FAQ
Find answers to common questions about setup, configuration, and troubleshooting in PteroCA.
1. How does PteroCA work?
PteroCA (short for Pterodactyl Client Area) is a standalone hosting management panel that connects directly to your Pterodactyl panel through its API. It acts as the frontend system for your clients — handling registration, authentication, server rental, payments, and automated provisioning.
The workflow looks like this:
A customer visits your website and selects a product or server plan.
PteroCA automatically creates a matching user account in Pterodactyl.
When the customer completes payment, PteroCA creates the server in Pterodactyl and links it to their account.
The customer then manages their server entirely through the PteroCA panel (start, stop, reinstall, console, etc.).
If the customer doesn’t renew on time, PteroCA automatically suspends and later deletes the server according to your billing settings.
2. What does the name “PteroCA” mean?
The name PteroCA comes from:
“Ptero” → referring to Pterodactyl, the open-source game server management panel that PteroCA integrates with.
“CA” → meaning Client Area, the interface where your customers manage their services.
So, PteroCA = Pterodactyl Client Area — a bridge between your users and your Pterodactyl infrastructure.
3. Does it handle user management, payments, and automatic server allocation?
Yes — that’s exactly what PteroCA is built for. It acts as the user system, billing system, and server provisioning layer on top of Pterodactyl.
In other words:
It replaces the need for a separate billing or client panel (like WHMCS or Blesta).
It automatically manages user accounts and server creation in Pterodactyl.
It handles payments and renewals based on your pricing configuration.
Think of PteroCA as the “CtrlPanel++” style system — but fully open-source, Symfony-based, and integrated directly with your Pterodactyl setup.
4. What payment methods are supported?
PteroCA natively supports Stripe for payments and renewals. Customers can pay using credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay through Stripe Checkout.
Starting with v0.6, PteroCA includes a plugin system that allows developers and hosting providers to add custom payment gateways (e.g., PayPal, Mollie, Coinbase, etc.) as plugins. An example PayPal payment provider plugin is included with PteroCA.
For more information, see Plugins.
5. What is the PteroCA Plugin for Pterodactyl?
The PteroCA Plugin is a small integration package installed directly inside your Pterodactyl panel. It’s required for full synchronization between both systems.
It allows PteroCA to:
Automatically create user API keys in Pterodactyl when a user registers in PteroCA,
Keep account and access data synchronized between both panels,
Securely communicate between the systems during server provisioning and management.
Installation takes only one command. You can read more about the plugin here.
6. Is PteroCA similar to CtrlPanel or other client systems?
Conceptually, yes — it serves a similar purpose as panels like CtrlPanel, Dashactyl, or WISP Client Area, but:
it’s built from scratch using Symfony 7 / PHP 8.x,
fully open-source under the MIT license,
and designed for scalability, transparency, and community-driven development.
Unlike closed panels, you can host it yourself, modify the code, and contribute improvements.
7. How is PteroCA built?
PteroCA is developed on the Symfony 7 framework with EasyAdmin for administration. It communicates with Pterodactyl via API for:
user synchronization,
server creation and management,
suspension, deletion, and renewal automation.
Both the client area and admin area are rendered using Twig templates, which makes customization straightforward.
8. Is there a demo available?
Yes! You can explore the panel by visiting our demo: https://demo.pteroca.com/
9. Where can I find project updates?
Project updates and release notes are published in several places:
On the GitHub Releases page.
On our Discord server under the
#announcementschannel.In the Admin Area of your PteroCA panel, where you can check if a new version is available.
10. Is PteroCA free to use?
Yes! PteroCA is fully open-source and free to use under the MIT License. You are free to modify, self-host, and customize it according to your needs.
11. Can I contribute to the project?
Absolutely! You can:
Contribute code or translations via GitHub Pull Requests.
Help expand the documentation.
Join our developer community on Discord and discuss ideas or improvements.
All contributions are welcome and appreciated ❤️
12. Can I extend PteroCA with custom functionality?
Yes! PteroCA v0.6+ includes a comprehensive plugin system that allows you to:
Add custom payment providers (like PayPal, Coinbase, Mollie, etc.)
Create new features and integrations
Add custom widgets and dashboard components
Extend the admin panel with new CRUD interfaces
Integrate with external services (Discord, Telegram, webhooks, etc.)
The plugin system provides powerful capabilities including:
Routes: Custom HTTP endpoints and controllers
Entities: Database tables and models
Migrations: Database schema management
UI: Dashboard widgets, server tabs, menu items
Console Commands: CLI commands for automation
Cron Tasks: Scheduled background jobs
Security Scanning: Automatic vulnerability detection
Health Monitoring: Automated health checks
Example plugins included:
hello-world: Demonstrates all plugin capabilities
paypal-payment: PayPal payment provider integration
For more information:
User guide: Plugins
Developer guide: Plugin Development
13. How do I install plugins?
Installing a plugin is straightforward:
Place plugin files in the
/plugins/directory of your PteroCA installationScan for plugins:
Enable the plugin:
Configure plugin settings in Settings → Plugins
PteroCA automatically handles:
Security scanning
Dependency resolution
Asset publishing
Database migrations
Health monitoring
You can also manage plugins through the Admin Panel UI.
For detailed instructions, see the Plugins Guide.
14. Can I create my own themes?
Yes! PteroCA supports custom themes that allow you to completely customize the panel's appearance.
Quick start:
This creates a new theme based on the default, which you can then customize:
Override templates: Customize any page, component, or CRUD interface
Style with CSS: Add your colors, layouts, and typography
Add JavaScript: Enhance functionality with custom scripts
Customize emails: Brand email templates with your design
Theme structure:
Templates:
themes/your-theme/Assets:
public/assets/theme/your-theme/
What you can customize:
Panel layout and navigation
Colors and styling
CRUD interfaces (using EasyAdmin)
Email templates
Dashboard widgets
Activate your theme: Go to Settings → Appearance → Current theme, select your theme, and save.
For complete documentation:
User guide: Themes
Developer guide: Theme Development
15. Are there security concerns with plugins?
PteroCA includes comprehensive security features to protect your panel:
Automatic Security Scanning:
Static code analysis for dangerous patterns
Detection of dangerous functions (eval, exec, shell_exec, etc.)
SQL injection pattern detection
Path traversal vulnerability checks
Hardcoded credential detection
Composer audit for known CVE vulnerabilities
Security Levels:
CRITICAL: Plugin cannot be enabled (immediate risk)
HIGH: Warning shown, enable at your own risk
MEDIUM: Warning shown, monitoring recommended
LOW: Logged for review
Best Practices:
Only install plugins from trusted sources
Review security scan results before enabling
Keep plugins updated
Monitor plugin health regularly
Disable unused plugins
PteroCA's security scanner runs automatically before enabling any plugin, helping protect your panel from malicious code.
For more information, see Plugin Security.
Last updated