Expecting increased web traffic

Heads Up!
So you're expecting a significant increase in your web traffic due to it being featured on (you name it). Good for you! Now you've probably got a lot of questions going through your mind. Hopefully this page will be able to answer some of those questions.

You might want to send a message to support and let them know that you expect increased web traffic so they can keep an eye on it.

Precautions
What should I do to prevent my site from overloading/crashing the server?


 * Make sure that your applications are up to date!
 * Make sure that your applications are up to date! I can't stress that enough!
 * If you are using our one-click installs, check the (GOODIES > ONE-CLICK INSTALL) page to see if any updates are available! Under the "Actions" section you'll see an upgrade icon and a link to the latest version. Click on the link and complete the upgrade as soon as possible!
 * If your site provides dynamic content or is database driven (ie: WordPress, Joomla, Movable Type, Gallery, ZenCart, MediaWiki, phpBB, activeCollab, WebCalendar, Advanced Poll etc..) you may want to enable some form of "caching" or "acceleration" if your application supports it. See that particular applications support page for details and suggestions.
 * Clean up and optimize your databases!
 * Disable unnecessary, unreliable or resource intensive plug-ins if possible.
 * If your site allows visitors to leave comments, please make sure you're using some type of plug-in to prevent comment spam!
 * Make sure that your "contact us" form scripts are not vulnerable to being abused by spammers (ie: Form_spam).
 * You may want to replace large graphics, files, movies, etc. with lower resolution (smaller) versions temporarily.
 * If you can convert dynamic pages to static pages that would help tremendously (but it may be difficult to do).

We also have a CPU_Resources_FAQ if you have questions regarding that.

Throttling/Disabling
If for whatever reason your sites increased traffic causes problems for the server it may be necessary for the support department to "throttle" your site (restricting the number of simultaneous visitors or maximum throughput, etc.) or possible even disable it. This is done in fairness to the other customers on your server. Remember that you're on a shared hosting plan and one customer cannot jeopardize the operation of the server for all of the other customers. However, we will do what we can to keep your site up as best as we can. We may even be able to offer suggestions as to what you can do to modify your site to handle the increased traffic or whatever may be happening to adversely effect the servers. If it is necessary to throttle your site for some reason the support department will contact the owner of the account with the details. If there is a problem with your site that you can resolve, once you've resolved it we will most likely be able to reduce (or completely remove) the throttle that was put in place.

Upgrade Options
If my site outgrows your shared hosting platform, what are my options?


 * Our DreamHost VPS (Virtual Private Server) is an add-on to your existing shared hosting platform hosting plans that provides you with your own "virtual machine". This option gives you the advantage of not having to move everything to another service, learning a new control panel, converting things to work on a new system, etc.. It's the best of both worlds!

Feel free to contact support via the control panel under (SUPPORT > CONTACT SUPPORT) if you have questions or require assistance regarding any of this information.