Problem:Project won't publish
Solution:
- 01Make sure the project status is 'Draft'
- 02Check that you have an active subscription
- 03Try publishing the project again
- 04If the problem persists, contact support
Dashboard help documentation in question-and-answer format
v1.2.0 · 2026-09-07
1.1 Creating projects
Answer:
- 01Various file types are supported: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, and others
- 02Make sure you have an index.html file or another main project file
Answer:
- 01When creating a project, enter the desired subdomain in the 'Subdomain' field
- 02Select a domain from the drop-down list (for example, '.host-ai.site', '.host-ai.pro', '.host-ai.shop')
- 03The system will automatically check the availability of the selected domain
- 04If the domain is available, the message 'Domain available' will appear
- 05If the domain is taken, try a different subdomain
Answer:
- 01A subdomain is the first part of a project's address, before the main domain
- 02For example, in the address 'my-site.host-ai.site' the subdomain is 'my-site'
- 03You can choose any available subdomain when creating a project
- 04The subdomain must be unique within the selected domain
Answer:
- 01The number of projects you can create is limited by your plan
- 02The current limit is shown in your plan information
- 03If you have reached the limit, the 'Create project' button will be unavailable
- 04To increase the limit, you need to switch to a plan with a larger number of projects
Answer:
- 01The size of a single file is limited depending on your plan
- 02If you try to upload a file that exceeds the limit, you will receive an error message
- 03The total size of all files across all your projects is also limited by your plan's quota
- 04You can view your current storage usage in your plan information
1.2 Viewing and filtering projects
Answer:
- 01The 'Draft' status means the project has been created but is not published and is not accessible on the internet
- 02The 'Published' status means the project is accessible at its address on the internet
- 03The 'Deleted' status means the project has been deleted and is in the archive
- 04The status is shown as a colored label next to the project's domain
1.3 Editing projects
Answer:
- 01The new files will be added to the project's existing files
- 02If a file with the same name already exists, it will be replaced
- 03When you replace files, all old files will be deleted
Answer:
- 01The AI editor is available for all projects, not only those created with AI
- 02You can open the editor for a project in any status — there is no need to publish the project beforehand
- 03Using the AI editor requires the corresponding permission in your plan
1.4 Additional project actions
Answer:
- 01Click the project menu (⋮) and select 'Download'
- 02Regular projects: an archive with the project's files will be downloaded
- 03AI projects: if you have a download subscription, a full archive will be downloaded (backend, database, Docker, installation script, deployment guide). If you do not have a subscription, the purchase window will open
Answer:
- 01Regular projects: a frequency limit applies — wait for the timer to expire
- 02AI projects: an active download subscription is required. If you try to download without a subscription, the purchase window will open automatically
Answer:
- 01HTTP Basic Auth is a standard way to protect a project with a password
- 02It appears automatically after you set a password for the project through the 'Set password' form
- 03When opening a protected project, the browser will show a window for entering a username and password
- 04After entering the correct password, the user will gain access to the project
1.5 Deleting and restoring projects
Answer:
- 01Deleted projects are moved to the archive
- 02Within 7 days after deletion, the project can be restored
- 03After 7 days, the project is permanently deleted from the system
- 04After permanent deletion, restoration is impossible
1.6 Running the downloaded project
Answer:
- 01frontend/ — frontend files (HTML, CSS, JS)
- 02backend/ — the backend binary (if the project has a server-side component)
- 03database/ — the database dump dump.sql (if a database is used)
- 04assets/ — media files and assets (if any)
- 05docker-compose.yml — Docker configuration for the backend and database
- 06.env — environment variables (generated automatically with secure passwords)
- 07nginx.conf — Nginx configuration template
- 08install.sh — an interactive automatic installation script
- 09README.md — a detailed deployment guide
Answer:
- 01A Linux server (Ubuntu/Debian or CentOS/RHEL/Fedora)
- 02A domain pointed to the server's IP via an A record
- 03sudo privileges on the server
- 04Docker — needed only if the project has a backend or database (the script will install it automatically)
Answer:
- 01Unpack the downloaded archive on the server
- 02Run: chmod +x install.sh && ./install.sh
- 03The script will ask for the project's domain and whether an SSL certificate is needed
- 04Everything else happens automatically: installing Nginx and Docker, copying files, configuring the setup, starting services, and issuing SSL
Answer:
- 01Install Nginx: sudo apt install nginx (Ubuntu) or sudo dnf install nginx (CentOS)
- 02Copy the frontend/ folder to /var/www/your-site/frontend/
- 03Copy nginx.conf to /etc/nginx/sites-available/YOUR_DOMAIN and replace __DOMAIN__ and __SITE_DIR__ with your own values
- 04Enable the config: sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/YOUR_DOMAIN /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
- 05If there is a backend or database, run: docker compose up -d
- 06Issue SSL: sudo certbot --nginx -d YOUR_DOMAIN
Answer:
- 01By default, the .env file already contains generated database parameters
- 02If necessary, edit .env: DB_ROOT_PASSWORD, DB_NAME, DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD
- 03The database dump (database/dump.sql) is imported automatically on the first Docker startup
- 04Run: docker compose up -d — MySQL will start and initialize the database
Answer:
- 01Status: docker compose ps
- 02Logs: docker compose logs -f
- 03Restart: docker compose restart
- 04Stop: docker compose down
- 05Stop and remove database data: docker compose down -v
Answer:
- 01During automatic installation (install.sh), the script will offer to issue SSL via Let's Encrypt
- 02For manual setup: sudo certbot --nginx -d YOUR_DOMAIN
- 03Certbot automatically sets up a cron job to renew the certificate
- 04Manual renewal: sudo certbot renew
2.1 Adding your own domain
Answer:
- 01In the 'My domains' section, click the 'Add new' button
- 02In the window that opens, enter your top-level domain (for example, example.com)
- 03Important: subdomains (www.example.com) are not supported, only top-level domains
- 04Follow the instructions: set the NS servers ns1.host-ai.site and ns2.host-ai.site at your domain registrar
- 05In your account, on the domain card, click 'Submit for verification'
- 06Wait for the domain to be verified (verification can take up to 24 hours after changing the NS servers)
- 07After successful verification, link the domain to a project — the SSL certificate will be issued automatically within half an hour
Answer:
- 01You can add only top-level domains (for example, example.com)
- 02Subdomains (www.example.com, blog.example.com) are not supported
- 03The domain must be registered with any domain registrar
- 04You must have access to configure the NS servers (delegation) at your registrar
2.2 Configuring DNS records
Answer:
- 01DNS records are settings that tell where to direct requests to your domain
- 02To connect a domain to HostAI, you need to delegate the domain to our NS servers: ns1.host-ai.site and ns2.host-ai.site
- 03After delegation, the basic set of records (including A records) is created automatically, and DNS management is available in your account
Answer:
- 01After adding the domain in your account, open the DNS setup instructions
- 02Set the NS servers at your domain registrar: ns1.host-ai.site and ns2.host-ai.site
- 03Log in to the domain control panel at your registrar
- 04Find the 'NS servers' or 'Domain delegation' section
- 05Enter ns1.host-ai.site and ns2.host-ai.site as the name servers
- 06Save the changes and wait for DNS to propagate
- 07Additional DNS records can be added in your account — 'Edit DNS records' on the domain card
Answer:
- 01Set two NS servers at your registrar: ns1.host-ai.site and ns2.host-ai.site
- 02The basic set of DNS records (including A records) is created automatically when the domain is added
- 03Additional records (CNAME, TXT, MX, etc.) can be created in your account in the 'Edit DNS records' section
Answer:
- 01In your account, open the 'My domains' section
- 02On the card of the desired domain, click the 'Edit DNS records' button
- 03In the window that opens, you can view, add, edit, and delete DNS records (A, NS, and SOA records are read-only)
Answer:
- 01Click the mail icon next to a verified domain in the dashboard.
- 02A dialog explains that the domain will be added to the mail service, email DNS records will be configured automatically, and the mail panel will open in a new tab using your account.
- 03Click “Connect mail” to continue. No connection request is sent before confirmation; Cancel, the close button, Escape or Back closes the dialog.
- 04If another mail provider already has MX records, a separate dialog lists those records and asks you to confirm replacement. After connecting, you can create mailboxes on your domain in the mail panel.
2.3 Verification and SSL certificates
Answer:
- 01After specifying the NS servers (ns1.host-ai.site and ns2.host-ai.site) at your registrar, return to your account
- 02On the domain card, click the 'Submit for verification' button (the refresh icon)
- 03The system will start checking the domain delegation to our NS servers
- 04The verification status will be shown on the domain card
Answer:
- 01Domain verification can take up to 24 hours
- 02The verification time depends on how quickly the NS change applies at your registrar
- 03If the NS servers are set correctly, verification usually completes faster (from a few minutes)
- 04You can track the verification status on the domain card in your account
Answer:
- 01Make sure that the NS servers ns1.host-ai.site and ns2.host-ai.site are set at your registrar
- 02Check that the NS changes have been saved and applied (sometimes you need to confirm the change at your registrar)
- 03Wait up to 24 hours — DNS propagation after an NS change can take time
- 04Try submitting the domain for verification again using the 'Submit for verification' button
- 05If the problem persists, contact support
Answer:
- 01The SSL certificate is issued automatically within half an hour after the domain is linked to the project
- 02To get an SSL certificate, the domain must be successfully verified
- 03After the domain is linked to the project, the automatic SSL certificate issuance process will begin
- 04You can track the SSL status on the domain card
Answer:
- 01Make sure the domain has been successfully verified
- 02Check that the domain is linked to a project
- 03Wait a while - the process can take up to half an hour
- 04Try requesting the SSL certificate again using the 'Get SSL' button on the domain card
- 05If the problem persists, contact support
2.4 Linking a domain to a project
Answer:
- 01Make sure the domain has been successfully verified
- 02In your account, find the project you want to link the domain to
- 03Click the three-dots icon (⋮) in the project row
- 04In the menu that opens, select 'Link domain'
- 05In the window that opens, select the verified domain from the list
- 06Click the 'Link' button
- 07The domain will be linked to the project, and the SSL certificate will start being issued automatically
Answer:
- 01First, add and verify your own domain in the 'My domains' section
- 02After successful verification, link the domain to a project through the project menu
- 03Your project will be available at your domain address
- 04The SSL certificate will be issued automatically
2.5 Deleting domains
Answer:
- 01If the domain was linked to a project, it will be automatically unlinked
- 02After the domain is deleted, the project will again be available at its standard address
3.1 Environment variables
Answer:
- 01Environment variables are special settings for your backend
- 02The backend is created and published by the platform automatically
- 03The variables are visible to the backend and are used by the API and server-side logic
Answer:
- 01Open the project settings via the gear icon (⚙️)
- 02Go to the 'Environments' tab
- 03Create environment variables with the following keys (set the values for your database):
- 04DB_HOST — the database server host (for example, localhost or an IP address)
- 05DB_PORT — the database connection port (for example, 5432 for PostgreSQL, 3306 for MySQL)
- 06DB_USER — the username for connecting to the database
- 07DB_PASSWORD — the database user's password
- 08DB_NAME — the database name
- 09Click the 'Save' button in the project settings. The backend will use these variables to connect to your external database.
3.2 Server-side rendering (SSR)
Answer:
- 01SSR (Server-Side Rendering) is a mode in which the project's pages are built (rendered) on the server and delivered to the browser ready-made, rather than assembled in the user's browser
- 02This improves indexing by search engines (SEO) and speeds up the first render of the page, especially for projects with dynamic content from a database or API
- 03By default, projects work without server-side rendering; SSR is enabled separately on request
Answer:
- 01Server-side rendering is enabled on request — there is no separate toggle in the dashboard
- 02Contact support (the 'Help' menu → 'Contact us') and specify the project that needs SSR
- 03Once SSR is enabled on the platform's side, the project will start being delivered with server-side rendering
4.1 Creating a team
Answer:
- 01Creating a team requires the add_team_members permission in your plan
- 02If you do not have this permission, the team creation button will be unavailable
- 03The number of teams you can create may be limited by your plan
5.1 Viewing your current plan
Answer:
- 01Plan limits are restrictions on resource usage
- 02Project count limit — the maximum number of projects you can create
- 03Storage size limit — the maximum total size of all files
- 04Visits limit — the maximum number of visits to your projects
- 05Limits depend on the selected plan
5.2 Referral program
Answer:
- 01In the dashboard header, click the referral program button
- 02A window with information about the referral program will open
- 03Follow the instructions in the window to take part in the program
- 04Share information about the service on social media
- 05Once you meet the conditions, you will receive a reward
Answer:
- 01The referral program lets you earn by sharing information about the service
- 02Detailed information about the program is available via the referral program button in the header
- 03Follow the instructions in the program window to take part
5.3 Free month
Answer:
- 01In the side panel on the right, find the '7 days of subscription free' card
- 02Click the card
- 03A window with information on how to get 7 days of subscription will open
- 04Make sure you have at least 200 friends or followers on social media (accounts must be active, not blocked, and not bots)
- 05Share information about HostAI on any social network
- 06Send the link to your post to the contacts provided
- 07After review, you will be granted 7 days of subscription
Answer:
- 01Yes, you can extend your subscription by posting again
- 02The 7 days of subscription are credited from the date the post is published, regardless of whether you have a current subscription
- 03For example, if you already have a subscription valid for 2 more days, then after publishing a post you will be credited 7 days from the publication date (publication date + 7 days)
- 04Publish the post again on social media and send the link to the contacts provided
Answer:
- 01The number of subscription extensions is limited by the number of your friends or followers on social media
- 02200 followers = 1 subscription extension
- 031000 followers = 5 subscription extensions
- 04And so on (1 extension for every 200 followers)
5.4 Subscription expiry
Answer:
- 01When your subscription expires, all of your projects are automatically unpublished
- 02Projects stop being available on the internet
- 03Project files are kept for one month — you can renew your subscription and publish them again
- 04You can still edit projects in your account for one month
Answer:
- 01One month after the subscription ends, all projects are deleted permanently
- 02Recovering projects after that becomes impossible
- 03All project files and data will be lost
Answer:
- 01Renew your subscription via the 'Upgrade' button in the header
- 02After renewing your subscription, your projects will become available again
- 03Publish the projects again if they were unpublished
- 04If less than a month has passed since the subscription ended, the projects are still available for recovery
- 05If more than a month has passed since the subscription ended, the projects have been deleted and recovery is impossible
6.1 Token system basics
Answer:
- 01Tokens are the unit of AI editor usage. Every request to the AI consumes tokens
- 02Your token balance is tied to the team
- 03When tokens run out, generation is unavailable until you top up
Answer:
- 01The AI editor will show an error and offer to buy a token package
- 02AI generation is unavailable until you top up
- 03Other features (editing, publishing) continue to work
6.2 Live project preview in the editor
Answer:
- 01In the editor you can work in two preview modes — with the test server enabled and without it. The mode is switched with the 'Use test server' toggle in the '☰' menu above the chat field
- 02Test server mode (toggle on): a separate working copy is spun up for the project, and every change the agent makes is instantly reflected in the preview without reloading. The test server starts when needed — when you open the editor for an existing project or when you send another message to the agent
- 03Mode without the test server (toggle off): the preview shows your actual published project at its address. The test environment does not start and server resources are not consumed
- 04The preview is embedded in the editor to the right of the chat (on mobile it opens via the 'Preview' button)
- 05In both modes, the preview is a working copy visible only to you. Visitors will see the changes only after you click 'Update project'
Answer:
- 01Open the '☰' menu above the input field in the AI editor
- 02At the bottom of the menu there is a 'Use test server' item with a toggle
- 03Click the item — the mode will switch: the test server will either start (green toggle) or shut down (gray toggle), and the preview will switch accordingly between the working copy and the published project
- 04A notification 'Test server enabled' or 'Test server disabled' will appear — the change has been saved
Answer:
- 01This placeholder appears only in test server mode — the server needs time to spin up a working copy of your project
- 02This usually takes 10–30 seconds
- 03As soon as everything is ready, the placeholder disappears and the project preview appears
- 04If the editor has been waiting for more than a minute, try reloading the page
Answer:
- 01An error message and a code will appear in the placeholder
- 02Click the 'Retry' button — the editor will try to spin up the preview again
- 03If the error persists, reload the editor page
- 04If that doesn't help either, contact support with the error code
6.3 Actions in the AI editor
Answer:
- 01Open the '☰' menu above the input field in the AI editor
- 02Select the 'Update project' item (the refresh icon)
- 03A confirmation window will appear with a warning about publishing the current version
- 04Click 'Publish' — the project build and publication will begin
- 05The window will show a 'Preparing the project…' progress indicator with hints about the current stage
- 06When it finishes, a 'Project updated' message and a close button will appear
- 07After that, visitors will see the latest version at your project's address
Answer:
- 01The agent's current task will be interrupted
- 02Part of the work done before stopping is kept: files that were already changed are not rolled back
- 03After that, you can send a new message or adjust the task
Answer:
- 01Publish in the dashboard makes the project available at its address. To temporarily remove public access, choose Unpublish in the project menu.
- 02The 'Update project' button in the AI editor builds the current version of the project and publishes its content — visitors will see the new changes
- 03If the project was in 'Draft' status, after 'Update project' it automatically becomes 'Published'
- 04For everyday work, 'Update project' is enough — rebuilding and publishing are done with a single button
Answer:
- 01In the AI editor, the chat opens first — the agent asks questions about your future project
- 02You answer the questions or upload a brief — the agent gathers the requirements
- 03Once the conversation is complete, the agent confirms that it is starting to build the project
- 04The server builds and publishes the first version of the project — this process can take a few minutes
- 05When the project is ready, the agent sends a final message and the editor automatically switches to preview mode — there it first shows the project you've just published
- 06From there you continue working with the agent: when you send another message with the 'Use test server' toggle enabled, a working copy is spun up automatically and the changes are visible live
Answer:
- 01In test server mode, the bar shows the service address of the working copy in the format 'develop-{id}.host-ai.site' — it is visible only to you
- 02Without the test server, the bar shows the real address of the published project (your subdomain on host-ai.site or a connected custom domain)
- 03In the address bar you can manually go to any page of the project — enter the path and press Enter
- 04The arrow button to the right of the address bar opens the current path in a new tab
- 05Back before the address returns to the previous page inside the preview. It is disabled when there are no previous pages.
Answer:
- 01Locked models appear faded. Availability depends on the subscription, token balance and temporary model restrictions.
- 02If the selected model becomes unavailable, the editor selects and saves the first available model in the original list. Favorites do not affect this order. If none are available, sending is disabled and the message draft is preserved.
7.1 Notifications
Answer:
- 01Notifications arrive by email and via Telegram. Types:
- 02- Project created
- 03- Subscription expiring
- 04- Projects will be disabled
- 05- Project unpublished
- 06- Domain verified
- 07- SSL certificate issued
Answer:
- 01Profile → 'Notifications' tab → 'Link Telegram'
- 02Start the bot in Telegram — linking will happen automatically
Troubleshooting common issues
Problem:Domain won't verify
Solution:
- 01Make sure the NS servers set at your registrar are: ns1.host-ai.site and ns2.host-ai.site
- 02Check that the NS change has been saved and applied at your registrar
- 03Wait up to 24 hours — DNS propagation after an NS change can take time
- 04Try submitting the domain for verification again
- 05If the problem persists, contact support
Problem:SSL certificate won't be issued
Solution:
- 01Make sure the domain has been verified successfully
- 02Check that the domain is linked to the project
- 03Wait up to half an hour — the SSL issuance process can take time
- 04Try requesting the SSL certificate again
- 05If the problem persists, contact support
Problem:Files won't upload
Solution:
- 01Check the file size — it must not exceed your plan's limit
- 02Make sure the file type is supported
- 03Check that the storage size limit hasn't been reached
- 04Try uploading the file again
- 05If the problem persists, contact support
Problem:Project download is unavailable
Solution:
- 01Regular projects: wait until the rate-limit timer expires
- 02AI projects: purchase a download subscription (the purchase window opens automatically)
Problem:Not enough tokens for the AI editor
Solution:
- 01Buy a token package through the window that appears automatically
- 02After payment, the AI editor becomes available right away
Problem:I can't download the full AI project archive
Solution:
- 01Purchase a download subscription (the window opens automatically when you try to download)
- 02If the problem persists after payment — contact support