Get started with WordPress
WordPress is free, open-source software for building websites and blogs. This guide covers the self-hosted version from wordpress.org, which you install on your own hosting account and fully control. It is for anyone setting up a first WordPress site who wants to know how to install it and which settings to check straight away.
What you need
Install WordPress
With a one-click installer
Many hosts offer an installer that creates the database, copies the files and runs the setup for you. You choose the domain, the folder (leave it empty to install at https://example.com/ rather than in a subfolder), an admin username and a strong password. The installer then gives you the address of your new site and its admin area.
Manually
A manual install takes a little longer but works on any suitable hosting.
- Download the latest release from
wordpress.organd unzip it on your computer. - Upload the contents of the
wordpressfolder to your site's web folder (often called the document root) with SFTP. See Upload files with SFTP. - In your hosting control panel or account, open the section for databases and create a new database and a database user with a strong password. Give that user full rights on the new database. The exact place depends on your host. See Databases explained.
- Open your domain in a browser. The WordPress installer starts and asks for the database name, database username, password and database host. Your host tells you the host value; it is often
localhost. - Enter a site title, an admin username, a strong password and your email address, then finish the installation.
The installer writes the database details to a file called wp-config.php in the site's main folder. You will meet this file again in several troubleshooting guides.
Avoid obvious usernames such as admin. Use a long, unique password and keep it in a password manager.
The admin area
You manage everything from the dashboard at /wp-admin, for example https://example.com/wp-admin. If you are not signed in, WordPress sends you to the sign-in page at /wp-login.php.
First settings to check
Open Settings in the dashboard and review these before you add content:
| Setting | Where | What to choose |
|---|---|---|
| Site title and tagline | Settings > General | Your site's name and a short description. Both can appear in search results and browser tabs. |
| WordPress Address and Site Address | Settings > General | Both should start with https://. |
| Administration email address | Settings > General | An inbox you check. WordPress sends security and recovery messages here. |
| Timezone | Settings > General | Your city, so scheduled posts publish at the right time. |
| Permalinks | Settings > Permalinks | "Post name" gives readable addresses such as https://example.com/opening-hours/. |
A permalink is the permanent address of a post or page. Choose a structure early: changing it later changes every address on the site, which breaks old links unless you add redirects.
Themes and plugins
- A theme controls how the site looks: layout, colours and fonts. Only one theme is active at a time. Manage themes under Appearance > Themes.
- A plugin adds features, such as contact forms, online shops or backups. Many can be active at once. Manage them under Plugins.
Install themes and plugins from the official directories on wordpress.org or from developers you trust. Every extra plugin is more code to update, so keep only the ones you use. Keep WordPress secure explains why this matters.
Users and roles
Each person who works on the site should have their own account under Users. WordPress gives each user a role that decides what they can do:
| Role | Can do |
|---|---|
| Administrator | Everything, including installing plugins and managing users |
| Editor | Publish and edit any post or page |
| Author | Publish and edit their own posts |
| Contributor | Write their own posts, but not publish them |
| Subscriber | Manage their own profile |
Give each person the lowest role that lets them do their job, and keep the number of administrators small.
DomainPilot WordPress hosting comes with WordPress pre-installed. With DomainPilot web hosting, you can choose WordPress when ordering and it is installed when the account is set up. Web hosting plans also include one-click installs for WordPress. See WordPress hosting.
Learn more
The official WordPress documentation covers the editor, settings and every built-in feature in more detail.