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Prerequisites

What you need before setting up GrabWP WaaS.

Required​

WordPress Hosting with Admin Access​

You need a WordPress installation where you can:

  • Install and activate plugins
  • Access the file system (via FTP, SSH, or hosting file manager)
  • Edit wp-config.php if needed

Recommended: A VPS or dedicated server (e.g., DigitalOcean, Vultr, Hetzner) gives you full control. Shared hosting works but may limit advanced features like custom domains and S3 storage.

Domain Name​

A domain pointed to your server (e.g., yoursaas.com). Tenant sites will be created as subdomains: customer1.yoursaas.com, customer2.yoursaas.com, etc.

PHP 7.4+ and MySQL 5.7+​

Check your versions:

  • PHP: Go to Tools → Site Health → Info → Server in WordPress admin
  • MySQL: Same location, under Database

SSL Certificate​

HTTPS is required for payment processing and tenant security. Most hosts offer free SSL via Let's Encrypt.

SMTP Plugin​

WordPress default email uses wp_mail() which often lands in spam. Install an SMTP plugin to ensure reliable email delivery for OTP codes and notifications.

Popular options:

Polar Account (for paid plans)​

If you want to charge for plans, create a free account at polar.sh. Polar handles payments, subscriptions, and invoicing. Setup details in Set Up Billing.

Optional​

Cloudflare (for custom domains)​

If you want customers to use their own domains (e.g., mybusiness.com instead of mybusiness.yoursaas.com), Cloudflare's SaaS Custom Hostnames feature is the easiest way.

  • Free Cloudflare plan works for basic setup
  • SaaS Custom Hostnames requires contacting Cloudflare to enable on your zone
  • See Managing Custom Domains for setup

S3-Compatible Object Storage​

Offload tenant media uploads to cloud storage instead of local disk. Useful for:

  • Reducing server disk usage
  • Serving media via CDN
  • Easier backups and migration

Supported providers: AWS S3, Cloudflare R2, DigitalOcean Spaces, MinIO, any S3-compatible API.

See S3 Object Storage for setup.

WooCommerce​

Alternative billing provider if you prefer WooCommerce over Polar. Useful if you already run a WooCommerce store or need local payment gateways.

See WooCommerce Billing for setup.

Next: What You Will Build