LiteSpeed

LiteSpeed Web Server (LSWS) is a high-performance web server with built-in LSCache. It works as a drop-in replacement for Apache, so your existing sites, .htaccess rules, and settings keep working after the switch with no reconfiguration. AdminBolt installs LiteSpeed, applies your license, switches the active web server between MyApache (Apache) and LiteSpeed, moves your domains to the matching PHP engine, and lets your clients manage LSCache per domain.

What it provides

• Module installer - set up LiteSpeed from the panel.
• License management - apply your LiteSpeed license serial, or start with a trial key.
• Web server switch - move the active server between MyApache (Apache) and LiteSpeed. Only one runs at a time.
• PHP engine migration - move domains and hosting plans between REMI PHP and the matching LSPHP version.
• LSCache management - per-domain LiteSpeed cache controls for your clients (enable, TTL, clear cache).
• Logs - real-time LiteSpeed access and error logs.
• Settings - manage the server configuration that both MyApache and LiteSpeed share.
• WebAdmin console - open the native LiteSpeed admin console from the panel.

Before you start

• Your server runs a supported OS: AlmaLinux 9, Rocky Linux 9, or CloudLinux 9.
• You have a LiteSpeed license serial. You can also start with a trial key from the panel and add a paid serial later.
• You are signed in to the admin panel.
• If you plan to serve existing sites with LiteSpeed, the matching LSPHP versions for your domains should be installed (PHP Manager → Versions). Domains without a matching version are skipped during PHP migration.
• For HTTP/3 (QUIC) to work, allow UDP on port 443 to your node in any external firewall. Without it, sites still load over HTTP/2, but HTTP/3 is unavailable.

LiteSpeed runs as a drop-in replacement for Apache. Switching the active web server affects every site on the node, so plan the change for a quiet moment.

Install LiteSpeed

1. Go to Admin → Applications → Modules.

2. Find the LiteSpeed card. The status shows Not Installed.

   

3. Click Install, then Confirm in the dialog.

   

4. The panel runs the installation in the background and shows a live progress log. Installing LiteSpeed and its LSPHP runtimes takes several minutes, so wait for it to finish.

   

5. When it completes, the module status changes to Installed, and a new LiteSpeed section appears in the left menu.

At this point LiteSpeed is installed but not yet active - MyApache keeps serving requests until you switch.

Apply your license serial

1. Open LiteSpeed → Dashboard. The License Serial card shows Not Set right after installation.

   

2. Click Update License Serial. Enter your serial, or tick Use Trial Key to start with a trial. Keep Restart LiteSpeed after applying the license key enabled so the change takes effect immediately.

   

3. Click Submit. The Current Serial now shows your key (masked), and LiteSpeed starts in the background.

   

The trial key is time-limited and meant for evaluation. Apply a paid serial for production use.

If you apply the license while Apache is still the active web server, the dashboard briefly reports Conflict Detected because both servers are running at once. It clears as soon as you switch to a single web server in the next step.

Switch the active web server

1. On the LiteSpeed → Dashboard, in the Webservers card, click Switch to LiteSpeed.

2. Read the notice and click Confirm. This stops MyApache and starts LiteSpeed. Expect a brief interruption for every site on the node while the active server changes.

   

3. After a few seconds the banner reads LiteSpeed is Active, and LiteSpeed serves requests on the node. A reminder points you to PHP Migration for any domains still on REMI PHP.

   

4. Verify your sites. Open a few of your sites and confirm they load and that SSL still works. A quick check is the response Server header, which reads LiteSpeed once the switch is done. You can also check LiteSpeed → Access Logs to confirm LiteSpeed is serving traffic.

To return to Apache, see Restart, roll back, or remove LiteSpeed.

Move PHP engines to LSPHP

Apache serves REMI PHP and LiteSpeed serves LSPHP. After switching, move your domains and hosting plans to the matching LSPHP version so they are served by LiteSpeed.

1. Open LiteSpeed → PHP Migration. The page previews what will change. Domains whose matching LSPHP version is not installed are skipped, and the migration is safe to re-run.

   

2. Keep the default direction REMI (PHP) → LiteSpeed (LSPHP). Optionally hide the unused REMI engine from the client panel. Click Run Migration, then Confirm.

   

3. The migration re-assigns each domain and plan to the matching LSPHP version, rebuilds their virtual hosts, and reports the result. The engine distribution at the top updates to show the domains and plans now on LSPHP.

   

The migration is bidirectional. Use REMI (PHP) → LiteSpeed (LSPHP) when moving to LiteSpeed, and LiteSpeed (LSPHP) → REMI (PHP) if you later switch back to MyApache.

Manage LSCache

LiteSpeed's built-in LSCache speeds up dynamic sites by serving cached pages. Your clients manage it per domain from their own panel - see LiteSpeed Cache in the client panel guide.

1. In the client panel, open LiteSpeed Cache. Each domain shows whether LiteSpeed Cache is Enabled, with Settings and Clear Cache actions.

   

2. Settings opens per-domain options: enable or disable the cache, Default TTL and Maximum TTL (how long pages stay cached), Maximum object size, and Excluded paths (paths kept out of the cache, for example /wp-admin, /cart, /checkout).

   

3. Clear Cache purges the cached pages for that domain.

For WordPress, install the LiteSpeed Cache plugin in the site to control full-page caching, image optimization, and purging from the WordPress admin (see the LiteSpeed Cache documentation). Server-wide cache tuning lives in the WebAdmin console.

View LiteSpeed logs

Open LiteSpeed → Access Logs for real-time HTTP access logs across all domains served by LiteSpeed, and LiteSpeed → Error Logs to diagnose problems. Use them to confirm LiteSpeed is serving traffic after a switch and to investigate a site that does not load. Clients see their own access and error logs in the client panel.

LiteSpeed settings

Open LiteSpeed → Settings to manage the server configuration. At the top, the LiteSpeed Profile selector chooses which saved configuration profile is applied (the Default profile is used unless you add others).

LiteSpeed runs in Apache drop-in replacement mode - the only supported mode - so LSWS reads your existing Apache httpd.conf directly and the panel keeps one shared set of server settings: any change here applies whether MyApache or LiteSpeed is the active server. VirtualHosts, .htaccess, mod_rewrite, mod_security, and most Apache directives are read natively by LiteSpeed, and PHP is served through LSAPI (LSPHP) instead of mod_php. Settings are grouped into six tabs: Server Configuration, Security & Performance, Timeouts & Performance, Request Limits, Logging Configuration, and Modules Configuration.

Open the LiteSpeed WebAdmin console

For advanced tuning you can open the native LiteSpeed WebAdmin console.

1. On the LiteSpeed → Dashboard, click LiteSpeed Admin Details.

2. The panel shows the WebAdmin URL (on port 7080) and a generated admin password. Reveal the password with the eye icon, click Open LiteSpeed Admin Panel, or copy the URL and password to sign in.

   

The WebAdmin console is a separate admin surface. Keep port 7080 reachable only from trusted networks, and safeguard the generated password rather than exposing the console publicly.

The WebAdmin console is LiteSpeed's own tool rather than an AdminBolt screen; see the LiteSpeed documentation for how to use it.

Restart, roll back, or remove LiteSpeed

• Restart LiteSpeed - on the LiteSpeed → Dashboard, use Restart LiteSpeed to restart the server after a configuration change or to recover from a transient issue, without switching servers.

• Roll back to Apache - the panel will not switch to Apache while any domain is still on an LSPHP version, because Apache cannot serve LSPHP. Roll back in this order:

  1. Open LiteSpeed → PHP Migration and run it in the LiteSpeed (LSPHP) → REMI (PHP) direction, so every domain and hosting plan returns to REMI PHP.

  2. On the dashboard, click Switch to MyApache and Confirm.

     

  3. Verify your sites load on Apache.

  If you try to switch to Apache before migrating, the panel blocks the switch and names the domains that still use LSPHP:

  

• Remove LiteSpeed - to uninstall the module, first roll back to Apache (the steps above), then open Admin → Applications → Modules → LiteSpeed and click Uninstall.

Who can do what

• Admin - installs LiteSpeed, applies the license, switches the web server, and runs PHP migration. These are node-level actions and are admin-only.
• Clients - manage LiteSpeed Cache per domain and choose the PHP version for their domains. The version list shows the installed LSPHP versions; REMI is hidden when you chose to hide it during migration.
• Resellers - manage hosting plans and accounts. They do not switch the web server or run migration; their accounts inherit the active server.

Troubleshooting

• Sites still run on REMI PHP after switching - run PHP Migration in the REMI → LSPHP direction so domains and plans move to the matching LSPHP version.
• A domain is skipped during migration - the matching LSPHP version is not installed for that domain. Install it from PHP Manager → Versions, then re-run the migration. If you just installed the LSPHP version and the migration still reports it as missing, reopen PHP Manager → Versions to confirm it shows as Installed before re-running.
• Cannot switch to Apache - domains still on LSPHP - the panel blocks the switch until those domains return to REMI. Run PHP Migration in the LSPHP → REMI direction first, then switch.
• HTTP/3 does not work - confirm UDP port 443 is open to your node. Sites still load over HTTP/2 without it.
• LiteSpeed misbehaves after a change - use Restart LiteSpeed on the dashboard before switching back to Apache, and check LiteSpeed → Error Logs.
• License shows as a trial - open LiteSpeed → Dashboard → Update License Serial and enter your paid serial.

Known limitations

• LiteSpeed replaces Apache as the active web server rather than running alongside it. Only one web server is active at a time, and the switch causes a brief interruption for every site on the node.
• A LiteSpeed license serial is required for production use. A trial key is available from the panel but is time-limited.
• The settings page edits one shared set of server settings, applied to whichever web server is active (drop-in mode).
• Server-wide LSCache tuning and some advanced options live in the LiteSpeed WebAdmin console, not in the AdminBolt panel.

Further reading

The WebAdmin console, LSCache, and LSPHP are LiteSpeed's own components. For in-depth reference, see the LiteSpeed documentation and the LiteSpeed Cache documentation.