Kinsta Integration¶

Direct SSH integration with Kinsta hosting, providing flexible database operations and custom server configurations.

Configuration¶

Required Variables¶

REMOTE_HOST - SSH host (IP address or hostname)
REMOTE_PORT - SSH port number
REMOTE_USER - SSH username
REMOTE_PATH - Remote path on server (e.g., /www/somepath/public)

Setup Process¶

Get SSH Credentials
Log into MyKinsta dashboard
Navigate to your site's Info tab
Note SSH credentials (host, port, username)
Add SSH Key to Kinsta
Go to MyKinsta > User Settings > SSH Keys
Add your SSH public key

Project Configuration

ddev project-configure
# Select Kinsta as provider
# Enter SSH host (IP address)
# Enter SSH port
# Enter SSH username
# Enter remote path to WordPress installation

Features¶

Flexible SSH Configuration¶

Custom host and port: Works with Kinsta's unique SSH setup per site
Direct server access: Connect directly to your Kinsta server
Path configuration: Specify exact path to your WordPress installation

Database Operations¶

SSH-based database access: Secure remote database operations
Custom backup strategies: Flexible backup creation and retrieval
Environment support: Works with staging and production environments

# Refresh database from production
ddev db-refresh

# Force new database sync
ddev db-refresh -f

Authentication Setup¶

SSH Key Management¶

# Add SSH key to Kinsta (via MyKinsta dashboard)
# Then enable SSH agent in DDEV
ddev auth ssh

Connection Testing¶

# Test SSH connection manually
ssh -p YOUR_PORT YOUR_USERNAME@YOUR_HOST

# Example:
ssh -p 12345 mysite@123.456.789.10

Configuration Examples¶

Typical Kinsta Setup¶

# Example configuration values:
REMOTE_HOST=123.456.789.10
REMOTE_PORT=12345
REMOTE_USER=mysite
REMOTE_PATH=/www/mysite_123/public

Path Variations¶

Kinsta paths typically follow patterns like: - /www/sitename_123/public - /www/sitename_456/public_html - /www/custom_path/htdocs

Troubleshooting¶

SSH Connection Issues¶

# Check environment variables
ddev exec printenv REMOTE_HOST
ddev exec printenv REMOTE_PORT
ddev exec printenv REMOTE_USER
ddev exec printenv REMOTE_PATH

# Test SSH agent
ddev auth ssh

# Manual connection test
ssh -p $PORT $USER@$HOST

Common Issues¶

Wrong Port or Host¶

Verify credentials in MyKinsta dashboard
Ensure firewall allows SSH traffic
Check VPN configurations

Path Issues¶

Verify remote path points to WordPress root
Check file permissions on remote server
Ensure path includes proper directory structure

SSH Key Issues¶

Confirm key is added to MyKinsta
Test key locally before using with DDEV
Verify key format (OpenSSH vs other formats)

File Structure¶

Recommended Docroot¶

Docroot: public (set during ddev config)
File proxy: Can be configured for missing assets
Local development: Matches Kinsta's server structure

Database Management¶

Backup Strategy¶

Custom backup creation via SSH
Direct database access for efficiency
Configurable backup retention

Performance Considerations¶

Direct SSH connections for speed
Efficient database transfer methods
Optimized for Kinsta's infrastructure

Best Practices¶

SSH Security¶

Use strong SSH key passphrases
Regularly rotate SSH keys
Monitor access via MyKinsta dashboard

Development Workflow¶

# Initialize environment
ddev project-init

# Sync latest database
ddev db-refresh

# Start development
ddev theme-watch

# Build for production
ddev theme-build

Team Collaboration¶

Document SSH credentials securely
Use shared SSH keys when appropriate
Maintain consistent path configurations

Advanced Configuration¶

Custom SSH Options¶

For complex SSH setups, you can modify the SSH commands in the add-on's command files to include additional SSH options:

Custom identity files
Proxy jump configurations
Connection multiplexing
Timeout settings

Multi-Environment Support¶

Configure different Kinsta environments by using different variable sets or modifying the remote path for staging vs production environments.