WHMCS and WordPress Sites/Client Area

[Chaddeus]

Hello, I’m super new to WHMCS, but come from an IT and developer background. 

I’m starting a WordPress agency, helping clients build their sites to support their businesses. 

I want to host their sites too, and that’s when I discovered WHMCS. 

I wanted to make sure I understand if WHMCS is capable of what I’m imagining for my business. 

I want for a visitor to come to my site. If interested, sign up. The sign up process should provision hosting and setup a WordPress site with themes/plugins I want pre-installed for my clients. 

I don’t want a complicated, full featured type of client area. They should see their usage statistics per site, upgrade/downgrade/cancel plans, and manage billing — they won’t need access to something like cPanel or Plesk (though they may need restricted FTP access to their site).

I would like this client area as a section of my WordPress site — matching the theme if possible. 

From my understanding, WHMCS handles billing, provisions hosting, and can auto-install WordPress with an extension. 

 

A few questions:

1. Can a client area be created like I described?
2. Can I pre-install themes, plugins, and settings on the auto-provisioned WordPress install?
3. Can different WordPress themes/plugins be installed based on the plan a client chooses? (Like a “Lite” vs “Pro” plan)
4. Does WHMCS enforce hosting resource usage limits by plan? 
5. Could you provide a brief, high-level overview checklist of what is needed and how it all comes together to create what I described?

I think I understand the server side of things. I’ll be getting my servers from LiquidWeb... I believe that’s just a matter of adding each server into WHMCS to use. 

Thanks so much for your time. I really appreciate any advice you can give. I can’t wait to start using WHMCS!

 

[sentq]

Hi @Chaddeus,

I will try to answer few of your questions here

8 hours ago, Chaddeus said:

I want for a visitor to come to my site. If interested, sign up. The sign up process should provision hosting and setup a WordPress site with themes/plugins I want pre-installed for my clients.

it's possible to do that using ActionHooks when client signup it will run this API function to place new order

8 hours ago, Chaddeus said:

I don’t want a complicated, full featured type of client area. They should see their usage statistics per site, upgrade/downgrade/cancel plans, and manage billing — they won’t need access to something like cPanel or Plesk (though they may need restricted FTP access to their site).

this is something that could be done by editing template files, adding some restrictions using ActionHooks and/or hire developer to apply any difficult customization

8 hours ago, Chaddeus said:

I would like this client area as a section of my WordPress site — matching the theme if possible. 

there is few modules (paid) that integrate WHMCS with Wordpress together

for the list of your questions related to Wordpress provisioning, in the following link if you search for "wordpress" you will find different modules that could do few or all of what you ask for:

 https://marketplace.whmcs.com/

 

[Chaddeus]

1 hour ago, sentq said:

Hi @Chaddeus,

I will try to answer few of your questions here

it's possible to do that using ActionHooks when client signup it will run this API function to place new order

this is something that could be done by editing template files, adding some restrictions using ActionHooks and/or hire developer to apply any difficult customization

there is few modules (paid) that integrate WHMCS with Wordpress together

for the list of your questions related to Wordpress provisioning, in the following link if you search for "wordpress" you will find different modules that could do few or all of what you ask for:

 https://marketplace.whmcs.com/

 

Thanks Sentq. 

I'm aware of the WordPress auto-provision module and totally plan to use it.

I was more concerned with the UI side of things. I don't need the clients to have full WHMCS access, and especially don't need them getting into cPanel or Plesk. 

I wonder... if I use the WordPress Auto-Provision module, a nice WHMCS theme, and then customized the client area template to only show what I want -- if that would be essentially what I'm asking for?

Sorry, like I said, I'm new to WHMCS... still learning how it works. 

[sentq]

as I said, what you ask for is doable by editing templates, ActionHooks (to restrict access to some pages or content)

if you get stuck with anything ask here in the forums

[MYGSG - Nicholas S]

Hello @Chaddeus

You can easily integrate WHMCS and WordPress using: WHMCS Bridge Pro by i-plugins: https://i-plugins.com/ have used it myself, it's perfect and works a treat. There are other modules out there as well and depending on how much functionality you require you can find plenty on the web, or just ask in the forums. If you have any other questions about WHMCS, more than happy to help. I like to think I am a bit of an expert as I have been using WHMCS since V4 maybe even V3 so quite some time.

Kind Regards,

Nick.

[Remitur]

On 7/1/2018 at 3:10 PM, Chaddeus said:

I want for a visitor to come to my site. If interested, sign up. The sign up process should provision hosting and setup a WordPress site with themes/plugins I want pre-installed for my clients. 

I don’t want a complicated, full featured type of client area. They should see their usage statistics per site, upgrade/downgrade/cancel plans, and manage billing — they won’t need access to something like cPanel or Plesk (though they may need restricted FTP access to their site).

What you need is a Multi-site WordPress install, and this plugin to manage it through WHMCS: https://i-plugins.com/wordpress-multi-site-provisioning/

Edited January 18, 2018 by Remitur

[RadWebHosting]

Softaculous built-in API makes this easy and affordable: http://www.softaculous.com/docs/WHMCS_Auto_Install_Module