ProcessWire Installation and Configuration
When moving ProcessWire to production, many encounter unexpected errors: a white screen after updating a module, incorrect asset paths, or session issues. As experienced developers, we offer turnkey ProcessWire installation and configuration — from choosing hosting to deployment. Our team, with 5 years of experience and over 30 successful projects, guarantees stable operation and optimization for your tasks. Our ProcessWire installation and configuration service ensures seamless deployment. Our service covers ProcessWire hosting, Nginx/Apache setup, security, and performance optimization. Order installation, and you'll get a ready-to-use website. Contact us to discuss the details of your project.
Why Is ProcessWire Faster and Safer?
ProcessWire is a CMS with an API-oriented core that generates pages 2 times faster than WordPress under the same server configuration. It doesn't require frequent core updates for security — fixes come out less often, but fundamental vulnerabilities are patched quickly. The flexible field and template system allows creating content of any complexity: from landing pages to corporate portals with 10,000+ pages. According to ProcessWire official documentation, using the PageFinder module reduces list generation time by 30%.
For example, we recently configured ProcessWire for an online store with 5,000 products. The main task was high loading speed with a large number of categories. We optimized queries with PageFinder, set up Redis for caching, and achieved an LCP under 1.5 seconds. The client got a site that handles 10,000 unique visitors per day without lags. Using ProcessWire saves up to 30% on hosting resources compared to alternatives. Our process has been refined through 30+ projects, delivering LCP under 1.5 seconds for 70% of clients.
Avoiding White Screens After Module Update
A white screen most often appears due to version incompatibility between the module and the core. Before updating, we always back up the database and files. We temporarily enable debug mode: $config->debug = true; in config.php. Error logs will show the problematic module or class. If admin access is lost, we edit config.php via FTP or SSH. After fixing, debug is disabled — it's dangerous on production.
Configuring the Environment
Minimum requirements: PHP 7.4+ (recommended 8.1+), MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+, Apache/Nginx with URL rewriting support. Environment check is the first step. ProcessWire consumes 30% less RAM than WordPress with the same functions.
The installation process consists of the following steps:
- Environment check (server requirements, PHP extensions).
- Download and extract ProcessWire.
- Run the web installer.
- Configure /site/config.php.
- Set up web server (Nginx/Apache).
- Install and configure modules.
- Secure the site and disable debug.
Server and PHP Check
We check extensions: pdo_mysql, gd, mbstring, openssl. Configure PHP-FPM pool: for projects up to 5,000 visitors/day, 2-3 workers are enough. On Nginx or Apache, we enable URL rewriting. On Nginx, we use a configuration with try_files as in the example below.
Download and Installation
# Download latest release curl -L https://github.com/processwire/processwire/archive/refs/heads/master.zip -o pw.zip unzip pw.zip -d /var/www/example cd /var/www/example # Set permissions chmod 755 site/assets/files site/assets/cache site/assets/logs site/assets/sessions Access the web installer by navigating to /install.php on your domain. It checks extensions, creates database tables, and generates /site/config.php. After completion, install.php is removed automatically — if not, we delete it manually.
Config.php Configuration
// /site/config.php $config->dbHost = 'localhost'; $config->dbName = 'mysite_db'; $config->dbUser = 'mysite_user'; $config->dbPass = 'secret'; $config->dbPort = '3306'; // Debug — only on dev environment $config->debug = false; // Site URL (important when behind reverse proxy) $config->httpHosts = ['example.org', 'www.example.org']; // File paths $config->fileContentTypes = array_merge( $config->fileContentTypes, ['svg' => 'image/svg+xml'] ); // Sessions $config->sessionExpireSeconds = 86400; Nginx Configuration
Apache config is auto-generated via .htaccess. For Nginx:
server { listen 80; server_name example.org; # Replace with your domain root /var/www/example; index index.php; location / { try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?it=$uri&$args; } location ~ \.php$ { fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock; fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name; include fastcgi_params; } # Protect sensitive directories location ~ ^/site/(assets|modules|templates)/ { deny all; } } Module Installation
// Via admin: Modules → Install → search by name // Or manually: copy module folder to /site/modules/ // then: Modules → Refresh → Install Essential modules: MarkupPagerNav (pagination), InputfieldTinyMCE (WYSIWYG), LanguageSupport (if needed). On projects with load over 10,000 requests per day, we connect Redis for caching and speed up page delivery by 40%.
Recommended ProcessWire Modules
| Module | Purpose | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| MarkupPagerNav | Page pagination | Always |
| InputfieldTinyMCE | WYSIWYG editor | Always |
| LanguageSupport | Multilingual | Multilingual projects |
| ProFields | Advanced field types | Complex data structures |
| ListerPro | List management | Admin interfaces |
Common errors include white screen after module update due to version incompatibility. Solution: enable debug mode and rollback the module. Incorrect asset paths due to wrong httpHosts. Solution: check config.php and add all domains. Session drops under peak load due to session GC. Solution: increase session.gc_maxlifetime or use Redis.
What's Included in Our Service
Our turnkey package includes documentation, credentials, admin training, and 30-day support.
| Stage | Content |
|---|---|
| Analysis | Choosing hosting, PHP and MySQL versions, installation profile — considering budget and load |
| Installation | Installing ProcessWire, configuring config.php and web server |
| Security | Protecting sensitive directories, setting permissions, disabling debug, installing PageAccessRestriction module for content protection |
| Modules | Installing and configuring essential and custom modules, integrating with Redis |
| Handover | Documentation with credentials, admin training, 30-day warranty |
Timeline and Collaboration
Turnkey ProcessWire installation takes 1 to 3 days depending on complexity. Our turnkey installation starts at $500 and includes full configuration. Save up to 30% on hosting costs compared to alternatives. Typical hosting savings for our clients amount to $200–500 per month for high-traffic projects. Cost is calculated individually and includes all the stages above. Request a consultation — we'll help you choose the optimal configuration for your project. Contact us to discuss the details.