How to Create a Web Application

A web application is a website that runs on your server and interacts with users through a web browser.

You can create and manage your web applications on RunCloud using different frameworks and technologies, such as PHP, WordPress, Laravel, Node.js, and more.

To create a web application on RunCloud, follow these steps:

1. On the RunCloud dashboard, select the server where you want to host your web application.
2. Click on Web Application in the left sidebar.
3. Click on “Deploy New Web App“. 

4. Choose the type of web application you want to create. You can choose from:
   
   • One-Click: This option creates a web application with a pre-configured CMS, such as WordPress or phpMyAdmin.
     
   • Script Installer: You can use this option to create a web application with installation scripts saved on the server. For example, you can use it to install Joomla, Matomo, phpBB, etc.
     
   • Git Repository: If your application uses Git, you can clone it from GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab, or any other Git provider. If you plan to use Atomic Deployment, you must use this option.
     
   • Empty Web App: Create a web application with a basic index.html file that you can replace with your own files.

5. Enter the details of your web application, such as:
   
   • Web Application Name: A unique name for your web application that will be used to identify it on RunCloud.
     
   • System User: The system user account that will own and manage your web application files and folders. You can use an existing system user or create a new one.

6. Choose the domain name for your web application. You can use:
   
   • Test Domain: A temporary domain name provided by RunCloud that you can use to test your web application before pointing it to your own domain name.
     
   • our Own Domain / Subdomain: Use this option to configure your own domain name or subdomain that you have registered and configured with your DNS provider. You can optionally use Cloudflare integration to seamlessly manage your DNS records.

When using a custom domain, you also have the option to choose whether you want to use the www or non-www version of your domain name as the preferred one. RunCloud will redirect any visitors who use the non-preferred version to the preferred one.

7. SSL/TLS Method: Choose whether you want to enable SSL/TLS encryption for your web application. SSL/TLS encryption secures the communication between your web server and your visitors’ browsers. You can choose from:
   
   • Basic SSL: Enable SSL/TLS encryption for a single domain name using Let’s Encrypt certificates.
     
   • Advanced SSL: Enable SSL/TLS encryption for a domain name and all its subdomains using Let’s Encrypt certificates. When using this option, you can also enable AutoSSL, which automatically enables SSL/TLS encryption for any new domains or subdomains that you add to your web application using Let’s Encrypt certificates.

8. Depending upon your choice, you might need to configure additional settings. For example, when installing WordPress, you will be asked to provide login credentials for the admin account. Here you can also configure other settings such as Canvas and Multi-site networks.

9. In the database section, you can configure the login credentials of your database user and table prefix. This step is optional – RunCloud will automatically generate a secure configuration if you leave this blank.

10. You can use a backup option to perform regular backups of your application. Read our knowledge-base article to understand how this works.

11. Basic Settings and Stack: In this section you can configure the following settings: 
    
    • PHP Version: This is the PHP version that will run your web application. You can choose from different PHP versions available on your server. It’s important to keep it updated to the latest version for security and performance reasons. However, before doing so, you should consider the following factors:
      
      • You should avoid using any PHP version that has reached its end of life (EOL), as it will no longer receive any updates or fixes from the PHP developers.
        
      • The latest PHP version is usually the most secure and fast, but it may not be fully supported by some WordPress components or third-party services such as themes or plugins. You should make sure that your WordPress version is compatible with the selected PHP version.
        
    • Web Application Root: The folder where your web application files and folders will be stored on your server. You can use the default folder or enter a custom one.

12. Finally, click on Create Web Application. This will create your web application and add it to your server. You will see a summary of your web application details on the screen.