Skip to main content

WordPress

WordPress runs a large share of the web. These guides cover getting started, keeping your site secure and fast, updating safely, and fixing the errors people run into most.

Guides in this topic

  • Get started with WordPress

    Install self-hosted WordPress, choose your first settings, and learn how themes, plugins, users and the admin area fit together.

  • Keep WordPress secure

    Practical habits that protect a WordPress site, from updates and strong passwords to backups, HTTPS and checking who has access.

  • Speed up WordPress

    Make a WordPress site load faster with caching, lighter images, fewer plugins, a current PHP version and a CDN, and measure the results.

  • Update WordPress safely

    Update WordPress core, plugins and themes without breaking your site, with a backup first, a sensible order and a plan if something goes wrong.

  • Fix the critical error

    Find and fix the cause of "There has been a critical error on this website" or a blank white page, using recovery mode, the debug log and SFTP.

  • Database connection error

    Find out why WordPress cannot reach its database, check the details in wp-config.php, repair damaged tables and fix the error after a move.

  • Locked out of WordPress

    Regain access to the WordPress dashboard after a lost password, a missing reset email, a security plugin lockout or a wrong site address.

  • Fix 404 errors

    Fix WordPress posts and pages that return "404 Not Found" by resaving permalinks, restoring .htaccess rules and redirecting addresses that have moved.

  • Fix mixed content

    Remove mixed content warnings from a WordPress site after moving to HTTPS by updating its addresses, replacing old http links and forcing HTTPS.