Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.startmyvpn.com/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
StartMyVPN can provision and configure a VPN server end-to-end on any of three paths:
| Method | How it works |
|---|
| DigitalOcean | Creates a new droplet via API, then SSHes in to install VPN |
| Vultr | Creates a new instance via API, then SSHes in to install VPN |
| Custom server | SSHes into an existing VPS you provide to install VPN |
Deploy on DigitalOcean
Requires a configured DigitalOcean API token. See DigitalOcean setup.
- Go to Admin → Deployments → DigitalOcean
- Fill in the form:
- Region — geographic location for the droplet
- Size — instance size
- Protocol — OpenVPN or WireGuard
- Server Name — display label shown to users
- Country / City — shown in the user-facing server list
- Click Deploy
StartMyVPN creates the droplet, waits for it to boot, then connects via SSH and runs the VPN installation script automatically.
Deploy on Vultr
Requires a configured Vultr API key. See Vultr setup.
- Go to Admin → Deployments → Vultr
- Fill in the form with region, plan, protocol, and display info
- Click Deploy
Deploy on a custom server
Use this when you already have a VPS — from any provider (AWS, Hetzner, OVH, etc.) or a dedicated server. StartMyVPN connects via SSH and installs the VPN software automatically, exactly the same as for DigitalOcean and Vultr deployments.
Requirements for the custom server
- OS: Ubuntu 20.04+ or Debian 10+
- Access: Root or sudo-capable SSH user
- SSH port: Port 22 open (or specify a custom port)
- Clean install: Ideally a fresh VPS with no conflicting VPN software
Steps
- Go to Admin → Servers → Add Server
- Complete the 3-step wizard:
Step 1 — Location
| Field | Description |
|---|
| Server Name | Display label (e.g. “Frankfurt #1”) |
| City | Start typing to search — auto-complete powered by Google Places if configured |
| Country | Auto-filled when you select a city |
| Hosting Provider | Optional label (e.g. “Hetzner”, “AWS”) |
| Field | Description |
|---|
| IP Address | Public IPv4 address of the server |
| SSH Port | Default: 22 |
| SSH Username | Must be root or a user with sudo privileges |
| SSH Password | Stored encrypted — never visible after saving |
| VPN Protocol | OpenVPN or WireGuard |
- Connect to the server via SSH using the credentials provided
- Automatically install and configure the selected VPN protocol
- Register the server and mark it active
Installation typically takes 3–5 minutes and runs in the background via the queue worker.
The queue worker must be running for deployment to proceed. See Queue Workers. SSH credential security
SSH passwords are encrypted at rest using Laravel’s Crypt facade (AES-256-CBC). They are only decrypted in memory during installation and are never logged or displayed after the server is saved.
Post-deployment steps
After any server is deployed (regardless of method):
- Go to Admin → Server Groups and add the new server to a group
- Assign the server group to one or more Plans (Admin → Plans → Edit Plan)
- Users subscribed to those plans will see the server in their dashboard immediately
Monitoring deployment progress
Deployment jobs log progress to storage/logs/laravel.log. Check queue status:
php artisan queue:monitor
# List failed jobs
php artisan queue:failed
# Retry a specific failed job
php artisan queue:retry {id}
# Retry all failed jobs
php artisan queue:retry all
Google Places API (optional)
The city autocomplete field in the custom server wizard uses Google Places. To enable it:
- Obtain a Google Maps API key with the Places API enabled
- Enter it in Admin → Settings → API → Google Maps API Key
Without this key the city field is a plain text input — you can still type city and country names manually.
