Are you ready to blast off with Jetpack? Great! This document outlines what you’ll need to get started, several different ways you can get connected, and some frequently asked questions about the connection process.
What do I need in order to run Jetpack on my site?
- A web host that meets the WordPress host requirements.
- The latest version of WordPress. If your version of WordPress is out of date, you’ll see a prompt to automatically upgrade with a single click, or can upgrade manually.
- A WordPress.com account. Don’t have one yet? Sign up for one here, or create one during the Jetpack connection flow. You only need one WordPress.com account to access all our services (including VaultPress, Akismet, Crowdsignal, Gravatar, and WordPress.com itself) so if you use any of these services you already have a WordPress.com account you can connect to Jetpack. You can reset your WordPress.com password here if you need to.
- A publicly accessible WordPress site: no password protection or Coming Soon / Maintenance Mode plugin in use.
- A publicly accessible XML-RPC file.
Jetpack Installation Options
Installing Jetpack from WP Admin
The first option is to install Jetpack from within your WP Admin.
To begin, click on the Plugins link, then click Add New.
Search for Jetpack. The latest version will be in the search results. Click the Install Now button:
Next, click the Activate button. After activating, you will be prompted to set up Jetpack:
Next, approve the connection to WordPress.com.
When prompted, choose a Jetpack plan, or, choose the “Start with free” option at the bottom of the page. If you purchase a plan, VaultPress and Akismet will be automatically installed and configured for you.
You can enable recommended features in the Setup Checklist that follows, or you can manage them later.
After successfully connecting to your WordPress.com account, most Jetpack features are automatically activated. If you want to modify this default configuration, navigate to Jetpack > Settings in your site’s WP Admin. To learn more about any of our features, hit the little ‘i’ button to the far right of each feature.
Automatic Installation with a Jetpack Plan Purchase
If you purchase a Jetpack plan on a site where Jetpack isn’t already installed, we handle the installation and setup of Jetpack for you.
- Go to https://wordpress.com/jetpack/connect/store and select a plan.
- Enter your site URL (e.g. https://yourjetpack.blog) and click Continue.
- Enter your WordPress Administrator credentials for your site. These are different credentials from your WordPress.com login credentials. These credentials are not stored, and are used only to install Jetpack securely. Be sure to add the credentials for the WP Admin user account that you plan to connect to Jetpack.
- After Jetpack is installed, you can complete the checkout process.
- VaultPress and Akismet will be automatically installed and registered for you, as part of your Jetpack plan.
- You can enable recommended features in the Setup Checklist that follows, or you can manage them later.
- Click Return to WP Admin to go to your site’s Dashboard.
Note: If you already have Jetpack installed when you purchase a Jetpack plan, VaultPress and Akismet will be automatically installed and registered for you.
Command Line Interface Installation
If you have installed WP-CLI, you can install Jetpack by running this command:
wp plugin install jetpack
Installation FAQ
What if I have a multisite installation?
If you are using WordPress Multisite, Jetpack must be connected separately to WordPress.com, on each site in the network (on sites where Jetpack connections are desired). Any Administrator for that site can create the Jetpack connection. It does not have to be a different Administrator user or a different WordPress.com user for each site.
I have a local WordPress install or a private site. Can I use Jetpack?
Yes. You can still use many of Jetpack’s features. You’ll just need to enable Jetpack’s development mode.
VaultPress and Akismet didn’t automatically install and configure for me.
Our documentation on manually installing VaultPress and Akismet is here.
I’m having trouble getting Jetpack connected to WordPress.com. How can I troubleshoot?
Please see our documentation on Jetpack connection issues.
I’m still having a problem that isn’t addressed by the connection issues document above.
Please see our other troubleshooting documentation here.
How do I install Jetpack in my language?
Once you have installed WordPress in your own language, Jetpack will automatically switch to your language, as long as a translation file is available. More on contributing to Jetpack translations can be found here.
Why should I connect Jetpack?
Jetpack provides a number of essential services for your WordPress site. The most popular are:
- Stats and analytics about your site traffic;
- Site security (protection from brute force login attacks and uptime monitoring);
- A free Content Delivery Network (CDN) that automatically speeds up all your images and photos; and
- Tools like Related Posts, Publicize, and Sharing buttons that help to increase traffic to your site.
You’ll also gain access to the WordPress.com homepage – a central place to manage all of your Jetpack-connected WordPress sites whenever you want to, on any device. This includes:
- Automatic updates and bulk plugin management;
- Access to an improved and faster editor;
- Centrally-managed stats, menus, and other site options;
- The ability to access your site on the official WordPress mobile and desktop apps.
I need more help! What should I do?
Contact Jetpack Happiness Engineers, to get personalized help.
