Your First Day: What to Do Right After Ordering
Your GuavaHost server goes live within seconds of ordering, so this guide walks you through the handful of things worth doing on day one to get it set up the way you want.
2 min read · Updated Sep 24, 2026 · By GuavaHost Team
Open your control panel
- Go to customer.guavahost.com and sign in with your GuavaHost account. This is your control panel, where your servers, invoices and upgrades all live.
- Open My servers and click Manage on your new server.
- You land on the server's Overview, with the live console, your usage and your server address.
New to the panel? Getting around your new control panel is a two-minute tour.
Start the server and watch it boot
Your server is installed and ready, but it may not be running yet. Press Start at the top of the server page and watch the console on the Overview (or open the Console tab for a bigger view). The very first boot can take a little longer than a normal restart because the game files finish setting themselves up. When the log settles and reports that the world or level is ready, the status changes to Online and players can join.
Note your connect address
Your server address sits at the top of the server page, next to a copy button, and again in the Ports & network card on the Overview. It is made of an IP and a port, and it is the thing you and your friends type into the game to join. Copy it somewhere handy so you are not hunting for it later.
Set your game options in Startup settings
Open the Settings tab and scroll to Startup settings. This is where the server's options live, things like the game version, the server type or jar, and core game settings. Change one, click Save next to it, and restart the server. If you want a specific version or game mode, set it here before you invite anyone, because some of these changes only take effect on a fresh boot. Some games also have their own tools in the server menu, such as Version for Minecraft or Wipes for Rust.
Take your first backup
Before you start tinkering, open Backups in the server menu and click Create backup. A backup is a saved copy of your server at that exact moment. Restoring one overwrites the current files, so having a clean starting point means you can always roll back if an experiment goes sideways.
Good things to know
- Every plan includes free DDoS protection, NVMe SSD storage and instant setup, so none of that needs configuring by you.
- You can move your server to another location with Change location on the Overview, or add more RAM at any time with Manage plan, and billing is prorated.
- There is a 48-hour money-back guarantee if the server is not what you expected.
Day one really is that short. Open the panel, start the server, grab your address, set your version in Startup settings, and take a backup. Everything else, plugins, mods, scheduled tasks and inviting friends, can wait until you know exactly what you want to build.
Still stuck? Jump into our Discord at discord.gg/GuavaHost and the team will help you out.
- onboarding
- first-steps
- setup
- panel
Still need help? Our team is online 24/7 to answer questions.