WHMCS Migration

Settings → Import → WHMCS Migration copies your WHMCS data into your Hostinvo workspace. Hostinvo connects to the WHMCS MySQL database with the details you give it, reads the data, and creates the same clients, products and services here. Nothing is changed in WHMCS, and nothing is created on your servers.

What is imported

Before you start

• The WHMCS database details. They are in configuration.php in your WHMCS folder: $db_host, $db_port, $db_name, $db_username and $db_password.
• A MySQL user that can read the WHMCS database. A read-only user is best (example below).
• The Hostinvo server must be able to reach the WHMCS MySQL server. If WHMCS is on another server, allow remote MySQL connections from your Hostinvo server's IP address.
• On your own Hostinvo server, the queue worker must be running: the import runs in the background.

CREATE USER 'whmcs_reader'@'203.0.113.10' IDENTIFIED BY 'a-long-random-password';
GRANT SELECT ON whmcs.* TO 'whmcs_reader'@'203.0.113.10';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Replace 203.0.113.10 with your Hostinvo server's IP address and whmcs with your WHMCS database name. You can delete this user when the import is done.

Step by step

1. 1

   Fill the fields from configuration.php (optional)

   Choose your WHMCS configuration.php file. It is read in your browser to fill the fields below; it is not uploaded or stored. If the file says localhost, the host is changed to host.docker.internal: that is only right when WHMCS runs on the same machine as Hostinvo. Otherwise put in the WHMCS server's address (see the examples).

2. 2

   DB host and Port

   The address of the WHMCS MySQL server, e.g. whmcs.example.com or 198.51.100.20. The port is usually 3306.

3. 3

   Database

   The WHMCS database name ($db_name), e.g. example_whmcs.

4. 4

   Username and Password

   The MySQL user that can read the database. The password is only sent to the import job and is not saved.

5. 5

   Test connection

   Checks that Hostinvo can connect and that the WHMCS tables are there (tblclients, tblproductgroups, tblproducts, tblhosting). You should see: Connection successful. Required WHMCS tables were found.

6. 6

   Start Import

   Queues the import. The button shows Import running until it finishes.

7. 7

   Watch Import status

   The status box on the right refreshes by itself every few seconds: Pending, then Running, then Completed or Failed with the reason.

Example 1: WHMCS on cPanel hosting

$db_host = 'localhost';
$db_port = '';
$db_username = 'example_whmcs';
$db_password = '********';
$db_name = 'example_whmcs';

• localhost here means the WHMCS server itself, so in Hostinvo enter the server's address instead, e.g. DB host = server1.example-host.com, Port = 3306.
• In cPanel → Remote MySQL, add your Hostinvo server's IP address, otherwise the connection is refused.
• Database = example_whmcs, Username = example_whmcs (or your read-only user), Password = the database password.
• Test connection, then Start Import.

Example 2: WHMCS and Hostinvo on the same machine

When Hostinvo runs in Docker and WHMCS's MySQL runs on the same machine, use DB host = host.docker.internal and Port = 3306. When WHMCS's MySQL runs in another Docker container, use that container's service name as the host.

Example 3: MySQL is not open to the internet

If your host does not allow remote MySQL, open an SSH tunnel from the Hostinvo server to the WHMCS server and point Hostinvo at the tunnel. Keep the tunnel open until the import completes.

ssh -N -L 0.0.0.0:3307:127.0.0.1:3306 user@whmcs-server.example.com

Then use DB host = host.docker.internal (or the Hostinvo server's IP) and Port = 3307.

Import status

After the import

• Tell your clients to sign in with Forgot password: their WHMCS passwords cannot be moved.
• Check Products: prices and billing cycles, especially products that got a default price.
• Services are records only, not yet linked to your servers. Add your Plesk server under Servers first, then link them in one of the two ways below.
• Running the import again is safe: clients are matched by email and records by their WHMCS ID, so they are updated, not duplicated.

Linking imported services to Plesk

Each imported service is matched to a Plesk subscription by its domain, or by its username, and linked to that server. No account is created or changed in Plesk. Choose either option; both do the same thing.

1. 1

   Option 1: the button

   Open Servers → your Plesk server. In Link services imported from WHMCS, press Link services now. The result shows how many services were linked and how many were not found on that server.

2. 2

   Option 2: the command

   On your Hostinvo server, in the Hostinvo folder. The server page shows this command with the server's ID filled in, ready to copy; --all links every Plesk server at once.

   docker compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml exec app php artisan plesk:sync-services --server=SERVER_ID
   docker compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml exec app php artisan plesk:sync-services --all

Troubleshooting