HELP CENTRE

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Search practical guides for your website, domain, email or server. For account-specific questions, use a secure support request.

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Website unavailable?

Check the active service, domain destination and exact error before changing settings.

Account and access

Where do I sign in?

Use the customer portal to see your services, orders and support requests.

What if I forgot my password?

Use the password reset link on the sign-in page. Check your inbox and spam folder. Never share the reset link with anyone.

Why can I not place an order?

Check the selected plan, contact details and any message in the portal. If an order already exists, check its status before creating another one.

Where do I change my contact details?

Open your profile in the customer portal. Keep your billing details and contact email accurate.

Hosting and SSL

Where do I manage website files, databases and the domain?

Open My websites and choose the service. Its workspace links the website, domain, email, backups and billing; available tools depend on the active service.

When does the free SSL certificate activate?

The domain must point to the correct active hosting service before issuance. Check the certificate status in the website workspace; DNS changes and certificate checks can take time.

What should I check if my website shows an error?

Check service status, the domain destination and the exact error. Compare recent website changes and use the available health checks. Send the timestamp and error to support, without passwords.

How do I change PHP version or settings?

Open the selected hosting service and its hosting management tools. Choose a PHP version supported by your application and check the website afterwards.

What if I reach the storage or file limit?

Check usage for the service. Remove unnecessary files after making a backup, or choose a plan with adequate limits. Do not delete unfamiliar system files.

WordPress

Is WordPress installed automatically?

A WordPress plan is prepared after payment confirmation and successful provisioning. Follow the order status and installation details in the portal; payment alone is not proof that installation has completed.

How do I open WordPress administration?

Choose your website in the portal and use the WordPress administration link, or your site’s /wp-admin address. Use your WordPress credentials.

What should I do after a plugin causes a critical error?

Use an available working backup or disable the affected plugin through the hosting file tools. Check compatibility before enabling it again. If you need help, describe the last change.

Why is my WordPress website slow?

Check image sizes, caching, plugins and database size. Review service usage and website health to distinguish an application issue from a resource limit.

How do I move an existing WordPress website?

Use the self-service migration tool with an active hosting plan. Team-assisted migration is a separate scoped service: request a quote before work begins.

Domains and DNS

How do I connect a domain to hosting?

Open the website workspace and check Domain and DNS. Use the actual destination provided for your active service. If DNS is managed elsewhere, update the records with that provider.

What are A, CNAME, MX and TXT records?

A points a name to IPv4, AAAA to IPv6, CNAME to another hostname, MX to a mail server, and TXT holds verification or mail policy data such as SPF and DKIM. Keep unrelated records intact.

How long do DNS changes take?

Records expire according to their previous TTL and resolver caches. A provider accepting a change does not prove that authoritative DNS has changed or that every cache has refreshed. Check the portal status and the destination before removing the old service.

What do I need to transfer a domain?

Requirements vary by extension. Usually you need an unlocked domain and an AUTH/EPP code from the registrar. Check any transfer restriction and the working contact email.

What happens if I do not renew a domain on time?

The website and email can stop working. Recovery windows and extra fees depend on the extension. Check the domain expiry and renewal terms before the expiry date.

Email

How do I create a mailbox?

Open Email, check the domain’s required mail DNS and activation status, then create the mailbox. Use a unique strong password.

Where can I read email in my browser?

Use mail.hootigo.com. The username is the complete mailbox address.

What settings should I use in Outlook or on a phone?

Use the current connection settings shown for the mailbox in the portal. Use SSL/TLS and the full email address as the username. Never send your mailbox password to support.

Which MX record does Hootigo email need?

Use the MX, SPF and DKIM values shown for your domain in the Email workspace. Before moving mail, review existing senders and DMARC policy. A DNS preview is not an applied change.

What if I cannot receive or send email?

Check MX, mailbox quota, the full username, SSL/TLS and SMTP authentication. Include the exact error in a support request without revealing credentials.

Backups

Where can I find automatic backups?

Open Backups to see the actual policy and available restore points for the selected service. Check retention and scope before relying on a backup.

Does a restore overwrite my current website?

It can replace current files and databases with the selected restore point. Check the domain, date and scope before confirming, and keep an independent copy of current data.

How do I make a manual backup?

Use the backup tools available for your service, select the scope and download the result. Check available storage and ensure the copy contains the files and databases you need.

How do automatic and manual backups differ?

Automatic backups follow the service policy. You request a manual copy at a chosen time. Storage, retention and restore availability depend on the selected service; review its actual policy.

VPS servers

Where do I find my VPS IP and status?

Open VPS servers. Check the server status, IP, region and plan resources. An unpaid or preparing order is not an active server.

How do I connect securely over SSH?

Use the server IP, an administration user and an SSH key. Restrict access with a firewall and keep your private key secret.

When should I restart or stop a VPS?

Restart only when the application or system needs it. Stop powers the server down and interrupts its services. Check affected users and save data before either action.

Who maintains the VPS operating system?

VPS is self-managed unless a separate administration service has been agreed. You maintain the operating system, users, firewall, applications and data backups. Infrastructure support does not replace system administration.

Orders and billing

Where can I find payments and invoices?

Open Billing for service billing cycles and payment history, and Orders for order status.

When is a paid service activated?

Provisioning begins after verified payment confirmation. Follow the order and service status. If provisioning reports a problem, contact support using the existing order rather than buying it again.

How do I renew a service?

Check the selected service, term and renewal information in Billing before payment. Automatic renewal and cancellation rules depend on the payment arrangement.

How do I cancel or request a refund?

Send a request from your account with the relevant service and order number. Read the payment and cancellation terms for applicable periods and exceptions.

Migration and safe changes

Why are some DNS records read-only?

The portal enables changes only when the provider supports safe version-controlled writes and DNS authority is confirmed. The current Dynadot integration has no remote compare-and-swap protection, so its live records remain read-only. Use the DNS provider’s control panel or request help.

Does a DNS preview mean the change is live?

No. A local preview, provider acceptance, DNS verification pending and authoritative verification are different states. Do not repeat a change whose provider outcome is unconfirmed; reconcile it with support first.

What does self-service migration include?

With an active hosting plan the tool supports one website, its database and one mailbox per migration. Check access and the preview, then make the DNS switch with the actual DNS provider. Team-assisted work requires an agreed scope and price.

When can I close the old hosting service?

Keep it active until the website, SSL, mail delivery and the final mail synchronisation have been checked at the new destination. Retain an independent backup; a preview is not a guarantee of uninterrupted migration.

STEP BY STEP

Popular practical guides

These short steps explain where to start. Illustrative portal maps are examples; actual tools depend on your active service and status.

Open your website workspace

  1. Sign in to the customer portal.
  2. Open My websites and select the active service.
  3. Review its management tools and linked domain, email and backups.
Open My websites →

Set up a mailbox

  1. Open Email for your domain.
  2. Review the current MX, SPF and DKIM requirements. Change read-only DNS in the DNS provider’s control panel.
  3. After the required DNS and service status are confirmed, create your mailbox.
Open Email →

Review a restore point

  1. Open Backups and select the affected service.
  2. Check the actual restore date, domain and scope.
  3. Keep a copy of current data before confirming a restore that can overwrite it.
Open Backups →

Check your VPS

  1. Open VPS servers and select the server.
  2. Review its current status, IP and resources.
  3. Save data and check affected users before restarting or stopping the server.
Open VPS servers →

Need help with your service?

Include the service or order number, timestamp, exact error and steps tried. Never send passwords, payment card details or private keys.