---
title: "Install Éclair on OVHcloud"
description: "Install Éclair on OVHcloud: PHP 8.3 in the Control Panel or .ovhconfig, Let's Encrypt, FTP upload to www and the placeholder page. 2026 prices."
url: "https://eclair.academy/en/hosting/ovhcloud"
lang: "en"
author: "Thierry Gustin"
published: "2026-11-02"
updated: "2026-11-02"
---

# Install Éclair on OVHcloud

> **Key takeaways** — To install Éclair on OVHcloud, set PHP 8.3 in the OVHcloud Control Panel or in the .ovhconfig file, turn on the Let's Encrypt certificate, delete OVHcloud's “Site en construction” placeholder page from the www folder, then upload the contents of the eclair folder by FTP or SFTP, hidden files included. OVHcloud no longer has an online file manager: plan on using FileZilla.

To install Éclair on OVHcloud, you need an FTP client, because this web host no longer has an online file manager. The rest comes down to the PHP version and the Let's Encrypt certificate, set in the OVHcloud Control Panel, and the `www` folder, where a “Site en construction” (site under construction) page is waiting for you.

> **Before you start** — Time: 30 minutes, sometimes plus a few hours of waiting for the certificate. Plan: Starter, Perso, Pro or Performance. Have at hand: access to your OVHcloud Control Panel, your FTP password (in the hosting installation email), [FileZilla](https://filezilla-project.org/) and the [eclair-cms-1.8.0.zip](https://github.com/Jacckisback/eclair-cms/raw/main/dist/eclair-cms-1.8.0.zip) archive, **extracted on your computer**. OVHcloud's French documentation, used for this guide, shows the Control Panel in French: its labels are quoted in French, with a translation in parentheses. The requirements are detailed in [Prepare your installation](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/prepare-installation).

## The plan and control panel at a glance

| Item | At OVHcloud |
| --- | --- |
| Control panel | OVHcloud Control Panel: **Web Cloud › Hébergements** (hosting plans) |
| Web server | Apache 2.4; `.htaccess` and URL rewriting supported |
| PHP version | One global version per hosting plan, from 7.4 to 8.5; never upgraded automatically |
| Public folder | `www` |
| ZIP extraction | No: no online file manager; `unzip` over SSH from the Pro plan up |
| Outgoing connections | Allowed from PHP and logged (“Logs OUT”) |
| Price checked on November 1, 2026 | Starter: €1.59 excl. VAT/month (€1.91 incl. VAT) for the first year, then €2.59 excl. VAT/month ([OVHcloud pricing](https://www.ovhcloud.com/fr/web-hosting/), in French) |

Starter hosts 1 site with 1 GB of space. Perso goes from €2.99 to €5.99 excl. VAT/month (15 sites, FTP only), and Pro from €1.99 to €9.99 excl. VAT/month (100 sites, SSH access). The promotional prices apply to the first 12 months. All these prices are in euros, as shown on OVHcloud's French page, and exclude VAT unless stated otherwise.

## Step 1: choose PHP 8.3

**In the Control Panel:**

1. Open **Web Cloud**, then **Hébergements** (hosting plans), and select your hosting plan.
2. In the **Configuration** box, click “...” next to **Version PHP globale** (global PHP version), then **Modifier la configuration** (change the configuration).
3. Choose **Modifier la configuration courante** (change the current configuration), then click **Suivant** (next).
4. Select PHP 8.3, keep the `php` engine (PHP-FPM), then confirm.

The **Informations générales** (general information) tab then shows the active version. Another, equivalent method is the `.ovhconfig` file, present at the root of your FTP space. Edit its `app.engine.version` line:

```text
app.engine=php
app.engine.version=8.3
http.firewall=none
environment=production
container.image=stable64
```

Keep a single `.ovhconfig`, the one at the root: users report conflicts with two files. And forget the old tricks: changing PHP through `.htaccess` no longer works.

## Step 2: turn on the HTTPS certificate

Since August 6, 2025, Let's Encrypt is turned on by default for domains and subdomains added to a hosting plan. Check its status first, then, if it's missing:

1. In your hosting plan, open the **Certificats SSL** (SSL certificates) tab.
2. Under **Activer le certificat SSL** (activate the SSL certificate), select your domain.
3. Click **Activer SSL Let's Encrypt** (activate Let's Encrypt SSL). Activation can take several hours.

Conditions: the domain points to the IP address of the hosting plan, it's declared in **Mes sites** (my sites) and it doesn't already have an active certificate. OVHcloud has no button to force HTTPS. If you run the wizard over `https://`, Éclair takes care of it by ticking **Force HTTPS**, then redirects every visit to the official address once that address is verified. For a server-side rule, once step 4 is done, add the lines from OVHcloud's guide at the top of Éclair's `.htaccess`:

```apache
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
```

## Step 3: delete the “Site en construction” page

OVHcloud puts an `index.html` file in `www` that displays its “Site en construction” page. At OVHcloud, `index.php` takes precedence over `index.html`, but don't leave this file lying around: in step 4, rename it to `index.html.old` in FileZilla (right-click, then **Rename**) or delete it.

## Step 4: upload the files by FTP

1. In your hosting plan, open the **FTP - SSH** tab: it shows the FTP server, the SSH server and the main username. The password is in the installation email; otherwise, reset it.
2. In FileZilla, enter the **Host**, **Username**, **Password** and port 21, then click **Quickconnect**.
3. Turn on **Server › Force showing hidden files**.
4. On the right, open `www`. On the left, open the extracted `eclair` folder and select all of its contents.
5. Drag the selection into `www`, then check that `.htaccess` appears there.

To encrypt the connection, use SFTP on port 22. On Starter and Perso, turn it on for your user by ticking its **SFTP** column; from Pro up, choose **FTP et SFTP** (FTP and SFTP) or **FTP, SFTP et SSH** (FTP, SFTP and SSH). With SSH access (Pro and above), you can also upload the archive to `www` and extract it on the server:

```bash
cd www
unzip eclair-cms-1.8.0.zip
mv eclair/* eclair/.htaccess .
rmdir eclair
rm eclair-cms-1.8.0.zip LISEZ-MOI.txt LICENSE.txt THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt
```

![FTP upload of the contents of the eclair folder to the www folder at OVHcloud](https://eclair.academy/media/2026/11/eclair-academy-upload-en.png)
*At OVHcloud, the contents of the eclair folder go into www*

## Step 5: run the setup wizard

Open `https://your-domain.com`. The first screen of the wizard checks PHP, the extensions and write permissions; the “Clean URLs (URL rewriting)” line must show “Active”. If PHP doesn't show 8.3, go back to step 1: a second `.ovhconfig` may be the cause. The rest, 4 questions in 3 minutes, is described in [Install Éclair step by step](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/install-eclair).

![Welcome screen of the Éclair setup wizard on OVHcloud hosting](https://eclair.academy/media/2026/11/eclair-academy-install-welcome-en.webp)
*The wizard checks the server before asking its 4 questions*

## Step 6: check after installation

1. In **Security**, check “Encrypted connection (HTTPS) enforced”, “Site address verified” and “Supported PHP version”. If the address isn't verified, click **Verify the site address**.
2. The “Folder protection test” must mark every file **Protected**.
3. For the AI assistant, click **Test the connection** in **Settings › AI assistant**. OVHcloud allows outgoing connections from PHP: “Connection successful” is the expected result.

## Pitfalls specific to OVHcloud

- **No more file manager**: the online FTP Explorer tool (Net2FTP) is gone. A client such as FileZilla or Cyberduck becomes essential.
- **The .ovhconfig file** sets a single PHP version for the whole hosting plan, and OVHcloud never upgrades it on its own.
- **The PHP-FPM engine** gives 512 MB of memory and 165 seconds of execution time, against 128 MB and 120 seconds without it: keep the `php` engine.
- **Outgoing connections suspended** in case of abnormal activity (malware, mass emailing). From an SSH session, they're always blocked.
- **The application firewall** (`http.firewall=security`) is optional and its filters can't be adjusted: if it blocks your admin, set it back to `none`.
- **The “Your request has been blocked” message** comes from OVHcloud's protections: send support your IP address, the date and the Request ID shown.

## Install Éclair on OVHcloud: what if something goes wrong?

| Problem | Cause | Solution |
| --- | --- | --- |
| “Site en construction” page | Old `index.html`, or files uploaded outside `www` | Check that `index.php` is in `www`, then rename `index.html` |
| 404 error on every page except the home page | `.htaccess` left on your computer | Force showing hidden files in FileZilla and upload it again |
| PHP doesn't switch to 8.3 | Version changed in `.htaccess`, or two `.ovhconfig` files | Use the Control Panel and keep only the `.ovhconfig` at the root |
| The padlock doesn't appear | Certificate still being activated | Wait a few hours, then check the **Certificats SSL** tab |
| “Your request has been blocked” | OVHcloud's upstream protection | Send your IP, the date and the Request ID to support |

Other cases are described on the [Troubleshooting](https://eclair.academy/en/docs/troubleshooting) page.

## Key points

- Set PHP 8.3 in the Control Panel or in `.ovhconfig`, never in `.htaccess`.
- Upload the contents of the `eclair` folder to `www` with FileZilla, hidden files shown.
- Rename or delete the `index.html` file of the “Site en construction” page.
- Run the wizard over `https://` so that Éclair forces HTTPS itself.

## Going further

- [Prepare your installation](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/prepare-installation) and [Install Éclair step by step](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/install-eclair).
- [Essential settings before launch](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner/essential-settings) and [Turn on the built-in AI assistant](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp/ai-assistant).
- [Choosing your web hosting for Éclair](https://eclair.academy/en/hosting) and the [universal FTP method](https://eclair.academy/en/hosting/cpanel-plesk-directadmin).
- OVHcloud's official documentation, in French: [configuring PHP](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/fr/guides/web-cloud/web-hosting/configure-your-web-hosting), [Let's Encrypt](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/fr/guides/web-cloud/web-hosting/ssl-letsencrypt) and [FTP connection](https://docs.ovhcloud.com/fr/guides/web-cloud/web-hosting/ftp-connection). The libraries of each runtime environment, including `gd` and `zip`, are listed on [webhosting-infos.hosting.ovh.net](https://webhosting-infos.hosting.ovh.net).

## Frequently asked questions

### Which OVHcloud plan should I choose for Éclair?

Starter is enough for one site: Éclair weighs less than 1 MB, and your images will share the 1 GB available. Choose Pro if you want SSH access.

### Why doesn't my .htaccess change the PHP version?

That method no longer works at OVHcloud. Use **Version PHP globale** (global PHP version) in the Control Panel, or the `app.engine.version` line of the `.ovhconfig` file.

### Can I do without an FTP client at OVHcloud?

On Starter and Perso, no: there's no longer an online tool, and no SSH access. FileZilla or Cyberduck will do the job, whichever you prefer.

### Does OVHcloud back up my site?

Yes, with automatic copies from 1, 2, 3, 7 and 14 days back, which OVHcloud describes as non-contractual. Also download Éclair's backup from the **Security** page.