Installation & Upgrade Guide

Follow these steps to get AIBlog up and running.

Important: Migrating from v3 to v4

To upgrade from version 3, you must perform a manual pre-update step before using the automatic updater. This is a one-time requirement.

  1. Download the aiblogv4_pre-update.zip package.
  2. From this zip file, manually upload and replace only these two files on your server:
    • controllers/process.php
    • controllers/updater.php
    • views/settings.php
  3. Once these files are replaced, log in to your Admin Panel.
  4. Go to the Update section and upload the main AIBlog V4.zip file to complete the automatic update.

1 System Requirements & Preparation

Server Requirements

  • PHP 8.0 or higher
  • MySQL 5.7 or higher
  • Required PHP extensions: curl, openssl, mbstring, json, mysqli, zip

Required API Keys

  • Pexels API Key: For fetching royalty-free images. Get one here.
  • Google Gemini API Key: For AI-powered content generation. Get one here.

Note: Most modern hosting providers support these requirements by default. Check your control panel if you are unsure.

2 Installation Process (For New Installs)

First-Time Install? The manual steps in the migration guide above are not required. Simply follow the installer wizard.

  1. Download the Package: Unzip the contents into your desired web directory.
  2. Run the Installer: Navigate to https://yourdomain.com/install.php and follow the on-screen wizard to enter your database credentials, API keys, and site details.
  3. Database Setup: The installer will automatically import the required tables and data.
  4. Finish Setup: Once complete, your AI Blog will be live!

3 Set Up Cron Jobs

To automate content generation and newsletter delivery, set up the following cron jobs on your server:

Task URL Frequency
Generate Titles .../auto/titles/<CRON_KEY> Once per day
Generate Articles .../auto/articles/<CRON_KEY> Every 6 hours
Send Newsletters .../auto/newsletter/<CRON_KEY> Every hour

Important: Replace <CRON_KEY> with the secure key generated during installation. Use your hosting control panel to schedule these URLs.