Purchase a Self-Managed VPS with AdminBolt Installation

This guide helps you launch and manage your websites faster using AdminBolt, a modern control panel that eliminates per-account fees with flat-rate server pricing. You will learn how AdminBolt simplifies server management through built-in AI tools, automatic backups, and multi-server control. Finally, the article walks you through the exact steps to purchase a Bluehost Self-Managed VPS and deploy it with AdminBolt pre-installed.

Minimum Server Requirements

To run the AdminBolt management panel smoothly, your server must meet the minimum hardware requirements.

Ensure your server meets or exceeds these specifications before installation:

Resource	Minimum
CPU	2 vCPUs
RAM	4 GB
Disk	20 GB

Why Use AdminBolt?

AdminBolt is a fast, modern control panel designed to run your web hosting, websites, and apps without the massive price tag and per-account fees of older software. We charge a flat monthly rate per server, meaning you can host unlimited accounts and scale your business with completely predictable costs. The platform features an intelligent, built-in AI assistant that lets you manage settings and fix common errors using plain, everyday language right from your dashboard. Best of all, you can control multiple servers from one central location, while our built-in migration tool allows you to safely move your existing data with zero downtime.

Uses of AdminBolt

We run and scale your web infrastructure using AdminBolt, an API-first control panel that keeps your licensing costs flat, automates server tasks seamlessly, and allows you to host unlimited websites to grow your business faster.

Web Hosting: Simple, secure account management designed for direct domain configuration, database setup, and email creation.
AI Server Assistant: An intelligent, built-in dashboard helper that reads plain language to update settings, adjust firewalls, and fix common errors instantly.
Multi-Server Hub: Advanced central controls embedded with single sign-on to monitor all your separate web nodes from one dashboard.
Server Automation: Multi-step background processes that handle repeatable hosting tasks like issuing SSL certificates and running backups.
Data Converters: Instant migration tools where you safely pull websites, mailboxes, and configurations from older legacy panels with zero downtime.

How to Purchase a Self-Managed VPS with AdminBolt Installation

To deploy and manage AdminBolt efficiently, start by purchasing a Self-Managed VPS Hosting from Bluehost. Follow these steps:

Pre-configured Setup

Self-Managed VPS - Pre-configured Setup

New to VPS or not sure where to start? No worries! At the top of the Self-Managed VPS purchase page, you’ll see the Pre-configured Setup section. This handy feature is perfect if you’re feeling a bit unsure—just pick the type of project you want, like WordPress Site, AI Agent/Claude Code, Dev/Staging, or eCommerce Store. We’ll take care of the rest by automatically filling in the best plan, operating system, and template for you.

Super simple for beginners or anyone who just wants a quick setup
Instantly get the recommended settings for your project
Skip the guesswork and save time
You can still customize things later if you want

Give the Pre-configured Setup a try and get your Bluehost Self-Managed VPS up and running in no time!

In your browser, go to https://www.bluehost.com/vps-hosting.
Click the Choose Plan button under your preferred VPS hosting plan.

Important: Pricing is subject to change—please visit https://www.bluehost.com/vps-hosting for the current introductory/sign-up offer for Bluehost VPS Hosting. For the most up-to-date renewal pricing, visit your Bluehost Portal Renewal Center.
Select your preferred Data Center location.
On the Cart page, you can configure your server to fit your needs in the following section:
1. Hardware:
  1. Pre-selected:
    You can select a different Self-Managed VPS plan in this section.
  2. Configure:
    Click Configure to customize your package.
    
    Note that your changes help customize your plan, and the overall cost will adjust accordingly to fit your needs.
2. Software:
  1. Click on the Application tab.
  2. Choose AdminBolt.
  3. Click Confirm to continue.
Add-Ons:
- Premium Support:
  This service provides you with priority access to our expert team for faster responses and personalized assistance whenever you need it.
In the Advanced options:
- Extra IPs: You can add extra IP addresses for an additional fee.
  Pricing changes based on how many IPs you add.
- Hostname: Assign a custom hostname to easily identify your server. This is optional.
Select your preferred billing term and view your Order Summary. Click the Continue to Checkout button to proceed.
Do the following on the Checkout page:
If you're new with Bluehost:
1. Create your Bluehost account by using your email address or by connecting with your Google, Apple, or GitHub account — whichever you prefer!
2. Select your preferred payment method: credit card, Google Pay, or PayPal. Enter your billing information.
If you have an account with us, you will see your Bluehost login details when you are logged into your Bluehost Portal. If you are not logged in, please click the Log In link.
In the Shopping Cart section, you can still adjust your billing term if needed.
Review the items in your cart, add a Promo Code if you have one, and then click Submit Payment to complete the purchase.

After checkout, your Self-Managed VPS will begin setting up. Once it’s ready, you can find it under the Hosting tab in your Bluehost Portal.

Getting Started with AdminBolt Web Hosting Control Panel

AdminBolt is a modern web hosting control panel that helps you manage websites, databases, email accounts, DNS records, and SSL certificates through an intuitive visual interface. Follow this step-by-step guide to access your AdminBolt panel and set up your account for the first time.

Step 1: Access your AdminBolt Dashboard

After installation completes:

Log in to your Bluehost Portal.
In the left-hand menu, click the Hosting tab.
Look for the server you want to manage then click the View Details to see more options.
Click the Reset Password.
In the pop-up window, type your new root password, then click Reset Password again to confirm and save the changes.

Connect to your VPS via SSH.
Use your VPS IP and credentials with an SSH client, follow the prompts, and enter your root password when asked:

ssh root@your_server_ip

Example Output:

********************************************************************************

  AdminBolt Hosting Control Panel

  The firewalld firewall is enabled.
  All ports are BLOCKED except:
    22  (SSH), 80 (HTTP), 443 (HTTPS), 8443 (AdminBolt Panel)
    25/465/587 (Mail), 110/143/993/995 (IMAP/POP3), 53 (DNS), 21 (FTP Control), 20 (FTP data), 49152-65535 (FTP Passive)

  Panel access:
    https://your-server-ip.myboltip.com:8443          (AdminBolt Admin Panel)
    https://your-server-ip.myboltip.com:8443/client   (Client Panel)
    https://your-server-ip.myboltip.com:8443/webmail  (Roundcube Webmail)
    https://your-server-ip.myboltip.com:8443/phpmyadmin (phpMyAdmin)

  First-time setup:
    Username : admin
    The SSO login link expires after 5 minutes. Generate a fresh one:
      bolt-cli admin-sso-generate

  Common commands:
    systemctl status bolt-agent         # check panel status
    systemctl status httpd              # check Apache
    systemctl status mariadb            # check MariaDB
    systemctl status postfix dovecot    # check mail services
    journalctl -u bolt-agent -f         # live panel logs
    bolt-cli admin-sso-generate         # generate new login link

  Key directories:
    Panel logs    : /var/log/adminbolt/
    Apache logs   : /var/log/httpd/
    Mail logs     : /var/log/maillog
    Web root      : /home/<user>/public_html/

  For details please refer to /root/README.md

********************************************************************************
To delete this message of the day: rm -rf $(readlink -f ${0})

Welcome to AdminBolt!
If you want to access the AdminBolt control panel, you can run the following command:

bolt-cli admin-sso-generate

If you ever need to quickly review the system's deployment notes directly inside your server terminal, you can print out the original README file by running:
```
cat /root/README.md
```

To log in for the first time, you need to grab your unique Single Sign-On (SSO) login URL from your server.

Run the following command to view your initial admin credentials and login link:

cat /root/.app_passwords

Example Output:

Admin Panel URL: https://your-server-ip.myboltip.com:8443 — This is the main dashboard login page.
SSO Login Link: https://your-server-ip.myboltip.com:8443/admin/sso-login/... — You can copy and paste this entire long URL directly into your browser to log in automatically without needing to type a username or password.

[root@your-server-ip ~]# cat /root/.app_passwords
AdminBolt Admin Panel
=====================
Panel URL : https://your-server-ip.myboltip.com:8443
SSO Login : https://your-server-ip.myboltip.com:8443/admin/sso-login/hwrjakN9jwG4iTnbiHSZ8UMqwCbp22muExQJTnMCykkY2OLzxUemi0Sf3p7h

To generate a new login link at any time:
  bolt-cli admin-sso-generate

Note: The SSO login link expires after 5 minutes. If that file is ever missing or empty, you can generate a fresh login link by running:

bolt-cli admin-sso-generate

Step 3: Access the Panel in Your Browser

Because your fresh AdminBolt panel uses a temporary, self-signed certificate, your browser will flag it during your first visit.

From the output of the command above, look for the SSO Login URL. It will look something like this: https://your-server-ip:8443/admin/sso-login/{unique_token}
Copy that entire URL and paste it into your web browser.
Bypass the SSL Warning: Because the panel is freshly installed, it uses a temporary, self-signed SSL certificate. Your browser will show a warning ("Your connection is not private"). Click Advanced, and then click Proceed to [your IP] (unsafe).
Your AdminBolt dashboard will open.
If prompted with the Force Password Change screen, choose a strong password (or click Generate Password), confirm it, and click Change Password.

If you are not prompted with the Force Password Change screen, proceed directly to step 4 to set your permanent password.

Step 4: Set Your Permanent Password

Run the Admin Creation Command
Execute the following command to update or overwrite your admin account password:
```
bolt-cli create-admin-account
```
Follow the On-Screen Prompts
Enter your administrator username, email address, and your new secure password when prompted by the terminal. The system will activate your new password immediately.

Example Output:
```
Creating admin account...
 Enter name:
 > JC
 Enter username:
 > JC
 Enter password:
 >
Admin account created successfully
```

Step 5: Access Your Panel in the Future

Now that you have configured your permanent password, you no longer need to use SSH to generate login links. You can access your panel directly at any time:

Navigate to your panel URL:

https://your-server-ip:8443

Enter your standard credentials:

Username: The username you created in Step 4.
Password: The permanent password you created in Step 4.

Verify Server Health (Optional but Recommended)

Before you start hosting websites, it's a good practice to ensure all backend engines are running smoothly. You can check them directly from your command line:

Check the Admin panel backend:
```
systemctl status bolt-agent
```
Check the Web Server (Apache):
```
systemctl status httpd
```
Check the Database Server:
```
systemctl status mariadb
```

From this point forward, you can handle tasks like adding domains, installing Let's Encrypt SSL certificates, creating databases, and setting up email routing completely from the visual AdminBolt web interface.

Managing Your Server

You can manage your complete hosting ecosystem directly from the interface. Use the sidebar menu to:

Manage Websites & Files: Create hosting accounts, configure multi-PHP versions, and upload files via the built-in file manager.
Secure Your Sites: Issue one-click SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt or ZeroSSL.
Handle Email: Create email mailboxes, access Roundcube webmail, and rely on built-in Rspamd spam filtering.
Control Databases & DNS: Add MariaDB databases (managed via phpMyAdmin or Adminer) and configure DNS records via PowerDNS.

Additional Information and Example Documentation Output

You can run cat /root/README.md to see more information and useful commands:

Example Output:



[root@123456 ~]# cat /root/README.md
# AdminBolt

## Description

AdminBolt is a modern web hosting control panel that lets you manage websites, databases, email accounts, DNS records, and SSL certificates from a visual interface. It supports Apache-based hosting, one-click SSL via Let's Encrypt, multi-PHP version management, Roundcube webmail, and built-in spam filtering with Rspamd, providing a complete hosting environment without complex command-line setup.

## Services

| Service    | Description                                                                | Managed By |
| ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- |
| bolt-agent | AdminBolt core backend engine (port 3030)                                  | systemd    |
| bolt-nginx | AdminBolt panel web server (port 8443)                                     | systemd    |
| bolt-php   | AdminBolt PHP engine                                                       | systemd    |
| httpd      | Apache web server for hosted websites (ports 80, 443)                      | systemd    |
| mariadb    | Database server                                                            | systemd    |
| postfix    | Outgoing mail server (ports 25, 465, 587)                                  | systemd    |
| dovecot    | Incoming mail server (ports 110, 143, 993, 995)                            | systemd    |
| pdns       | PowerDNS authoritative DNS server (port 53)                                | systemd    |
| rspamd     | Spam filtering service                                                     | systemd    |
| vsftpd     | FTP server (port 21)                                                       | systemd    |
| fail2ban   | Brute-force protection                                                     | systemd    |
| firewalld  | Firewall (allows 22, 80, 443, 8443, 21, 20, 49152-65535, 25, 465, 587, 53) | systemd    |

## Stack

| Component   | Details                             |
| ----------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Web server  | Apache (httpd)                      |
| Database    | MariaDB                             |
| Mail        | Postfix + Dovecot                   |
| Spam filter | Rspamd                              |
| Webmail     | Roundcube                           |
| DNS         | PowerDNS                            |
| FTP         | vsftpd                              |
| SSL         | Let's Encrypt + ZeroSSL via acme.sh |
| Firewall    | firewalld                           |
| Panel       | AdminBolt (port 8443)               |

## Accessing AdminBolt

Retrieve your admin login link:

```bash
cat /root/.app_passwords
```

Copy the SSO Login URL and open it in your browser:

```
https://{server_ip}:8443/admin/sso-login/{token}
```

Your browser may show a certificate warning during first access because the panel initially uses a self-signed certificate. Click **Advanced** and continue to proceed.

After opening the SSO link:

1. Open your profile (top right)
2. Set a permanent password

After that, log in any time using:

```
https://{server_ip}:8443
```

Username:

```
admin
```

Password:

```
The password you set above
```

## Manage

From the admin panel you can:

- Create and manage hosting accounts and reseller accounts
- Add domains and configure DNS records
- Issue SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt
- Create and manage email accounts
- Manage databases via phpMyAdmin or Adminer
- Access webmail via Roundcube
- Monitor server metrics and services
- Manage files via the built-in file manager
- Configure PHP versions per hosting account
- Set up FTP accounts

## Useful Commands

```bash
# View admin credentials and login link
cat /root/.app_passwords

# Generate a new admin login link
bolt-cli admin-sso-generate

# Check panel status
systemctl status bolt-agent

# Check Apache
systemctl status httpd

# Check MariaDB
systemctl status mariadb

# Check mail services
systemctl status postfix dovecot

# Check DNS
systemctl status pdns

# Live panel logs
journalctl -u bolt-agent -f

# First boot log
journalctl -t adminbolt-firstboot -n 100 --no-pager
```

## Ports

| Port        | Service                          |
| ----------- | -------------------------------- |
| 22          | SSH                              |
| 80          | HTTP (Apache - hosted websites)  |
| 443         | HTTPS (Apache - hosted websites) |
| 8443        | AdminBolt panel (bolt-nginx)     |
| 21          | FTP (vsftpd)                     |
| 20          | FTP Active Data (vsftpd)         |
| 49152-65535 | FTP Passive Data (vsftpd)        |
| 25          | SMTP (Postfix)                   |
| 465         | SMTPS (Postfix)                  |
| 587         | SMTP Submission (Postfix)        |
| 110         | POP3 (Dovecot)                   |
| 143         | IMAP (Dovecot)                   |
| 993         | IMAPS (Dovecot)                  |
| 995         | POP3S (Dovecot)                  |
| 53          | DNS TCP/UDP (PowerDNS)           |

## Minimum Resources

| Resource | Minimum |
| -------- | ------- |
| vCPUs    | 2       |
| RAM      | 4 GB    |
| Disk     | 20 GB   |

## Links

- Manage: [https://{server_ip}:8443](https://{server_ip}:8443)
- AdminBolt documentation: [https://docs.adminbolt.com](https://docs.adminbolt.com)

Summary

AdminBolt replaces expensive, older hosting panels by giving you a fast and modern dashboard. This system allows you to effortlessly host unlimited websites, use a built-in AI assistant to fix errors in plain language, and control multiple servers from one central hub. To start saving time and cutting costs, you can follow the step-by-step setup guide to purchase a Bluehost Self-Managed VPS with AdminBolt pre-installed.

Did you find this article helpful?

Minimum Server Requirements

Why Use AdminBolt?

Uses of AdminBolt

How to Purchase a Self-Managed VPS with AdminBolt Installation

Getting Started with AdminBolt Web Hosting Control Panel

Step 1: Access your AdminBolt Dashboard

Step 2: Retrieve Your Admin Login Link

Step 3: Access the Panel in Your Browser

Step 4: Set Your Permanent Password

Step 5: Access Your Panel in the Future

Verify Server Health (Optional but Recommended)

Managing Your Server

Additional Information and Example Documentation Output

Summary