Author: Editorial Staff

How to Easily Create Custom WooCommerce Thank You Pages
Do you want to easily create a custom WooCommerce thank you page?

A custom order confirmation is a great way to connect with your customers and get more sales by promoting related products, or even offering an exclusive coupon code.

In this article, we’ll show you how to create a custom WooCommerce thank you page.

Why Customize a WooCommerce Thank You Page in WordPress?

The order confirmation or thank you page may seem like a small part of your online store, but it can actually be a very valuable part of the sales process.

The default WooCommerce thank you page isn’t really optimized for conversions, so we recommend replacing it with a custom page. This page might encourage shoppers to buy more products by offering coupon codes or displaying popular products.

You can also show important information such as the items ordered, the total cost, and shipping information.

With that said, let’s show you how to easily create a custom WooCommerce thank you page, step-by-step. Simply use the links below to jump straight to the method you want to use.
- Method 1. Create a Custom WooCommerce Thank You Page Using FunnelKit
- Method 2. Create a Custom WooCommerce Thank You Page Using a Page Builder
Method 1. Create a Custom WooCommerce Thank You Page Using FunnelKit

The easiest way to create a custom WooCommerce thank you page is by using FunnelKit, formerly known as WooFunnels. It is the best WordPress sales funnel and automation plugin, and comes with ready-made Thank You templates that you can easily add to your online store.

This allows you to create professionally-designed and helpful thank-you pages without having to write a single line of code.

Note: Thereâ€™s also a FunnelKit Pro plugin that comes with more ‘thank you’ templates. However, weâ€™ll be using the free version of FunnelKit as it has everything you need to replace the default WooCommerce thank you page with a custom design.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to FunnelKit Â» Templates and click on the â€˜Checkoutâ€™ button.

Choose a Thank You Page Template

You can now choose from any of FunnelKitâ€™s ready-made templates, or select â€˜Start from scratch.â€™ We recommend using a template as it helps you create a professionally designed Thank You page, fast.

To take a closer look at any template, simply hover your mouse over it and then click on the â€˜Previewâ€™ button when it appears.

FunnelKit will show a preview of the checkout page by default.

To see the thank you design instead, simply select â€˜Thank You Pageâ€™ from the left-hand menu.

When you find a template you want to use, click on â€˜Import This Funnel.â€™

Weâ€™re using the Livewire template in all our images, but you can use any design you want.

At this point, FunnelKit might ask you to install some extra plugins such as SlingBlocks, which adds page-building features to the WordPress block editor.

If you see this message, then click on â€˜Activateâ€™ to get the plugins you need.

After that, type in a name for the custom thank you page. This is just for your reference so you can use anything that will help you identify the page in your WordPress dashboard.

With that done, click on the â€˜Addâ€™ button.

Customize Your WooCommerce Thank You Page

Youâ€™ll now see all the steps that are included in the template.

Since youâ€™re using the free version of FunnelKit, the template includes a thank you page and a custom WooCommerce checkout page, which you’ll need to set up separately. For detailed step-by-step instructions, please see our guide on how to customize the WooCommerce checkout page.

To go ahead and customize the thank you page, click on its â€˜Editâ€™ link.

You can now click on â€˜Edit Templateâ€™ to open the template in the WordPress block editor.

Note: If youâ€™re using a page builder plugin, then FunnelKit may open the template in a different editor. If this happens, then youâ€™ll need to click on â€˜Switch to WordPress editorâ€™ instead of â€˜Edit Template.â€™

You can now customize the template in exactly the same way you build any WordPress page. Simply click on any block and then fine-tune it using the settings in the right-hand menu and the mini toolbar.

For example, youâ€™ll typically want to replace the placeholder logo with your own custom logo. To do this, click to select the Image block and then select â€˜Replaceâ€™ in the mini toolbar.

Now, either select Open Media Library and choose an image from the WordPress media library, or click on â€˜Uploadâ€™ and select a file from your computer.

After choosing an image, you can add image alt text, change the width, add rounded corners, and more using the settings in the right-hand menu.

Youâ€™ll also want to replace the placeholder text with information about your own online marketplace. Simply click to select any text block and then type in your custom messaging.

You can also change the textâ€™s styling using the settings in the right-hand menu. For example, you can use borders and box shadows to make the text stand out, change the font family, or change the text color in WordPress.

Just don’t modify any of the text inside the [ ] brackets as these tags allow FunnelKit to show personalized content, such as the customerâ€™s name.

Customize the Order Details Widget

After that, scroll to the Order Details section and give it a click. This is a unique widget provided by FunnelKit that shows information about the customerâ€™s order.

This widget works out of the box, but you may want to customize how it looks and the information it shows.

To start, you can change the sectionâ€™s heading by typing into the â€˜Headingâ€™ field.

You can also choose whether to show the product image for every item in the customerâ€™s order, using the â€˜Show Imageâ€™ slider.

Do you sell subscriptions for a membership site, online courses, or similar? Then you may want to show information about the customerâ€™s subscription, such as the price and when their next payment is due.

To add this section, click to expand â€˜Subscriptionâ€™ in the right-hand menu. Then, enable the â€˜Show Subscription Previewâ€™ toggle.

In this section, you can also replace the default â€˜Subscriptionâ€™ text with your own messaging by typing into the ‘Heading’ field.

Similarly, if you sell digital downloads then you can add a â€˜Downloadsâ€™ section to the thank you page. This contains useful information, such as the filename, the number of downloads remaining, and the expiration date.

You can even add a button so shoppers can download their purchase directly from the custom thank you page, which will improve the customer experience.

To add this section, simply click to expand â€˜Downloadsâ€™ in the right-hand menu. You can then add and remove information using the toggles.

You can also replace the default heading and button text with your own messaging.

When youâ€™re happy with how Order Details is set up, you may want to change how it looks by clicking on the â€˜Styleâ€™ tab.

Here, you can change the heading and background colors that are used across the entire order section, or change individual elements within the â€˜Downloadâ€™ or â€˜Subscriptionâ€™ sections.

Edit the Customer Details Widget

With that done, itâ€™s time to look at Customer Details, which is another unique widget provided by FunnelKit.

Simply click to select the Customer Details section and then make your changes in the right-hand menu. For example, you can replace the default headline with your own messaging by typing it into the â€˜Headingâ€™ field.

You can also switch between a multi-column or single-column layout using the â€˜Layoutâ€™ dropdown menu.

After that, you can click on the â€˜Styleâ€™ tab and change the fonts, text size, colors, and more.

Add More Blocks to the Custom Thank You Page

When youâ€™re happy with the changes youâ€™ve made to the template, you may want to add your own content. This can help you improve the customer experience, get more sales, promote your brand, and more.

To add blocks, simply click on the â€˜+â€™ icon in the right-hand corner and then drag any block onto your design. Both FunnelKit, WooCommerce, and WordPress have lots of different blocks you can use, so letâ€™s quickly look at a few examples.
1. Promote Your Other WooCommerce Products
The thank you page may seem like the end of the buyer journey, but it doesn’t have to be. You can use this page to recommend other products the shopper may want to buy. This can get you more sales, while also raising awareness about the other great products you sell.

To see what blocks are available, scroll to the â€˜WooCommerceâ€™ section in the left-hand menu. Here, youâ€™ll find blocks such as Best-Selling Products, Newest Products, On Sale Products, and more.

Simply find the block you want to use and drag it into your design.

With that done, click to select the block and then customize it using the settings in the right-hand menu.
1. Get More Social Media Followers
Social media websites like Twitter and Facebook are the perfect place to promote your products, so youâ€™ll want to get as many followers as possible. With that in mind, itâ€™s a good idea to add social media links to your custom thank you page.

Since these shoppers have already bought from your business, theyâ€™re more likely to follow you on Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and other social platforms.

To get started, simply drag a Social Icons block onto your page. You can then click on the â€˜+â€™ icon and choose the social icon that you want to add.

After making your selection, click on the new icon in the Social Icons block.

In the mini toolbar that appears, type in the URL of the profile you want to link to.

Simply repeat these steps to add all your social media accounts to the block.
1. Give Customers Exclusive Coupon Codes
A coupon code encourages shoppers to buy from you again. For that reason, you may want to add a coupon code to your thank you page. For example, you might offer shoppers a free shipping discount on their next purchase.

You can create a coupon code with WooCommerceâ€™s built-in coupon feature, or by using a coupon code plugin.

After creating a coupon, simply add a Text block to the thank you page. You can then go ahead and type the coupon into this block, along with any other messaging you want to use.

This is a great start, but you may want to show different coupon codes to different customers. For example, you could offer first-time customers a big percentage discount on their next purchase, to help build customer loyalty.

The best way to do this is by upgrading to FunnelKit Builder Pro. This premium plugin has a powerful rules-based engine that allows you to show different coupons to shoppers based on the order total, item count, the WooCommerce payment gateway used, and much more.

Publish the Custom WooCommerce Thank You Page

When youâ€™re happy with how the thank you page is set up, click on â€˜Updateâ€™ to save your changes. After that, click on â€˜Back To Thank You Page.â€™

You can now click on the â€˜Draftâ€™ button next to â€˜Thank you Pageâ€™ and select â€˜Publishâ€™

This will make the thank you page live on your WordPress website.

Method 2. Create a Custom WooCommerce Thank You Page Using a Page Builder

You can also create a custom WooCommerce thank you page using SeedProd. This allows you to design the page using a drag and drop editor, which is perfect if you find the WordPress block editor too restrictive or difficult to use.

SeedProd comes with more than 180 professionally-designed templates including eCommerce templates that you can use to create sales pages and lead squeeze pages.

Even better, SeedProd has full support for WooCommerce and even comes with ready-made WooCommerce blocks that you can simply drag onto your layouts.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Note: There is a free version of SeedProd, but for this guide, weâ€™ll use the Pro version because it has the built-in WooCommerce blocks we need. It also integrates with the email marketing services you may already be using to promote your online store.

Upon activation, go to SeedProd Â» Settings and enter your license key.

You can find this information under your account on the SeedProd website. After entering the license, click on the â€˜Verify Keyâ€™ button.

Choose a Thank You Page Template

After that, go to SeedProd Â» Landing Pages and click on â€˜Add New Landing Page.â€™

Next, you need to choose a template for your thank you page.

SeedProdâ€™s templates are organized into different campaign types such as coming soon and 404 pages. Since you’re creating a custom WooCommerce thank you page, go ahead and click on the ‘Thank You’ tab.

For this guide, we’ll be using the ‘Order Completed Thank You Page’ template.

Simply hover your mouse over this template and then click on the checkmark icon.

Next, type in a name for your custom WooCommerce thank you page. SeedProd will automatically use this name in its URL, but you can edit the URL if you want.

When youâ€™re happy with the information youâ€™ve entered, click on the â€˜Save and Start Editing the Pageâ€™ button.

This loads the SeedProd editor, which shows a live preview of the page to the right and some settings on the left.

To customize a block, simply click to select it in the page builder, then use the settings in the left-hand menu.

The left-hand menu also has blocks that you can drag onto the order confirmation template.

Get More Sales By Adding an Upsell Section

You may be able to get more sales by promoting other products on the thank you page. One option is to create an upsell block using SeedProd’s sections.

Sections are ready-made collections of blocks that are commonly used together, so they can help you create beautifully-designed pages, fast.

Simply click on the ‘Sections’ tab and then select ‘Hero’ in the left-hand menu. After that, hover your mouse over ‘Hero 2’ and click on the ‘+’ icon when it appears.

This adds the section to your page.

Go ahead and click to select the section’s ‘Image’ block. Then, in the left-hand menu click on ‘Use Your Own Image’ to open the media library.

You can now add an image for the product that you want to upsell.

Once you’ve done that, click on the ‘Headline’ block and type in the product title.

Next, click to select the ‘Text’ block and then type in the product description.

You can encourage customers to add this item to their basket, by replacing the placeholder call to action button with an ‘Add To Cart’ button.

To do this, click to select the ‘Call To Action’ block and then click on the ‘Delete Block’ icon.

Next, find the ‘Add To Cart’ block in the menu.

Simply drop this block onto the empty space in your Hero 2 section.

Now, it’s time to connect this button to the right WooCommerce product.

To do this, you’ll need to know the product’s ID. If you don’t know this information, then go to Products Â» All Products in your WordPress dashboard. Here, simply hover your mouse over the product to see its ID.

Back in the SeedProd page editor, click to select the ‘Add To Cart’ block and then add the ID to the ‘Product ID’ box.

You can also enable the ‘Direct to Checkout’ slider, so the shopper will go straight to your store’s checkout.

At this point, you can change how the button looks using the settings in the left-hand menu. For example, you can change its color scheme, button text, alignment, and more.

After that, it’s a good idea to add a heading that promotes your upsell product. For example, you could use something like ‘You may also be interested in’ or ‘This is the perfect addition to your order.’

Simply drag a ‘Headline’ block onto your layout.

You can then type in the messaging you want to use.

Promote Your Best-Selling WooCommerce Products

Another option is adding a best-selling products section to your thank you page. Since these products are already popular, there’s a good chance the shopper may also want to buy them.

In the left-hand menu, find the ‘Best Selling Products’ block and drag it onto your layout.

There are many other types of product grids you can add, like sale products, top-rated products, recent products, and more.

For more information, see our guide on how to display popular products in WooCommerce.

Publish your Custom WooCommerce Thank You Page

When youâ€™re happy with how the WooCommerce thank you page looks, itâ€™s time to publish it by clicking on the dropdown arrow next to â€˜Save’ and selecting ‘Publish.’

After publishing the page, you need to change the WooCommerce settings so customers get redirected to your new page.

The easiest way to do this is by using the Thanks Redirect for WooCommerce plugin. This plugin allows you to redirect customers to any URL after making a purchase.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you’ll need to enter the URL of your custom thank you page.

To get this information, go to SeedProd Â» Landing Pages and find the thank you page you just created. You’ll find its link in the ‘URL’ column.

Once you have this information, go to WooCommerce Â» Thanks Redirect.

Here, check the ‘Enable Global Redirect’ box.

You can now type the link into the â€˜Thanks Redirect URLâ€™ box.

With that done, click on ‘Save Changes’ to store your settings.

Now, WooCommerce will send customers to your custom thank you page when they complete an order.

We hoped this article helped you create custom WooCommerce thank you pages. You may also want to see our list of the best WooCommerce plugins for your store and our guide on how to create an email newsletter.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post How to Easily Create Custom WooCommerce Thank You Pages first appeared on WPBeginner.
20.04.2023
What is a Website URL (Important Parts Explained for Beginners)
Recently one of our readers asked what is a website URL, and is it different from a domain name?

A URL is simply the address of a website on the internet. It is made up of a domain name, along with some other elements such as subdomains or subdirectories. Whether your URL has these other parts will depend on the choices you make when installing WordPress.

In this article, weâ€™ll explain what is a website URL, describe the main parts that make up a URL, and show you how to choose and register a domain name for your website.

What Is a Website URL?

Every website is uniquely identified by a URL, or uniform resource locator. In simple terms, if you think of your WordPress website as a house, then the URL would be its address.

Every post, page, image, product, and resource on your website also has a unique URL. These are formed by adding characters after the website URL.

For example, the URL to a WordPress post looks like this:
```
https://example.com/this-is-a-blog-post/
```
There are three important parts of a URL. It starts with the protocol used to connect to the website, which will be HTTP or HTTPS. These days, you will mostly see HTTPS because it is more secure.

After that comes the domain name that identifies the website itself, and then the path to a specific post or resource on your website.

A URL may also contain other information, such as a subdomain or subdirectory, a query or other parameters, and an anchor to a specific part of a web page.

With that being said, letâ€™s take a closer look at the 3 main parts that make up a URL, along with some optional elements:
1. The HTTP or HTTPS Protocol

The first part of a URL is the protocol. This identifies the set of rules that will be used to transfer information between the server and the userâ€™s browser. The protocol used for websites is HTTP or HTTPS.

The protocol is followed by a colon and two forward slashes, like this:
```
https://
```
HTTP stands for â€˜hypertext transfer protocolâ€™. This protocol is a set of rules that allow the user’s web browser to communicate with your website.

HTTPS stands for ‘hypertext transfer protocol secure’ and is used when the website is operating over a secure connection. This is especially important if you wish to collect payments on your website.

Users don’t need to type the protocol when entering your websiteâ€™s URL into their web browser. These characters will be added automatically.

Should My Website Use a Secure HTTPS Connection?

Every day we share our personal information with different websites whether itâ€™s making a purchase or simply logging in. In order to protect the data transfer, a secure connection needs to be created. Thatâ€™s where HTTPS comes in.

HTTPS is an encryption method that secures the connection between usersâ€™ browsers and your server. This makes it harder for hackers to eavesdrop on the connection.

If you want to accept payments online on your eCommerce website, then you need to use HTTPS. Thatâ€™s because most payment companies like Stripe, PayPal Pro, and Authorize.net require a secure connection before accepting payments.

But we encourage everyone to move their website from HTTP to HTTPS immediately, even if you don’t run an online store. Thatâ€™s because Google ranks websites using HTTPS higher than those using HTTP.

Also, Google displays a â€˜Not Secureâ€™ warning when you visit an HTTP website in Chrome. When your users see this notice, it gives them a bad impression of your business.

How Can I Move My Website to a Secure HTTPS Connection?

When youâ€™re ready to set up a secure HTTPS connection for your website, you need to purchase an SSL certificate. SSL stands for â€˜Secure Sockets Layerâ€™ and is the standard technology for keeping an internet connection secure.

You may already be paying for an SSL certificate with your web hosting since many of the best WordPress hosting companies offer them free for all their users. For more details, see our guide on how to get a free SSL certificate for your WordPress website.

After you have enabled the SSL certificate on your domain name, you will need to set up WordPress to use SSL and HTTPS protocols on your website.

We show you how to do that step-by-step in our beginnerâ€™s guide on how to properly move WordPress from HTTP to HTTPS.

2. Your Websiteâ€™s Domain Name

The second important part of a website URL is the domain name. This is the address that internet users type in their web browsers to visit your website, like this:
```
example.com
```
The user’s web browser will automatically add the correct protocol.
```
https://example.com
```
You need to choose a domain name when you first create your website. You should make sure that it’s easy to remember and not already being used by another website.

Once youâ€™ve chosen your domain name, you will need to register it. This involves a small fee that you will need to pay to the domain registrar you choose.

What Are the Different Parts of a Domain Name?

A domain name is made up of two or three parts:
1. The top-level domain (TLD) is the extension of your domain name such as .com, .org, .net. There are other TLDs, but they are less common and we donâ€™t recommend them.
2. The second-level domain (SLD) refers to the name that comes before the top-level domain or TLD. For example, for our website, â€˜wpbeginnerâ€™ is the second-level domain and â€˜.comâ€™ is the top-level domain.
3. Some websites also use a ‘country code top-level domain’ or ccTLD to target their local audience. These include .uk for the United Kingdom, .de for Germany, and .in for India.
We always recommend using the .com domain extension because most users will remember your websiteâ€™s name and assume that it ends in .com. You can learn more in our guide on whether you should choose a new domain extension for your website.

Whatâ€™s the Difference Between a Domain Name and Hosting?

When you first create a website, you need both a domain name and web hosting. Many beginners are not sure what the difference is.

We said that a domain name is like the address that helps visitors find your house. Well, hosting is like the house itself. It is the place where your website posts, pages, images, and other resources actually live.

For a more detailed explanation, please take a look at our guide on the difference between a domain name and web hosting.

How Can I Choose the Best Domain Name for My Website?

Choosing the right domain name for your website is crucial for your success. Get it right the first time because changing it later is difficult and can hurt your brand and search rankings.

Try to make it short and easy to remember. Ideally, it should be less than 15 characters. It should be easy to spell and pronounce, otherwise, users might make a mistake when typing it and will see an error message or be taken to the wrong website.

If you are having trouble coming up with a good domain name, you might like to use a domain name generator. These free tools automatically search for your defined keywords to find hundreds of clever domain name ideas.

We recommend using Nameboy, which is one of the oldest and most popular domain name generator tools online.

You can also use WPBeginnerâ€™s free Business Name Generator tool, or IsItWPâ€™s domain generator to find more domain name ideas.

For more tips and tools, see our guide on how to choose the best domain name.

Where Should I Register My Domain Name?

Once you choose a domain name, you will need to register it with a reputable domain registrar. These are companies accredited by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) that allow you to purchase and register domain names.

All domain name records are stored in a centralized database. For a domain name to be recognized, it needs to be added to that database with all related information about it.

In our research, the best domain registrar is Domain.com if youâ€™re just buying a domain name, or Bluehost if youâ€™re looking to build a website because they give you a domain name for free.

To learn what to watch out for and see other options, refer to our guide on how to choose the best domain name registrar.

Can I Change My Websiteâ€™s Domain Name?

We mentioned earlier that it is difficult to change your websiteâ€™s domain name, but it is not impossible. However, it needs to be done with care, or it will badly impact your SEO rankings.

Even when done carefully, changing your site’s domain name will temporarily affect your search engine rankings since Google and other search engines will need to adjust to the changes. It will also temporarily affect your search traffic.

The good news is that it is possible to dramatically minimize the impact and quickly regain your search traffic and rankings. You will need to notify Google and your users of the change and use an SEO plugin like All in One SEO to set up a full site redirect.

You can learn how to do this step-by-step by following our guide on how to easily move WordPress to a new domain without losing SEO.

3. The Path to a Specific Webpage

Your domain name will take visitors straight to your website’s homepage. But what if they want to visit a certain post or page? This is done by adding the path to that page in the URL after the domain name, like this:
```
https://example.com/this-is-a-blog-post
```
In WordPress, these are called permalinks, and the part of the address that appears after the domain name is called the slug.

Ideally, a permalink should be easy for both humans and search engines to understand. When done right, they will help your posts rank higher on search engine results pages.

That means you should avoid permalinks like these:
```
https://example.com/index.php?p=4556
```
How Can I Create an SEO-Friendly URL Structure in WordPress?

One of the benefits of using WordPress for your website is that it creates an SEO-friendly URL structure by default. This wasn’t always the case.

WordPress permalinks now use the post name by default. This is the most SEO-friendly URL structure because it is readable by both humans and search engines, and contains keywords that explain the article.

To learn more on this subject, see our guide on SEO-friendly URL structures in WordPress.

Can I Create Custom Permalinks in WordPress?

Some of our readers are interested in creating custom permalinks, so they have more control over the URLs used on their WordPress website.

Aside from changing the main permalink structure, WordPress also offers ways to customize the individual URLs of posts, pages, categories, tags, and other areas of your website.

You can also use WordPress plugins to create completely custom permalinks for specific sections of your website that override the default WordPress settings.

You can learn how in our ultimate guide on how to create custom permalinks in WordPress.

Should I Use a URL Shortener to Make Long Post URLs Easier to Share?

Sharing your web content on social media can build user engagement and bring new users to your website. But pasting in long links or URLs isnâ€™t always the best way.

Thatâ€™s why URL shortener services like Bitly and TinyURL were originally created. They take a long link and make it shorter so that it doesnâ€™t take up as much space.

You can learn how to do this on your own website by following our guide on how to create a short link in WordPress.

On WPBeginner, we use a custom domain, wpbeg.in, for our short links, which is a bit more technical to set up and would require you to purchase another domain. We have a separate tutorial on how to create your own customized short URL.

Optional Parts of a Website URL

We’ve just taken a look at the 3 important parts that make up a website URL: the protocol, domain name, and permalink.

However, there are also several optional parts that can be used in a web address. Letâ€™s have a look at the main ones now, and why you might like to use them.

Should You Include â€˜wwwâ€™ in Your Website URL?

You may have noticed that many website URLs start with â€˜wwwâ€™, and wonder whether there is an SEO benefit when you include it.
```
https://www.example.com
```
The fact is, there are absolutely no SEO benefits of using ‘www’ or not using it. You can choose whichever you prefer.

What is important is that you don’t change your mind after starting your website.

You can learn more in our guide on www vs non-www, which is better for WordPress SEO?

Why Do Some Businesses Install WordPress in a Subdomain or Subdirectory?

Some businesses want to create several websites under the same domain name. One way to do this is by using a subdomain, which places a word before your domain name like this:
```
https://myblog.example.com
```
You can create as many subdomains as you like, or choose not to use them at all. For example, some businesses use different subdomains for their blog and online store, such as https://blog.example.com and https://store.example.com.

Another way to create multiple websites on the same domain is to install WordPress in different subdirectories, like this.
```
https://example.com/myblog
```
The difference is that Google sees subdomains as separate websites and subdirectories as part of the same website. That means that search engines will rank your subdomains separately, while your SEO ranking will be shared between your domain and subdirectories.

For bloggers, startups, or small businesses with limited time and resources, using subdirectories will help you rank your website faster than using a subdomain.

You can learn more in our step-by-step guide on how to install WordPress in a subdirectory.

Some users accidentally install WordPress in a subdirectory. This happens when they install WordPress manually and copy the actual â€˜wordpressâ€™ folder instead of its contents onto their website. Their website URL will look like this:
```
https://example.com/wordpress/
```
You can learn how to fix this error in our guide on how to get rid of /wordpress/ from your WordPress site URL.

Can a URL Take Users Directly to a Section of a Post or Page?

Finally, you can add some characters to the end of a URL to help users quickly jump to the section of a post they want to read. These are called â€˜anchor linksâ€™, and are formed by adding a hash character and anchor after the permalink like this:
```
https://example.com/this-is-a-blog-post#sectionofblogpost
```
You can learn how and when to use anchor links in our guide on how to easily add anchor links in WordPress.

We hope this tutorial helped you learn more about website URLs. You may also want to see our guide on how to keep your WordPress site secure, or our expert picks on the best social media plugins for WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post What is a Website URL (Important Parts Explained for Beginners) first appeared on WPBeginner.
19.04.2023
How to Fix The Critical Error in WordPress (Step by Step)
Are you seeing the critical error on your WordPress site?

WordPress may sometimes show an error message saying, ‘There has been a critical error on this website. Please check your site admin email inbox for instructions.’ It will also include a link to the WordPress debugging guide.

In this guide, we will show you how to fix the critical error in WordPress. We will also talk about what causes this error and how to avoid it.

What Is the Critical Error in WordPress?

The critical error in WordPress is an error that stops WordPress from loading all the scripts it needs to work correctly.

Previously, this WordPress error resulted in a white screen of death or a fatal error message on the screen. Most beginners didn’t find it very helpful and struggled to resolve the issue on their own.

Since WordPress 5.2, users will now see a generic error message: ‘There has been a critical error on this website. Please check your site admin email inbox for instructions’ with a link to the WordPress debugging guide.

It will also send an email message to your WordPress site’s admin email address.

This email includes more details about the plugin or theme causing the error and a link to access your WordPress dashboard in recovery mode.

Another variant of this error will only show that your website is facing a critical error. It will not instruct you to check your email address.

This can happen because WordPress wasn’t able to load the files it needed to make the recovery mode available or to send the email.

What Causes the Critical Error in WordPress?

The critical error in WordPress is generally caused by a malfunctioning plugin, script, or code that prevents WordPress from functioning correctly.

Due to the malfunctioning code, WordPress is unable to load the files it needs.

If you recently copied and pasted code snippets from a tutorial to your website, they might trigger a critical error.

All top WordPress plugins are thoroughly tested, so they are less likely to cause a critical error. However, a conflict with another WordPress plugin or some custom code may trigger the error.

Let’s look at how to fix the critical error in WordPress and get your website back.

Fixing the Critical Error in WordPress (2 Methods)

The critical error message itself is not very useful for finding and fixing the issue’s cause. Luckily, WordPress also sends an email to the admin email address of your website.

Many WordPress websites are not configured to send emails using SMTP. Due to this reason, they may not get an email despite WordPress telling them that it has sent an email.

Similarly, some WordPress sites may only see the critical error message without instructions to check the email. That’s because WordPress wasn’t able to load files it needed to send an email or make recovery mode available.

If you are among those users, don’t worry. We will show you how to fix the critical error even without the email.

On the other hand, if you received the WordPress technical issue email notification, then we will show you how to make sense of it and use it to bring your website back.

Simply click the links below to skip straight to the section you need:
1. Fixing the Critical Error With WordPress Debugging Email
2. Fixing the Critical Error in WordPress Manually (Without Email)
Fixing the Critical Error With WordPress Debugging Email

First, you need to visit the inbox for your website’s WordPress administration email address.

Are you unsure which email address you used as the admin email? It is the email address you provided when installing WordPress.

If your site is on Bluehost or you used a WordPress auto-installer, your admin email address will likely be the same one you used for your WordPress hosting account.

You will see an email in your inbox with the subject line, ‘Your Site is Experiencing a Technical Issue.’ Inside it, you will find more helpful information about what caused the critical error on your WordPress website.

For instance, the following screenshot shows that the critical error was caused by the WordPress theme on our test site.

The email also includes a unique link that will allow you to log in to your WordPress website in recovery mode to investigate and fix the issue.

At the bottom of the email, you will see even more detailed information about the error, including the specific file and code that triggered it.

In the example below, some code on line 614 of our theme’s functions.php file is responsible for triggering the error.

Here is another example showing an error caused by a malfunctioning WordPress plugin.

As you can see, the message highlights the plugin name and the line of code causing the error.

Now, you just need to click on the link to WordPress recovery mode, which will take you to your WordPress admin area.

You will be asked to log in to continue.

Once you are logged in, you will see a notification telling you about the critical error, what caused it, and a link to where you can go to fix it.

For instance, in the following screenshot, WordPress is notifying us about the critical error caused by the plugin with a link to the Plugins page.

If you click the link, it will show you the problem plugin. It will also show you exactly which line of code caused the error.

You can go ahead and deactivate the plugin for now by clicking on ‘Deactivate’.

Then you can simply look for an alternative WordPress plugin or see if you can get support from the plugin developers.

Similarly, you will see a link to the Themes page if the problem lies with your theme. At the bottom of the page, it will say which theme is causing the issue.

You can change your WordPress theme. Alternatively, you can delete the broken one and reinstall a fresh copy of it from the official source to see if that resolves the issue.

Once you have addressed the issue, click on the ‘Exit Recovery Mode’ button at the top.

In most cases, your WordPress website would now start working normally.

However, if you still see the critical error in WordPress, you can try the troubleshooting steps in the next section.

Fixing the Critical Error in WordPress Manually (Without Email)

If you didn’t receive the WordPress critical issue notification email, then this method will teach you how to troubleshoot and fix the critical error in WordPress.

If the error was caused by a recent action you took, then you can undo that action to fix the issue.

For example, if you installed a new plugin and activating it caused the critical error, then you just need to deactivate it (we will show you how to do that in the first step below).

On the other hand, if you are unsure what caused the error, you can simply follow these steps.

1. Deactivate All WordPress Plugins

The easiest way to disable a faulty WordPress plugin is by deactivating it. However, due to the critical error, you won’t have access to the admin area or know which plugin to deactivate.

To address this, we will deactivate all WordPress plugins. Don’t worry, you can easily reactivate them once you get access to your WordPress admin area.

Simply connect to your WordPress website using an FTP client or the File Manager app in your web hosting control panel.

Once connected, you need to navigate to the wp-content folder.

Inside the wp-content folder, you will see a folder called ‘plugins’. You need to right-click on it and then select the ‘Rename’ option.

Next, change the ‘plugins’ folder name to anything you like. In our example, we will call it ‘plugins.deactivated’.

WordPress looks for the plugins folder to load the activated plugins on your website. When it cannot find the plugins folder, it simply cannot activate them and automatically sets them as deactivated.

You can now visit your website to see if the critical error message has disappeared.

Important: Don’t forget to rename the ‘plugins’ folder if the critical error issue has been resolved. WordPress will then recognize the folder, and you can reactivate the plugins one by one from the WordPress dashboard to identify which one caused the critical error.

For more details, see our tutorial on how to deactivate all WordPress plugins.

2. Switch to a Default Theme

The next step in troubleshooting the critical error is switching your WordPress theme to a default one. This will fix the critical error issue if some code in your current WordPress theme is causing the problem.

Simply go to the WordPress.org theme directory and download a fresh copy of a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Two or Twenty Twenty-Three.

Next, you need to unzip the theme file to your computer.

This will create a folder with the theme name on your computer.

Now, you need to connect to your WordPress site using an FTP client or the File Manager app in your hosting control panel.

Once you have connected, navigate to the /wp-content/themes folder, and you will see a list of all the themes installed on your website.

Go ahead and download all of these folders to your computer as a backup.

After that, you need to delete all the theme folders from your website.

Your WordPress site now doesn’t have a theme installed.

To fix this, upload the default theme folder you downloaded earlier.

Once this process has finished, you can try visiting your website.

If your WordPress theme caused the critical error, then the error message should have disappeared, and you will be able to access your website.

3. Reinstall WordPress

A corrupt WordPress core file or malware could also trigger a critical error in WordPress. The easiest way to fix this is by reinstalling WordPress.

Simply go to WordPress.org and download a fresh copy of WordPress to your computer.

After downloading the file, you need to unzip it to your computer. This will create a folder called ‘wordpress’, which contains all the files you need for the reinstall.

Next, connect to your WordPress site using an FTP client or the File Manager app in your hosting control panel.

Once connected, navigate to the root folder of your website. This is the folder that contains the wp-admin, wp-content, wp-includes, and wp-admin folders.

Now select the files inside the ‘wordpress’ folder on your computer and upload them to your website.

Your FTP client will ask if you want to overwrite these files or skip them. You need to select ‘Overwrite’ and check the box next to ‘Always use this action’.

Then, simply click on the ‘OK’ button to continue. Your FTP client will now replace your core WordPress files with fresh copies from your computer.

Once it has finished, you can try visiting your website to see if this resolves the error.

If the critical error was caused by a corrupt WordPress core file or malware, then the error message should disappear now.

4. Turn On Debugging in WordPress

WordPress comes with a built-in debugging system that allows you to catch errors, log them, and troubleshoot issues.

To turn it on, you need to edit the wp-config.php file. Just locate the following line:
```
define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );
```
Now, go ahead and replace this line with the following code:
```
define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'SCRIPT_DEBUG', true );
```
If you visit your WordPress website now, it will show you debugging information and the critical error message.

Debug mode not only shows errors but warnings and notices too. This helps you find out what is causing the problem so that you can fix it.

5. Increase PHP Memory Limit

Your web hosting server is like any other computer. It needs memory to efficiently run multiple applications at the same time.

If your server doesn’t have enough resources to run PHP, then it may crash or become unresponsive. This could trigger a critical error in WordPress.

To fix this, you can increase the PHP memory limit by telling your hosting server to use more memory for PHP.

You can do that by entering the following line into your wp-config.php file.
```
define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M' );
```
Don’t forget to save and upload your changes to the server.

For more details, you can see our tutorial on how to increase PHP memory limit in WordPress.

Now, you can try visiting your website to see if this has resolved the critical error.

6. Upgrade Your PHP Version

WordPress requires PHP version 7.4 or greater. If your WordPress hosting server uses an older version of PHP, it may not work well and cause a critical error.

If you have access to the WordPress recovery mode, you can see which PHP version your site is using by visiting the Tools Â» Site Health page and switching to the Info tab.

From here, scroll down to the Server section and click to expand it.

There, you will see the PHP version installed on your hosting server.

If it is lower than 7.4, then you need to update the PHP version.

Most good WordPress hosting companies allow you to easily do that from your hosting account control panel. For details, please see our article on how to update your PHP version on popular WordPress hosting platforms.

We hope this article helped you troubleshoot and fix the critical error in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to get a free SSL certificate for your WordPress site or our expert comparison of the best business phone services for small businesses.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post How to Fix The Critical Error in WordPress (Step by Step) first appeared on WPBeginner.
17.04.2023
How to Easily Add Bullet Points & Numbered Lists in WordPress
Do you want to add bullet points and numbered lists in WordPress?

Adding lists to your content helps improve readability of your site. They’re also a great way to share step-by-step instructions or complicated data with your visitors. Sometimes search engines can even give higher ranking to pages that use lists in their content.

In this article, we will show you how to easily add bullet points and numbered lists in WordPress with custom styles.

Why Add Bullet Points and Numbered Lists in WordPress?

Instead of showing visitors a wall of text, we believe it’s a best practice to break your content into scannable sections. There are lots of ways to make your pages more reader-friendly including creating tables, using subheadings, adding videos, and creating lists.

A list can help visitors understand your content at a glance, even if you’re sharing complicated information or lots of data. This can improve the user experience and keep people on your website for longer.

They’re also ideal for creating to-do lists or sharing step-by-step instructions with your visitors. For example, you might turn a recipe into a numbered list on your food blog.

With that in mind, let’s see how you can add bullet points and numbered lists in WordPress. Simply use the quick links below to jump straight to the method you want to use.
Method 1. Using the Built-in WordPress List Block (Easy)

The easiest way to add bullet points and numbered lists is by using the built-in List block and WordPress block editor.

This allows you to create simple lists without installing a separate WordPress plugin, although the default block only has a few customization options.

If you want to fine-tune every part of your lists with custom icons, horizontal layouts, different colors, and more, then we recommend using one of the other methods in this article.

To get started, simply open the post or page where you want to add a list. You can then choose whether to create a bullet point or numbered list.

How to Create a Bullet Point List in WordPress

To create a bullet point list, click on the â€˜+â€™ icon to add a new block.

In the popup that appears, type in â€˜List.â€™

When the right block shows up, give it a click to add it to the page.

This creates the first item in a bullet point list. Simply type in the text you want to use for the first list item.

With that done, press the â€˜Enterâ€™ key on your keyboard to move to the next line. WordPress will automatically create the second bullet point.

You can now go ahead and type in the text you want to use for the second bullet point. Simply repeat these steps to add more items to the list.

If you want to create a nested list, then click the â€˜Indentâ€™ button. This moves the cursor one step to the right, ready for you to type in the indented text.

You can click on the â€˜Indentâ€™ button again, to create two levels of nested bullet points.

As you can see in the following image, each level uses a different icon.

To decrease the indent, click on the â€˜Outdentâ€™ button.

This moves the cursor one step to the left, ready for you to start typing.

By pressing the â€˜Indentâ€™ and â€˜Outdentâ€™ buttons, you can create nested lists with multiple different levels.

By default, WordPress will use the â€˜Mediumâ€™ font size but you can switch between small, large, and extra large using the â€˜Typographyâ€™ settings in the right-hand block options.

You can also add links, or use the standard text formatting options, such as bold and italic.

How to Create a Numbered List in WordPress

To create a numbered list in WordPress, simply press the â€˜1â€™ key on your keyboard followed by a full stop (.).

WordPress will automatically turn this text into the first item in a numbered list.

Youâ€™re now ready to type the first item in the numbered list.

After that, just press the â€˜Returnâ€™ key on your keyboard and WordPress will create the next numbered point automatically.

Just like with bullet points, you can create nested lists by clicking on the â€˜Indentâ€™ and â€˜Outdentâ€™ buttons.

This creates an indented bullet point, underneath the numbered bullet point.

Unlike bullet point lists, you can only use a single level of indenting.

When youâ€™re happy with how the list looks, simply click on the â€˜Updateâ€™ or â€˜Publishâ€™ button to make it live on your WordPress website.

Method 2. Using the Super List Block WordPress Plugin (Create Multimedia Lists)

The built-in List block is perfect for creating text-based lists, but sometimes you may want to include other content. For example, you might want to create a pricing table featuring images, text, and a call to action button.

The easiest way to do this is by using Super List Block. This free plugin adds a new block that allows you to use any WordPress block in your lists.

You can even create multimedia bullet points by adding multiple blocks to a single list item. In the following image, we’re using a Paragraph and Image block in each list item.

Super List Block also allows you to switch between vertical and horizontal list styles, and create â€˜no markerâ€™ lists that donâ€™t have a bullet point icon or a number.

First, youâ€™ll need to install and activate the Super List Block plugin. If you need help, then please see our beginner’s guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

After that, head over to the page or post where you want to add a list. You can then click on the â€˜+â€™ icon and start typing in â€˜Super List.â€™

When the right block appears, give it a click.

This adds a new block with two default list items.

To start, you can switch between horizontal and vertical layouts using the arrows in the toolbar and in the left-hand menu.

You can also choose between a numbered or bullet point list using the icons under â€˜Change List Style.â€™

Another option is â€˜No Marker,â€™ which is a unique list style provided by the plugin.

When youâ€™re happy with how the list is configured, youâ€™re ready to create your first item.

Simply click on the â€˜+ button in the corner of the Super List block and choose the first block you want to add. Super List is compatible with all the default WordPress blocks, so you can add an image, heading, or any other block you want.

You can then style the block as normal. For example, you might upload an image, add a download link, or type in some text.

To add another block to the bullet point, simply press the â€˜Enterâ€™ key on your keyboard. This adds a new â€˜Type / to choose a blockâ€™ line underneath the first block.

You can now click on the â€˜+â€™ icon inside the list item and add another block following the same process described above.

When youâ€™re happy with how the first list item is set up, you can configure the second default item by following the same steps.

To add more bullet points, youâ€™ll need to select an entire list item. This can be a bit tricky, as youâ€™ll need to select the item as a whole, rather than the individual blocks within that list item.

When you see an â€˜+â€™ icon in the toolbar, you have the right item selected. With that done, simply go ahead and give the â€˜+â€™ button a click.

This adds a new, empty item to the list.

Simply keep repeating these steps to add more bullet points and blocks.

When youâ€™re happy with how the list looks, you can either click on the â€˜Updateâ€™ or â€˜Publishâ€™ button to make it live on your WordPress blog or website.

Method 3. Using a Page Builder Plugin (Best for Landing Pages)

If you want to create beautiful lists with custom styling, then you may want to use SeedProd.

This advanced drag & drop page builder plugin lets you create professionally-designed pages using a simple drag and drop editor. It also comes with a ready-made List block that lets you fine-tune every part of the list design, including changing the space in between individual items, replacing the standard bullet points with custom icons, and more.

SeedProd makes it easy to design standalone pages that have a unique design, so this is also a great choice if you want to add lists to a custom home page or landing page.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate SeedProd. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to enter your license key.

You can find this information under your account on the SeedProd website. After adding the license key, simply click on â€˜Verify Key.â€™

After that, go to SeedProd Â» Landing Pages and click on â€˜Add New Landing Page.â€™

On the next screen, youâ€™ll be asked to choose a template.

SeedProd comes with over 180 beautiful templates that are organized into different categories such as 404-page templates and custom WooCommerce â€˜thank youâ€™ pages.

Simply click on any tab to see the different templates within that category.

When you find a template you want to use, simply hover your mouse over it and then click the checkmark icon.

Weâ€™re using the â€˜Explosive Growth Webinarâ€™ template in all our images, but you can use any design you want.

Next, you need to give the page a title.

SeedProd will automatically create a URL based on the page title, but you can change this to anything you want. For example, adding relevant keywords to a URL often improves your WordPress SEO and helps the page appear in relevant search results.

To learn more, please see our guide on how to do keyword research for your WordPress blog.

When youâ€™re happy with the title and URL, click on â€˜Save and Start Editing the Page.â€™

This will load the SeedProd drag-and-drop page editor. On the right, youâ€™ll see a live preview of the page design, with some settings on the left.

SeedProd comes with lots of blocks that you can add to your design, including blocks that allow you to add social share buttons, videos, contact forms, and more. For more information, please see our guide on how to create a custom page in WordPress.

To add a list to your design, find the â€˜Listâ€™ block and drag it onto the page.

This adds a vertical list to your page with a placeholder â€˜Item 1.â€™

If you want to create a horizontal list instead, then click on the â€˜Advancedâ€™ tab and then select the â€˜Horizontalâ€™ button.

Youâ€™re now ready to start building your list by selecting the â€˜Contentâ€™ tab.

To replace the default text with your own messaging, click on â€˜Item 1â€™ in the left-hand menu.

You can now type your list item into the small text editor that appears.

Here, you can also apply any formatting you want to use, such as bold or italic.

By default, SeedProd uses a checkmark for each bullet point, but it has a built-in library of icon fonts, which includes 1400 Font Awesome icons that you can use instead.

To replace the checkmark, simply hover your mouse over it and then click on â€˜Icon Libraryâ€™ when it appears.

This opens a popup where you can choose the icon you want to use instead.

You can use different icons for individual bullet points within the list, so this is a great way to create more interesting and eye-catching lists.

To create more bullet points, simply click on the â€˜Add New Itemâ€™ button.

You can now add text and change the default icon by following the exact same process described above.

After adding all the items to your list, you can change the font size and alignment using the settings in the left-hand menu.

You can also increase or decrease the space between the individual list items using the â€˜Space Betweenâ€™ slider.

After that, you may want to change the color of the icons in the list. Even if youâ€™re using different icons, SeedProd will apply the same color to every item so the design will always look consistent.

To make this change, click on the â€˜Icon Colorâ€™ area and then choose a new color from the popup that appears.

With that done, you may want to click on â€˜Advancedâ€™ and look at some additional settings. Weâ€™ve already seen how you can switch between vertical and horizontal list layouts, but you can also change the text color and font.

To really make your list stand out, you can add a box shadow or CSS animation.

Most of the settings in the â€˜Advancedâ€™ tab are fairly self-explanatory so itâ€™s worth looking through them to see what different kinds of effects you can create.

That done, you can continue working on your page design by adding more blocks and then customizing them using the settings in the left-hand menu.

When youâ€™re happy with how the page looks, click the dropdown menu on the â€˜Saveâ€™ button and select â€˜Publish.â€™

You can now visit this page to see the list live on your online store or website.

Method 4. Add Bullet Points and Number Lists Using Code (Advanced)

You can also create lists using the built-in WordPress code editor and HTML.

This is more complicated so it isnâ€™t the best method for beginners. However, it does allow you to use more styles and formatting in the built-in List block. For example, you can quickly and easily add heading styles to list items, using tags like h1 and h2.

For more on this topic, see our guide on how to edit HTML in the WordPress code editor.

To get started, open the page or post where you want to show the list. Then, click on the three-dotted icon in the upper-right corner and select â€˜Code editor.â€™

The next steps will vary depending on whether you want to add a bullet point list, or a numbered list.

How to Create a Bullet Point List Using Code

To create a bullet point list, start by typing in the following:
```

<ul>
```
The ul stands for â€˜unordered list,â€™ which means the list doesnâ€™t have any numbers, and the wp:list tells WordPress that you’re creating a List block manually.

Next, press the â€˜Returnâ€™ key to move onto a new line and create your first list item:
```

<ul>

<li>Red</li>

```
Here, li stands for â€˜list item,â€™ and weâ€™re closing the line with /li.

You can repeat this process to create more list items. For example:
```

<ul>

<li>Red</li>



<li>Orange</li>



<li>Green</li>

```
When youâ€™ve finished, close the code block with another â€˜unordered listâ€™ flag:
```
</ul>

```
This gives us the following list code:
```

<ul>

<li>Red</li>



<li>Orange</li>



<li>Green</li>

</ul>

```
As you can see in the following image, this creates a very simple list, but you can customize it by adding other HTML such as heading tags.

How to Create a Numbered List Using Code

To create a numbered list, simply type in the following:
```

```
You can then type in ol which stands for ordered list:
```

<ol>
```
After that, add each list item by following the same process described above:
```

<ol>

<li>Red</li>

```
Finally, close the ordered list using an /ol tag and wp:list.
```

<ol>

<li>Red</li>



<li>Orange</li>



<li>Green </li>

</ol>

```
We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to add bullet points and numbered lists in WordPress. You may also want to learn how to make money online blogging, or check out our expert pick of the best WordPress contact form plugins.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post How to Easily Add Bullet Points & Numbered Lists in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.
17.04.2023
How to Add an Audio Music Player Widget in WordPress
Do you want to add an audio music player widget in WordPress?

A music player is a great way to share songs, podcasts, interviews, and other audio files with your audience. This can help to create a more interesting and engaging experience on your site.

In this article, we will show you how you can add an audio music player in WordPress.

Why Add an Audio Music Player Widget in WordPress

A music player lets visitors listen to audio directly on your WordPress website.

If you’re a podcaster or a musician, then featuring audio on your own site can keep your visitors and fans up to date with your work.

It can also encourage people to visit your website directly rather than playing your audio on other platforms. Once these people are on your site, you may be able to make more money by showing ads on your WordPress blog or selling the audio file as a digital download.

Even if you donâ€™t create any original audio, embedding content from third-party platforms such as Spotify is an easy way to create a more engaging website. This can keep visitors on your site for longer and make the experience more fun.

That being said, letâ€™s take a look at how you can add an audio music player in WordPress. Simply use the quick links below to jump straight to the method you want to use.
- Method 1. How to add an audio music player widget using the Audio block (easy)
- Method 2. How to add an audio music player widget using a plugin (more customizable)
Method 1. How to Add an Audio Music Player Widget Using the Audio Block (Easy)

With this method you can create a simple audio music player using the built-in WordPress Audio block. You can use the block to play any .mp3, .m4a, .ogg, or .wav file.

The audio player is very simple compared to most audio player plugins. It has a play/pause button, volume controls, a download button, and a button to change the playback speed.

The built-in Audio block is a good choice if you want to add a few short audio clips to your site, and donâ€™t need any advanced features.

If you embed content from a supported third-party platform such as Spotify or SoundCloud then the Audio block will show the playback controls for that platform. It may also show some extra content from the platform such as the artistâ€™s name and the cover image.

For example, here is an Audio block with embedded SoundCloud content.

To add a simple audio music player to your WordPress website, open any page or post. Then, click on the + icon.

In the popup that appears, type â€˜Audioâ€™ to find the right block. You can then simply click on the Audio block to add it to your page.

At this point you can either add an audio file or embed an audio clip from another platform.

Note: In most cases we recommend hosting your audio and video files on a third party site for many reasons, including quality optimization and saving on bandwidth. Here’s why you should never upload a video to WordPress.

To add an audio file from your computer, click on â€˜Uploadâ€™ and then choose the file that you want to use. Another option is to click on â€˜Media Libraryâ€™ and then choose a file from the WordPress media library.

If you upload the full audio then you may want to give visitors the option to support your work as a musician or podcaster by sending you a donation. For a step-by-step walkthrough, please see our guide on how to add a Stripe donate button in WordPress.

Do you want to embed audio from another platform instead?

This is similar to how you embed videos in WordPress where you just paste the URL of a YouTube video and WordPress embeds it automatically.

Just be aware that most platforms only embed a preview of the full audio file. The block may even encourage people to leave your website and visit the third-party platform, in order to hear the full audio.

In the following image, the Audio block is driving visitors towards the Spotify website.

If youâ€™re a musician, then this might increase your royalties by encouraging visitors to play your content on other platforms. However, it can also drive people away from your website and onto the other platforms.

To embed audio from a third-party platform, then start by clicking on â€˜Insert from URL.â€™

This opens a small â€˜Paste or type URLâ€™ bar.

You can now enter the URL of the audio clip that you want to embed on your WordPress blog.

Typically, you just need to visit the song or audio that you want to embed, and then open its â€˜Shareâ€™ settings.

After that, you can copy the URL provided.

As an example, letâ€™s see how you can embed any Spotify song on your site. To start, find the song or playlist that you want to add to your WordPress website.

Then, just click on the three dots that Spotify shows next to the playlist or song.

Once youâ€™ve done that, click on Share Â» Copy Song Link.

To add the audio to a music player widget, just paste the link into the Audio block.

In our Spotify example, WordPress will turn the Audio block into a Spotify block. This change happens automatically, so itâ€™s not something you need to worry about.

After adding an audio file, you can click on the Audio block to see what settings you can configure for that block.

The settings you see may vary depending on whether you uploaded an audio file or embedded a preview from a third-party site. For example, you can often set the audio to autoplay by clicking on the â€˜Autoplayâ€™ toggle.

Most of these settings are self-explanatory so itâ€™s a good idea to spend some time trying the different settings to see what works best for your site.

When youâ€™re happy with how the block is set up, you can update or publish the page.

Now if you visit the page on your site, youâ€™ll see the audio music player live. You can also listen to the audio using the blockâ€™s playback control buttons.

Method 2. How to Add an Audio Music Player Widget Using a Plugin (More Customizable)

The built-in WordPress audio block is a quick and easy way to create a simple audio player. However, it does have its limits particularly when it comes to customizing the player and the playback experience.

There is also no central place where you can manage your audio players. This means you canâ€™t use the same player multiple times across your site.

If you do want more advanced features and re-usable audio players, then we recommend Html5 Audio Player. This plugin can play any mp3, .wav, or .ogg file.

The plugin can only play one audio file per player. However, you can create as many audio players as you want so you can still play lots of different tracks across your site.

You can even add multiple audio players to the same page.

First, youâ€™ll need to install and activate the plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, youâ€™re ready to build your first audio player by going to Html5 Audio Player Â» Html5 Audio Player.

Here, go ahead and click on the â€˜Add Audio Playerâ€™ button.

To start, type a name for the audio player into the field that shows â€˜Add title.â€™

This is just for your reference so you can use any title you want.

Once youâ€™ve done that, scroll to the â€˜Player Configurationâ€™ section.

Here, you can add an audio file to the player by clicking on the â€˜Add Audioâ€™ button.

You can now select any audio file from the media library or upload a file from your computer.

After choosing a file, youâ€™re ready to customize the audio player. By default, the visitor just needs to click on the Play button and the audio will start playing with the volume already turned up.

This is how most visitors expect an audio player to act, so youâ€™ll typically want to use these default settings.

There are also options to mute the audio by default, autoplay, repeat, and more.

Once you’re happy with how the player is set up, just scroll to the top of the screen and click on the â€˜Saveâ€™ button.

Then you can add the audio player to your site using either shortcode or the HTML5 Audio Player block.

The block is the easiest method. However, if you do want to place the player using shortcode, then youâ€™ll find the code towards the top of the screen.

For more details on how to place the shortcode, you can see our guide on how to add a shortcode in WordPress.

To add the audio music player using a block, open any page or post. You can now click on the + button.

In the popup that appears, type â€˜HTML5 Audio Playerâ€™ to find the right block. Once you click on the â€˜HTML5 Audio Player – Insertâ€™ block, it will add the block to your page.

Next, open the dropdown that shows â€˜Select a Playerâ€™ to see a list of all the audio players that youâ€™ve created.

You can now click on an audio player to add it to the page or post.

The WordPress page editor doesnâ€™t show the audio player.

However if you click on the Preview button then youâ€™ll be able to see how the player will look to the people who visit your website. You can even listen to the audio and test the different playback buttons.

When youâ€™re happy with how the audio player looks and functions, you can update or publish the page.

Now if you visit this page on your WordPress website, youâ€™ll see the audio player live.

Do you want to add other audio tracks to your site? Then you can simply follow the process described above to create more audio players and add them to your WordPress website.

We hope this article helped you learn how to add an audio player widget in WordPress. You can also go through our guide on the best web push notification software and how to create an email newsletter.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post How to Add an Audio Music Player Widget in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.
16.04.2023
How to Create a Custom WordPress Search Form (Step by Step)
Do you want to create a custom search form for your WordPress website?

Search is how most users find relevant and interesting content on your site. If they canâ€™t easily find what they’re looking for, then they may move on to a different website.

In this article, weâ€™ll show you how to improve your website search by creating a custom WordPress search form.

Why Create a Custom Search Form for WordPress?

WordPress comes with a built-in search feature. However, it doesnâ€™t search all types of content such as comments, product reviews, or custom post types.

This may stop the visitor from finding what theyâ€™re looking for, including products they may want to buy on your online store.

You may also want to prioritize some content over others, so that it appears higher in the search results. For example, you may want to show your site’s latest posts at the top of the search results page, or display your most popular WooCommerce products.

With that in mind, let’s see how you can customize the WordPress search form. We cover a lot of ground in this post, so simply use the quick links below to jump straight to the section you want to read.
How to Customize the WordPress Search Alogrithm

The easiest way to improve the built-in WordPress search algorithm is by using SearchWP.

SearchWP is the best WordPress search plugin. It’s easy to use and gives you complete control over your site’s search algorithm, so you can help visitors find what they’re looking for, fast. It also searches content that WordPress ignores by default.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, go to SearchWP Â» Settings and then click on the â€˜Generalâ€™ tab.

Here, you need to enter your license in the â€˜License Keyâ€™ box. You can find this information in your account on the SearchWP site.

Once you’re done, click the â€˜Verify Keyâ€™ button.

Customizing the Search Engine

After activating the plugin, you can fine-tune how SearchWP indexes, searches, and displays your content. You can think of this as creating a custom Google search algorithm thatâ€™s just for your WordPress blog or website.

To start, head over to SearchWP Â» Algorithm.

Here, youâ€™ll see a section for the different content types that SearchWP searches by default, including pages, posts, and media files.

To include more content types in the search results, click on the â€˜Sources & Settingsâ€™ button.

You’ll now see a popup with all the different content types SearchWP can search. For example, you can make blog comments searchable in WordPress.

Depending on the WordPress plugins you’ve installed, you may see some extra options. For example, if you’re using WooCommerce then you can include ‘Products’ in the SearchWP search results.

For more on this topic, see our guide on how to make a smart WooCommerce product search.

Simply go ahead and check the box next to each content type you want to include in the search results.

You’ll also notice that ‘Keyword Stems’ is selected by default. This means SearchWP may include results that don’t have the same ending as the search term.

For example, if you search for ‘run’ then keyword stemming will include ‘running,’ and ‘runners’ in the results.

This can help show relevant results to visitors, so we recommend leaving the ‘Keyword Stems box checked. However, you can uncheck it if you want to show exact matches only.

When you’re happy with the information you’ve entered into the popup, click on ‘Done.’

You’ll now see a section for all the sources you selected.

Each section has its own ‘Applicable Attribute Relevance’ sliders.

This is the weight that SearchWP will give to each attribute when creating the search results.

Content that matches an attribute with high relevancy will appear higher in the search results. By contrast, content that matches an attribute that has less relevancy will appear lower in the userâ€™s search results.

To give an attribute greater weight, simply move its slider to the right. In the following image, the search engine will place more value on matches that it finds in the post title, compared to matches that it finds in the post’s content.

Every WordPress website is unique, so you may want to try different relevancy settings to see what gives you the most accurate and helpful search results.

For example, if youâ€™ve uploaded your menu as a PDF on your restaurant website, then this is important content and youâ€™ll typically want to show it high in the search results.

You can also create rules that determine whether certain content is included or excluded from the search results. For example, if you have an online marketplace then you may want to exclude the account page, checkout page, and thank you page.

Simply click the ‘Edit Rules’ button in the section where you want to create the rule. For example, in the following image, we’re adding a new rule to the ‘Posts’ section.

This opens a popup where you can edit the search engine rules.

To go ahead and create your first rule, click on the â€˜Add Ruleâ€™ button.

You can now choose the content you want to include or exclude from relevant search results.

To start, open the first dropdown menu and choose either ‘Only show entries if’ or ‘Exclude entries if’ depending on the kind of rule you want to create.

You can now use the rest of the settings to specify the content you want to exclude or include. For example, if you wanted to include or exclude a specific category then youâ€™d type in the category name.

You can also type in any custom taxonomies you want to exclude or include.

To exclude or include specific post tags from the search results, simply open the dropdown menu and select â€˜Tags.â€™

Then, type in the tag’s name.

To add another rule, just click the â€˜Add Ruleâ€™ button and repeat the same process described above. When youâ€™re happy with how the rules are set up, click â€˜Done.â€™

You can now create rules for other content types such as media and pages, by scrolling to their sections and clicking on their ‘Add Rule’ buttons.

When you’re happy with how the search algorithm is set up, scroll to the top of the page and click on â€˜Save.’

SearchWP will now rebuild the index. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection and your WordPress hosting provider, this may take a few minutes.

As soon as you see â€˜Index Status 100%,â€™ youâ€™ll know that SearchWP has added all your content and rules to the search index.

Create Custom Search Forms For Your WordPress Website

By default, all the search forms on your WordPress website will use the new SearchWP algorithm you created in the previous section. This means that visitors will start seeing more accurate and relevant results straight away.

However, for even better results you may want to create advanced search forms for different kinds of content. For example, you might create a smart WooCommerce product search form that looks at particular product categories only.

You can also create an advanced search form for custom post types. For example, we’ve created a custom post type search form for our Deals and Glossary pages.

Each form will override the default WordPress search algorithm, so you can create as many different forms as you want with unique settings.

How to Create a Custom Search Form

To get started, head over to SearchWP Â» Search Forms and click the â€˜Add Newâ€™ button.

This creates a new search form, ready for you to customize. For example, if you run a review website, then you might create a form that searches for product review posts and ignores other content like your blog posts and media. This can help visitors find what they’re looking for, faster.

Now, give the form a unique name by clicking on the small pencil icon next to â€˜Search Form 1â€™.

You now type in a name for the custom search form.

This is just for your reference so you can use anything that helps you identify the form in the WordPress dashboard.

After that, you can choose a layout using the â€˜Layout Themeâ€™ thumbnails.

Some of these layouts are designed for specific search forms. For example, if you are creating a form that searches by category in WordPress, then â€˜Category Search’ already has many of the settings you need.

Simply click on the different themes to see a preview of how this form will look on your website. After making your decision, scroll to the â€˜Custom Stylingâ€™ section.

The settings you see may vary depending on your theme layout. For example, if you selected â€˜Quick Searchâ€™, then the â€˜Quick Searchâ€™ setting will be enabled by default.

You can disable and enable the different options using their toggles. The preview will update automatically as you make changes, so you can see what works best for your website.

Depending on your layout and the kind of form you want to create, you may need to enable and disable some of the â€˜Custom Stylingâ€™ settings. For example, if you want to create a form that searches by category, then click to enable the â€˜Category Searchâ€™ toggle.

After that, find the â€˜Select Categoryâ€™ field and type in each category that you want to include in the search results. For example, if you run an online store, then you may want to create forms that search specific product categories.

If you want to allow visitors to filter their search results using factors like the author, post type, and tag, then you will need to click to enable the â€˜Advanced Searchâ€™ toggle.

After that, scroll to the â€˜Advanced Search Filter/sâ€™ field. By default, SearchWP allows visitors to filter their results using Authors, Post Types, and Tags.

To remove any of these filters, just click on its â€˜Xâ€™ button. If you want to add more filters, then simply type their names into the field.

Then, when the right option appears in the dropdown, give it a click.

By default, SearchWP will search all the media, pages, and posts on your WordPress website. If you’ve created any custom post types, then you can include them in the search results using the ‘Type of search’ field.

Simply go ahead and type in each custom post type that you want to include. When the right custom post type appears, click to add it to the search.

Do you want to exclude media, pages, or posts from the search results?

Then just click the small â€˜Xâ€™ next to â€˜Mediaâ€™, â€˜Pagesâ€™, or â€˜Postsâ€™.

By default, SearchWP will show a generic â€˜Enter keyword and searchâ€™ message before the visitor enters a search query.

You can replace this with your own messaging by typing into â€˜Field Labelâ€™.

When you are happy with these settings, scroll to the â€˜Form Styleâ€™ section.

Here, you can choose between different form styles, add a border, and change the font size.

Under â€˜Button Style,â€™ you can customize the â€˜Searchâ€™ button that appears in the form.

There are more settings that you can use to change how the form looks and acts. However, this is all you need to create an advanced custom search form.

When you’re happy with how the form is set up, you can scroll to the top of the screen and click on â€˜Saveâ€™ to store your settings.

To create more custom search forms with unique settings, simply repeat the exact same process described above.

Add a Custom Search Form to Any Page, Post, or Widget-Ready Area

You can add an advanced search form to any page, post, or widget-ready area using the Search Form block.

As an example, let’s see how you can add a search form to a post. Simply open the post in the WordPress content editor and click on the â€˜+â€™ icon. Then, type in â€˜Search Formâ€™.

When the right block appears, give it a click.

You can now open the â€˜Select a Formâ€™ dropdown and choose the form you want to use.

When you are ready to make the search form live, just click on either â€˜Updateâ€™ or â€˜Publishâ€™. Now, simply visit this page or post to see the search form in action.

To add a search form to a widget-ready area, head over to Appearance Â» Widgets. Here, click the â€˜+â€™ block icon in the area where you want to show the search form.

Then, type in â€˜Search Formâ€™.

When the right block appears, click to add it to the widget-ready area.

You can now open the dropdown menu and choose the search form that you want to use.

When you are finished, just click the â€˜Updateâ€™ button to make the search form live.

For more detailed instructions, please see our guide on how to add and use widgets.

Adding Live Ajax Search to a Custom Search Form

Many online marketplaces and websites use live Ajax search. This automatically shows possible search results as the user types in the custom form, similar to how search engines such as Google work.

With Ajax live search, you can show relevant results without even reloading the page. This makes it a great choice if you sell digital downloads or physical products online, as shoppers can instantly see products that match their search query.

The easiest way to add Ajax live search to WordPress is by using SearchWP Live Ajax Lite Search. This free plugin automatically adds instant search to your website and works perfectly with any WordPress theme.

The first thing you need to do is install and activate the plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, the default WordPress search form will automatically use the Ajax live search feature. If you visit your site and start typing into the search bar, then youâ€™ll see instant search in action.

For more detailed instructions, please see our guide on how to add live Ajax search to your WordPress site.

Using Advanced Settings for SearchWP

Next, it’s a good idea to enable some advanced settings that will make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for.

To do this, go to SearchWP Â» Settings and scroll to the â€˜General Settingsâ€™ section.

Here, you can activate any of the following settings:
- Partial matches. With this setting enabled, SearchWP will display results that arenâ€™t an exact match for the visitorâ€™s search query.
- Closest match. After enabling partial matches, you can also show the closest matches when a search has no results.
- â€œQuotedâ€ searches. This allows visitors to search for exact phrases using quotes.
- Highlight terms. Automatically highlights the search terms to help visitors find what theyâ€™re looking for.
Measuring Search Results and Improving Conversions

To help you fine-tune your websiteâ€™s search, itâ€™s a good idea to monitor how visitors are using the search feature. This allows you to see whatâ€™s working and whatâ€™s not working on your WordPress blog, so you can constantly improve your siteâ€™s search and help visitors find what they are looking for.

This data can even help you generate blog post ideas by showing the content that visitors are already searching for.

To see the search history and most popular search terms, simply select â€˜Statisticsâ€™ in the left-hand menu.

We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to create a custom WordPress search form. You may also want to see our picks of the best live chat software for small businesses and our guide on how to get a free business email address.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post How to Create a Custom WordPress Search Form (Step by Step) first appeared on WPBeginner.
15.04.2023
How to Add Drop Caps in WordPress Posts
Are you looking for a way to add drop caps in WordPress?

Drop caps are a great way to start a paragraph. By having a large first letter, they can help you to capture your readerâ€™s attention and get them interested in reading your content.

In this article, we’ll show you how to easily add drop caps in WordPress posts.

What is a Drop Cap?

A drop cap is a styling technique commonly used in print books and magazines that feature longer reads. The first letter of the starting paragraph in each chapter uses a large font size.

Normally the large capital letter extends downwards to drop below the first few lines, which is why itâ€™s called a â€œdrop cap.â€

Adding drop caps helps your content to stand out and catch your visitorâ€™s attention. They add a more formal and traditional touch to your siteâ€™s design.

There are several ways to add drop caps to a WordPress website. You can use the built-in option in the WordPress block editor or use a plugin.

That being said, let’s see how you can easily add drop caps in WordPress posts using different methods.

Feel free to click the links below to jump ahead to your preferred method:
Method 1. Add Drop Caps Using the WordPress Block Editor

This method is recommended for all users as it comes default in the WordPress block editor. While it works, you have to manually do it for each post. If you’re looking for automatic method, skip to method 2.

First, head over to the Posts Â» Add New page from the WordPress admin dashboard.

Now, simply click the ‘Add Block’ (+) button at the top left corner of the screen.

After that, simply locate and click the paragraph block to add it to your post.

Next, you need to open up the Block Settings Panel in the right column.

Once you do that, head over to the ‘Typography’ section and click the three-dot icon beside it to open up typography options.

Next, you need to select the ‘Drop Cap’ option from the list to add it to your ‘Typography’ section.

Once the drop cap feature has been added, simply toggle the switch next to the ‘Drop Cap’ option to show a large initial letter at the start of a paragraph.

Don’t forget to click the ‘Save Draft’ or ‘Publish’ button at the top to save your changes.

You have now successfully added a drop cap to your post.

This is how it looked on our demo site.

Note that the built-in drop caps option in the block editor will use your WordPress theme’s styling for the color, font, and size of the first letter.

If you want to change the style of your drop caps in the WordPress block editor, then you’ll have to use custom CSS code to style your drop cap.

Method 2. Add Drop Caps Using CSS Code

For this method, we will be adding custom CSS code to automatically add drop caps to the first paragraph of each post. You can either add the CSS code to your theme’s stylesheets or use a code snippet plugin.

We recommend using WPCode, the #1 code snippet plugin used by over 1,000,000 sites across the globe. It makes it super easy to add code to your site without any hassle.

First, you need to install and activate the free WPCode plugin. For more instructions, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, you need to visit the Code Snippets Â» +Add Snippets page from the WordPress admin sidebar.

From here, you need to hover your mouse over the ‘Add Your Custom Code (New Snippet)â€™ option.

This will reveal the ‘Use Snippet’ button that you need to click.

Now that you’re on the ‘Create Custom Snippet’ page, start by entering a title for your code snippet. It can be anything that will help you identify the snippet.

After that, you need to select ‘CSS Snippet’ as the ‘Code Type’ from the dropdown menu on the right.

Next, simply copy and paste the following code in the ‘Code Preview’ box.
```
<style type="text/css">
.entry-content p:first-child:first-of-type:first-letter {
    font-size: 85px;
    line-height: 1;
    padding-top: 0px;
    padding-right: 10px;
    padding-left: 4px;
    color: #000080;
    float: left;
    font-family: 'Tangerine', serif;
    text-shadow: 4px 4px 4px #aaa;
</style>
}
```
This is how your code will look once you paste it into the ‘Code Preview’.

Now, you need to scroll down to the insertion section and select the ‘Auto Insert’ method if you want to execute the code all over your site.

You can use the ‘Shortcode’ method if you only want to add drop caps to specific posts.

Once you save the snippet, you’ll be given a shortcode that you can paste into the block editor of the posts where you want to add drop caps.

After that, head back to the top of the page and toggle the switch to ‘Active.

Finally, click on the ‘Save Snippet’ button.

Your CSS code snippet will now be live on your site.

This is how the drop caps looked on our demo site using the CSS snippet above.

Method 3. Add Drop Caps Using a Plugin

If you are hesitant to add custom CSS, then you can also add drop caps using the Initial Letter plugin.

This plugin also allows you to change the size, color, and font of the drop caps.

Note: Keep in mind that the Initial Letter plugin hasn’t been tested with the latest version of WordPress and is no longer maintained by the developer.

However, we tested the plugin and it works fine. If you’re still unsure, take a look at our article on outdated plugins.

That being said, first, you need to install and activate the Initial Letter plugin. For more instructions, check our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, navigate to the Settings Â» Initial Letter page from the admin sidebar.

From here, you need to configure settings for drop caps.

First, you need to select if you want drop caps to be automatically applied to new posts.

Simply choose ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ from the dropdown menu next to the ‘Default for Posts’ option.

Next, you need to choose your preferred font, color, size, and padding for drop caps.

Note: You may need to come back to the settings after previewing your website to adjust these styling options.

After that, check the box next to the ‘Enable for excerpts’ option if you want drop caps to be enabled for post excerpts.

You can also check the box next to the ‘First Paragraph Only’ option if you only want drop caps to be added to the first paragraph of your post.

Finally, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.

You can now visit any post on your website and you’ll see drop caps in action on the first paragraph of your post.

If you want to remove drop caps for a post, you can also do that by opening the post in the block editor.

Once there, scroll down to the ‘Initial Letter’ section and select the ‘No’ option from the dropdown menu.

This will disable the drop caps for that post.

We hope this article helped you learn how to add drop caps in WordPress posts. You may also want to check out our guide on how to check if your WordPress posts are ranking for the right keywords and our top picks for the best block-based WordPress themes for your site.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post How to Add Drop Caps in WordPress Posts first appeared on WPBeginner.
14.04.2023
24 Best WordPress Themes for Recipe Blogs

Are you looking for the best WordPress themes for your recipe blog?

A food recipe blog should display tempting photos with complete recipes. It also needs to look attractive. Traditional WordPress blog themes may not make your recipes stand out.

In this article, we will share some of the best WordPress themes for recipe blogs that you can use right away.

Making a Recipe Blog With WordPress

WordPress is the best website builder on the market. It is perfect for sharing recipes and creating engaging, food-related websites.

There are two different types of WordPress. These are WordPress.com, which is a hosted platform, and WordPress.org, also known as self-hosted WordPress.

For more details, check out our comparison of WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.

For your food recipe blog, we recommend self-hosted WordPress.org. It gives you full access to all of WordPress’s powerful features.

You will need a WordPress hosting account and a domain name to create your recipe website.

We recommend using Bluehost for your hosting and domain name. They are one of the largest hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended hosting provider.

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After buying hosting, you can go ahead and install WordPress. Next, just follow our step-by-step guide on how to start a food blog.

Now, let’s take a look at our handpicked list of the best WordPress themes for recipe blogs.

1. Astra

Astra is a great theme for building a recipe, food, or restaurant blog. It comes with dozens of templates you can use, including the food and drinks blog template.

You can easily add your images, use any Google fonts, and pick from unlimited colors in the live theme customizer. There are lots of other customization options too.

The Astra theme is suitable for absolute beginners, but it also offers lots of power and flexibility. Astra has built-in speed and performance optimization.

You can easily add extra elements to your site, such as a contact form. You could even sell or give away a downloadable cookbook using Astra’s Easy Digital Downloads addon.

2. SeedProd

SeedProd is the best WordPress website and theme builder. It lets you make your recipe blog from scratch with a custom header, including a navigation menu, background image, call-to-action button, and more.

It has a drag-and-drop builder to make a recipe blog theme. The theme builder is easy-to-use for beginners and has simple options like color schemes, font selection, backgrounds, and layouts.

SeedProd also provides ready-made and fully-functional theme templates for different types of WordPress blogs, websites, and online stores. You can import a template and replace the content and images to launch your food recipe blog.

3. Thrive Themes

Thrive Themes is a popular WordPress theme-builder with a powerful toolset. It has built-in templates you can import and customize to launch your food recipe blog in just a few minutes.

In the Thrive Suite, you get an A/B testing plugin to help you find which landing page gives you more traffic. Thrive Themes is super flexible and easy to integrate with your favorite marketing tools.

When it comes to design and layout, Thrive Themes has smart color schemes, global website settings, and more. It supports block patterns that you can use to create fully custom landing pages without writing code.

4. Divi

Divi is one of the best WordPress multipurpose themes on the market. It comes with hundreds of built-in layouts for different business niches, including food and recipe templates.

With the Divi theme, you also get a powerful page builder for easy customization. It has point-and-click tools, elements, and modules that let you start blogging without editing any code.

Divi comes with hundreds of layout packs, making it easy to create a WordPress website quickly. Even better, Divi uses responsive design to make your website mobile-friendly.

5. Ultra

Ultra is a popular WordPress theme built to create any type of website or blog. It is fully compatible with the WordPress block editor.

It comes with a few starter sites for food, chef, recipe, and cafe sites. These let you get your site up and running quickly. They include the site’s settings, content, navigation menu, widgets, and so on.

Ultra includes Themify Builder, which makes it easier for you to set up a blog and add your recipes. Ultra also offers multiple addons to add more features to your website.

6. Hestia Pro

Hestia Pro is a one-page WordPress multipurpose theme well-suited for any type of professional blog or website. It supports video content to add your recipe videos easily.

It has homepage sections for the chef or owner of the blog to create an ‘About Me’ or a portfolio section. The theme also works great with your favorite page builders like Beaver Builder for customization.

6. Foodie Pro

Foodie Pro is a great theme from StudioPress. It is a well-crafted WordPress theme for recipe blogs, food websites, and health and nutrition businesses. It features a fully widgetized modern layout and lets you drag and drop items to set up your website.

Foodie Pro includes a theme options panel, live customizer support, custom headers, multiple page layouts, and more. It is highly optimized for speed and performance.

StudioPress is now part of WP Engine, the most popular managed WordPress hosting company. You can get this theme and all 35+ other StudioPress themes when you sign up for WP Engine hosting to build your website.

Bonus: WPBeginner users also get an additional 20% OFF. Get started with WP Engine today!

7. Restaurant

Restaurant is an excellent WordPress theme built specifically for cafes, restaurants, and food recipe blogs. It comes with several tools to add a food menu, categories, chef details, and more.

It has a grid layout on the homepage to showcase your recipes with images. You can also create multiple landing pages for user testimonials, single recipes, and contact information.

8. Kale

Kale is a free minimalist-style WordPress theme. It features a clean and simple traditional blog layout with all the basic features.

You can easily create great-looking recipe pages using the built-in, full-width templates for both posts and pages.

Kale comes with a special front page that showcases featured posts. It also has the option to show a banner or a posts slider in the header and includes full eCommerce and RTL language support.

9. Cookely

Cookely is a WordPress recipe theme made specifically for food and cooking blogs. This beautiful theme comes with a recipe card and a built-in recipe index that you can display and sort by category.

The homepage has different sections with a featured content area at the top. It is available in 4 color schemes, and you can also choose your colors easily.

10. Elara Pro

Elara is an elegantly-designed WordPress food and recipe blog theme. It features a clean and modern design that makes your content and images more engaging.

It comes with a recipe builder, plus a recipe template, recipe index, and filtering features. Elara also has built-in support to display ads and promote your content.

11. Florentine

Florentine is an elegant WordPress theme designed specifically for recipe blogs. It includes a dedicated recipe section that lets you add properly formatted recipes to your website. Your users will also be able to switch to distraction-free cooking mode instantly.

It has built-in social sharing, different styles, and layout choices. The theme options are easy to manage using the WordPress customizer with live preview.

12. Pulppy

Pulppy is one of the best food blog themes. It comes with a unique design that uses fun color schemes and a modern layout for presentation.

It includes drag-and-drop elements to set up your homepage. Inside, you will find sections to add portfolio items, featured products, sliders, and a call-to-action button. You can also use it to add an online store to your blog.

13. Neve

Neve is a stylish WordPress all-purpose theme built to create any type of website. It ships with multiple food and recipe blog templates that you can use on the site. It is easy to replace the content with your own images and text.

It is flexible and easy to set up with elegant layout designs that attract more users to your blog. The theme has full WooCommerce integration to sell your recipes online.

14. OceanWP

OceanWP is a modern WordPress multipurpose theme. It comes with a 1-click demo content importer and a few paid and free templates for recipe blogs.

When it comes to features, the theme has a fast page load time, multilingual support, and eCommerce compatibility. It also provides useful addons to extend the functionality of your site.

15. Osteria

Osteria is an outstanding WordPress recipe theme built specifically for food bloggers, cafe owners, and restaurants. The top feature of the theme is its 3D scrolling effect, which makes it unique and grabs users’ attention.

It gives you a custom editor to add your food recipes, favorite food menus, and food descriptions. The theme also offers a style manager to customize colors, fonts, and backgrounds. You can also set up a food-ordering system for your users to place online orders for your delicious recipes.

16. Foodica

Foodica is a beautiful, magazine-style WordPress theme for food lovers. It features a modern design and comes in 6 color schemes to choose from.

It includes shortcodes to add recipe ingredients to your blog posts. It also has dedicated sections to display ad zones and banners to make money online.

17. Foodie

Foodie is a WordPress theme built for chefs, food bloggers, and recipe bloggers. It includes a recipe post section to add ingredients, instructions, and videos.

Foodie uses a traditional blog layout with support for a custom background and a custom logo. You can use the WordPress live customizer to make changes to how your site looks.

18. Food Recipes

Food Recipes is a free WordPress theme suitable for chefs, restaurants, and food businesses, as well as for recipe blogging. Its content area is responsive, so it is divided into a 2-column grid on the desktop screen and a single-column layout on small screens.

Food Recipes includes support for custom logo upload, a social media menu, a fullscreen background image, and more. It is easy to set up, too.

19. Pepper+

Pepper+ is an all-purpose WordPress theme with several turnkey designs, including one for a food/recipe website. It takes a modular approach and comes with different modules that you can drag and drop to create custom layouts.

It is ready for WooCommerce and supports WPML to create multilingual websites. It is easy for beginners to use because it has a 1-click content import and quick setup.

20. Gourmand

Gourmand is an elegantly-designed WordPress theme for food and recipe websites. It has a beautiful recipes section, which allows you to add recipes on the homepage.

It is compatible with popular drag and drop page builders like Visual Composer for easy customization. With built-in SEO optimization, your recipes should automatically rank well in Google and other search engines.

21. Food Blog

Food Blog is a powerful WordPress recipe and food blog theme that ships with a premium recipe plugin. It lets you add, manage, and share recipes on your website. You can also allow users to share their recipes on your blog.

It provides homepage sections to display food photos and recipes professionally. It ships with Beaver Builder to create custom page layouts using drag-and-drop tools.

22. Foody Pro

Foody Pro is a beautifully-designed WordPress theme for food blogging and recipe websites. This elegant theme features gorgeous typography and a clean, spacious layout.

On the homepage, it offers a featured content slider with call to action buttons. It is WooCommerce-ready, comes with an Instagram widget, and includes an automatically generated recipe index.

23. Igloo

Igloo is a flexible WordPress theme for a recipe blog, restaurant, or cafe. It comes with a beautiful modern design, elegant photo galleries, and built-in social media integration.

For restaurant websites, it has a menu management system and testimonial sections. It comes in multiple color schemes, and you can change colors for individual pages as well.

24. Rosa

Rosa is a beautiful WordPress food blog and recipe theme. It has eye-catching colors and a fullscreen background layout with mouth-watering photos to quickly catch the attention of your visitors.

The theme comes with built-in tools to add recipes with images, video recipes, and more. You can also create custom landing pages to showcase your featured food recipes.

We hope this article helped you find some of the best WordPress themes for recipe blogs. You may also want to check out our list of ways to make money online from your blog and a complete guide to set up online food ordering for restaurants in WordPress.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post 24 Best WordPress Themes for Recipe Blogs first appeared on WPBeginner.

14.04.2023
How to Open External Links in a New Window or Tab with WordPress
Do you want to open external links from your blog posts in a new browser window or tab?

Opening external links in a new window allows your users to visit the link without leaving your website. This leads to higher user engagement because they spend more time on your site.

In this beginner’s guide, we will show how to easily open external links in a new window or tab on your WordPress site.

Why Open External Links in a New Window or Tab?

External links are links to websites that you don’t own or control. Normally, if you add a link to an external website, your visitors will simply leave your site by clicking on the link.

While some user experience experts say that you shouldn’t open external links in a new window or tab, we don’t agree.

You see, most users easily forget the last website they were visiting. If clicking a link takes them away from your WordPress website to a new site, then they may never return.

For a better user experience, we recommend opening external links in a new window (in older browsers) or a new tab (in modern browsers). This way, the original web page is not lost, and users can resume browsing your website by switching back.

Another benefit of opening external links in a new tab is increased page views and user engagement on your site. Users who spend more time on your site are more likely to sign up for your email newsletter, follow you on social media, leave a comment, and buy your products.

That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily open external links in a new window or tab in WordPress. We’ll cover different methods so that you can choose the one that best suits you.
Opening External Links in a New Tab Using the Block Editor

The WordPress block editor has a built-in feature that lets you open external links in a new tab. In recent versions of WordPress, this option is visible when adding a link.

Simply edit the blog post or page where you want to add an external link. Next, select the text you want to link and then click on the ‘Link’ button. You can also press the shortcut key CTRL+K on Windows or Command+K on Mac.

This will bring up the insert link popup. Simply enter the link and press Enter. After that, you need to toggle the ‘Open in new tab’ option to the On position.

The link will now open in a new tab.

Tip: You can also add title and nofollow attributes to the insert link popup by installing the All in One SEO plugin.

Opening External Links in a New Tab Using the Classic Editor

If you are still using the classic editor, then we recommend you start using the new editor. It’s modern, faster, and includes many new features that you are missing out on.

However, if you still want to use the classic editor, then this is how you add a link that opens in a new tab.

First, you need to edit the post or page where you want to add the link. Next, select the text that you want to link (also known as the anchor text) and then click the ‘Insert/edit link’ button.

A popup will appear where you can add your external link.

After that, click on the gear icon next to it. This will bring up the advanced insert link popup.

From here, you need to check the ‘Open link in a new tab’ option. After that, you should click the ‘Update’ button at the bottom to add your link.

Opening External Links in a New Tab Using HTML Code

Sometimes you may need to write HTML to add a link in WordPress. For example, you will need to do this when using the HTML mode in the new block editor or adding a link in a WordPress theme template file.

You can add the link using HTML code like this:
```
 <a href="http://example.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Link Text</a>
```
The target="_blank" parameter in this code tells browsers to open the link in a new window or tab. Simply replace ‘example.com’ with the external link URL and ‘Link Text’ with the anchor text you wish to use.

Opening Navigational Menu Links in a New Tab

On your WordPress website, you can add external links in your site’s navigational menu. How you do this depends on whether you are using a traditional theme or a block theme.

Opening Nav Menu Links in a New Tab for Traditional Themes

To open your outbound menu links in a new tab, head over to Appearance Â» Menu from your WordPress admin area.

Next, click the ‘Screen Options’ button at the top right corner of your screen.

When you click the button, you’ll now see more options.

Go ahead and check the option for ‘Link Target’ under ‘Show advanced menu properties.’

After that, you can add a Custom Link to your navigational menu by entering the URL, Link Text, and clicking the ‘Add to Menu’ button.

Your Custom Link will now appear in the Menu Structure column. You can now select the option for ‘Open link in a new tab’ to open your external link in a different tab.

Once you’re done, click the ‘Save Menu’ button at the bottom.

Opening Nav Menu Links in a New Tab for Block Themes

If you are using a new block theme, then you will need to navigate to Appearance Â» Themes and use the Full Site Editor to open your outbound menu links in a new tab.

You need to click on the header area at the top of the page, and the header will be selected. Next, click on the navigation area just to the left of the menu. The menu will be selected, and you should see a ‘+’ sign at the end of the menu where you can add a new link.

Tip: Selecting blocks in the Full Screen Editor can be tricky, so many users find it easier to use List View. Simply click the icon at the top of the screen, then find and select the Navigation block. It may be nested inside other blocks, such as Header and Group.

Now you need to click the ‘+’ icon to open a popup where you can add a link. Type the URL in the field at the top, and make sure you toggle ‘Open in new tab’ to the On position. Next, click the ‘Submit’ icon next to the URL to store your settings.

Once you’ve done that, don’t forget to click the ‘Save’ button at the top of the screen.

Automatically Opening All External Links in New Tab Using a Plugin

It may sound like extra work to manually check the option for every external link that you add. However, over time you will get used to it.

If you run a multi-author blog or often forget to make external links open in a new tab, then you can use a plugin for that.

First, you need to install and activate the Open External Links in a New Window plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

The plugin works out of the box, and it will automatically open external links in a new window.

It does not actually change the external links in your blog posts. Instead, it uses JavaScript to open external links in a new window.

Note: Deactivating the plugin will stop external links from opening in a new window.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily open external links in a new window in WordPress. You may also want to see our guide on how to create a free business address, or check out our expert picks of the most useful WordPress tips, tricks, and hacks that you can use on your website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post How to Open External Links in a New Window or Tab with WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.
13.04.2023
13-Point WordPress SEO Checklist for Beginners
Do you want to make sure that your WordPress site is properly optimized for search engines?

Going through a search engine optimization (SEO) checklist can help you follow best practices and ensure you don’t miss out on small details. This way, you can rank higher on Google and grow website traffic.

In this article, we will share a WordPress SEO checklist for beginners.

Why Follow a WordPress SEO Checklist?

Search engines are often the largest source of traffic for many websites. However, the idea of optimizing your site for WordPress SEO can be intimidating, especially for beginners.

There are many technical terms, SEO tactics, and new trends that can put off new website owners from optimizing their sites and ranking higher in search engines.

This is where a WordPress SEO checklist can help you out. It covers all the basics and makes sure you follow SEO best practices. Plus, there are many tools and plugins that can optimize your site and take care of technical SEO for you.

You can use the checklist by going through each point step by step. After that, make changes to ensure search engines can easily crawl and index your content.

That said, let’s look at the WordPress SEO checklist for beginners. Here are all the things we’ll cover, so you can simply click the links below to jump ahead to your preferred section:
1. Install a WordPress SEO Plugin

An SEO plugin can help configure your WordPress site for search engines. It ensures that you follow the best practices and handles all the technical SEO optimizations.

You can use All in One SEO (AIOSEO) for your website. It is the best SEO plugin for WordPress and helps you optimize your site for search engines without technical knowledge or hiring a developer.

It is also the SEO plugin we also use on WPBeginner.

AIOSEO offers lots of powerful features. For instance, you can use it to create an XML sitemap, add schema markup, integrate social media, breadcrumb navigation, TruSEO On-Page analysis score, robots.txt editor, local SEO, WooCommerce SEO, link assistant, track broken links, and much more.

You can also use AIOSEO to conduct an SEO audit. The plugin will monitor and highlight crucial issues. Plus, you’ll get actionable insights for resolving these issues and boosting organic traffic on your site.

To learn more, you can follow our guide on how to set up All in One SEO for WordPress.

2. Set Up Search Engine Webmaster Tools

Next, you’ll need to set up different search engines’ webmaster tools, like Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, and Yandex Webmaster Tools.

These free tools help you track your site’s organic search performance. You can use them to see which keywords people are using to find your website, check rankings, submit sitemaps, uncover errors that might be preventing your site from ranking in search engines, and more.

For example, Google Search Console shows which pages are indexed in the search results. You can then find out why Google doesn’t index other pages, fix any issues, and submit pages for indexing.

You can follow these guides to add your WordPress site to each webmaster tool:
3. Add Google Analytics to WordPress

Another vital tool to set up on your WordPress website is Google Analytics. It is a free tool that shows how people behave on your site, where they’re coming from, which pages they view, and a lot more.

Google Analytics can help you track your WordPress SEO efforts and see the number of visitors that come from organic searches. It is an excellent tool for tracking website traffic and keeping an eye on all the traffic spikes and dips.

Besides that, you can use it to find high-converting pages and improve their SEO, look for opportunities to boost organic traffic, track 404 errors, and more.

The easiest way of setting up Google Analytics in WordPress is by using MonsterInsights. It is the best Analytics solution for WordPress, and you don’t have to edit any code or hire a developer to configure Google Analytics.

The best part, you can get started with the MonsterInsights Lite version for free to add analytics to your site. The plugin also offers a premium version and helps set up advanced tracking features like eCommerce tracking, form conversions, and more.

To learn more, you can follow our step-by-step guide on how to install Google Analytics in WordPress.

4. Do Keyword Research for Your WordPress Site

Keyword research is a technique that content creators and SEO experts use to discover topics your audience is interested in using search engine data.

Many beginners will use their best guesses to come up with topics that they think people might like. Instead, you should do proper keyword research and find search terms for each page on your website.

It is important that you define a primary target keyword for your blog post or landing page. Having too many different search terms can make it harder for search engines to understand the content.

You can use many keyword research tools to find a primary search term. We recommend Semrush because it offers in-depth keyword data, keyword position tracking, competitor analysis, related keywords, questions, and more.

For more details, please see our guide on how to do keyword research for your WordPress blog.

5. Use LSI Keywords and Check for Keyword Stuffing

Now that you’ve found a focus keyphrase for your content, the next thing to do is find Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords. These are related search queries to your primary keyword.

The easiest way of finding LSI keywords is through Google Search. Simply scroll down to the bottom of the search results and see the ‘Related searches’ section.

You can then use these terms throughout your content and cover the overall topic in depth. This also helps search engines better understand your content.

That said, it is vital that you don’t stuff the keywords. Using the exact search term repeatedly doesn’t provide a great reading experience for users, and search engines are pretty clever at detecting keyword stuffing.

6. Optimize Your SEO Title and Meta Description

The next WordPress SEO checklist item is whether your SEO titles and meta descriptions are optimized.

The title of your WordPress blog post or product page plays an essential role in search rankings. A compelling title will encourage the user to click on the link.

The meta description also provides more information to users about the page and helps improve the organic click-through rate (CTR). As more people click on your site’s link, it will send a positive signal to Google and help you achieve higher rankings.

It is an SEO best practice to include the primary keyword in your SEO title, meta description, and URLs. Plus, you should ensure that your titles are not more than 55 characters and meta descriptions are not more than 155 characters. Otherwise, Google will truncate your headline and description.

If you’re using AIOSEO, then you can use the headline analyzer to create engaging title tags. It shows a score for your headline and offers tips for improving your SEO title.

You can check out our guide on how to use a headline analyzer in WordPress to improve SEO titles.

7. Use SEO-Friendly URLs

You should also optimize the URLs of your blog posts and landing pages for SEO.

Creating short and descriptive permalinks helps searchers to understand what’s the page about in the search results. Besides that, it is also a good practice to include the primary keyword in your URL.

For example, here is what an SEO-friendly URL should look like:
```
https://www.wpbeginner.com/start-a-wordpress-blog/
```
On the other hand, here’s what a URL that’s not optimized for SEO would look like:
```
https://www.wpbeginner.com/articles/651472
```
You can change these in your WordPress permalink settings.

8. Make Sure to Add Alt-Text to Your Images

Optimizing your images for search engines is also important in WordPress SEO. One way of doing that is by ensuring that your photos have descriptive alternative or alt text.

Alt text helps Google and other search engines understand the image’s subject matter. This way, your pictures can appear in Google Images and help you get more organic traffic.

In WordPress, you can easily add alt text to your images. When you upload a picture in the WordPress content editor using the Image block, you’ll see the Alt Text option in the settings panel on the right.

You can also go to Media Â» Library from the admin panel.

After that, simply select any image and enter the ‘Alt Text’ in the right side panel.

Aside from that, you can also use an image compression tool to reduce the size of your pictures. This will help your site to load faster and provide a great user experience.

Note: Using the block editor to add alt text will only add it to that specific use of the image. If you want to add the same alt text to the image no matter where on your site it’s used, use the media library.

For more details, you can read our beginner’s guide to image SEO.

9. Add Internal Links to Your Content

When going through the WordPress SEO checklist, another important thing to check is the internal links in your content. Internal links are pages you link from your own website.

Search engines use these links to find and index content on your website. It also helps pass authority from one page to another.

Additionally, it assists your visitors in navigating your website, reading related posts, finding sources for statistics, and discovering old articles and pages.

If you’re using AIOSEO, then you can use its Link Assistant feature to uncover internal linking opportunities. It will show orphaned pages with no internal links, provide suggestions and anchor text, and allow you to insert links in a single click.

If you’re not sure how to insert internal links, then please see how to add links in WordPress.

10. Improve the Readability of Your Content

When checking for on-page SEO, it is essential that your content is easy to read. It plays a massive role in getting higher rankings because blogs that are easier to read often rank higher than those that are hard to read.

Studies show that people spend less than a second deciding whether to exit or stay on the page. This means they scan through your content, and you have a very short time to convince them to stay on your website.

By improving the readability of your content, you can help users quickly scan your articles. A simple way of doing that is by grouping sections of your content under headings (H2, H3, H4, and so on).

Besides that, you can write short sentences, use bulleted lists, break long chunks of paragraphs into smaller paragraphs, and add a table of contents. Adding images, videos, and other multimedia can also enhance readability and make your content more engaging.

With AIOSEO, you can analyze readability issues inside the content editor and get suggestions on improving your content.

You can also use grammar checker tools like Grammarly to make sure your content is free from spelling mistakes, missing punctuation, and grammatical errors.

11. Ensure that Search Engines Can Easily Find Your Website

Now that your content and on-page SEO is optimized, there are a few technical elements you should also check as part of the WordPress SEO checklist.

First, you should make it easier for search engines to find your website and index your site. WordPress has a built-in option that stops search engines from crawling your site. If it is enabled, Google and other search engines will not list your site in the search results.

You can check this by heading to Settings Â» Reading from your WordPress dashboard, and scrolling down to the ‘Search engine visibility’ section. Just make sure that the ‘Discourage search engines from indexing this site’ option is not checked.

Another way you can help search engines find content on your site for crawling and indexing is by creating a sitemap.

An XML sitemap tells search engines about the most important pages on your site, so they can quickly discover new content and index them in the search results.

With AIOSEO, it is very easy to create a sitemap. The plugin lets you set up sitemaps for videos, news, RSS feeds, and HTML.

Once the sitemap is ready, you can submit it to search engines using different webmaster tools.

12. Check Your WordPress Website Speed

Next, your WordPress website speed is critical in ranking higher in Google. That’s because page load time is now a ranking factor, and Google will rank faster-loading sites higher compared to slow-loading sites.

A simple way of checking load time is by using MonsterInsights. It lets you run a website speed test and shows a Site Speed report inside your WordPress dashboard.

You can see an overall score for mobile and desktop, along with other important metrics for measuring how fast your site loads.

The plugin also shows suggestions and benchmark goals for improving each metric. For example, you can use a content delivery network (CDN) to improve site speed,

You can find more tips by going through our ultimate guide to boosting WordPress speed and performance.

13. Your WordPress Site Should Be Mobile Ready

The last WordPress SEO checklist item you need to check is whether your site is mobile responsive.

Google has now gone mobile-first. What that means is that it will use your site’s mobile version for indexing instead of the desktop version. You will lose out on higher rankings if your site is not mobile-ready.

Using Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool is an easy way of checking mobile responsiveness.

The free tool will analyze your site and tell you whether the website is mobile-responsive or not.

You can simply enter your site’s URL in the tool and click the ‘Test URL’ button.

If your site isn’t mobile-ready, then you can start by changing the theme. There are many responsive WordPress themes designed for mobile. You can follow our guide on how to change a WordPress theme without losing data or traffic.

We hope this article helped you learn about the WordPress SEO checklist for beginners. You may also want to see our guide on how to get free SSL certification for WordPress sites and the ultimate guide to WordPress security.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to ourÂ YouTube ChannelÂ for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us onÂ TwitterÂ and Facebook.

The post 13-Point WordPress SEO Checklist for Beginners first appeared on WPBeginner.
13.04.2023