Getting Started With Jetpack

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 to run Jetpack on my site?

• A web host that meets the minimum PHP and MySQL (or MariaDB) versions specified in 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 If your version of WordPress is out of date, you’ll see a prompt to automatically upgrade with a single click, or can upgrade manually.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 can find out here why having a WordPress.com account connected to Jetpack is important. You only need one WordPress.com account to access all our services (including 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.

Installing Jetpack from WP Admin

Installing Jetpack can be done from your site’s WP Admin. To install Jetpack via the WP Admin:

1. Go to Plugins → Add New.
2. Search for Jetpack. The latest version will be in the search results.
3. Click Install Now.

4. Click Activate.

4. After activating, you will be prompted to set up Jetpack. Click Set up Jetpack.

6. When prompted, click Approve to connect your site to WordPress.com. This is necessary to use many of Jetpack’s features. Learn more about features that require a WordPress.com connection.

7. After approving the connection to WordPress.com, you will be prompted to select a Jetpack plan on the Pricing page. You can select a plan with the features you need or scroll down to the bottom of the page and start for free instead.
8. You can confirm that your site is connected to WordPress.com with your account by going to Jetpack → Dashboard and viewing Connections.

Setting Up Jetpack with My Jetpack

You can also connect Jetpack with your WordPress.com account from My Jetpack. To do that:

1. Go to Jetpack → My Jetpack.
2. Under Connection, click Connect.
3. You will then be prompted to connect your user account. Click Connect your user account.
4. When prompted, click Approve to connect your site to WordPress.com.

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.

1. Go to https://wordpress.com/jetpack/connect/store, select a plan and proceed to checkout.
2. Enter your site URL (e.g. https://yourjetpack.blog) and click Continue.
3. Enter your WP-Admin 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.
4. After Jetpack is installed, you can complete the checkout process.
5. You can enable recommended features in the Setup Checklist that follows, or you can manage them later.
6. Click Return to WP Admin to go to your site’s Dashboard.

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.

I’m having trouble getting Jetpack connected to WordPress.com. How can I troubleshoot?

Please see our documentation on fixing Jetpack connection issues. If the issues persist, please see our other troubleshooting documentation.

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
• Brute force attack protection to protect from malicious login attempts
• A free Content Delivery Network (CDN) that automatically speeds up all your images and photos
• Comprehensive security tools including real-time backups, malware scanning, and spam protection for comment sections and forms.

I’m having trouble getting Akismet installed/connected to WordPress.com. How can I troubleshoot?

Some Jetpack plans include Akismet spam protection. If you are having difficulty setting up Akismet, please see our documentation on Akismet issues.

I need more help! What should I do?

Contact Jetpack Happiness Engineers to get personalized help.