Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – the following aspects and features of Managed WordPress Cloud are 100% taken care of…

• Server operating system, modules, and other software
• Database configuration, maintenance, backup and recovery
• WordPress core, plugin, and theme updates with safe update and rollback
• Domain configuration (DNS), SSL certificate registration, configuration, and renewal
• Page caching, asset caching (JS and CSS), image optimization, CDN

Shared Hosting is just that – usually hosting providers will put you on a virtual server, but the actual resources are shared amongst all the other customers on the same physical server. For example, you may pay for 1 CPU and 2GB of memory, but if other sites on that server are super busy, yours may experience sluggishness or moments of unresponsiveness.

Dedicated Hosting on the other hand means that the resources you pay for belong to you; Regardless of who else is on the physical server, your CPU and memory are only for your site, and you can expect that performance 24/7/365.

Yes! Not only can you, but we encourage pro-level developers to do so! Each site has selective access between Production and Staging, with directory-level access as well. Composer is supported, along with a bunch of helpful CLI tools to speed up your work and make life easier.

To add SSH or sFTP users, log into the Hub and click the Hosting tab.

Our hosting plans and DIY (a la carte) VPS hosting of bronze or higher support WP multisite. While technically supported, Bronze-powered hosting resources may not be suitable for multisite depending on installed plugins. Quantum-powered hosting does not support multisite.

Nano does not support multisite, as our networks share or are built on the technologies used in WP multisite.

Google delegates nonprofit status verification to their partner, TechSoup. Any qualified 501c3 organization may apply through Smashstar Media, and we will work with TechSoup to validate your status and activate your products. Qualifying organizations must provide a copy of their IRS exemption approval letter.

The maximum number of seats depends on your Google Workspace plan. Nonprofit organizations and schools can add an unlimited number of users to Workspace, while some business plans max out at 250. Please get in touch with your account representative for more information.

No. Workspace licenses billed through Smashstar Media include a $1-2 management fee per seat. However, if you purchase directly from Google, your management fee will be billed separately.

A managed seat covers one individual or mailbox. Standard management fee is $2 per seat, or $1 per seat depending on the size of your organization. Qualifying nonprofits do not incur management fees.

Workspace licenses can be purchased through Google directly (in the Admin dashboard) or through Smashstar Media. Please note that licenses purchased directly from Google do not include our management fee.

Workspace Add-Ons must be purchased directly through Google in the admin dashboard. For assistance with purchasing these licenses, please reach out to our Billing and Accounts team.

Our team provides support and management through a tenant account. This account does not require a Workspace license, and is solely used for support and management.

Workspace suites set up by Smashstar Media include this account automatically.

Mailchimp add-ons and plan upgrades can be purchased directly through your Mailchimp account.

Our team provides support through a Mailchimp partner account. This account does not count towards your paid seats, and is only used by our team for support and troubleshooting.

Mailchimp plans set up by Smashstar Media include this account automatically.

The Hub can be accessed from any internet-connected device, but we recommend using your computer and either Safari or Brave for a browser.

You can sign in with your organization account (Google or Microsoft), or request an individual username/password.

NOTE: Managing hosting and admin settings for your Managed WordPress site requires a separate account.

Yes – organization managers (account holders and delegates) can add any cloud or internal app to the Hub dashboard. Apps that support integration with the Hub or management capabilities are preconfigured and can be enabled/disabled in your settings.

Options for custom apps include: Name (label), primary color, accent color, link or app, link target (parent, new tab), and access.

Account holders and purchasers of our cloud products and SaaS have access to the Hub – your account is created automatically when you purchased your first product or service.

For nonprofits and business users, all organization members can access the Hub app launcher, LiveDocs, and tools. SSO and auto-registration are available for those using Workspace, 365, or Apple Business.

Wave provides our billing and invoicing software. You may receive emails from “[email protected],” however most of our messages will come from our billing address, “[email protected].”

Wave allows our clients and partners to pay invoices online using a secure web portal. If you do not feel comfortable entering your credit/debit card, checking account, or other payment information through Wave, please reach out to us at [email protected] for instructions on mailing a check.

For larger projects, we may require that you make a down-payment before our team begins work. We understand that this may not be ideal for everyone, however this ensures that we are able to assign enough team members to your project to meet your deadline.

Please refer to our payment policy for more information.

Please refer to our payment policy regarding the specifics of what happens when you don’t pay your invoices.