Create Bitrix Site

Use this guide when choosing the bitrix profile in:

Sites -> Create site

Sites -> Create site creates the infrastructure layer. It does not complete the Bitrix browser installer and does not restore a Bitrix archive by itself.

Before You Start

Prepare these values:

• main domain, for example example.ru
• whether first-level subdomains must open the same Bitrix site
• target PHP version already installed on the server
• decision about database setup: managed new DB or migration without DB creation
• SSL decision: issue now or later
• for wildcard SSL: DNS access or Cloudflare API token

If you are restoring an existing Bitrix site, also prepare the archive and database plan before creating the site.

Menu Flow

Sites -> Create site
domain: <domain>
Select profile -> bitrix
Serve all first-level subdomains too? -> no|yes
Select site activity -> standard|high-traffic|rarely-used
Select PHP version -> installed compatible PHP version
Database setup for this site -> create-managed-db|continue-without-db
Issue Let's Encrypt certificate after site creation? -> no|yes

The exact prompt order can vary slightly by version and current server state.

Domain Mode

Choose standard mode when only the main domain should open this site:

example.ru

Choose wildcard/subdomain mode when the same Bitrix installation should serve the main domain and first-level subdomains:

example.ru
*.example.ru

In menu terms this is:

Serve all first-level subdomains too? -> yes

Use wildcard mode for multi-domain/subdomain Bitrix projects when application code expects requests from hosts such as camp.example.ru, test.example.ru, or b24.example.ru to reach the same project root.

For wildcard HTTPS, continue with SSL.

Activity Class

The activity class is the user-facing performance intent:

• standard: normal site, balanced default
• high-traffic: active project with higher PHP-FPM footprint
• rarely-used: low-traffic or parked project with lower resource footprint

You can change this later from:

Sites -> Change activity class

Database Choice

For a fresh Bitrix install, choose managed DB unless you have a specific reason not to:

Database setup for this site -> create-managed-db

For a restore or migration where the database already exists, choose:

Database setup for this site -> continue-without-db

Then connect or restore the database through the matching migration flow. Do not recreate a database that already contains production data.

See Database.

SSL Choice During Creation

For a single-domain site, issuing SSL during creation is usually fine when DNS already points to the server.

For a wildcard/subdomain site, it is often clearer to answer no during creation and issue SSL from the SSL menu after DNS and wildcard validation are ready:

SSL -> Issue Let's Encrypt

See SSL.

What The Environment Creates

For the Bitrix profile, site creation prepares:

• project directory under /home/simai/www/<domain>
• Bitrix-oriented nginx config
• PHP-FPM pool
• local healthcheck
• optional managed DB/user
• managed cron file
• Bitrix-friendly upload body limit
• nginx fallback for Bitrix URL rewriting

What It Does Not Finish

Site creation does not finish:

• Bitrix browser installation
• Bitrix restore wizard
• final PHP/cron/cache baseline after installation
• switching Bitrix agents from web hits to cron

After site creation, continue with Install vs restore.

If The Directory Already Has Files

The regular menu flow expects a new empty project directory. This is intentional: reusing a non-empty path can silently mix two applications.

If you need to attach an existing directory, use a deliberate CLI flow and inspect the path first. For ordinary user work, create a new site path and restore/deploy into it.

CLI Equivalent

Single-domain fresh install with managed DB:

sudo /root/simai-env/simai-admin.sh site add \
  --domain <domain> \
  --profile bitrix \
  --php 8.2 \
  --create-db yes

By default this creates infrastructure only and does not place public bitrixsetup.php or restore.php into the docroot. This is the safer default: prepare helper scripts only when you know whether the site is a fresh install or a restore.

Fresh install helper:

sudo /root/simai-env/simai-admin.sh site add \
  --domain <domain> \
  --profile bitrix \
  --php 8.2 \
  --create-db yes \
  --bitrix-files setup

Backup restore helper:

sudo /root/simai-env/simai-admin.sh site add \
  --domain <domain> \
  --profile bitrix \
  --php 8.2 \
  --create-db yes \
  --bitrix-files restore

Wildcard/subdomain site:

sudo /root/simai-env/simai-admin.sh site add \
  --domain <domain> \
  --profile bitrix \
  --host-mode wildcard \
  --php 8.2 \
  --create-db yes

Migration shell without DB creation:

sudo /root/simai-env/simai-admin.sh site add \
  --domain <domain> \
  --profile bitrix \
  --php 8.2 \
  --create-db no \
  --skip-db-required yes

Successful Result

The site summary should show:

• Profile: bitrix
• selected Host mode
• selected PHP version
• nginx config path
• PHP-FPM pool path
• cron file path
• DB status matching your choice
• SSL status matching your choice
• next Bitrix actions

Next Step

Choose one:

• fresh installation: Install vs restore
• restore from archive: Install vs restore

Before handing the site to a developer, run Diagnostics.