OpenSearch/Elasticsearch is an open-source, highly available search engine that is custom-built for cloud servers based on the distributed restful API.
It can perform searches at an extremely fast rate, actively supporting your data discovery.
It has features including support for multi-tenants with multiple types, various sets of APIs, including PHP API, and a host of other features.
To set up Search Engine on Cloudways, follow the steps below.
Important Announcement for Older Elasticsearch Versions:
Cloudways currently supports Elasticsearch 8.11 and OpenSearch 2.19. Older versions, such as Elasticsearch 7.17, are deprecated as of March 2026.
As a result, new servers and existing servers upgraded via the platform will use the latest supported versions and cannot downgrade to older versions.
Servers already running deprecated Elasticsearch versions will continue to work for now. However, these versions are only supported for existing setups unless an upgrade is performed.
We will notify customers before deprecated versions are fully removed from the Cloudways Platform. We strongly recommend upgrading to the latest version before it reaches End of Life (EOL).
For more details, please refer to the Cloudways deprecation process and policy.
How to Configure Search Engine on Cloudways
Step #1 — Navigate to Server Packages
Log in to your Cloudways Platform using your email address and password.
From the top menu bar, open Servers.
Then, choose your desired server.
Under Server Management, select Settings & Packages.
Choose the Packages tab.
Step #2 — Enable Search Engine on Your Server
Click edit to view the available Search Engine versions.
Select ElasticSearch 7.17 or higher, or select OpenSearch 2.19.
Finally, click Save.
You will be prompted to confirm the selection; please click OK/Continue.
In a few moments, Elasticsearch/OpenSearch should be enabled on your Cloudways server. To know more about how you can utilize this search engine on your web application, please check out our blog post on Elasticsearch.
Important Notes
Elasticsearch listens on port number 9200 and is only allowed for local access by default.
OpenSearch listens on port number 9200 and is only allowed for local access by default.
It is important to note that changing versions may involve compatibility issues, therefore make sure that you have data and/or index compatibility while changing the version.
To uninstall Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, please use Disable from the dropdown menu. This option will completely remove Elasticsearch/OpenSearch along with its data.
If you want to access it remotely, via your browser, or through a dedicated IP, please contact the support team via live chat or through the online ticketing system.
That’s it! We hope this article was helpful.
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