoid querying the DNS servers again to obtain the IP address.

By clearing the DNS cache, you force your computer to query the DNS servers again to obtain the latest up-to-date information on the IP addresses of the sites you visit.

... on Windows

Run the following command from a Terminal application (command-line interface, CLI /Command Line Interface) on your device. Example:

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type cmd.
3. In the search results, click on Command Prompt.
4. Run the command ipconfig /flushdns.

… on macOS

Run the following command from a Terminal application (command-line interface, CLI /Command Line Interface) on your device:

• Run the command lookupd -flushcache (if it fails: dscacheutil -flushcache).

… on Linux

Run the following command from a Terminal application (command-line interface, CLI /Command Line Interface) on your device:

• Run the command sudo systemctl restart nscd or sudo /etc/init.d/nscd restart to restart nscd.

This guide explains how to modify the target folder in which your Website is stored on a Web hosting Infomaniak.

Preamble

• On Infomaniak web hosting, it is possible to install several websites with their own domain name (multisite management).
• Each of these sites is stored in a folder of your accommodation, which is the target of the site. It is possible to freely modify the target of a site. Example:
  • The site domain.xyz has as target e.g. the file/web…
  • You publish a site in a new subfolder of /web for example /web/v2…
  • By modifying the target /web of the site domain.xyz by /web/v2, the site domain.xyz show the contents of the folder /web/v2 without obviously including this path in the Web browser address bar and without leaving access to any files still located in /web.
• It is recommended not to create "v2"in a subfolder of "web" but next door, by creating the folder at the root of your hosting.
• These folders actually exist on the server but you do not have to connect via FTP to manage them.

Show folder of your websites

To find information about the folder in which your site is stored:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned.
3. Then click on the chevron ‍ to develop the game Information of this site.
4. The following indication is the location of the sample site:
   ‍‍

Edit the target or folder of a website

To manage the location of a website within the hosting:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your product on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned.
3. Click on Manage in the part Advanced Parameters:
   
4. Manage the desired location for the site:
   
5. Click on the button for Save at the bottom of the page.

This guide explains how to force the Web hosting name to be displayed in the browser address bar to one of the domain names installed in alias/synonym or how to display the main domain in the address bar instead of the alias.

Limit "duplicate content" or double content

Suppose you have the accommodation votre-domaine.com at Infomaniak and as a synonym domain name you have installed www.domainesyno.xyz.

By default, when you type one of the domain names (votre-domaine.com or domainesyno.xyz) in the address bar of your browser, it is the one you type that will appear in the address bar.

So you have the opportunity to force the display of an address other than the one that was typed. So if someone taps domainesyno.xyz , so it's votre-domaine.com which will automatically appear in the address bar.

A code is to be entered in a file called .htaccess which must be at the root of your hosting (in the folder /web of your FTP). If this file does not yet exist, you must create it on the server.

Then insert these instructions into the file:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP:X-Forwarded-Proto} !https
RewriteRule (.*) https://votre-domaine.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Adjust the above code according to these indications:

• Replace votre-domaine.com by your domain name with the appropriate extension (.com, .fr, .ch, etc.) that you would like to see displayed in the address bar of the visitor's browser. Add www. before votre-domaine.com If necessary.
• Replace the second line of the above code with "RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off‍"if a loop error occurs, this means that HTTP/2 is active for this site

Also take note of the automatic redirections to httpS.

This guide details how to work on a WordPress site with a development environment.

Preamble

• The process can be used at the beginning of a staging process, i.e. the creation of a new version of your website online, on a development or testing environment:
  • This allows website owners to test features, security updates, plugins, themes, WordPress updates and content changes, without the risk of causing interruptions or problems on the live site.
  • Once the tests have been performed and the modifications have been validated on the staging copy, it is possible to deploy them in production (on the live site) by using automated deployment tools or by making the changes manually.
• For additional assistance contact a partner or launch a call for tenders free of charge — discover also the role of the host.

Simple method

To install and prepare a new WordPress site with Infomaniak installer without overwriting your current website:

1. Install WordPress on a second location

Be aware of this other guide in order to create the new site (in parallel to the old sitedomain.xyz) by assigning it a domain name of the form new.domain.xyz e.g. and installing WordPress via Infomaniak Web Applications.

At this stage, the main site (domain.xyz) remains untouched and you can work quietly on the new site new.domain.xyz Both operate in parallel.

2. Replace the old site with the new one

Once the new site is complete, you can delete the first site in order to reuse its domain name on the new site:

1. Removethe old site to make the domain name available and be able to reuse it.
2. Add domain.xyz in alias of the new.domain.xyz.
3. Reverse the alias with the main domain.
4. Remove (untie/delete) new.domain.xyz become aliases.
5. As a precaution check the main URL of the WordPress site via the Web Applications dashboard on the Infomaniak Manager, so that it matches the new name, not the subdomain you chose.

Advanced method

To work on a WordPress site existing without changing its public version, it is recommended to proceed in 3 steps:

1. Duplicate the existing site
2. Then work on its copy
3. Change the target directory of the production site to the production environment directory and change the URLs of the pre-production site to the domain name of the production site by means of a WordPress extension or via phpMyAdmin.

1. Duplicate the site on a second location

1. Be aware of this other guide in order to create the new site (in parallel to the old sitedomain.xyz) by assigning it a domain name of the form new.domain.xyz e.g. and installing WordPress via Infomaniak Web Applications.
2. Copy your existing site and paste it on the second newly created WordPress site, using a WordPress extension.

2. Edit duplicate site

1. At this stage, the main site (domain.xyz) remains untouched and you can work quietly on the new site new.domain.xyz Both operate in parallel.
2. It is recommended to install a WordPress extension (There are dozens of them.) dedicated to the maintenance of the second site.
3. If you change the structure of your site and the URLs of your articles/pages will change, you can use a free extension like Redirection to automatically create redirections. This will prevent your visitors from falling on 404 pages as long as the engines re-index your site or if external sites link to your site.

3. Replace target

1. When you have completed the redesign of your site, all you have to do is to modify the target directory from the site in production to the production environment directory and modify the URLs of the pre-production site according to the domain name of the site in production thanks to a extension.
2. If you are using a cache extension like WP-Rocket, W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache, it will be necessary to completely clear the entire cache or disable and then reactivate the plugin.
3. If you have continued to modify your site in production during the redesign of your site, it will be necessary to recover your changes (articles, media, pages, etc.).
4. After the user checks (missing images, erroneous links, etc.), you only have to disable the maintenance mode of your site and admire the result.

This guide explains how to install a new Web Application (Joomla, Drupal, Typo3, PrestaShop, etc.) in a few clicks on the paid Web Hosting offers.

Prerequisites

• Have a Infomaniak Web Hosting (order if necessary).
• Add a blank website to the Infomaniak hosting.

Specific guides

Take note of these guides if you are concerned with the specific installation of:

• WordPress
• ownCloud

Guides for any other Web Application

To access Web Hosting and install a Web Application:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the relevant product.
3. Click on the Add an app button:
   
4. Choose the desired application (if necessary, filter and search).
5. Click on Select:
   
6. Click at the bottom of the page on Next.
7. Enter a name.
8. Leave the default location or choose to install the app in a new folder that you can create using an icon visible to the right of point 8 in the image.
9. Optionally, choose to install an earlier version if necessary.
10. Click on the Next button:
    
11. Set the username and password.
12. Specify certain advanced settings if necessary (backup type, among others).
13. Review and accept the terms of use of the selected app.
14. Click on the Next button:
    
15. Confirm the installation of the application in the next step and wait.
    • Take note of any error message on the screen if, for example, the installation folder chosen is not empty or if the PHP version of the site on which you are attempting the installation is not compatible.

Uninstall a Web Application

To access Web Hosting and uninstall the previously installed application:

1. Click here to access the management of your product on the Infomaniak Manager (need help?).
2. Click directly on the name assigned to the relevant product.
3. Click on the action menu ⋮ located to the right of the application to uninstall.
4. Click on the trash can icon to delete the application:
   
5. Confirm the deletion.

Learn more

• Modify the domain name associated with the Web Application
• Configure backups for Web Applications
• Restore a Web Application

This guide proposes two methods to access the administration interface of a WordPress site installed via tools Infomaniak, in order to e.g. update the content.

Prerequisites

• Know your access IDs...
  • … To WordPress
  • … to the Manager Infomaniak

Access the WordPress console...

1. .... from the Manager

To access WordPress from the Manager:

1. Click here in order to access the management of your WordPress site on the Manager Infomaniak (Need help?).
   • If your site does not appear here, it has not been installed via Infomaniak tools... official documentation.
2. Click directly on the nameallocated to the product concerned.
3. Click on the button Edit to open the login page to WordPress:
   
4. Enter the username and password selected during the installation of WordPress.

2. .... via the URL /wp-admin

By default, just add the terms /wp-admin at the end of the URL of your domain name in the address bar of your web browser to access directly to the login page of the WordPress console.

What if the ./wp-admin shortcut doesn't work?

• If shortcut ./wp-admin does not work, you may use a security extension that modifies the URL of some pages to limit attempts to hack your site (example plugin)...
• If you need to access the WordPress console and your domain name is not working at the moment, it is possible to switch the main domain name to the preview address..

This guide explains the differences between the web hosting offers from Infomaniak to help you choose the best solution according to your IT needs.

Web Hosting Starter

The free web hosting

The Starter Web hosting is offered for free with each domain name registered with Infomaniak. It provides 10 MB of disk space to create a site (basic pages in HTML language only - no PHP, no database) even without particular knowledge thanks to the Welcome Page.

• Register or transfer a domain name with Infomaniak
• Learn more about the benefits included with a domain name

Shared Web Hosting

The flagship offer to create your sites

These web hostings are shared offers (the websites will be hosted on servers whose resources are shared with other customers). To ensure the reliability of these shared services, Infomaniak servers use on average only 40% of the CPU power and are equipped with professional-grade, latest-generation SSD drives.

Web hosting offers a minimum of 250 GB of disk space and allows you to manage multiple websites with multiple domain names. This offer includes all the technologies commonly used to create professional sites: PHP, MySQL, FTP and SSH access, SSL certificates, Site Creator and easy installation of WordPress or common CMS, etc.

Cloud Server

Professional Web hosting

With a Cloud Server, the resources allocated to you are not shared with other clients and you can customize the hardware and software configuration of your server according to your needs. A Cloud Server also allows you to use components that are not available on shared web hosting (Node.js, mongoDB, Sol, FFMPEG, etc.).

• A Cloud Server allows you to easily manage your server via the same administration interface as Web hosting - you manage the sites in the same way.
• A VPS allows you to manage your server completely autonomously with the version of Windows or the Linux distribution of your choice (Debian, Ubuntu, openSUSE, ...) - solid technical skills are required to use a VPS, including VPS Lite.

Public Cloud (and Kubernetes Service)

Open, proven, and secure IaaS solution

For Infomaniak, it is the infrastructure that drives kDrive, Swiss Backup and the Webmail, services used by several million users. But Public Cloud is accessible to everyone and provides the resources you need to develop your projects.‍

With customized and tailored offers, you will have no trouble managing your development budget. No setup fees. No minimum amount. Cancelable at any time. You only pay for the resources actually used with Public Cloud at the end of each month, same for Kubernetes Service.

Jelastic Cloud

Web hosting tailored to your chosen technologies

Jelastic Cloud allows you to create custom development environments with the technologies of your choice (PHP, Node.js, Java, Docker, Ruby, etc.). It is a flexible cloud offering:

• Horizontal and vertical scaling of resources.
• Payment based on actual resource consumption.
• Easy customization of your infrastructure (redundancy, IP, SSL, load balancing, etc.).

This guide explains how to run the open source dependency manager Composer 2 using an SSH command.

Preamble

• Composer is an open-source dependency manager for PHP that allows you to define, install, and update the libraries required for a PHP project.
• Composer 1 has been obsolete since 2021 and will no longer allow the installation of new packages or updates since 2025.
• Only version 2 of Composer is now supported and available on all PHP versions from 7.2 to 8.3.

Run Composer 2

Composer 2 is already pre-installed and accessible via SSH. Therefore, there is no need to install it manually.

Simple usage

Log in to your hosting via SSH, then use the following command:

composer

This command will automatically run version 2 of Composer, which is compatible with the PHP version currently in use in your session.

Check the active version

You can check the available version of Composer with:

composer --version

Example output: Composer version 2.5.0 2022-12-20 10:44:08 

Force a specific PHP version

If you want to run Composer with a specific version of PHP, aliases are available. For example:

composer_php8.1 --version

or for example:

composer_php7.4

These aliases allow you to run Composer 2 with the specified PHP interpreter, useful for testing or deploying a project on a target version of PHP.

This guide provides indications that can help you optimize the search engine ranking of your site, such as Google.

Preamble

• Infomaniak is one of the most high-performing hosts in the French-speaking market, which contributes to the good referencing of your sites.
• However, Infomaniak will not intervene in the content or development of hosted sites.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Natural referencing (Search Engine Optimizationis the optimization of a website to ensure that your site is visible in search engines based on certain keywords entered by users. The efforts you invest in SEO will have a long-term impact.

Some technical tips to optimize your natural search engine optimization:

• Install an SSL certificate on your site.
• Enable gzip compression to speed up your site's loading.
• Compress the images on your site with software (FileOptimizer, Imageoptim) or an online service like Imagify.

To learn more, check out the Infomaniak guide on natural referencing.

Google has also updated its guide "Bien débuter en référencement naturel (SEO)" in 2024, with new fundamental "best practices" to optimize your visibility on the search engine.

Paid search (SEA)

Paid search (Search Engine Advertisingis the purchase of sponsored links in advertising spaces with the aim of positioning your site quickly on specific keywords. The goal is to place the best bid on keywords with good targeting to have the best chance of being visible at the best cost. The efforts you invest in SEA will stop having a direct impact as soon as you stop your advertising campaigns.

This guide details the sending of authenticated emails from a website hosted by Infomaniak using an SMTP configuration; the configuration of an authenticated SMTP server is presented for the main CMS.

Preamble

• Using authenticated SMTP for sending emails from your applications offers advantages in terms of security, reliability, error management, compatibility with third-party servers, and traceability compared to using unauthenticated PHP mail.

SMTP configuration examples…

Prerequisites

• Have an email service; you can use the Service Mail offered by Infomaniak or any other email service of your choice.

When you have an email address whose domain is attached to your website ( e-mail@domain-site.xyz for example) provide its details to use it for sending from the web server via SMTP:

… on WordPress

1. Log in to the WordPress admin panel.
2. Install an SMTP extension (WP Mail SMTP works).
3. Configure the extension, for example:
   ‍

From then on, an email sent from a contact form present on the site (default form Divi for example) it will be sent via an SMTP method.

To ensure this, simply check the headers of a message received this way, notably the line x-mailer which may mention, for example, WPMailSMTP/Mailer/smtp instead of PHPMailer.

... on Prestashop

1. Log in to the Prestashop admin panel.
2. Go to Advanced Parameters then Email.
3. Configure SMTP sending:
   

Then check (to avoid an error like Could not instantiate mail function or sender mismatch) that the address you have configured in these advanced settings matches the address that Prestashop uses for sending. To do this:

1. Log in to the Prestashop admin panel.
2. Go to Store Settings.
3. Click on Contact in the left sidebar.
4. On the Contacts tab, check that the email address mentioned is the same as the one configured previously.
5. Edit the email addresses if necessary:
   
6. Click on the Stores tab.
7. Check (and correct if necessary) that the email address mentioned is the same as the one configured previously:
   

... on Joomla

1. Log in to the Joomla administration panel.
2. Click on System in the left sidebar.
3. Click on Global Configuration:
   
4. Click on the Server tab.
5. Configure sending via the SMTP method: