EDITS.WS

Author: Rob Pugh

  • A Comprehensive Guide to Social Media Marketing for Businesses

    These days, social media is an essential part of any successful business strategy. It’s not a luxury, but a necessity. With over 3.6 billion people using social media worldwide, it’s a digital playground for businesses to showcase their products and services, build brand awareness, and connect with customers.

    But it’s not just all fun and games. It takes a well-planned strategy to succeed on social media. That’s where this guide comes in. It’s a complete playbook to help you navigate the world of social media marketing and advance your goals.

    1. Identify and understand your audience

    Before you start creating content and posting it on social media, it’s important to understand who your target audience is. This will help you tailor your content so that it’s engaging and effective, and determine the best platforms to invest your time and budget.  

    How do you find your ideal audience? 

    Talk to your current followers and customers or, if you’re just starting, seek out people who respond enthusiastically when you approach them with your idea. 

    You’re looking for shared traits beyond a common interest in the category of products you sell (fitness, pet, culinary, etc.). What kinds of pain points, passions, and core values do you hear over and over again?

    Spend some time digging through your analytics. What do your existing visitors have in common? Where are they from? What content are they reading on your site? Are they primarily in a certain age range?

    You can also send out surveys to your email list or add polls to your social media accounts. But the absolute best option is to talk to people in your audience face-to-face or over the phone. This allows you to ask open-ended questions that get more to the root of their motivations. You may end up finding out things you never even thought to ask about!

    Then, create buyer personas to help you better imagine your audience and how to relate to them. For example, if you sell hiking gear, you might have a persona named Jenny, who’s 35 years old, lives in the Pacific Northwest, has two kids, and is constantly looking for new ways to streamline her hikes. When you’re writing content in the future, you can think about ways that it can specifically help Jenny.

    Learn more about finding your audience. 

    2. Set clear goals and objectives

    Once you have a clear understanding of your audience and competition, it’s time to set your goals and objectives. Your overall marketing goal may be to increase brand awareness or drive more sales, but it’s important to break that down into specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives.

    For example, your objective may be to increase your social media following by 20% in the next quarter, or to achieve a certain amount of engagement on your posts. With clear goals and objectives in place, you can create a plan to achieve them.

    3. Choose the right social media platform(s)

    There are countless social media platforms available, but not all of them will work for your business. It’s important to identify the most popular and relevant ones for  your audience. Once you know which platforms to focus on, spend time learning the features and capabilities of each one. This will help you determine the kinds of content you’ll need to create.

    For example, if your business specializes in products that are creative, artistic, or otherwise best represented by imagery, platforms like Instagram and Pinterest would be a great fit for you. Think food, home decor, artwork, and fashion! 

    Pinterest feed on a laptop screen

    On the other hand, if you’re a B2B firm, LinkedIn would be a better fit. Understanding the features and capabilities of each platform will also help you make the most of its features.

    Ecommerce store? Learn how to choose the right social media platforms. 

    4. Create and curate engaging content

    The key to a successful social media effort is creating and curating engaging content. Decide on the types of content you want to create, like blog posts, videos, infographics, or memes. A content calendar can help you stay organized and on schedule. 

    But don’t just focus on creating your own content. Curating and sharing relevant posts from other sources can also be a great way to engage with your audience and alleviate the pressure for continuous development of original content.

    It’s not always easy, but don’t get discouraged. It’s like trying to come up with a good joke — it’s hard but when it’s done right, it’s a hit.

    How to determine the kind of social media to create

    Start by researching your competitors. Which ones have the best engagement on their social profiles and what’s unique about their approach? You can pick up cues for the kinds of content to produce, when to post, and how to interact with followers. 

    And you can do the same with competitors who aren’t having as much success — by learning from their mistakes, you can avoid making the same ones.

    Get familiar with the successful influencers in your target genre. What kind of content do they post? On YouTube, for example, you can quickly scan popular creators from a variety of genres and look at the views for each video. What do the most popular ones have in common? In other words, what topics and style of content is really drawing attention? 

    5. Leverage automation to streamline social media posts

    Automation is a must for businesses looking to stay competitive on social media. It’s a powerful way to streamline your social media efforts and ensure that you’re reaching your audience at the right time.

    Jetpack Social is the ideal social media tool for WordPress site owners. Instead of having to log in and out of social media accounts, you can post to multiple platforms at the same time, or automatically push new WordPress posts out as soon as they’re published on your site. 

    Jetpack Social settings in WordPress

    It also allows you to work more efficiently. Schedule posts in advance so you can plan once a week and then spend the rest of your time working on other tasks. And you can rest easy, knowing that they’ll go out at the perfect time to reach your audience when they’re most engaged. 

    Imagine you’re a business owner who just opened a new store, and you’re too busy to post on social media, but you know the importance of it. By using Jetpack Social, you can schedule your posts in advance and not have to worry about missing out on potential customers. It’s like having a personal assistant who knows how to use social media.

    6. Build a community of followers and keep them engaged

    Once you have a strong following on social media, it’s important to keep them engaged. So, be sure to make interacting with followers a regular part of your social media plan. This can include responding to comments, hosting giveaways, and creating polls. Measure and analyze community engagement to see what’s working and what’s not.

    Think of your followers as a group of friends. You don’t want to only talk about yourself, or even the same topic over and over. Instead, switch things up to keep people interested, and take the time to let your followers do the talking.  Hosting giveaways and creating polls can feel like throwing a party — it’s fun and interactive. And just like a party, you want to make sure everyone’s having a good time. So keep tabs on engagement levels and if they start to drop, adjust your approach!

    7. Advertise on social media

    Advertising on social media is a great way to reach a targeted audience and drive more sales. There are a variety of options available, including sponsored posts, carousel ads, stories, messages, videos, and more. It’s important to understand the different types of advertising and how they can benefit your business. Create ad campaigns and target specific audiences, then measure and analyze the performance of your ads to see what’s working and what’s not.

    Advertising on social media is like dating, you want to make sure you’re reaching the right person, and you want to make sure the relationship is worth it. By understanding the different types of advertising and targeting specific audiences, you’ll increase your chances of finding the perfect match. 

    8. Consider influencer marketing

    Influencer marketing has become an increasingly popular strategy for businesses looking to promote their products or services on social media. By collaborating with influencers in your industry, you can reach a wider audience and gain credibility with potential customers.

    Influencer marketing can help you promote your products or services in a more authentic and relatable way. Influencers have built a following based on trust and credibility, and their endorsement can be a powerful tool for promoting your business.

    When it comes to influencer marketing, it’s important to identify and reach out to the right influencers. Look for partners who align with your brand and target audience, and who have a strong engagement with their followers.

    Once you’ve identified the right influencers, it’s important to establish clear and mutually beneficial objectives. This can help ensure that the collaboration is successful and beneficial for both parties.

    The size of each influencer’s audience can vary dramatically, but even those with only a few thousand followers can provide a boost if their audience fits perfectly with your business’s target niche. Some influencers will post in exchange for free products, while others might command a high fee. You can get pretty creative with this kind of marketing, so give it a try. Learn more about influencer marketing for ecommerce. 

    9. Measure and analyze the results

    Measuring the success of your social media efforts is crucial. Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) to track, such as reach, engagement, and conversions. Analyze and interpret the data to see what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments as needed.

    Jetpack Stats dashboard

    Jetpack Stats is a great way to dive into the world of analytics. It provides essential information about your website’s performance, and allows you to easily sync your Google Analytics account for even more in-depth information about marketing campaigns and conversions.

    10. Know how to manage and respond to negative feedback

    No matter how well you plan and execute your social media strategy, it’s inevitable that you’ll receive negative feedback at some point. Whether it’s a snarky comment on a post or a bad review, it’s important to know how to handle it.

    First and foremost, stay calm and professional when responding. Don’t take it personally, and avoid getting defensive or argumentative. Instead, take the time to understand the customer’s concern and address it in a thoughtful and respectful manner.

    One effective way to handle negative feedback is to respond with humor or laugh at your own mistakes. If you did something wrong, acknowledge it. If it’s something you personally wrote or created, consider taking yourself out of the situation and having an employee or trusted friend respond. 

    And, remember, not everything requires a response. It’s okay to remain silent sometimes. People have bad days and say mean things. Sometimes, they misspeak or misunderstand. It doesn’t change the value of what you’re building. Focus on the followers who love what you’re doing! 

    Finally, if a legitimate issue is raised, be sure to make note of it and use it as an opportunity for improvement. Show your customers that you value their input.

    Frequently asked questions about social media marketing

    How can Jetpack Social help businesses with their social media efforts?

    Jetpack Social is a powerful social media plugin for WordPress that can help businesses automate their social media, post to multiple profiles at once, and schedule posts in advance. It’s a great way to streamline social media efforts and make the most of your time.

    Why is it important for a business to have a social media presence?

    Having a social media presence allows businesses to reach a new audience, engage with customers, and drive more sales. It’s also a great way to build brand awareness and establish a relationship with customers.

    What are the benefits of social media marketing for businesses?

    The benefits of social media marketing for businesses include increased brand awareness, more sales, improved customer engagement, and more.

    What are some common mistakes businesses make on social media?

    Some common mistakes businesses make on social media include not understanding their audience, not setting clear goals and objectives, not choosing the right platforms, and not measuring and analyzing their results.

    Jetpack Social: Social media automation for businesses using WordPress

    As we’ve mentioned in this guide, automation is a crucial aspect of a successful social media marketing strategy. And for businesses using WordPress, Jetpack Social is the perfect solution.

    This plugin offers a wide range of features to help you streamline your social media efforts, including automating your social media posts and scheduling posts in advance.

    Visit the following page to learn more about Jetpack Social: https://jetpack.com/social/

  • How to Create a Social Media Content Strategy from A to Z

    When it comes to creating a successful social media content strategy, it can feel like there’s an endless amount of options and platforms to choose from. But don’t let that overwhelm you, because with a little bit of planning and a lot of creativity, you can build a strategy that will help boost your brand awareness, increase customer engagement, and drive sales.

    Eight steps to define your social media recipe

    Think of your social media content strategy like a recipe for success. Just like a recipe, if you don’t have all the right ingredients and a clear understanding of what you’re trying to achieve, your dish (or in this case, your content) will fall flat.

    But with the right components in place, you’ll be able to whip up something that’s not only delicious, but will also leave your customers craving more.

    1. Understand your audience’s platform & content preferences

    The first step in this journey is to understand your audience’s platform and content preferences. Think about it: you wouldn’t serve a steak to a vegetarian, so why would you create content that’s not relevant to your audience?

    By identifying your target audience demographics, researching their interests and behaviors, and creating buyer personas, you’ll be able to create content that resonates with your audience.

    So how do you do this? You may already have an idea of who your target audience is. Perhaps it’s busy professionals who are looking for a way to save time. Maybe it’s families within a 50-mile radius of Boston who are looking for outdoor activities. Or it could be coffee lovers who want the highest-quality beans to brew in their French press.

    If you don’t know who makes up your audience, dive into your analytics. See who resonates with your content, products, or services. Or think about who might have the problems that your business solves.

    Then, get to know that audience. Talk to them in person. Send out surveys via email. Conduct social media polls. Find out information about where they spend their time online, what types of content they like to consume on social media — livestreams, image-based posts, audio, links to long-form blog content, etc. — and what piques their interest.

    Finally, turn that information into buyer personas, which are essentially made-up characters who are similar to the average member of your target audience. For example, you could have a persona named Josh, who is a 35-year-old father of two, makes a middle-class income, lives in the Boston area, and goes on hikes every weekend.

    In the future, when you make decisions about social media, you can reference these personas to ensure that every move you make meets their needs.

    Learn more: this article is specifically tailored to ecommerce, but can help any business choose which social media platforms are right for them. 

    2. Define your success metrics and goals

    Once you have a clear understanding of your audience, it’s time to define your success metrics and goals. Just like cooking, having a clear finished product in mind will help you navigate the recipe.

    Identifying overall business goals and setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) steps along the way is crucial for success on social media. Key performance indicators (KPIs) are metrics you can use to objectively measure results. These can help you understand if your efforts are truly working or if you need to make adjustments.

    Common KPIs for social media include: 

    • Impressions
    • Likes
    • Comments
    • Audience growth
    • Engagement rate
    • Conversion rate
    • Click-through-rate 
    • Return on ad spend (ROAS)
    • Add to carts

    3. Develop a content theme that sets you apart

    In today’s crowded social media landscape, it’s essential to have a content theme that sets you apart. Think of it like a fashion statement — to work, it has to be unique and memorable.

    To be successful, your company needs a unique selling proposition like a new material, service style, or ingredient that competitors don’t have. Maybe you have several. You can lean into this key difference to form the basis of the subject matter for your posts. Just like creating buyer personas, you may want to map our personas for competitors that also serve your target audience. Include your own company and see what makes you different. 

    Regular brainstorming sessions — where anything goes — can help get ideas flowing. Then simply pick the best and leave the rest. 

    Finally, don’t forget to listen to your followers. Ask them for their ideas and award prizes for the top ones. Explore trending ideas that other companies are using and see if you can adapt them to your unique selling proposition and target audience.

    4. Establish a publishing frequency and content calendar

    Establishing a publishing frequency and content calendar is crucial for keeping your content strategy on track. 

    Your frequency might be dictated, in large part, by the platforms you choose to use. For example, Twitter lends itself to multiple updates every day. On Facebook, you might not want to post more than once every day or two. 

    This guide breaks down how often to post per platform. 

    You also want to vary the kinds of posts you make (quotes vs stats vs photos, etc.) and you don’t want to just start thinking of ideas 15 minutes before you’re supposed to post. This is where having a three-month content calendar planned in advance can help you stay organized and ahead of the game. Then you can create similar posts in bulk and spread them out on your calendar for efficiency.

    Jetpack Social can help you schedule social media posts from WordPress in advance so that, once you know what you want to post and when, you can automate publishing. This is how professional social media managers consistently release new content — even while they’re on vacation. 

    automated sharing settings for a post in WordPress

    5. Create content that resonates and connects with your audience

    Remember that audience research you did earlier? Here’s where it will really come in handy! Create social media content around the topics that your audience will find helpful and interesting.

    This, of course, will look different for each individual business or blog. But here are just a few ideas to get you started:

    • Answers to questions commonly asked by your customers or followers
    • Behind-the-scenes glimpses into your life, business, or processes
    • Tips and tricks for using your products
    • A live Q&A with your audience members
    • Gift ideas that incorporate your products alongside related items from other companies
    • Giveaways and contests that reward loyal followers
    • Fun ways to celebrate quirky holidays
    • User-generated content that showcases how your audience uses your products and services in their everyday lives
    • Articles from similar websites that relate to your business or industry

    Interesting, eye-catching graphics can go a long way toward improving engagement. You should set aside some of your social media budget with the help of a professional designer. For efficiency, they might be able to create unique templates you can modify yourself. These are great for quotes, stats, and quick text-based statements. Choose your professionally-designed background, add your text, and go! 

    You can also use tools like Canva to help you make your own designs without expensive software. 

    6. Leverage automation to save time and increase efficiency

    Automation is crucial to making the most of your social media content efforts. Think of it as a personal assistant — it can help you save time and increase efficiency, allowing you to focus on the most important tasks.

    Jetpack Social is a convenient and powerful way to automate your social media posting on WordPress, enabling you to automatically post your site’s content on social media and schedule posts in advance, all with just a few clicks.

    With Jetpack Social, you can write once, and post everywhere, making it easier than ever to increase efficiency and save time.

    options to automate social media publishing within Jetpack Social

    7. Promote and distribute your content

    Promoting and distributing content is an essential step in a successful social media strategy. 

    Utilizing paid promotion for maximum reach, partnering with influencers and other brands, using the appropriate hashtags and keywords, reposting and repurposing content on different platforms, and measuring and analyzing the success of your content promotion efforts for adjustments are all key parts of this process.

    8. Measure success and make data-driven decisions

    Measuring success and making data-driven decisions is crucial to any successful social media content strategy. It’s like a report card — it helps you understand what’s working and what’s not, and allows you to make adjustments and improvements accordingly.

    Utilizing analytics tools set up to track your KPIs so you can make data-driven decisions for future content is all part of this process. 

    Before you add your next set of posts to the social media content calendar, analyze your KPIs by type of post and don’t be afraid to mix things up, re-evaluate results, and continue to make changes.

    Common social media content mistakes to avoid

    • Not having a clear content strategy. Establishing a direction for your strategy maximizes the effectiveness of your posts.
    • Not understanding your audience. The more you tailor your social media content to the needs of your audience, the more effective it will be.
    • Not being consistent. Post regularly so your followers know what to expect, and so you stay on top of the social media algorithms.
    • Not using visuals. Images, graphics, and videos help your content stand out in followers’ social media feeds and often help present information better than words alone.
    • Not measuring and analyzing performance. Learn what’s working and what isn’t so you can make the most of your time and money.

    Nine tips to elevate your social media content strategy

    1. Bulk create your content 

    Creating content in batches can save you time and ensure consistency in your messaging and branding. Set aside specific time slots to brainstorm and create content — this way you can focus on the creative process without the pressure of a deadline looming. It also helps you mix up different types of content — images, videos, Q&As, promotions, etc. — to keep things interesting.

    2. Prepare and schedule social media posts in advance

    By scheduling your social media posts in advance, you can ensure that your content is being published at optimal times and avoid the scramble of trying to come up with something at the last minute.

    3. Use automation tools

    Utilize tools like Jetpack Social to automate your social media posting and schedule posts in advance. 

    connecting social media networks to Jetpack Social

    4. Build personas 

    Creating personas allows you to gain a deeper understanding of your audience and create content that resonates with them on a personal level. 

    Instead of seeing your followers as numbers, you can imagine them as friends and community members. This can help you create more empathetic, memorable, and effective posts.

    5. Take note of your best-performing social media posts

    If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! By identifying your best-performing social media posts, you can replicate the approach and format for future content, leading to increased engagement and performance.

    6. Use A/B testing

    A/B testing allows you to compare different variations of headlines, images, and other aspects of your posts to see which ones resonate best with your audience. By doing so, you can amplify the most effective version for more efficient ad spend. Plus, you’ll have empirical data to inform your future post creation.

    7. Use hashtags strategically

    Hashtags help increase discoverability and reach. Use them strategically to increase the visibility of your content and reach new audiences. For example, Instagram will provide several uses next to hashtag suggestions as you start to type. This gives you an idea of what people are already searching for. Including branded hashtags that your audience never uses might look cute in the post, but it won’t help anyone discover your content.

    Learn more: How to use hashtags on social media. 

    8. Prioritize engaging content formats

    Polls, quizzes, and live streams are particularly engaging because they require participation and allow people to contribute — often anonymously — in real-time and see results. 

    Videos are still as powerful as ever. Though they’re usually more expensive to produce, they’ve become the go-to for the masses over things like radio and books for a reason. The same goes for social media.  

    9. Be consistent with your brand’s voice and visual identity

    Consistency is like a signature — it increases recognition and trust. You can create a list of phrases and words that your brand should both try to use often or never use at all. You can also create a brand book with example voices or compare your preferred brand voice to well-known characters in pop culture. If there’s more than one person on your team, these things can help your team speak with one consistent tone. 

    By implementing these tips and utilizing the right tools, such as Jetpack Social, you can make the most of your social media content strategy and achieve your business goals. 

    Frequently asked questions

    What are the benefits of having a clear social media strategy?

    A clear social media strategy can help you work with consistency and more effectively boost brand awareness, increase customer engagement, and drive sales.

    How can you determine which social media channels to use?

    Determining which social media channels to use can be done by researching your target audience’s demographics and platform preferences, as well as identifying which channels align best with your overall business goals.

    Learn more: Choosing social media platforms for ecommerce marketing. 

    What makes good social media content?

    Good social media content is engaging, visually appealing, relatable, and relevant to your target audience. It should also contribute to your overall business goals and align with your brand’s tone of voice.

    Jetpack Social: The #1 social media automation plugin for WordPress

    Jetpack Social is a WordPress social media plugin that makes it easy to plan, schedule, and automatically publish your posts. With Jetpack Social, you can write once and post everywhere, saving you time and increasing efficiency.

    It’s a simple yet powerful tool that can help you automate your social media content strategy and take your content to the next level. With over one million posts shared every day, Jetpack Social is a tried and tested tool that can help you make the most of your social media efforts.

    To learn more about Jetpack Social and start using it today, visit https://jetpack.com/social/

  • 5 Best WordPress Search Plugins for Better & Faster Site Search

    Search functionality is essential for most websites as it helps visitors locate the information, content, or products they need. WordPress comes with a native search system, but this can only perform basic lookups, and it can be slower than users expect, especially if your website contains a lot of content.

    Luckily, there’s a wide range of advanced search plugins for WordPress that enable you to offer a speedy experience. These plugins often come with useful features such as instant search results, ecommerce product support, and spelling correction that help ensure your visitors can quickly find the information they’re looking for.  

    There are a lot of WordPress search plugins out there, so to help you find the perfect one for your site, we’ve put together this handy guide. Read on to explore the features you should be looking for in a WordPress search plugin, and then see our reviews of five of the best options. 

    Features to look for in a WordPress search plugin

    Some of the top features to look out for in site search plugins include:

    Accurate search results

    Of course, the top thing to look for when choosing a WordPress search plugin is the accuracy of its search results. The accuracy of a WordPress search plugin largely depends on a combination of:

    • The plugin’s index – While the default WordPress search function works by querying your database each time a user searches, most search plugins build their own index of your site, which it then searches against. Therefore, the accuracy of this index is essential. You should also ensure your WordPress search plugin automatically updates its index every time you add or change content and that it can index all the types of content you want your visitors to be able to discover.
    • The plugin’s algorithm – The algorithm used by your search plugin influences how it determines which results to return for your visitors’ search queries. You should look for a WordPress search plugin that allows you to customize its algorithm to meet the needs of your site — for example, you may decide that the plugin should give a higher priority to products in your online store than to images in your site’s media library. 

    Over 80% of search queries are made up of more than one word, so you should also make sure your WordPress search plugin can deliver accurate results if a phrase or question is entered. For example, Jetpack Search can instantly respond to complex, multi-faceted searches, which helps your visitors find the information they’re looking for without rephrasing their query. 

    Speed

    It’s vital that a WordPress search plugin quickly responds to queries.

    Some WordPress plugins offer instant search, so your visitors start seeing results as soon as they enter their query, rather than waiting for a search results page to load.  

    It’s also important to consider what resources the search plugin uses to index your site and process your visitors’ queries. Most WordPress search plugins use your website’s server, which can work well for small sites, but as your site grows, this can put a strain on your web server, and you may notice it takes longer to process search requests and index new content. But other plugins, such as Jetpack Search, take the strain away from your host by using powerful cloud servers to deliver lightning-fast results regardless of the size of your site. 

    Powerful filtering

    Filters can help your visitors narrow their search results to find exactly what they are looking for. You should look for a WordPress search plugin that allows your visitors to filter their search results based on tags, categories, or product attributes. It’s also important to consider how quickly the search plugin can apply those filters. Some can instantly filter results without reloading the page, while others need to refresh the page to apply filters. 

    Jetpack’s WordPress search plugin, for example, supports more than 1,000 custom taxonomies.

    Ecommerce support

    Customers are two times more likely to make a purchase online after searching on a retailer’s website, so a great search function is essential for any ecommerce store. If you run an online store, your WordPress search plugin should offer full support for your ecommerce platform and allow your visitors to search and filter by product attributes so that they can find the product they are looking for.  

    Jetpack’s WordPress search plugin, for example, has a special mode for ecommerce sites that can display results in a grid style.  

    A review of the best site search plugins for WordPress

    But how do you find the best search plugin for your WordPress site? To help, we’ve examined some of the top WordPress search plugins and compared them based on their features, pros and cons, ease of use, and pricing.

    Jetpack Search homepage with the text, "Help your visitors find what they need."

    1. Jetpack Search

    Jetpack Search is one of the best WordPress search plugins that offers a wide range of advanced tools to help your visitors instantly find the right content or product.

    The plugin offers instant search and will start displaying results as soon as a visitor begins to type in your search box. This means that they don’t have to wait for search results to load. In addition, Jetpack Search is highly customizable and offers a wide range of features and options, enabling you to create an outstanding search experience that blends seamlessly with your site design. Plus, Jetpack Search offers instant spelling correction, so a typo won’t get in the way of your visitors finding what they’re looking for. 

    Jetpack Search fully integrates with WooCommerce to help your customers find the perfect product for them. The plugin supports complex faceted search requests — for example, “A red and white men’s polo shirt in large for under $25.” In addition, Jetpack Search displays product pictures in search results and allows customers to instantly filter their results by product attributes, so they can quickly find the item they’re looking for.  

    The plugin can deliver its lightning-fast speed without putting extra strain on your server as it uses Automattic’s powerful cloud servers to index your site and conduct searches. Jetpack Search was made by the experts at Automattic — the same people behind WordPress.com and WooCommerce. This means that Jetpack Search should integrate seamlessly with your WordPress website.

    Features of Jetpack Search

    • Instant search and filtering without reloading the page
    • Advanced customization options, which allows you to create a bespoke search experience
    • Advanced ranking algorithms that help you deliver highly-relevant results
    • Integration with Jetpack Stats to help you see what visitors are searching for
    • Prioritized results based on your site’s most popular pages
    • Faceted searches and instant filtering (by tags, categories, dates, custom taxonomies, and post types)
    • Real-time indexing, meaning your search index will update within minutes of changes to your site
    • Support for multiple languages
    • Highlighted search terms in comments and post content
    • Spelling corrections

    Pros of Jetpack Search

    • Jetpack Search helps your visitors quickly find what they want by instantly providing search results as soon as they start typing.
    • The plugin supports complex search queries and allows visitors to instantly filter their search results, including by product attributes.
    • Unlike most of the other plugins in this list, Jetpack Search is a cloud-based service. This means it can deliver highly accurate search results without using your server resources.

    Cons of Jetpack Search

    • Jetpack Search doesn’t index the content of PDFs or documents that you’ve uploaded to your WordPress site. 

    Who is Jetpack Search most suitable for?

    Jetpack Search is a great search solution for any WordPress site. As it uses cloud servers to index and search your website, it can effortlessly deliver results regardless of the size of your site. Its deep integration with WooCommerce also makes it ideal for store owners. 

    Ease of Use

    Jetpack Search is easy to install and will automatically start indexing your site. While the plugin offers powerful customization options, these are easy to understand, and detailed documentation is available. Jetpack’s team of WordPress Happiness Engineers also provides email support to all users. 

    Pricing

    The free version of Jetpack Search allows you to index up to 5,000 records and process 500 search requests per month. The paid plan costs $8.25 per 10,000 records or search requests a month.

    ElasticPress.io homepage design

    2. ElasticPress.io

    ElasticPress.io is a powerful WordPress search service. To enable ElasticPress.io on your site, you must install and configure the ElasticPress WordPress search plugin. Then ElasticPress.io will use its servers to index your site and deliver results. This means your visitors get instant search results that are not limited by the speed or capacity of your website server. 

    ElasticPress.io integrates with WooCommerce to allow your visitors to search for products using product attributes and filter their results so they can find the perfect item. Using ElasticPress.io, you can customize your search algorithms and control the results visitors receive for your most popular search terms. ElasticPress.io also offers auto suggestions based on common search terms, and automatically corrects spellings, so your visitors can easily find the content they’re looking for. 

    Features of ElasticPress.io

    • Hosted search, which takes the load off your servers 
    • Instant search, which shows results as soon as users start typing
    • WooCommerce integration
    • Auto-suggest search terms 
    • Spelling correction
    • Search capabilities within documents and PDFs 
    • Search filters that allow users to narrow down results 
    • A custom results editor to help ensure popular search terms return pre-determined content or products
    • Custom search weighting 

    Pros of ElasticPress.io

    • Like Jetpack Search, ElasticPress is a hosted service that offers a very fast WordPress search experience for your visitors, which doesn’t use your server storage or resources. 
    • ElasticPress.io offers a wide range of advanced features that enable you to fully customize your visitors’ search experience.

    Cons of ElasticPress.io

    • Although there’s a 14-day free trial, there is no free version of ElasticPress.
    • ElasticPress is more expensive than the other hosted, highly-customizable solution on this list: Jetpack Search. 

    Who is ElasticPress.io most suitable for?

    ElasticPress.io is best suited to large WooCommerce sites because it offers fast and accurate product searching, but has a significantly higher cost than the other plugins on this list. 

    Ease of use

    Enabling ElasticPress.io on your WordPress website requires some configuration, and the number of options available may be confusing for some users. However, documentation is provided, along with email support for all subscribers. 

    Pricing

    ElasticPress.io Essential costs $79 per month for up to 20,000 records and 100,000 requests. Additional requests and records are available with the ‘Extended’ plan, which costs $299 per month. 

    Relevanssi listing in the WordPress repository

    3. Relevanssi

    Relevanssi is a popular WordPress search plugin that orders results by relevance. A single WordPress developer, Mikko Saari, is responsible for developing Relevanssi. The plugin replaces WordPress’s built-in search functionality and indexes every part of your site to allow users to search pretty much anything. You can also configure Relevanssi Premium to work with WooCommerce and enable customers to easily search for products on your online store.  

    Relevanssi uses a partial-relevance algorithm to deliver search results to your visitors, which means that if their complete search term doesn’t turn up an exact result, it will display the results that are the closest match. The plugin also offers ‘Did you mean?’ suggestions to your visitors to help them find the content they’re looking for.

    Features of Relevanssi

    • The ability to index any content on your WordPress site, including posts, pages, titles, and products
    • The ability for visitors to search PDFs, documents, and taxonomy terms (premium plan only) 
    • Search results ordered in terms of relevance
    • Highlighted search terms in your posts and pages
    • Customizable weighting for different types of content (premium plan only)
    • Search logs to show the most popular queues and searches that returned no results
    • Google-style “Did you mean?” suggestions based on user searches
    • Spelling corrections (premium plan only) 
    • Keyword stemming (premium plan only)

    Pros of Relevanssi

    • A free version of Relevanssi is available, including many core features, like relevance-based results. 
    • Relvanssi’s premium version supports indexing a wide range of content types, including PDF documents, taxonomy terms, and shortcode-generated content.  

    Cons of Relevanssi

    • Relevanssi uses your own site’s storage and servers, meaning it could impact the speed of your site and take up space on your server. The plugin requires around three times the amount of space as the size of your wp_posts database table. 
    • Taxonomy searching is only possible in the premium version, so if you run an ecommerce store, the free version won’t allow visitors to search by product category or attribute. 
    • Live Ajax searching is only possible with the use of an additional plugin. 
    • Relevanssi has compatibility issues with popular WordPress plugins, including BuddyPress and NextGen Gallery. 

    Who is Relevanssi most suitable for?

    Relevanssi uses your server space and bandwidth to store its index and perform searches, making it best suited for relatively small websites. The premium version is also suitable for ecommerce site owners. 

    Ease of use

    Relevanssi is easy to use and requires minimal setup. The plugin offers a comprehensive knowledge base, and the developer is active on the plugin’s support forum. In addition, email support is provided to premium subscribers. 

    Pricing

    The plugin is available for free. A premium version that includes additional features, like full WooCommerce support, costs $109 per year. 

    Better Search listing in the WordPress repository

    4. Better Search

    Better Search is a free WordPress search plugin that aims to provide your website visitors with more relevant search results. The plugin allows visitors to search most content on your WordPress site, including posts, pages, and custom post types. It also provides a wide range of options to allow you to customize its search outputs, including adjusting the weighting placed on different content types. Better Search logs the queries made by your visitors to generate a heat map to help you visualize the popular searches on your site. 

    Features of Better Search

    • An index of the titles and content of posts, pages, and custom post types 
    • Relevance-based results 
    • Customizable search outputs 
    • Search term logs

    Pros of Better Search

    • The plugin offers relevance-based searching for WordPress at no cost.

    Cons of Better Search

    • Better Search cannot index taxonomies, meaning your visitors cannot search based on category or product attributes.
    • Visitors can’t instantly see search results, as live searching isn’t supported. 
    • Spelling correction and suggested searches are not offered.

    Who is Better Search most suitable for?

    Better Search is a good choice for site owners on a budget who want to provide more relevant search results but who don’t need the advanced features offered by premium plugins. However, as Better Search does not support taxonomy searching, it provides limited benefit to ecommerce store owners.

    Ease of use

    The plugin is easy to install, and will automatically replace the default WordPress search functionality. However, the advanced options offered by Better Search could be confusing for some users. Limited documentation is provided, but the developers are active on the plugin’s WordPress support forum.

    Pricing

    Better Search is available for free from the WordPress plugin repository. 

    Ivory Search listing in the WordPress repository

    5. Ivory Search

    Ivory Search is a WordPress search plugin that offers free and premium versions. The plugin replaces the default WordPress search functionality and allows visitors to scour most of your WordPress site, including posts, pages, titles, and taxonomies. Ivory Search also offers live search, so visitors can see search results as soon as they start typing their query.

    Ivory Search also supports WooCommerce, so your customers can search and see results from your product names, descriptions, and attributes. The plugin’s Pro Plus plan includes deeper support for WooCommerce, allowing you to exclude out-of-stock products from search results and for customers to search by product SKU. 

    Features of Ivory Search

    • Indexing for posts, pages, titles, taxonomies, and WooCommerce products 
    • Ajax-powered live searching
    • The ability to create multiple search forms and place them anywhere on your site via shortcodes 
    • Keyword stemming (premium only)
    • Control over the order of search results (premium only)
    • The ability to remove password-protected posts from search results (premium only)
    • The ability to search by WooCommerce SKU (premium only)
    • Search analytics via Google Analytics integration 

    Pros of Ivory Search

    • The ‘starter’ version of Ivory Search is free and includes many advanced features, including support for WooCommerce product attributes. 

    Cons of Ivory Search

    • While Ivory Search Pro Plus will allow you to index uploaded file names, it cannot index the content of PDFs or documents. 
    • Some features that help your visitors receive the most accurate search results, such as keyword stemming, are only available in the premium versions of the plugin. 
    • Ivory Search uses your server’s storage and resources to index your site and process requests, so its performance can be limited by the resources available within your hosting package.

    Who is Ivory Search most suitable for?

    Ivory Search’s free ‘starter’ plan would be a good choice for small to medium size WooCommerce store owners who want a free search plugin that improves their customers’ search experience. The plugin’s premium plans are most suited to site owners who want increased control over their visitors’ search experience but don’t want advanced features, such as native search analytics, instant filtering, spelling correction, and indexing of document content.

    Ease of use

    Ivory Search’s many options could confuse some users, and the search form and results pages have to be styled via CSS. However, the developer provides detailed documentation alongside support on the plugin’s support forum. Email support is also offered to users of Ivory Search’s paid plans. 

    Pricing

    The ‘starter’ version of Ivory Search is available for free in the WordPress plugin directory. Ivory Search also offers two paid plans. Its Pro plan offers additional features, including advanced ordering and post exclusion settings, for $19.99 a year. Its Pro Plus plan includes indexing of documents, PDFs, and WooCommerce SKUs for $49.99 a year.  

    Comparison of the top WordPress search plugins

    Jetpack Search ElasticPress Relevanssi Better Search Ivory Search
    Live search Yes Yes No No Yes
    Spelling correction Yes No Yes No No
    Instant filtering Yes Yes No No No
    Support for faceted search queries Yes Yes Limited No No
    Customizable algorithm Yes Yes Premium only Limited Limited
    Hosted service to remove strain from your servers Yes Yes No No No
    Full WooCommerce support Yes Yes Premium Only No Pro Plus Only
    Cost Free for up to 500 records. $8.25 a month per 10,000 records $79 a month per 20,000 records.  Limited free version. $109 a year for the premium version.  Free Starter – FreePro – $19.99/yearPro Plus- $49.99/year

    Factors to consider when choosing the best WordPress search plugin

    Does it offer the features you need?

    WordPress site search plugins offer a wide variety of features, and we’ve outlined some of the key features to consider at the start of this article. When choosing a search plugin, it’s important to ensure it has all the features you need to give your visitors a great experience. 

    Is it easy to use?

    You should consider how easy the WordPress site search plugin is to use and how easy it is to customize the plugin’s settings to meet your site’s needs. Some plugins, such as Jetpack Search, are simple to use with minimal setup but still offer high levels of customization so that you can create a bespoke search experience for your site. 

    Could it slow down your site?

    Most WordPress search plugins use your web server to index your site and carry out visitor search requests. Depending on the size of your site and your web hosting package, this could slow down your site. But, some plugins, such as Jetpack Search, use powerful cloud servers to index and search your site, meaning that you can consistently offer a lightning-fast experience to your visitors. 

    Does it work with WooCommerce? 

    If you run an online store using WooCommerce, you must ensure your WordPress search plugin allows your customers to find the products through search. Some search plugins only allow customers to search by product title. But other advanced search plugins, including Jetpack Search, allow your customers to perform faceted searches and filter by product attribute so they can quickly find the product they’re looking for. 

    Conclusion: What is the best search plugin on WordPress?

    The best WordPress search plugin will depend on several factors, including the size of your site, your experience with WordPress, and if you need the plugin to offer advanced features such as instant search. 

    But it’s clear from the comparison table above that Jetpack Search is the best search plugin for WordPress. Jetpack Search is an affordable hosted search solution that offers a wide range of features, including instant search, powerful filtering, and full support for WooCommerce. It’s simple to set up, and works automatically to keep your site’s search index up to date. Plus, it delivers lightning-fast results to your visitors without using valuable server resources. As it’s made by the people behind WordPress.com and WooCommerce, it integrates seamlessly with your site to help your visitors instantly find content or products. 

    Frequently asked questions about WordPress search plugins

    How much does an advanced site search plugin cost on WordPress?

    WordPress search plugins vary in price. Some plugins are free, but offer fewer features than their premium counterparts. The top plugin in this article, Jetpack Search, provides a powerful free version perfect for smaller sites, and its paid version offers advanced features at a much lower cost than other hosted search solutions in this review. 

    Is it easy to configure a site search plugin on WordPress?

    This varies by plugin and the amount of customizations made by the site owner. However, most can be set up and working in a few clicks and advanced customizations can be made over time. 

    What makes a good WordPress site search plugin?

    WordPress site search plugins should be quick to set up, easy to use, and offer lightning-fast results while minimizing strain on server resources. And that’s why cloud-based solutions like Jetpack Search are often the go-to option for site owners. 

    Search plugins should also offer customization options that guide visitors along paths that help you meet your site goals. Finally, solutions are only helpful if they offer accurate results. Ideal plugins will provide automatic spelling corrections and work to constantly keep the results index up-to-date and relevant. 

  • How to Add Google Analytics to WordPress — 2023 Setup Guide

    Using Google Analytics with WordPress provides some incredible insights. You can learn how people engage with your website, where traffic comes from, how visitors interact with content, and what elements and pages are popular with your audience. You can then use this to improve your site design, determine what types of content or products to create, and better target your advertising.  

    The good news is that the information Google Analytics provides about your WordPress website is free. But adding it to WordPress can require some time and patience. 

    As you’ll learn throughout this guide, manually adding Google Analytics to WordPress is certainly possible, but is often complicated for beginners. It also provides complex analytics and stats that might be way more than you need, especially if you own a small website and just want to discover more information about visitors and traffic sources. 

    The focus of this guide is on how to add Google Analytics to WordPress, but we’ll also tell you a bit more about a tool called Jetpack Stats. This alternative generates simple data, charts, and graphs, can be easier to install, and also integrates with Google Analytics if you need. Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, is responsible for Jetpack Stats, so it’s a great choice for many WordPress site owners.   

    How can you use Google Analytics?

    Google Analytics is a platform that anonymously tracks visitor behavior and aggregates that information so it’s useful to site owners and marketers. Google Analytics on a WooCommerce store, for example, can track the ultimate sources of sales revenue so marketers know which efforts provided the best return on investment. 

    But Google Analytics can also tell site owners the pages and posts that are the most popular — in terms of number of visits, but also how long people stay on the page. You can figure out which traffic sources lead people to visit five pages instead of two pages on average (a measure of engagement). You can compare information over time to gauge the success of your site. Does your traffic increase? Are visitors coming back more than once? Have you improved your bounce rate by providing a better, more interesting experience for visitors? 

    There are seemingly thousands of ways you can work with the data to get both basic and highly-advanced insights. Here are some of the things Google Analytics tracks: 

    • Visitor demographic information, like location, devices used, and interests
    • Customer behavior analytics
    • Top sources of traffic
    • User engagement trends
    • Goal completions, like adding products to a cart or signing up for an email list
    • The success of various marketing campaigns

    Why connect Google Analytics to WordPress?

    Using Google Analytics on WordPress is a good idea if you want to learn more about your website and how people interact with it.

    Say you use WordPress for your small business site. Integrating Google Analytics with the platform helps you discover how long people stay on your site, where those visitors come from, what actions they take, what content they engage with, and other insightful statistics. 

    WordPress doesn’t have any in-built statistics, so adding Google Analytics to the platform provides a whole new perspective on your website. You can uncover information that will make your site more successful and relevant to your audience.

    The easiest way to add Google Analytics to WordPress is by using Jetpack. 

    Can I see my WordPress analytics without Google?

    WordPress doesn’t have a built-in way to view site analytics from your dashboard. Google Analytics is one of the most popular tools for collecting and viewing site stats, but it’s not necessarily the best choice for every site owner. 

    While Google Analytics is free to use and provides valuable information, it can be complicated for beginners and hobbyists because it generates a massive amount of data. The platform displays statistics and analytics via complex reports, dashboards, charts, and graphs that can be difficult to interpret. 

    Say you have a personal website and just want to analyze visitors, traffic sources, and other simple information. Google Analytics certainly delivers this data, but it can require scrolling through countless charts and graphs to find what you need. If this sounds more like a chore than a benefit, Google Analytics might not be right for you. 

    Luckily, you can view analytical information about your WordPress site without Google. Jetpack Stats is the simplest and quickest way to access site analytics right in your WordPress dashboard. Use it to get a solid, reliable overview of site performance without a steep learning curve.

    But you can also easily and quickly connect Google Analytics to your site with Jetpack. As you’ll see in a moment, this is a much simpler approach than manually adding tracking codes, especially for beginners. Combining these two gives you the absolute best of both worlds!

    Requirements to add Google Analytics to WordPress 

    Are you ready to add Google Analytics to WordPress? Here are a few things you need before you start:

    Signing up for a Google Analytics account is a simple process. You can create a dedicated account just for your site, or if you already have a Google profile for tools like Gmail, you can sign in and visit analytics.Google.com to associate it with that existing account. Read on for more details.

    How to sign up for a Google Analytics account and get your measurement ID

    Registering for Google Analytics is free, and required whether you connect Google Analytics to WordPress with Jetpack or manually. All you need is a Google account. Follow this step-by-step guide to sign up for a Google Analytics account:

    1. Head to Google Analytics on your desktop computer or mobile device.
    2. Log in to an existing Google account or register for a new one.
    3. Create a name for your Google Analytics account. 
    4. Customize your data sharing settings. This gives you control over how much information you want to share with Google.
    5. Click Next.
    create an account name in Google Analytics

    Now, you’ll need to choose a Google Analytics property — the WordPress website that Google will track. Google will end Universal Analytics in July 2023, so you should create a property in Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

    1. Enter a property name, the name of your business or website.
    2. Choose your reporting time zone and local currency.
    3. Click Next.
    adding property details for Google Analytics

    The next screen is all about your business or site:

    1. Select an industry category that best matches your business (or site).
    2. Choose a business size from the available categories. 
    3. Specify how you intend to use Google Analytics. For example, you might want to use the tool to measure customer engagement or increase conversions. You can select as many categories as you like.
    4. Click Create.
    5. Review, and if you agree to the terms, click I Accept in the Google Analytics Terms of Service Agreement popup. 
    6. Choose how you want to receive email notifications from Google in the My Email Communications popup.
    adding business details to Google Analytics

    The following screen is about setting up data streams, which helps Google collect information from your WordPress site for analytics. Click Web under the Choose a Platform section.

    On the next screen, you need to enter your WordPress site URL and stream name — the name of your website. You’ll notice that Google Analytics has Enhanced Measurement on by default. This option automatically measures content and interactions on your site. Toggle this feature off if you just want Google to track page views.

    Click Create Stream.

    Finally, Google Analytics will provide you with a measurement ID (known as a “tracking ID” in Universal Analytics) so you can connect this tool to WordPress.

    setting up web stream details and finding a measurement ID

    Tip: Copy this measurement ID in your internet browser or leave the tab open. You’ll need this information later.

    Now that you have an account and measurement ID, it’s time to add Google Analytics to your WordPress site!

    There are two main ways to do this:

    1. Using a plugin like Jetpack.
    2. Adding Google Analytics to WordPress manually.

    How to set up Google Analytics on WordPress with a plugin

    Here’s a step-by-step guide to using Google Analytics on WordPress with Jetpack, the easiest way to make the most of this powerful tool.

    Tip: If you’ve already installed and set up the Jetpack plugin for WordPress, scroll down to the ‘Find my Google Analytics measurement ID’ section!

    1. Install Jetpack

    You can install Jetpack directly from the WordPress Admin area. 

    1. Click on Plugins → Add New.
    2. Search for Jetpack.
    3. Click Install Now → Activate.
    4. Click Set up Jetpack.

    You’ll now connect your website to WordPress.com, which will enable you to take advantage of Jetpack’s features, like site stats. All you need to do is click Approve, and Jetpack will take care of everything else.

    2. Select a Jetpack plan

    Jetpack Stats is free to use and includes key stats for your WordPress site. However, you’ll need to invest in a paid Jetpack Complete or Security plan to connect Google Analytics to your WordPress site. These plans include additional features like real-time backups, spam prevention, and malware scanning. 

    1. Head to https://cloud.jetpack.com/pricing in a new browser tab. 
    2. Select a Jetpack plan.
    3. Enter the URL of your WordPress site and click Continue.
    4. Enter the login credentials for the WordPress user account you want to connect. 
    5. Complete the checkout process. At this point, Jetpack will prompt you to enable additional, helpful features. Choose the ones you want or manage them at a later date. Return to your WordPress Admin and click Jetpack → Settings. Then, navigate to the Traffic tab.
    6. Click Activate Site Stats. 

    At this point, you can already view important information about your site through Jetpack Stats. Learn more about that here. 

    Jetpack site stats example

    But let’s see how to enhance this already powerful tool by connecting Google Analytics.

    3. Connect Google Analytics 

    Unlike adding Google Analytics to WordPress manually, you don’t need to copy and paste complicated code. All you need is the measurement ID. If you saved it when you signed up for Google Analytics earlier in this tutorial, now’s the time to pull it out! 

    If you need to find your Google Analytics measurement ID, here’s how to do so: 

    1. Log in to Google Analytics and click Admin in the bottom left-hand corner of your main dashboard. 
    2. Click Property in the left-hand menu. 
    3. Click Setup Assistant in the right-hand menu.
    4. Go to Tag Installation and click Web.
    5. Click on your Google Analytics property.
    6. Copy the measurement ID. It’s a combination of letters and numbers like G-12345.

    Now, you can add that ID to your site by following these steps: 

    1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
    2. Go to Jetpack → Settings → Traffic. 
    3. Scroll to Google Analytics.
    4. Click Configure Your Google Analytics Settings. Clicking this option will redirect you to your WordPress.com dashboard. 
    5. Scroll to the Google Analytics section.
    6. Paste your measurement ID in the Google Analytics Measurement ID section. 
    7. Review and toggle any settings as desired. Learn more about your options here. 
    8. Click Save Settings.
    entering tracking ID in Jetpack

    And that’s all it takes to gain access to a wealth of information about your site.

    How to view Google Analytics on WordPress

    Now that you’ve completed the setup process, you’re ready to view information from Google Analytics on WordPress. All you have to do is go to Insights → Reports in your WordPress dashboard.

    How to add Google Analytics to WordPress manually

    The manual method is definitely the most complicated one because it requires working with code — a skill you might not have. It can be easy to make a mistake that causes your entire WordPress site to stop working. So, if you want to go down this route, it’s a good idea to back up your website before going any further. Jetpack VaultPress Backup can help you do that.

    By using this tool, you can easily restore a full version of your site to the exact state it was in before it went down, even if you can’t access your WordPress dashboard at all.

    Before you start, you’ll also need the Google Tag provided to you after you created your Google Analytics account. Note that this is longer and more complex than the measurement ID referenced earlier.

    To find this, log in to your Google Analytics account. Click Admin in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen. Click Data Streams → Web in the Property column. Choose the stream for your site. 

    Now, select View tag instructions → Install Manually. Copy the entire selection of code that appears, starting with <!– Google tag (gtag.js) → and ending with </script>.

    Add your Google tag to WordPress

    You’ll need to insert this tag into the <head> of every page on your site, which you can do using the functions.php file. If at all possible, you’ll want to make sure you’re using a child theme, which is essentially a “copy” of your theme that prevents you from losing any customizations when you run a theme update.

    The best and safest way to access your functions.php file is through file transfer protocol (FTP). You can do this by using a FTP software like FileZilla, along with the FTP login credentials for your site. Typically, these are found in your hosting provider’s cpanel or other dashboard.

    In FileZilla, enter the host, username, password, and port you found from your host.

    entering ftp information in FileZilla

    Then, you’ll see a list on the right side. This shows all of the files and folders on your server. 

    example of the public_html folder viewed via FileZilla

    Open public_html → wp-content → themes → yourtheme. Of course, if you’re using a child theme, open the child theme folder. Find the functions.php file and download it to your device.

    Then, open the file in your text editing software of choice, like Notepad++ or TextEdit. At the bottom of the file, paste the following code:

    <pre class="wp-block-syntaxhighlighter-code">

<?php

add_action('wp_head', 'wpb_add_googleanalytics');

function wpb_add_googleanalytics() { ?>

// Paste your Google tag here

<?php } ?>

</pre>

    Remember to paste your Google tag where instructed above! Save the file once you’re done.

    Remove the old functions.php file from your server and replace it with the updated version from your computer by dragging and dropping it to FileZilla. You should now be good to go! Navigate to your website and ensure that everything looks good and that you haven’t made an error when editing the file.

    If, for any reason, there is a problem, you’ll need to restore a backup of your WordPress site.

    But how do you know if the connection is working? It can actually take up to 24 to 48 hours to start showing site data within Google Analytics. But in the meantime, you can take these steps:

    1. Head back to Google Analytics.
    2. Click Reports → Realtime.
    3. Pay a visit to your WordPress site. 

    If your tag is working correctly, you’ll see the Google Analytics page update to reflect your visit.

    viewing active visitors on your site

    Another option is to use Google’s Tag Assistant extension for Google Chrome. Simply install this tool in your browser and navigate to your website. Then, click the extension’s icon in your browser’s top toolbar, followed by the Enable button. Reload the page. 

    Google Tag Assistant extension

    This will show you any and all Google tags you have on your site, including one for Google Analytics, and will alert you to any problems. 

    viewing Google tags

    If you do run into issues, you can use this guide from Google to troubleshoot them.

    Why install Google Analytics on WordPress with a plugin?

    The problem with installing Google Analytics manually — apart from the complexity and risk — is that it only allows you to view WordPress data from within Google Analytics. You can’t see your site information directly inside of WordPress, so you’ll need to constantly switch between Google and WordPress.

    There might also be an issue if you’ve used Google Analytics at some point previously, and now want to do so for your WordPress site. In the past, you probably used Google’s Universal Analytics system, which was the standard prior to 2020. 

    Now, however, the standard is GA4, which uses a completely different interface than the one you might be familiar with. Of course, this can complicate things, especially if you just want to gain access to simple information.

    Using a plugin like Jetpack will allow you to overcome those challenges and view Google Analytics on WordPress — the platform you already know how to use! Plus, it’s simple and easy to use, without requiring you to edit code.

    Frequently asked questions about Google Analytics on WordPress

    Here are answers to some common questions about Jetpack Stats and using Google Analytics with WordPress:

    What is Jetpack Stats?

    Jetpack Stats is a tool developed by the creators of WordPress.com to meet the needs of WordPress websites. It generates simple analytics and information about your website, like visitor data and traffic sources. You can use Jetpack Stats to learn more about the people who engage with your content, where visitors come from in the world, what pages and posts are the most popular with your audience, and other valuable insights. 

    Do I need Google Analytics to use Jetpack Stats?

    No! Jetpack Stats is a standalone tool that generates information about your WordPress site without any need for Google Analytics. View data within WordPress via simple graphs and charts, and learn more about your visitors and traffic sources.

    Can Jetpack Stats and Google Analytics work side by side?

    Yes! You can use data generated by Jetpack alongside Google Analytics information to get a 360-degree view of your WordPress website. 

    Whether you’re a small business owner, developer, or anyone else who manages a WordPress site, Jetpack Stats provides access to helpful statistics and analytical information to advance your goals.

    Is Jetpack Stats free to use?

    Yes, Jetpack Stats is free to use, and gives you great WordPress site data and information. 

    If you want even more advanced information, you can connect your WordPress site to Google Analytics using a paid Jetpack plan like Jetpack Security or Jetpack Complete.

    What other complementary tools does Jetpack offer?

    Depending on your plan, Jetpack also provides tools that help you manage and protect your WordPress site, including:

    Where can I obtain support for Google Analytics?

    Google Analytics is a complicated tool that provides a lot of data that you might not need. If you run into problems, the Google Analytics support forum lets you share information with and get help from other users. 

    Alternatively, you might decide to use Jetpack Stats. This is a simpler tool that is easier to navigate and understand. And it includes top-notch support from WordPress experts!

    What about Do Not Track?

    Do Not Track (DNT) is a feature in web browsers and websites that asks advertisers and other web software providers to not track individuals’ browsing habits. If you’ve enabled Google Analytics using Jetpack, you can force Google Analytics to honor any visitors with DNT enabled and not track their activity (i.e. post and page views) by adding the following code snippet to your site:

    add_filter( 'jetpack_honor_dnt_header_for_wga', '__return_true' );

    Learn more about adding code snippets to your site here.

    What about WooCommerce analytics?

    You can also use Jetpack Stats to view information about your WooCommerce store, including order data and trends. Google Analytics, which you can integrate using Jetpack, has additional ecommerce tracking capabilities. 

    WooCommerce, however, also has ecommerce analytics that you can access by going to Analytics in your WordPress dashboard. From here, you can get information about revenue, orders, coupons, taxes, and more. 

    Learn about your WordPress site visitors

    Regardless of the kind of site you run, you probably want to learn more about who’s interacting with it and how. Jetpack Stats can provide you with essential information to measure the progress of your efforts and keep tabs on what’s working and what needs improvement. Plus, you can use Jetpack to quickly integrate Google Analytics when you’re ready for more detailed data.

    Get started with Jetpack Stats.

  • How to Recover and Restore Your WordPress Site after a Crash

    WordPress is an excellent platform for your website. But that doesn’t mean that it’s invincible. If you’re working on your site and encounter a sudden glitch, freeze, or crash, it’s easy to enter panic mode.

    Fortunately, there are ways to recover and restore your WordPress site after a crash. Whether you installed a poorly-coded plugin or accidentally deleted a file, you can get your site up and running again by following the right steps.

    In this post, we’ll take a closer look at WordPress website crashes and some common causes. Then, we’ll guide you through five steps to recover and restore your site after a crash. Let’s get started!

    Does WordPress crash?

    WordPress, like any Content Management System (CMS), isn’t infallible. But, since it’s built through volunteer contributions by the world’s top developers and continuously peer-checked and improved upon, it’s truly a stable platform. Most issues arise from human error on an individual site level. 

    So, a WordPress site can crash, and one of the main causes is running outdated software, whether it’s WordPress core, plugins, or themes. Outdated software poses a risk to your site since known vulnerabilities are easily exploited. Therefore, your site may be less resistant to viruses, malware, and online attacks. And when things like plugins or themes are outdated, they can conflict with one another and cause errors and outages.

    Does WordPress have a crash log?

    When WordPress site crashes occur, you can use an error log to identify and resolve the issue as quickly as possible. To view PHP errors on your website, all you have to do is enable the WP_DEBUG function. 

    The easiest way to enable WordPress debugging is with a handy plugin like Query Monitor.

    Query Monitor installed on a WordPress website

    Query Monitor adds a developer tool panel to your WordPress admin area. Using this plugin, you can debug various parts of WordPress, including database queries, PHP errors, and CSS.

    Alternatively, you can always enable debug mode manually. If you prefer this option, it requires access to your site’s File Manager or a connection through Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). 

    Locate your root folder (usually labeled public_html) and open your wp-config.php file.

    wp-config.php file highlighted inside of a file manager

    At this point, look for the line that reads: “That’s all, stop editing! Happy publishing”. Then, insert this line of code above it: 

    define ( ‘WP_DEBUG’, true );

    If there are errors on your site, a debug.log file will appear within your wp-content folder. You can download it to your computer to view the entire log and identify the errors. 

    Seven common causes of WordPress site crashes

    Now that you know a bit more about WordPress crashes, let’s look at some of the leading causes.

    1. Installing or updating a plugin or theme

    WordPress plugins extend the functionality of your site, but poorly-coded plugins can create errors. Not just that, but even a high-quality plugin can cause problems if it isn’t compatible with your version of WordPress or other software on your site.

    If your site crashed, think about whether you’ve recently installed a new plugin, updated an existing tool, or changed your theme. 

    In the future, it’s important to only choose reputable plugins and themes, like the ones in the WordPress plugin directory.

    WordPress plugin directory search box

    Alternatively, you could choose premium plugins and themes from trusted third-party marketplaces. Make sure that it has a number of positive customer reviews to verify that the plugin or theme is well-coded and functional.

    You’ll also want to pay attention to how frequently the tool is updated, whether the software is compatible with the latest WordPress version, and the level of support from the developer.

    2. Expired domain names

    If an expired domain causes your WordPress site to crash, the good news is that it’s one of the easier problems to resolve. Your domain name is the website address that visitors enter to find your site. It’s a crucial branding element that helps you establish a strong online identity.

    But once you’ve secured a unique domain name, it will typically only last for one year. Since you’re simply “renting” a domain for a set period, you’ll need to renew it before it expires.

    If you’ve forgotten to renew your domain name, you should contact the company you used to register your domain and see if it’s still possible to get it back. If you can get the domain back, then check that your contact and payment details are correct. Also, you might want to enable auto-renew so that you don’t have to worry about this happening again. 

    3. Server issues

    Some server errors can cause problems on your site. For instance, the HTTP 500 Internal Server Error and the Timed-Out Error are both caused by a slow or overwhelmed server. 

    The leading causes of WordPress server errors include browser caching problems, database server problems (like slow connection times), and corrupt databases (perhaps containing malicious files). 

    Typically, you can only resolve these issues by changing the server configuration. You can contact your hosting provider to sort this out for you.

    You can give your website a better chance of avoiding these issues by opting for a quality WordPress host. It’s a good idea to prioritize hosts that offer at least 99.99 percent uptime. You’ll also benefit from choosing a provider that offers plenty of extra security measures like Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) and automated updates. 

    Note: Some WAFs will block our IPs, which breaks the Jetpack connection. If you’re using any of the Jetpack plugins, be sure to ask your hosting provider to allow our IP addresses to access your site’s xmlrpc.php file. This will ensure your site has a continuous connection to WordPress.com.

    4. Updating the WordPress core software

    As we discussed earlier, it’s important to keep plugins and themes up-to-date. But it’s also essential to update your WordPress core software. This way, you can prevent compatibility issues resulting in WordPress crashes.

    What’s more, WordPress updates often contain security fixes for bugs found in the previous release. So, there’s less chance of hackers being able to exploit these known vulnerabilities on your site. 

    If you’re unsure which version of WordPress you’re running, head to Dashboard → Updates.

    WordPress updates available in the dashboard

    Here, you can confirm your version of WordPress, enable auto-updates, and upgrade your plugins and themes. When a new version of WordPress is available, you’ll receive an update message in your dashboard. 

    It’s also essential to back up your site before running an update in case anything goes wrong. Later, we’ll explain how you can do this with Jetpack VaultPress Backup!

    5. Editing the WordPress code

    Even when experts carry out routine website maintenance, human error can result in the accidental deletion of files and folders. Therefore, it’s possible to crash your site when adding or editing code in WordPress. 

    The best solution is to make sure that you regularly back up your website. That way, if anything goes wrong, it’s easy to restore your site to its original state. 

    One of the quickest ways to do this is with a plugin like Jetpack VaultPress Backup.

    Jetpack VaultPress Backup homepage with the text "The best real-time WordPress backup plugin."

    For extra peace of mind, Jetpack stores your backups on a different server from your website — using the industry-leading, secure infrastructure of WordPress.com. This means that if you’ve made a mistake on your server, your backups won’t be compromised. And you can restore them even if your website is completely down. 

    6. WordPress hacks

    While the previous causes are pretty harmless, WordPress can also crash if your site gets hacked or compromised.  

    Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) is one of the most common types of online attacks. This occurs when hackers use multiple machines to overwhelm your server with millions of fake requests. 

    Additionally, you might face brute force attacks that target the WordPress login page. These attacks are when hackers try thousands of username/password combinations to try to break into your website. Eventually, attackers can gain unauthorized access to your account and take over your entire site.

    You’ll know if your website has been hacked because it may become slow, unresponsive, or inaccessible to users. Visitors may also be redirected to malicious sites. Sometimes, you can find these redirects placed in the footer of your pages. 

    Furthermore, an obvious sign that WordPress has been hacked is Google blocklisting your site. Search engines do this to prevent visitors from reaching your pages and becoming infected themselves. 

    You can use a tool like Safe Browsing Status to confirm this.

    Google's Safe Browsing tool with a site status search bar

    To prevent future WordPress hacks, consider upgrading to the Jetpack Security bundle on your site. The bundle includes malware scanning, spam protection, and regular backups. Additionally, you can strengthen your login credentials by using strong passwords and implementing two-factor authentication. 

    7. Updating your site’s PHP version

    PHP is an open-source scripting language that WordPress is built on. Like any other software on your site, updating PHP is vital since newer versions are better prepared to deal with security threats. 

    If you’re not sure which version of PHP you’re running, navigate to Tools → Site Health.

    Site Health page inside of the WordPress dashboard

    Switch to the Info tab. Then, scroll down to open the Server tab.

    server information inside of WordPress site health

    You’ll find your server setup information here, including the current PHP version.

    Updating your PHP is generally a safe process. But, if you have outdated code (like themes and plugins), you could crash your site. Therefore, it’s essential to check that all plugins and themes are compatible with the version of PHP you intend to use. 

    You can usually find this information by visiting the dedicated plugin/theme page and looking under PHP Version.

    information about a plugin, including the compatible PHP version

    Then, you can update your PHP version through your hosting account. The process will differ depending on your web host. 

    How to recover and restore your WordPress site after a crash (in 5 steps)

    Now that you know why your WordPress site can crash, let’s discuss what to do if you find yourself in this situation!

    Step 1: Restore a backup of your site

    The best and easiest way to restore a backup of your WordPress site is to use the Jetpack VaultPress Backup plugin. There are a couple of ways you can do this.

    Note: You’ll need to add server credentials to your Jetpack settings before you begin these steps.

    The first method is to restore your site to a specific event. Start by opening your activity log, which keeps track of all the actions that take place on your site. There, you can either scroll down to a specific event or filter by date range or type of activity.

    selecting a date range in the activity log

    This can be particularly helpful if you know what may have caused the crash, like a recent plugin update or code edit. Click the Actions button next to the event, then choose Restore to this point.

    green button with text "restore to this point"

    A window will appear asking what elements you want to restore. In most cases, you’ll want to leave all of them selected. Then, click Confirm restore.

    options for site elements to restore

    The restore process will start automatically. You can keep track of it using the progress bar that appears, but you’ll also receive an email when it’s done.

    The second method is to restore to a specific day. To do this, navigate to https://cloud.jetpack.com and click Backups. You’ll immediately see the most recent backup of your site, but you can also use the arrows to scroll through other options. You can also choose Select Date to find a specific day.

    scrolling through available backup dates

    Once you’ve chosen a day and time, click Restore to this point. Then, you’ll need to choose what elements you want to restore and wait for the process to finish.

    And that’s it! No messing with server settings, dealing with your database, or editing code. 

    Step 2: Retrace your last steps

    But what if you don’t have a backup on hand that you can restore? At this point, you’ll need to identify the cause of your WordPress crash to get your website back up and running. You may also need to do this if you restored a backup and aren’t exactly sure what caused the problem.  After all, you don’t want your site to just crash again! 

    This can also help you identify the point in time you want to restore your site to. In that case, you may want to take this step before the first one.

    It’s best to start with any recent changes you made and work your way back. For instance, have you installed a new plugin? Have you updated your theme? Did you edit your site’s code? Write down everything you can remember.

    Then, work your way through the list and revert any changes that you can. You might roll back WordPress, your theme, or a specific plugin to a previous version. Or you may replace the file that you edited with a fresh copy. You can do this through File Manager or FTP if you can’t access your WordPress dashboard. We’ll explain how to do this in the next section. 

    But this is where the WordPress Activity Log can be your best friend! There, you can get a list of all the actions that occurred on your site, along with who performed each one and when it occurred. So, if you know that your website went down at 3:05 PM, you can see what happened immediately beforehand. This can also alert you to any nefarious activity taken by an unauthorized user.

    Step 3: Deactivate or delete plugins

    If you think a plugin may have caused your WordPress crash, but aren’t sure which one, it’s best to deactivate all your plugins at once. You can do this from your WordPress dashboard as long as you still have access. 

    Simply head to Plugins → Installed Plugins. Check the box next to “Plugin” to select all of the plugins at once. Then, in the Bulk actions dropdown, choose Deactivate.

    deactivating plugins in WordPress

    If this fixes the problem you’re having with your site, then you know the root cause is a plugin. Reactivate them one by one until you identify the culprit. Now you can delete that plugin, find a replacement, roll back to a previous version, or reach out to the developer for support.

    But if you can’t access your WordPress admin area, you’ll have to revert the changes through the File Manager or by using FTP. No matter which one you choose, navigate to the root folder of your website, typically called public_html.

    Now, go to wp-content → plugins. Rename this folder to whatever you’d like — e.g. plugins.bak — to deactivate all of your plugins at once. Again, if this solves the problem, then you know it was caused by a plugin.

    plugins folder in a cpanel file manager

    Rename the folder to its original state. Then, deactivate each plugin one by one by renaming it until you find the culprit. Again, your next step is to delete the plugin, find a replacement, roll back to a previous version, or reach out to the developer for support.

    Step 4: Switch to a default theme

    It’s possible that a theme update might conflict with WordPress core, or that there was a problem with your theme code in general. You can determine this by switching to a default theme, like Twenty Twenty-Two.

    If you can access your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance → Themes.

    the themes page inside of WordPress

    Find a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Two and hit Activate. If this solves the problem, then you may need to roll back your original theme, switch to a new theme, or reach out to the theme developer for help.

    If you can’t log in to your WordPress dashboard, you’ll need to use either your host’s file manager or FTP to access your site files. Again, you’ll need to locate your wp-content folder. 

    Open the themes folder inside of it. Rename the directory for your current, active theme. This will force WordPress to activate a default theme instead. If this fixes your problem, then you can attribute it to your theme!

    Pro tip: You can take care of steps 3 and 4 all at once using the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin. This tool even enables you to troubleshoot in the backend while your site remains live and visible online! 

    Step 5: Install a fresh version of WordPress

    Since a wrong line of code or a missing file can cause WordPress to crash, uploading fresh WordPress core files can potentially fix the problem. Start by downloading a new WordPress version. 

    Open up the zip file on your computer and remove the wp-content folder and wp-config.php file. It’s critical that you don’t replace these because they contain settings, plugins, themes, and other valuable data that’s specific to your website. As always, it’s also important that you have a backup on hand before you make major changes.

    Now, connect to your site via FTP and replace the rest of the WordPress files. Once that process is finished, load your site and see if it’s working. If it is, great job! The problem is solved.

    What to do if WordPress keeps crashing

    You should now have a good idea of how to recover your site after a crash. If WordPress keeps crashing, here are some things to consider:

    Ensure regular backups are in place

    An easy-to-use WordPress backup and restoration system is the single best tool you can have on your side if your site’s experiencing issues. While it won’t solve the root cause of crashes (unless the issues can be solved by restoring a clean backup), it will make it easier to keep your site running and troubleshoot issues until there’s a fix. 

    Automated solutions like Jetpack VaultPress Backup are ideal in this situation, because even an experienced, careful developer can make mistakes when taking or restoring backups manually. 

    Some backup plugins offer weekly or daily backups. But if you’re experiencing frequent issues or just have lots of regular activity on your site (comments, sales, new posts, etc.), you’ll want to look for a real-time solution. This is once again where Jetpack VaultPress Backup shines — it saves every change on your site and keeps a detailed WordPress activity log so that you can restore to a specific point in time and never lose your work. 

    Backups are also an essential part of good WordPress site security — they allow you a way to recover from hacks and safeguard your files. But to make the most of this, backups should be stored off-site, on another server than where your site is hosted. This way, if the server is compromised, you can still access your backups and recover a clean version of your site. Jetpack VaultPress Backup stores files on a secure infrastructure used by WordPress.com and WordPress VIP clients. In other words, it’s fast, reliable, and secure. 

    Finally, backups are great, but if you can’t easily restore one, it’s not a complete solution. Make sure you test the restoration process of your chosen backup system. Jetpack VaultPress Backup can restore your site (even if it’s completely down), in just a click or two. 

    Update software in a staging environment

    It’s important to update WordPress core, along with your themes and plugins, whenever new versions are available. These updates often include patches for security issues, and also ensure compatibility with other pieces of software on your site.

    But the best and safest way to do this is using a staging environment. This is essentially a copy of your site that isn’t publicly accessible to your audience. You can test updates, code changes, and more without affecting your live site. Then, you can easily push those changes live when you know they’re safe.

    Some hosting providers, like Bluehost, offer staging as part of their plans. But if your host doesn’t do this, you can always use a plugin like WP Staging. 

    Restrict user privileges

    Be selective when it comes to granting access to your WordPress site, especially with user roles that allow people to make major changes. For example, Administrators have full permissions, and can do absolutely anything on your site. In general, it’s best to have just one administrator — you! — but if you decide to have more, make sure they’re trusted and experienced.

    After all, if someone has full access to your website, they can use it for nefarious purposes, perform actions you don’t want them to, and even take down the site entirely. 

    So take some time to understand the permissions that come with each type of WordPress user role. Then, only assign the minimum necessary permissions required for each person to do their job. And if they stop working with you, remove their account.

    You can edit user privileges in WordPress by going to Users → All Users.

    editing a user in WordPress

    Here, you can add new users, edit existing users, and change user roles by clicking on each individual account.

    Check your browser and computer

    If your site keeps going down just for you, it’s possible that there’s a problem with your computer or browser. In this case, your first step should be deleting your browser cache. This will ensure that you’re seeing the latest version of your site.

    The instructions for this will depend on the browser you’re using. But let’s take a look at how to do this in Google Chrome.

    In your browser, click on History → Show Full History. Then, choose Clear Browsing Data in the left-hand menu. Check the box next to Cached images and files, and click the Clear data button.

    clearing browser cache in Google Chrome

    If you’re still having problems, you may also need to update the version of your browser you have installed. Again, check with your specific provider for instructions.

    Talk to your hosting provider

    If your site regularly goes down, it’s worth seeking your host’s help. It’s possible that the cause could be a misconfigured server, lack of resources, or outdated software version (like PHP). They can help you identify and solve these types of problems.

    You may need to upgrade your plan if you’re using more resources than are allotted to your site or even switch hosting providers entirely. See our list of recommended WordPress hosts for guidance.

    Use an activity log

    We’ve talked about an activity log a few times throughout this post, and that’s because it’s incredibly helpful when it comes to identifying problems. With a good WordPress activity log, you can see what happens right before your site goes down each time.

    For example, perhaps you have WordPress auto-updates enabled, and your website crashes each time a specific plugin updates. This is a sign that you’ll need to switch plugins, turn off auto-updates for that specific tool, or reach out to its developer.

    Or maybe you start to notice activity that you didn’t authorize. Then, there could have been a security breach on your site that you’ll need to lock down.

    Jetpack’s activity log is the best option for WordPress because it integrates so seamlessly. It shows you all the information you need to know, including each action taken, its date and time, and the user who performed it. It also works with Jetpack VaultPress Backup, so you can restore a backup from right before a certain action took place.

    Recover and restore WordPress after a crash

    When working on your WordPress website, small mistakes can cause a crash. Fortunately, there are plenty of quick ways to recover. By identifying the cause of the issue, you can get your site back up and running in no time.

    To recap, here are five steps to recover and restore your WordPress site after a crash:

    1. Restore a backup of your site using a plugin like Jetpack VaultPress Backup.
    2. Retrace your last steps.
    3. Deactivate plugins. 
    4. Switch to a default theme.
    5. Install a fresh version of WordPress.

    With Jetpack VaultPress Backup, you don’t need to worry about website crashes since it’s easy to restore your site quickly. Better yet, you can back up all your site files, including customer data and database files in real-time. Get started with Jetpack today!

  • How to Generate Critical CSS in WordPress (2 Methods)

    People who visit your website don’t want to wait a long time to see your content. If you don’t optimize your code, render-blocking resources like CSS can contribute to visitors’ perception of slower load times.

    Fortunately, you can easily generate critical CSS for your website. By installing a plugin like Jetpack Boost, you’ll be able to extract all the necessary CSS for displaying above-the-fold content. This can be key to making your website appear faster and more user-friendly. 

    In this post, we’ll explain critical CSS and why you should consider generating it for your website. Then, we’ll show you two different ways to do this in WordPress. 

    What is critical CSS in WordPress?

    Once a visitor clicks on a link to your website, their browser has to process a series of tasks to render the content fully. All the steps involved in downloading, processing, and converting the code into pixels make up the Critical Rendering Path.

    The browser reads the site’s HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code from top to bottom during this loading process. Since it won’t automatically know which resources are most important in rendering the page, the browser could get stuck processing unnecessary code. 

    If a certain CSS file stops your website from rendering, it becomes a render-blocking resource. Even if it isn’t necessary for displaying the page, visitors won’t see the content until this render-blocking CSS is fully processed.

    Critical CSS refers to the required CSS code for the above-the-fold web content. Essentially, it’s the bare minimum code the browser needs to display the first section of content to visitors. 

    The benefits of generating critical CSS

    Generating critical CSS for your web pages involves eliminating any render-blocking CSS and enabling the browser to only process what’s necessary.

    1. Optimize content delivery

    When you optimize CSS delivery for your WordPress website, it can improve the rendering process. To a front-end visitor, it might even seem like your pages are loading more quickly.

    When someone lands on your website, the first thing they’ll see is the above-the-fold content. This is everything displayed on the front page without needing to scroll.

    example of above-the-fold content on the Jetpack site

    By extracting critical CSS, you’re optimizing the CSS files needed to display this initial section. Without it, users may see partial elements that haven’t been fully rendered. 

    A common misconception is that critical CSS decreases your loading time. Although this isn’t true, the optimization technique can improve perceived performance. 

    Essentially, users will think your pages are loading faster because the browser can simply display above-the-fold elements more efficiently. 

    By generating WordPress critical CSS, visitors will have a better User Experience (UX) on your site. As a result, you can reduce bounce rates and encourage return visits. 

    2. Improve Core Web Vitals

    Although WordPress critical CSS doesn’t increase or decrease page loading time, it can improve your Core Web Vitals. These metrics analyze a website’s user experience. 

    Here are the Core Web Vitals:

    • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): A website’s loading performance
    • First Input Delay (FID): A website’s interactivity
    • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): A website’s visual stability

    After you scan your website for a Core Web Vitals report, you may see additional metrics like First Contentful Paint (FCP) or Time to First Byte (TTFB). These impact LCP and play an important role in the loading process.

    Critical CSS directly impacts FCP. Put simply, FCP measures the time it takes to render the first element on a web page after it starts loading. If your site has a poor FCP score, visitors will often see a blank page for a while.

    As a WordPress website owner, you should aim to get FCP under 1.8 seconds, but many elements can negatively impact this score, including:

    • Render-blocking JavaScript and CSS
    • A slow server
    • Bulky font files
    • Large Document Object Model (DOM) size

    Since render-blocking CSS contributes to FCP, generating critical CSS can improve this score. During this process, you’ll inline all the CSS needed to render above-the-fold content. 

    How to test your website for render-blocking CSS

    Before generating WordPress critical CSS, you’ll need to know whether it’s necessary for your website. Since large CSS files are considered render-blocking resources, you can scan for them with a speed optimization tool.

    To get started, enter your website’s URL into PageSpeed Insights. This Google software will analyze your site’s performance with various speed audits.

    Google PageSpeed homepage

    At the top of the page, you’ll see your Core Web Vitals assessment. It includes metrics for Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, Cumulative Layout Shift, First Contentful Paint, Interaction to Next Paint, and Time to First Byte.

    core web vitals assessment with Google PageSpeed

    As you learned earlier, render-blocking CSS is closely tied to the FCP score. Make sure both your mobile and desktop assessment results are 1.8 seconds or less.

    If you receive a poor score, you may have bulky, unoptimized CSS files on your website. To verify if this is true, scroll down to Opportunities. This section provides specific suggestions to improve your website’s loading time.

    list of recommended improvements from Google PageSpeed

    Here, you may notice an alert telling you to Eliminate render-blocking resources. Although this message could refer to a JavaScript file, it might also signal that you need to generate critical CSS.  

    How to generate critical CSS in WordPress

    Now that you understand more about WordPress critical CSS and why it’s important, it’s time to generate it! Regardless of your skill level, you can easily learn how to optimize CSS delivery in WordPress by following our beginner-friendly tutorial. 

    Method 1: Generate critical CSS with a plugin

    Although you could generate it yourself, optimizing CSS delivery with a WordPress plugin is often easier. The right tool can automatically defer less important CSS. Plus, you won’t have to edit any code manually.

    Jetpack Boost can quickly improve your site’s loading performance. After a simple setup process, you can use this plugin to generate critical CSS, defer non-essential JavaScript, and more.

    Jetpack Boost homepage with the text, "the easiest speed optimization plugin for WordPress"

    To start using Jetpack Boost, install and activate it in WordPress. Then, you’ll receive a score based on your website’s current performance.

    page speed score from Jetpack Boost

    With the free plugin, you’ll see an option to Optimize CSS loading. Alternatively, you can upgrade to a paid subscription to generate critical CSS automatically. This will help avoid having to regenerate CSS every time you make a change.

    toggles for Jetpack Boost settings

    To enable critical CSS, simply use the switch on the left-hand side. Similarly, you can defer non-essential JavaScript and turn on lazy loading for images. Combined, these settings can significantly reduce page loading time and allow visitors to see your content earlier. 

    Method 2: Manually generate critical CSS

    If you don’t want to use a plugin, you can also manually generate critical CSS. It’s important to remember that this method involves editing your site’s code, so it can be a more complicated process for beginners. 

    Step 1: Back up your website

    To get started, you’ll want to create a backup of your WordPress site. If you make a mistake in your site files, you can easily revert to this saved version. This way, you won’t lose any important data.

    If you need to manage your backups easily, you can install the Jetpack VaultPress Backup plugin. This tool stores backups off-site and provides one-click restorations, even if your site is completely down.

    Here’s how to get started:

    Go to Plugins → Add new in your WordPress dashboard. Search for “Jetpack VaultPress Backup” and click Install now → Activate. 

    Then, you’ll see a new window that will allow you to set up the plugin. Click Set up Jetpack. 

    setting up Jetpack VaultPress Backup

    Then, connect your site to your WordPress.com account. Once you’re redirected back to your site, click Upgrade now to view several options for Jetpack VaultPress Backup plans. 

    At a minimum, you’ll need the Backup plan, but Security and Complete provide additional tools for protecting, growing, and speeding up your site.

    Your first backup will start automatically, and you can check its progress by going to Jetpack → Backup in your WordPress dashboard. 

    If any mistakes happen during the next few steps, simply come back to this page and hit Restore to this point. This will revert your site to the older version, eliminating any errors that occurred. 

    Step 2: Use a critical CSS generator

    Once you know that your website is backed up, you can start generating your critical CSS. One of the easiest ways to do this is with a critical CSS generator. This tool will automatically produce your critical CSS, preventing you from having to manually create code.

    First, open the CoreWebVitals Critical CSS Generator. Enter the URL for your website or a specific page you want to optimize. Then, hit Generate critical CSS.

    critical CSS generator tool

    Once it’s finished loading, you’ll see the CSS code generated in the text box. Copy this code.

    critical CSS generated for a site

    After you save this code, you can inline it on your website!

    Step 3: Inline critical CSS

    When someone visits your website, their browser will retrieve your site’s files from the server. It will first check the <head> section for necessary content during the parsing process. Then, it’ll continue rendering the <body> content.

    To prioritize critical CSS, place it in your files’ <head> section. This is called inlining. When you inline CSS, the browser requests that this stylesheet is retrieved before rendering the rest of the page.

    Essentially, inlining CSS will place the code where it needs to be used. So, a visitor’s browser won’t have to parse render-blocking files before displaying the target content. 

    Once you’ve copied the generated critical CSS, you can inline it in your files. Navigate to your public_html folder via FTP. Then, go to wp-content → themes → your active theme and open the header.php file. 

    In this header file, locate the <title> tag. Beneath it, add the critical CSS using <style> tags. Finally, select Update File.

    Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

    So far, we’ve discussed critical CSS and how to generate it. If you still have questions about inlining CSS on your website, we’ll answer them here!

    Can generating critical CSS break your site’s appearance?

    If done incorrectly, generating critical CSS could negatively impact your site’s appearance and layout. Fortunately, you can reverse any changes by simply restoring a saved backup of your WordPress site. Using Jetpack VaultPress Backup, you can view an activity log and restore old versions of your site with one click.

    Plus, you can use a plugin like Jetpack Boost to turn critical CSS on and off whenever necessary. These simple settings were built according to WordPress best practices, so they’re less likely to affect your site on the front end.  

    What else can I do to optimize my CSS code?

    If you want to further optimize CSS on your site, consider minifying it. You’ll remove unnecessary code during CSS minification to reduce the CSS file sizes. 

    Your CSS code likely has spaces and line breaks to make it easier to read. Since a browser can process code without these extra elements, you can delete them. This reduces the resources and time needed to run the files. 

    You can also remove unused CSS altogether. By reducing your files to only the necessary code, your website will start loading faster. 

    What else can I do to improve my page speed?

    One of the best ways to speed up your site is by improving your Core Web Vitals. Using a tool like PageSpeed Insights, you can identify unoptimized elements like render-blocking resources. 

    Since browsers load your site’s code from top to bottom, the loading process can easily be interrupted by JavaScript. By deferring JavaScript parsing, visitors won’t have to wait for scripts to load before they see your content.

    Additionally, consider implementing lazy loading for images. With this setting in Jetpack Boost, pictures below the fold won’t load until visitors scroll down. This can prevent your website from loading every image simultaneously, delaying the rendering process.

    Lastly, a Content Delivery Network (CDN) can significantly speed up your website. Instead of relying on one server, a CDN uses a system of data centers worldwide. An option like Jetpack’s CDN can improve content delivery for images and static files.   

    Optimize CSS delivery in WordPress

    If you’re trying to improve your website’s content delivery, it’s important to eliminate any render-blocking resources. Since unoptimized CSS can delay the rendering process, it’s worth generating critical CSS. Although doing this won’t directly improve loading time, it will enable visitors to see above-the-fold content much faster. 

    To review, here’s how to generate critical CSS in WordPress:

    1. Generate critical CSS with a plugin like Jetpack Boost.
    2. Use a Critical CSS Generator.

    With Jetpack Boost, you can optimize CSS without editing any code. After downloading and activating the plugin, you’ll be able to generate critical CSS with just one click!

  • 6 Best WordPress Malware Removal Plugins (Paid & Free)

    Your WordPress website is the product of countless hours of hard work, so it’s important to keep it secure. One essential part of your security setup should be a robust and reliable malware scanner. An effective WordPress malware plugin will help you quickly identify any malicious software that makes its way onto your WordPress website, and provide guidance on removing it. 

    But, with lots of different WordPress malware scanner plugins available, it may be a challenge to determine which one is right for you. To help, we’ve reviewed six of the most popular options and set out some key things to consider when deciding on the best WordPress malware scanner for your website. 

    A review of the best malware removal plugins for WordPress

    Jetpack Protect homepage design with the tagline, "Stay one step ahead of security threats"

    1. Jetpack Protect

    Jetpack Protect is an impressive, free WordPress malware scanning plugin that helps you keep your site secure and clean. It enables you to stay one step ahead of security threats by automatically scanning your site against over 37,000 types of malware — and you can activate its powerful protection with just one click! 

    New malware is constantly being developed, but WordPress security experts update Jetpack Protect’s malware database as soon as new information becomes available — defending against the latest attacks and vulnerabilities. Jetpack Protect also alerts you to any security vulnerabilities within your plugins or themes, so you can take steps to secure your site. 

    The plugin will notify you if it finds any malware or other security vulnerabilities within your website, and its powerful technology can scan your entire site, including plugins and themes. If it detects an issue, it will provide straightforward guidance to help you secure your site and remove any malware. Jetpack Protect uses clever decentralized scanning technology, which enables it to scan your site using Jetpack’s servers. This means that its daily scans can detect even the most complex malware without slowing down your site. 

    Jetpack Protect is made by Automattic, the team behind WordPress.com, so it seamlessly integrates with your WordPress site. Automattic is also behind WPScan, allowing Jetpack Protect to scan against the same malware database used by some of the world’s leading brands, making Jetpack Protect one of the best WordPress malware plugins available.

    Key features of Jetpack Protect:

    • Powerful malware scanning against over 37,000 malware types 
    • Automatic scans of your plugins and themes for known vulnerabilities
    • A simple one-click setup
    • Daily scans that help keep your site secure 
    • Regular updates to the malware database by a team of dedicated WordPress security experts
    • Recommended actions if a security issue or malware is identified

    Pros of Jetpack Protect:

    • As the daily malware scans use Jetpack’s servers, Jetpack Protect can scan your site without slowing it down.
    • You can start protecting your site with just one click. It will automatically scan your site daily and notify you of any issues through your dashboard.
    • Jetpack Protect uses the same malware database as WPScan, which is constantly updated by experienced WordPress security experts as soon as new malware or security issues are discovered.

    Cons of Jetpack Protect:

    • While the plugin offers advice on how to resolve any security issues, it doesn’t provide automatic malware removal. However, one-click fixes for most types of known malware, alongside real-time email alerts, are available through an upgrade to Jetpack Scan. You can switch within the plugin for only $9 a month.

    Ease of use:

    It only takes one click to activate Jetpack Protect’s advanced malware scanning. The plugin then protects your site automatically in the background, meaning you don’t have to remember to run scans. There’s detailed documentation available, and if you need support, you can access Jetpack’s team of WordPress Happiness Engineers.

    Pricing:

    Jetpack Protect is available for free from the WordPress plugin directory. 

    Sucuri Security listing in the WordPress repository

    2. Sucuri

    Sucuri is a popular name in website security, and they offer a free WordPress plugin alongside premium services, such as a web application firewall and malware removal. Sucuri’s plugin scans your WordPress site and looks for any changes in the WordPress core files, and it also gives you access to Sucuri’s SiteCheck remote malware scanner.

    Key features of Sucuri:

    • File integrity scanning 
    • Security event logs 
    • Remote malware scanning 
    • Email notifications of any issues 
    • Blocklist monitoring
    • A web application firewall (premium)

    Pros of Sucuri:

    • Sucuri provides an activity log of key events on your site, which you can use to help identify the cause of a hack or malware infection. 
    • Sucuri’s premium plans include unlimited malware removal by a security expert.

    Cons of Sucuri:

    • Sucuri may not be able to spot all malware on your site. This is because the plugin’s malware scanners run remotely, so it can only check for malware in the source code of the public-facing pages on your site. Sucuri says that their WordPress malware scanner isn’t 100% accurate, as malware could be inserted into plugin files or other admin areas and, therefore, wouldn’t show up on your site’s front end.
    • In the free version of the plugin, Sucuri only provides general advice for securing your site after a malware infection. It encourages you to subscribe to its premium services to remove malware. 
    • Sucuri provides security services that can be used on any website, which means its malware scans are not tailored to WordPress. 
    • Sucuri has features that can block Jetpack’s connection to your site. If you use this plugin, be sure to allow our IP addresses access to your site’s xmlrpc.php file.

    Ease of use:

    Sucuri is easy to install and allows you to schedule website scans. Sucuri offers support for the plugin through the plugin’s support forum.

    Pricing:

    The plugin is free of charge. Premium subscriptions start at $199 a year and include a web application firewall and unlimited malware removal. 

    3. MalCare

    MalCare is a WordPress malware scanning and removal plugin developed by a team of WordPress security experts. The plugin includes automatic malware scanning and a web application firewall to help prevent hackers from accessing your site. The premium version of the plugin offers automatic malware removal. 

    Key features of MalCare:

    • A malware scanner, which automatically scans your site daily
    • A WordPress firewall
    • Vulnerability detection
    • Automated malware cleaning (premium)

    Pros of MalCare:

    • MalCare scans your entire site for malware daily. 
    • MalCare temporarily and securely copies your files to its servers to conduct the malware scan, meaning that scans won’t slow down your site. 
    • MalCare’s free version includes a web application firewall, which can help protect your site against hackers and brute force attacks. 
    • MalCare will alert you by email if a plugin you’ve installed has a known security vulnerability, so you can take action to secure your site. 

    Cons of MalCare:

    • The free version of the plugin only tells you if your site is infected with malware, not where it is. You must upgrade to a premium plan to locate and remove the malware.
    • Malcare can also block Jetpack from making requests to your site’s xmlrpc.php file, which is necessary for Jetpack’s connection to work. Make sure you allow our IP addresses to keep the connection working properly. 

    Ease of use:

    MalCare is easy to install and configure, and its automatic scans mean you don’t need to remember to scan your site. MalCare offers support for all users via email, alongside live chat support for premium users. 

    Pricing:

    MalCare offers a free plugin, which you can download from the WordPress plugin directory. Premium plans, which include malware removal, start at $69 a year. 

    Wordfence homepage design

    4. Wordfence

    Wordfence is a popular WordPress security plugin that includes a malware scanner and a web application firewall that identifies and blocks malicious traffic. The plugin’s WordPress malware scanner automatically scans your whole site, including code injections, malicious redirects and backdoors. The plugin will also check the integrity of your core files, themes, and plugins against the official versions from the WordPress.org repository, then report any changes to you.

    If Wordfence detects malware, it can help you replace any damaged core WordPress files with the official version and delete any files that have been added. Full malware removal is included at some of the higher, premium subscription levels.

    Key features of Wordfence:

    • An automated malware scanner
    • Basic repair and deletion settings for removing simple malware
    • A web application firewall, which helps prevent brute force attacks
    • Two-factor authentication and login protection
    • Access logs and real-time traffic monitoring
    • Manual malware removal by a WordPress expert (premium)

    Pros of Wordfence:

    • Wordfence automatically scans your site and sends you daily emails if it notices any issues. 
    • Alongside malware scanning, Wordfence includes additional features to help keep your WordPress site secure, including a firewall, access logs, and two-factor authentication. 

    Cons of Wordfence:

    • The free version of Wordfence only provides malware database updates every 30 days. Unfortunately, this means that the newest malware might not be detected. 
    • Wordfence conducts its scans on your server, meaning it can have an effect on your site’s performance.
    • The malware removal tools in the free version are limited to deleting and replacing files, which isn’t sufficient to remove more complex malware infections.
    • Wordfence also has features to block access to the xmlrpc.php file. Wordfence uses CIDR notation to allow IP addresses access. You can learn more about how to allow those in our support article.

    Ease of use:

    Wordfence requires configuration to ensure that it fully protects your site. The daily alert emails sent by Wordfence sometimes flag legitimate changes as a concern, which can cause confusion for those unfamiliar with WordPress. Wordfence has comprehensive documentation and a learning center. Free users can access support through the plugin’s support forum while premium subscribers also have access to support via email.

    Pricing:

    Wordfence offers a free plugin that includes malware scanning and a firewall. Wordfence Premium costs $99 a year and includes daily malware database updates. Wordfence Care costs $499 a year, which includes installation and optimization of the plugin as well malware removal by a WordPress security expert. 

    SecuPress listing in the WordPress repository

    5. SecuPress

    SecuPress is a WordPress security plugin that helps you analyze the security of your site. The plugin will give you a security grade and a list of recommended changes to help make your site safer, many of which it can take care of for you. In addition, the plugin’s premium version offers automatic malware scanning with daily malware database updates. 

    Key features of SecuPress:

    • Security audits that identify and automatically fix common security issues
    • Brute force login protection
    • A web application firewall
    • Login protection
    • Protection for your website security keys
    • Malware scanning (premium)

    Pros of SecuPress:

    • It scans 35 different elements that could negatively impact the security of your site, and enables you to fix them in one click.
    • SecuPress offers a wide range of security features in addition to malware scanning.

    Cons of SecuPress:

    • Malware scanning is not available in the free version, which is restricted to scanning for security vulnerabilities only.
    • Automatic security scanning is not available in the free version of the plugin, meaning you must remember to run a scan. 
    • Free security scans are limited to one per week. 
    • SecuPress also blocks the xmlrpc.php file. Be sure to make sure Jetpack’s IP addresses are still allowed to access it, so that the Jetpack connection keeps working.

    Ease of use:

    The plugin is easy to install and set up. However, the security scan must be manually run in the free version of the plugin. Comprehensive documentation is provided, alongside email support for the premium plugin. 

    Pricing:

    A limited, free version of the plugin is available, but to enable malware scanning, you need to use SecuPress Premium, which starts at $69.99 a year. 

    Titan Anti-spam listing in the WP respository

    6. Titan Anti-Spam and Security

    Titan Anti-Spam and Security is a security and malware scanner for WordPress that was created by a team of developers called Creativemotion. The plugin combines malware scanning with anti-spam protection. The free version includes automated malware checking against 1,000 kinds of malware and other security features, including file integrity scanning and brute force login protection. 

    Key features of Titan Anti-Spam and Security:

    • Malware scanning against 1,000 types of malware for free users
    • Malware scanning against 6,000 types of malware for premium users
    • File integrity scanning
    • Anti-spam tools
    • Brute force login prevention
    • Additional security features, including a full firewall and advanced anti-spam tools (premium)

    Pros of Titan Anti-Spam and Security:

    • Titan Anti-Spam and Security combines anti-spam with basic malware scanning. 

    Cons of Titan Anti-spam and Security:

    • The free version of the plugin can’t detect all malware, as it only checks your site against a small library of 1,000 types of malware.
    • The plugin runs its scans on your servers, so your site may slow down when a scan is running.
    • The premium version unlocks malware scanning against 6,000 types of malware, which is still considerably less than some of the other plugins in this list, such as Jetpack Protect. 
    • This tool conflicts with major plugins like Jetpack, which can hamper your ability to maximize site performance in other areas. 

    Ease of use:

    Several steps are required to set up this plugin, and it includes an intuitive wizard that helps you configure the plugin, so it works well on your site. The developer offers a support forum for all users, and email support for premium subscribers. 

    Pricing:

    The free version includes limited malware scanning against just 1,000 types of malware. Premium subscriptions start at $55 a year and unlock additional features, including malware scanning against 6,000 types of malware.

    A comparison of the top malware removal plugins on WordPress

    Jetpack Protect Sucuri MalCare Wordfence SecuPress Titan Anti-spam and Security
    Made specifically for WordPress Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes
    Number of malware definitions your site is checked against. Over 37,000 Not stated Not stated Over 44,000 Not stated 1,000 in free version. 6,000 in premium version.
    Automated scans Yes Yes — site integrity only Yes Yes No Yes
    Scans full site including admin files Yes No — scans public facing files only Yes Yes Yes Yes
    Can scans impact website performance? No No No Yes Yes Yes
    Frequency of malware definition updates Daily Daily Daily Every 30 days (free version) Daily (pro version) Not stated Not stated
    Malware removal No (Jetpack Scan can remove malware for only $8 a month) Only in premium version. Only in premium version. Basic removal through deletion and re-instating files only.  Additional charge of $99 per removal on all plans.  No
    Any limitations in the free version? No — free version is fully featured. Yes. Only general advice on removing malware is provided.  Yes. Information is not provided on where any malware found is located. Yes. Malware definitions only updated every 30 days.  Yes. Malware scanning only available on premium plans.  Yes. Your site is only checked against a limited number of definitions. 
    Price Free with no limitations. Limited free version. Premium plans start at $199/year. Limited free version. Premium plans start at $69/year. Limited free version. Premium plans start at $99/year. Malware scanning is available on premium plans that start at $69.99/year. Limited free version. Premium plans start at $55/year.

    What’s the best WordPress malware removal plugin?

    The best WordPress malware removal plugin will depend on several factors, including your experience with WordPress and if you need other security features in addition to malware scanning. 

    But it’s clear from the comparison table above that Jetpack Protect is the best malware removal plugin for WordPress. Jetpack Protect is free and offers advanced malware scanning that doesn’t slow down your site. It’s simple to set up and works automatically to scan your website for malware against a comprehensive database that’s constantly updated by Automattic’s WordPress security experts. 

    And since it’s made by the people behind WordPress.com, it seamlessly integrates into your site. Jetpack Protect also works perfectly alongside the security features included in the Jetpack plugin and Jetpack’s other security packages, including Jetpack Security and Jetpack Scan.

    Factors to consider when choosing the best malware removal plugin

    How much does it cost?

    It’s important to consider how much a WordPress malware plugin costs and if it provides enough value for its price. Some free malware plugins, including Jetpack Protect, offer robust malware protection at no cost. Jetpack Protect checks for malware against an extensive database that’s larger than many of those used by some paid plugins. 

    Was it built for WordPress, specifically?

    Some WordPress malware scanning plugins, such as Sucuri, use malware scanning technology that works on all websites, which means it hasn’t been developed specifically with the needs of WordPress in mind. 

    However, Jetpack Protect is an excellent malware scanning plugin built by Automattic — the team behind WordPress.com and WooCommerce. This means Jetpack Protect was built specifically for WordPress and that its malware database is updated by WordPress security experts as soon as new information becomes available.

    Does it provide any additional security features?

    It’s important to consider if the WordPress malware plugin includes any additional security features, such as a firewall or anti-spam protection. And if it does, how robust are the features? You may find that using a dedicated malware scanner, such as Jetpack Protect, provides the highest level of malware protection for free, and works seamlessly with other security tools, including Akismet Anti-Spam, Jetpack, and Jetpack Security. 

    Is it easy to use?

    You should consider how easy the WordPress malware scanning plugin is to use. Some plugins, such as Jetpack Protect, are designed to be simple to use and can be set up with just one click. Then, it automatically scans your site for malware each day. 

    You should also think about how easy it is to interpret the malware scan results. For example, some plugins will only tell you that you have malware, not where it is or how to remove it. But others, including Jetpack Protect, will give you recommended fixes to banish the malware from your site. 

    Can it scan your entire WordPress site?

    Some WordPress malware scanners can only check the public-facing pages of your website for malware. This means that they cannot check your entire site for malware.

    Site-level malware scanners, such as Jetpack Protect, offer greater protection as they can scan your entire WordPress installation, including plugins, themes, and media files. But, if this detailed scanning happens on your server, it can temporarily slow down your website, so it’s important to check where the scan takes place. 

    Some WordPress malware plugins like Jetpack Protect can offer site-level scanning without impacting performance by using external servers to conduct the scan. 

    How robust is its malware database?

    A malware scanner is only as good as its malware database. Some plugins use a relatively small database or only update it every 30 days, which means they may not be able to identify the latest malware. Other plugins have a much more extensive database, which is updated daily. 

    Jetpack Protect utilizes the same database as the industry-leading WPScan, which is trusted by some of the globe’s largest brands to keep their site secure. Its database is updated by a dedicated team of WordPress security experts as soon as new malware or vulnerabilities are discovered. This means that Jetpack Protect can detect the newest malware and give you clear recommendations on how to deal with any infections. 

    Frequently asked questions about WordPress malware removal

    What is malware on WordPress?

    Malware is short for “malicious software” and it’s a general term for harmful software. Once malware is installed on your WordPress site, hackers can use it to damage it, take it offline, steal data, or gain access without consent. 

    It’s essential to ensure you regularly scan your site for malware using a free WordPress malware scanner plugin like Jetpack Protect.

    How do I know if I have malware on my WordPress site?

    If your site becomes infected with malware, you’ll often notice that it starts behaving strangely. Some signs of malware infection include:

    • A decrease in speed or performance
    • A security warning when visitors try to access your site 
    • Changes to your site content or new, malicious links 
    • Problems logging into your site
    • Odd behaviors, such as lots of popups 

    It’s important to take action as soon as you know your site has a malware infection. But not every malware infection is easy to spot, and the only way to know for sure if you have malware on your site is to scan it using a WordPress malware plugin like Jetpack Protect. Regular scans will help ensure you spot malware as soon as possible and receive helpful guidance on how to resolve any issues and get your site back to normal. 

    What makes a good WordPress malware removal plugin?

    A good malware removal plugin should be easy to use and scan for malware daily without you having to do anything. It should have an extensive malware database that’s updated as soon as a new piece of malware or security vulnerability is discovered. The plugin should also scan your site in a way that doesn’t impact your speed, and be able to scan the entirety of your site, including themes, plugins, and media files. 

    A good WordPress malware removal plugin should then give you clear information about the location of any malware it finds, along with easy-to-follow guidance about how to remove it. Jetpack Protect is one of the best malware plugins for WordPress as it offers all of these features for free. 

    How much does a malware scanning plugin cost on WordPress?

    WordPress malware scanners can be either paid or free, but the top plugin in our review, Jetpack Protect, is free. It was developed by Automattic, the team behind WordPress.com, and is perfect for WordPress site owners who want to have the most robust and reliable malware protection available, including automatic scanning and recommended fixes. 

    Is it easy to set up a malware scanning plugin on WordPress?

    This depends on the plugin. Some require you to make several changes to your website and to manually interpret scan results. But the top plugin in our review, Jetpack Protect, can be set up in just one click and doesn’t need any complicated configurations. Jetpack Protect also clearly tells you if it’s found malware and gives you recommended fixes, so you can get your site back to normal. 

  • Introducing Blaze — Find new customers by promoting your best content

    Building a strong following of readers and customers is hard work. And getting eyes on your content can feel like rubbing two sticks together. 

    You know there are people out there who are interested in what you’re building — but how to find them? That’s why we’ve created Blaze. Advertise your posts and pages across millions of sites in the WordPress.com and Tumblr ad network. All it takes is a few clicks and $5 per day.

    Blaze has incredible reach: more than 13.5 billion impressions per month from millions of active daily visitors is the spark you need to get noticed. It’s like lighter fluid for your best content.

    More than 13.5 billion impressions per month from millions of active daily visitors in your neighborhood and across the world

    How Blaze works

    Once you have Jetpack installed, then head to wordpress.com/advertising and select your website — you’ll see a list of recent posts and pages you can promote.

    Alternatively, when viewing the post or page list in your WordPress.com dashboard, click the ellipses (three dots) next to any individual post or page to bring up a new menu, then click “Promote with Blaze.”

    If you’re having trouble, make sure your language is set to English and Jetpack’s JSON API module is enabled. This module is enabled by default, but if you’ve manually disabled it, you can refer to these instructions to activate it.

    Now you’ll be in the Blaze Campaign Wizard.

    1. Design your ad. Our wizard automatically formats your content into a beautiful ad, but you can adjust it however you like.
    2. Select your audience. Show off your ad to people in certain areas, or people who are reading about topics like movies or sports. You’ll see an estimate of how many people you’ll reach.
    3. Set your dates and budget. Run an ad for 6 months or just a few days — it’s up to you.
    4. Publish your ad. Get some of the lowest ad prices while protecting your brand with a system backed by Verity and Grapeshot. Rest easy that your ads will only show up where you’d like them to.
    5. See your reach. Once your ad is running, you can check how it’s doing in the “Campaigns” tab of the advertising page where you started your campaign. Quickly see how many impressions and clicks you got from your new fans.

    Our campaigns are billed weekly based on how many times your ad is shown, so you’ll only ever pay for what you signed up for.

    Currently, Blaze is only available in English. We’re working on rolling it out for additional languages. As always, you can find even more details about this tool on our support page.

    Go on, add some fuel to your fire with Blaze.

  • How to Embed a Video in WordPress: YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, TikTok

    Video is one of the most valuable assets in a website owner’s toolkit. Adding videos to your site can help build visitor confidence, improve conversion rates, and make your site more attractive to search engines. 

    In this article, you’ll learn how to add videos to your WordPress site by embedding them from offsite sources like YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, and by uploading them directly to your site using WordPress blocks.

    Let’s start by looking at some key reasons why you should include video on your site.

    What are the advantages of including videos on my site?

    Successful websites are optimized for both human and nonhuman (search bot) visitors. The goal is for your site to serve both audiences, via well-organized, accessible, and helpful content. Video can be useful here in many ways. 

    How videos can help your visitors 

    Humans use information to make decisions, like “Should I buy this product?” and “Is this a good organization for me to support?” So giving them the information that they need to feel comfortable moving ahead with a purchase or sign-up leads to increased conversions.

    A video showing your offer or mission in action lets people better imagine the potential impact to their own life. “Meet the Owners” and “Meet the Team” videos build a human connection with the people behind your brand. How-to and educational videos position you as a trustworthy expert and authority within your category.

    Videos, when paired with written content, also give site owners the chance to appeal to a variety of learning styles and cognitive needs. With more options to digest your content, you’ll make an impact on a wider audience and expand your reach. 

    How videos can help your search results

    Adding video content can open up a new avenue for people to find your site. It gives your content another chance to attract visitors via video search results. And if you host your video on a platform like YouTube, you may also attract attention to your videos from YouTube’s existing audience. 

    Beyond attracting eyes to the videos themselves, search engines may be more likely to rank your existing pages when you add video content. Videos tend to improve the amount of time visitors spend on a page — a signal to Google that people are enjoying the content they found. And if Google believes visitors are having a valuable experience, they’ll be more likely to move the page higher up the rankings. 

    Plus, Google likes a steady stream of fresh content — video or otherwise. So adding rich media to your pages can positively impact your results.

    How to embed a video in WordPress

    You can easily embed videos from a wide variety of sources on your WordPress site. Let’s see how.

    Embed a YouTube video by pasting a URL

    If you paste your YouTube video URL into a paragraph block on its own line, WordPress automatically creates a YouTube Video block, which you can then customize using the Block Toolbar.

    embedding a YouTube video in WordPress by pasting a URL

    Copy the URL for your video from the address bar on the YouTube page, or click the Share button for the video and copy the link from the popup window. Use the Start at checkbox to choose a custom starting point if you’d like. This option will update the link, so make sure you copy the URL AFTER setting the start time.

    copying the URL from YouTube

    Embed a YouTube video using the YouTube block 

    Click the + icon or type /y to launch the block search window with YouTube as the first option. Choose the YouTube block, enter the video URL, and click Embed.

    Or, if you paste a YouTube link into a Video block, WordPress will automatically convert it into a YouTube block.

    adding a YouTube block in WordPress

    You can learn more about the YouTube block, and its settings on the WordPress.org support page for YouTube embeds. 

    Embed a Facebook video by pasting a URL

    This is the quickest way to embed a Facebook video in WordPress. If you paste your Facebook video URL into a paragraph block on its own line, WordPress automatically creates an Embed block, which you can customize using the Block Toolbar.

    Get the URL for the video by clicking on the timestamp for the post on Facebook. It’s located next to the Post Visibility icon, which shows you whether the video is public — you’ll see the globe icon — and available for sharing. The post and the person or page’s timeline must be set to public for the embed to work.

    globe icon on Facebook

    You will then be on the video page with a direct URL like this one.

    Embed a Facebook video using the Facebook block 

    Click the + icon or type /fa to launch the block search window with Facebook as the first option. Choose the Facebook block type, enter the URL, and click Embed.

    adding a Facebook block to WordPress

    Embed a Facebook Live video 

    Click on the video’s Share link in Facebook, then choose Embed. 

    finding the Share button for a Facebook Live video

    Among the customization options is a checkbox to include the full post and a field to select a specific start time. Make those choices before clicking the Copy Code button, as your selections will update the code.

    embedding a Facebook iframe in WordPress

    Click the Advanced settings link to customize your video player using the Embedded Video Player Configurator. You can use this tool for both Facebook videos and Facebook Live videos. 

    embedded video player confiigurator

    Paste in your Facebook Live video URL, choose your configuration options, click Get Code, and copy the HTML snippet. Use the iFrame code for easier implementation, as the JavaScript SDK method requires you to add custom code to your WordPress theme files.

    Facebook iFrame code

    For additional customization of items, including autoplay, lazy load, and captions, you can manually customize the embed code using the settings described on the Meta for Developers page for the Embedded Video & Live Video Player. 

    Once you’ve copied the iFrame code, paste it into a Custom HTML block. Click the Preview link to see the embedded video before publishing the page.

    previewing an HTML block

    Embed an Instagram video by pasting a URL  

    This is the quickest way to embed an Instagram video in WordPress. If you paste your Instagram video/reel URL into a paragraph block on its own line, WordPress automatically creates an Embed block, which you can customize using the Block toolbar.

    adding an Instagram URL to WordPress

    In Instagram, copy the URL for your video by clicking the three-dot menu icon on the top right of the window and choosing Copy link. The link will automatically be copied to your clipboard.

    copying a video link in Instagram

    Embed an Instagram video using the Instagram block

    Click the + icon or type /ins to launch the block search window with Instagram as the first option. Choose the Instagram block type, enter the video URL, and click Embed.

    Embed an Instagram video with Instagram’s embed code

    In Instagram, click the three-dot menu icon on the top right of the window and choose Embed. A window will open with the embed code and a button for “Copy Embed Code.” A checkbox will give you the option to “Include caption.” If you use that option, make sure to check it before copying, as your selection will update the code.

    copying an Instagram embed code

    Once you’ve copied the Instagram embed code, paste it into a Custom HTML block. Click the Preview link to see the embedded video before publishing the page.

    Embed a TikTok video by pasting a URL

    This is the quickest way to embed a TikTok video in WordPress. If you paste your TikTok video URL into a paragraph block on its own line, WordPress automatically creates a TikTok block, which you can customize using the Block toolbar.

    adding a TikTok URL to WordPress

    To get the TikTok video URL, go to the TikTok page for the video and click Copy Link. 

    copying a TikTok video URL

    Embed a TikTok video using the TikTok block

    Click the + icon, or type /tik to launch the Block Library search window with TikTok as the first option. Choose the TikTok block type, enter the URL, and click Embed.

    previewing an HTML block with an embedded video

    Embed a Vimeo video by pasting a URL

    This is the quickest way to embed a Vimeo video in WordPress. If you paste your Vimeo video URL into a paragraph block on its own line, WordPress automatically creates a Vimeo block, which you can customize using the Block toolbar.

    adding a Vimeo video to WordPress

    Copy the URL for your video from the address bar on the Vimeo page, or click the Share icon on the page and copy the link from the popup window. Use the Start video at checkbox to choose a custom starting point for the video. This option will update the link, so make sure to copy it after setting the start time.

    getting the embed code from Vimeo

    Embed a Vimeo video using the Vimeo block

    Click the + icon, or type /vim to launch the block search window with Vimeo as the first option. Choose the Vimeo block type, enter the video URL, and click Embed.

    If you paste a Vimeo link into a Video block, WordPress will automatically convert it into a Vimeo block.

    adding a Vimeo video URL to WordPress

    You can learn more about how to embed Vimeo videos on the WordPress.org support page for Vimeo embeds. 

    The best video hosting and embedding solution for WordPress 

    Jetpack VideoPress is video hosting built for WordPress. With Jetpack VideoPress, when you add a video to a page or post, it’s automatically uploaded to the WordPress.com cloud and is manageable via the Media Library. The video is converted to streaming video and hosted on WordPress.com servers, leveraging a global content delivery network (CDN) for a fast user experience.

    Jetpack VideoPress is responsive and has advanced customization options to match your site’s branding (it can even adapt automatically to match the color scheme of video content). Plus, it offers an ad-free experience for viewers, picture-in-picture video capabilities, and more. 

    Embed a Jetpack VideoPress video by dragging and dropping

    Once you’ve either installed Jetpack and purchased a plan that includes Jetpack VideoPress, or installed the dedicated Jetpack VideoPress plugin, you can simply drag a video file from your desktop into a Paragraph block. Then, WordPress will automatically create a VideoPress block, which you can customize using the Block toolbar.

    adding a video to VideoPress

    Click on the three-dot menu and choose “More Settings” to access a wide variety of player and video settings. Learn more about the multiple setting options in the article Add a Video Using the Block Editor.

    settings for the VideoPress block

    When you click on a video in your Media Library, in addition to the standard Title, Description, and Caption fields, you can also manage the video file compression level and its sharing, download, and privacy settings.

    editing details for a VideoPress video

    Embed a Jetpack VideoPress video using the VideoPress block

    Click the + icon, or type /videop to launch the block search window with VideoPress as the first option. Choose the VideoPress block type, enter the video URL, and click Embed.

    If you want to use the Video block instead, but have your videos hosted on Jetpack VideoPress — instead of on your site or a platform like YouTube — you can simply paste the VideoPress link into the Video Block, and it will not automatically convert it to the VideoPress block. 

    The VideoPress and Video blocks have different options available through their More Settings panels. Get more info on the Video Block options from the WordPress.org support page, and on the VideoPress Block options from this Jetpack article.

    How to upload a video to WordPress

    Uploading a video to WordPress is as simple as dragging and dropping a video file into a paragraph block in the Block Editor. WordPress generates a Video block and automatically adds your video to the Media Library.

    adding a Video block to WordPress

    For more information on how to add a video, see How to Upload a Video to WordPress & Add it to a Page or Post.

    The potential issue with uploading your video instead of embedding it is that many standard web hosting servers are not optimized for streaming, leading to slow load times and video buffering. They may have file size upload limits, preventing you from uploading video files over 250MB or 500MB. You can also incur extra costs for resource overages.

    With Jetpack VideoPress, you can upload a video directly to the WordPress.com cloud via your site admin and avoid file upload or site size limitations imposed by your web host. Read about the benefits of using Jetpack VideoPress below. Get more information on how to upload videos, including video file specification recommendations, on the Jetpack support page for uploading your videos.

    Frequently asked questions about embedding videos in WordPress

    What is the easiest way to embed a video on WordPress?

    The easiest way to embed a video on WordPress is to paste the URL of the video into a paragraph block on its own line. WordPress will auto-convert the link into the appropriate block type, and you can customize it from there. 

    The next easiest method is to use a Video block, either the standard Video block or a dedicated block like the YouTube, Vimeo, or TikTok blocks. This approach adds the step of launching the selection window and selecting a block type.

    Between the WordPress blocks and the embed codes provided by the video platforms, no additional plugins are needed to embed a video. The main reason to use a plugin is when you want advanced capabilities like greater control over the player, the elimination of ads, the ability to control post-roll recommendations, and custom viewing permissions. In this case, the best option is Jetpack VideoPress. 

    What if my embedded video URL is not working?

    There are several potential causes for a video embed to fail. The first thing to check is the video or post’s privacy settings. The page or channel you’re trying to share the video from may be set to private or have that specific video set to only display on specific sites.

    In these cases, you’ll need to link to the video instead of embedding it. If it’s your video that you’re trying to embed, adjust the channel and video privacy settings to make it shareable.

    Other potential causes include WordPress security plugins or issues with a browser extension. For example, the DuckDuckGo privacy extension blocks Facebook videos and other video embeds that track viewer/visitor data.

    What about linking to the video instead of embedding it in WordPress?

    There are times when you may want to link to a video instead of embedding it. Some videos can’t be embedded on your site due to privacy and sharing settings. If you want your viewers to see them, you need to link to those videos. Set the links to open in a new tab so that after they watch a video and close the tab, they’ll still have your site open.

    What’s the difference between embedding and uploading videos to WordPress?

    Embedding 

    When you embed a video on your site, the source site handles the storage and streaming, saving the site owner disk space and bandwidth. Large video and social sites have servers and networks built for speed, so videos start fast and play without buffering. 

    The downsides to embedding include losing control over branding, plus the insertion of ads and related videos that can distract your viewers and even take them off your site.

    Uploading

    When you upload a video to WordPress, you have greater control over the player’s look and controls, with no co-branding.

    The downside to uploading your videos includes potential issues with slower video load times and streaming speeds, plus hosting limits on maximum file size and overall storage that can get costly when exceeded.

    You can get around these issues by using Jetpack VideoPress.

    What is the best solution for uploading videos to WordPress?

    Here are some key reasons Jetpack VideoPress is the best solution for uploading videos to your WordPress site:

    • It keeps the focus on your content. The VideoPress player has no co-branding, no distracting ads, and no offsite links to take the visitor away. The player is customizable to match your brand and site colors and features an “adaptive seekbar” option that adjusts its display to match the colors of your video.
    • It’s designed and built specifically for WordPress. Jetpack VideoPress is fully integrated within your WordPress admin, making it easy to implement and use.
    • It offers high-quality (HD) video playback in 4k resolution up to 60FPS. Visitors can use the player’s Quality Selector to choose the format they want to watch, from 480p through 4k.
    • Great performance speeds mean fast-loading videos. Jetpack VideoPress subscriptions include high-speed streaming with adaptive bitrates and a global CDN. 
    • It includes 1TB of video hosting in the WordPress.com cloud and file uploads up to 5GB. Take advantage of WordPress.com’s reliable infrastructure while avoiding potential issues and extra fees due to upload, storage and bandwidth limits.

    Additional features include:

    • A picture-in-picture button that opens the video in its own window for convenient viewing 
    • Options for visitors to increase or decrease their playback speed
    • Tools that allow admins to pause and resume video uploads when needed 
    • Privacy options to restrict views to visitors of your site
    • The option to make your videos available for download
    • Video stats via Jetpack, accessible through your WordPress dashboard
    • The ability to add subtitles, captions, and chapters to a video

    Where can I learn more about Jetpack VideoPress?

    VideoPress is part of the Jetpack suite. It’s included with the Jetpack Complete plan, or you can get the Jetpack VideoPress plan separately. Install the plugin to test out the free version, which gives you video hosting for one video up to 1GB in size.

    Learn more at Jetpack.com/videopress/.

  • How to Install WordPress the Right Way: 4 Methods Explained

    WordPress is the most popular Content Management System (CMS), used by more than 40 percent of all known websites. If you’re interested in its user-friendly interface, open-source philosophy, and extensive customization options, you might be considering installing and using WordPress for your new website. 

    There are a few different ways to install WordPress. These methods range from choosing a hosting provider that will handle the process for you, to manually installing the software and configuring it yourself. 

    In this article, we’ll explain how to install WordPress in four different ways. We’ll also answer some frequently asked questions you might have about the installation process. Let’s get started!

    Why should you consider installing WordPress?

    As we mentioned before, WordPress is the most popular CMS available. There are a few reasons for its popularity. Some of these include:

    • User-friendliness: WordPress is pretty easy to learn and use. You’ll manage everything from a centralized dashboard, and you can use the intuitive block editor to build all of your pages. Moreover, you won’t need to touch a single line of code (unless you want to). 
    • Customization options: WordPress is built using open-source software. That means you’re free to customize your site as you see fit. Plus, you’ll have access to plenty of free and paid plugins and themes to further extend your website and adjust its appearance. 
    • Support: WordPress has an active community of users who provide support in official forums and tutorials (like this one!), along with developer-specific assistance for themes and plugins. Additionally, many hosting providers offer WordPress expertise and help for your individual needs. 
    • Affordability: The WordPress core software is completely free, meaning you’ll only need to spend money on hosting, a domain, and any premium plugins or themes you’d like for your site. 

    WordPress is such a diverse CMS that you can use it for all kinds of websites, from simple blogs to enterprise business sites. It also makes it easy to monetize your content, including creating an ecommerce store, membership website, online courses, and more.

    What are the requirements to install WordPress?

    Firstly, you’ll need a server to install and run WordPress. In most cases, it makes sense to partner with a hosting provider that will supply server space and other resources to put your site online. Alternatively, you could opt for hosted WordPress (WordPress.com), which we’ll explore later in this post. 

    You will also need a domain name for your WordPress website. Typically, your hosting provider (or WordPress.com) can help you purchase a domain. 

    Before installing WordPress, you’ll need to make sure that your server (or hosting provider’s server) supports the software. Otherwise, the CMS may not run as it should.

    These are the official requirements for running WordPress:

    • PHP 7.4 or higher. PHP is the programming language that WordPress is built on. It also requires frequent updates and security patches to run smoothly, which is why you should consider opting for the latest version of PHP. 
    • MySQL 5.7 or higher (alternatively, you can use MariaDB 10.3 or higher). This database management system processes all the data contained within your WordPress installation. 
    • Support for HTTPS. This secure data transfer protocol ensures data protection between browsers and your WordPress website. 

    You’ll also want to ensure your chosen server provides the following resources, at a minimum:

    • 1 GB disk space
    • 512 MB RAM
    • 1.0 GHz CPU

    In most cases, an Apache or Nginx server will be your best bet for running WordPress. Still, you can theoretically use any server software as long as it supports both PHP and MySQL. 

    How to install WordPress

    There are a few different ways to install WordPress. The best choice will depend on your experience level and chosen hosting solution. Let’s start by exploring the manual installation approach. 

    Method 1: Install WordPress manually

    The WordPress manual install method is the most time-intensive one. The upside is that you can control everything during the process. 

    Keep in mind that you’ll need a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client to follow this part of the tutorial. If you don’t yet have one installed on your computer, FileZilla is a straightforward (and free!) option you might consider using. 

    Before you get started, you’ll also need to know your web server’s FTP credentials. If you can’t find these details within your hosting dashboard, it’s worth reaching out directly to your hosting provider or consulting its official documentation. 

    Step 1: Download and extract the WordPress package

    The first step in this WordPress manual install tutorial is downloading the WordPress package. This is a collection of the core files that make up a WordPress installation.

    To begin, head to the WordPress download page, and click on the Download button beneath the Download and install it yourself heading. By default, WordPress will provide the latest version of its core software here:

    downloading WordPress from the WordPress.org website

    This should start downloading WordPress as a .zip file onto your computer. Once that’s done, extract the files before moving on to the next step.

    Step 2: Create a database and a user

    If you’ve signed up for a WordPress hosting provider, you may already have a database associated with your website. So, start by opening your hosting control panel to see if a database is available. If you’re not sure how to access your control panel, you can reach out to your web host for instructions.

    Once you’ve logged into your control panel, scroll down to Databases and click on MySQL Databases.

    MySQL Databases option in cpanel

    Now type a name for your database into the box provided and hit Create Database.

    You also need to make a user account for your WordPress database. Scroll down to Add New User and enter a username and password. You can also use the password generator to create secure credentials.

    creating a new database user

    Hit Create User when you’re ready. This will create a new user profile for your database, but the user won’t automatically have access to the database and associated permissions. You’ll need to set this up manually.

    To do this, navigate to Add User To Database and select both the new database you created and the user profile from the dropdown menus.

    adding a user to your database

    Once you’ve made your selections, click on the Add button. You’ll now be prompted to choose privileges for this user role. Enable all of them and hit Make Changes to apply your settings. 

    You should now be able to see the MySQL database name and password. Make a note of these details because you’ll need them later in the tutorial. 

    Step 3: Edit the wp-config.php file

    The wp-config.php file contains all the essential configuration settings for your WordPress website. These include your database name, username, password, and host.

    By default, there is a wp-config-sample.php file in the WordPress package you downloaded earlier, but it doesn’t contain the specific database details for your site. So, we recommend renaming it to “wp-config.php” and updating its content. 

    Open the file in a text editor and update the following values with the details from your new WordPress database:

    • DB_NAME: The database name. 
    • DB_USER: The database username.
    • DB_PASSWORD: The database password. 
    • DB_HOST: The database hostname (this is typically “localhost”).

    It’s also worth adding new secret keys and salts to this file. These encryption tools make it harder for hackers to decode your login information and potentially break into your site. You can generate them using the WordPress Security Key Generator. Simply replace any existing values within your wp-config.php file. 

    Make sure to save all changes when you’re done. Note that if you don’t follow this step, WordPress will attempt to create its own wp-config.php file during installation. But you’ll still need to supply your database details, so it could be worth doing this from the outset. 

    Step 4: Upload the files to your website directory or subdirectory

    Now, it’s time to add the WordPress package files to your website. You’ll be using the FTP client for this part of the tutorial, so make sure you’ve opened it and connected to your database using your FTP credentials.

    You have two options here:

    • Upload the files to your directory. This will install WordPress on your main domain (e.g., http://www.examplesite.com). In this case, you will need to add the files to your root directory, which is usually called /public_html/. 
    • Upload the files to a subdirectory. This option will install WordPress in a subfolder (e.g., http://www.examplesite.com/blog/). In this scenario, add the files to your subdirectory folder. 

    Simply add the files to your chosen folder and wait for the process to finish. Then it’s time to move on to the final step!

    Step 5: Run the WordPress install script

    Finally, you’ll need to run the WordPress install script to finish the entire process. If you uploaded the files to your root directory in the previous step, type this address into your browser, replacing the example with your domain name: “http://examplesite.com/wp-admin/install.php”. 

    Alternatively, if the files are in a subdirectory, substitute your domain name and folder within this address: “http://examplesite.com/blog/wp-admin/install.php”. 

    If you didn’t update the wp.config.php file in step three, you should now see a welcome screen asking you for your database details. Click on Let’s go, and enter the information into the following form:

    entering WordPress database details

    Select Submit, and you should see a welcome screen where you can add your WordPress website’s title, username, password, and email address. You’ll use these details to log in to your admin dashboard.

    setting up WordPress login details

    You can also discourage search engines from indexing your site. People may not be able to find your content online if you choose this option.

    Finally, click on Install WordPress and wait for the process to finish. You should see the admin login form to access your website if you’ve completed the installation correctly. 

    Method 2: Install WordPress in cPanel

    Many hosting providers use cPanel for their hosting dashboards. This tool can manage your website’s database, site files, associated email accounts, and more. Additionally, some hosting providers include WordPress installers within their cPanels. 

    Softaculous is auto-installer software that you can use to launch different applications, including WordPress, cPanel, and DirectAdmin. It has a user-friendly and straightforward interface that walks you through the installation process in just a few steps.

    You can find the Softaculous installer in cPanel by navigating to Software or Auto Installers. The name of this section may be slightly different, depending on your hosting provider. Then, select WordPress Manager by Softaculous.

    WordPress Manager option in cpanel

    Now select Install from the top menu.

    Install option for WordPress

    Under Software Setup, you’ll need to enter your website’s URL, subdirectory (if applicable), and the version of WordPress you’d like to install.

    setting WordPress configuration details

    Under Site Settings, enter your website’s name and description. You can also enable WordPress multisite or disable WordPress Cron. Then, add your admin username, password, and email address under Admin Account.

    creating admin user details

    Now, choose the language for your WordPress website and select any plugins you’d like to install automatically.

    choosing installed plugins and WordPress language

    Finally, under Advanced Options, you can change the name of your database, select a backup location, and enable or disable auto upgrade.

    advanced WordPress installation options

    When you’re happy with your selections, click on Install at the bottom of the page. Softaculous will now take a few minutes to set up your WordPress installation. You should see a success message when it’s done, along with links to log in to your new WordPress site!

    Method 3: Build your site on WordPress.com

    WordPress.com is the hosted version of WordPress. Essentially, with this option, you’ll have access to a very similar dashboard and interface as WordPress.org, but you won’t need to find third-party hosting. A lot of the “heavy lifting” is taken care of for you, automatically. There are several plans you can choose from, which include various features.

    Step 1: Choose a domain name

    The first step is to choose a domain name. To begin, navigate to the WordPress.com homepage and click on Get Started.

    Get Started button on WordPress.com

    You’ll now be prompted to create a new WordPress.com account or log in with an existing one.

    creating a WordPress.com account

    You’ll need to enter the email address, username, and password you’d like to associate with this account. Then, hit Create your account. 

    WordPress.com will now ask you to choose a domain name for your new website. Start by typing some keywords into the box, and you should see a variety of paid and free options.

    selecting a domain name

    Since you receive a free domain name for a year with any paid plan, you might see Free for the first year next to some options. Remember that you’ll have to start paying an annual fee once the first year has expired, though. 

    You should also see a completely free option with a WordPress.com URL extension. Keep in mind that if you opt for a free plan, this extension will be your only choice. 

    When choosing a domain name, it’s worth spending some time making the decision. After all, it will tell visitors about your site’s content and influence your branding. It’s recommended to choose a domain name that is short, descriptive, memorable, and easy to spell so that users can find your content more easily. 

    Step 2: Choose a WordPress.com plan

    You’ll now be asked to choose a WordPress.com plan.

    choosing a WordPress.com plan

    WordPress.com enables you to create a free website or opt for one of the paid plans. With a paid subscription, you’ll get access to features like a free domain for one year, support for plugins, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools, ecommerce features, and more.

    Hit Select under the plan you’d like to use, or click on start with a free site at the top of the page. WordPress.com will then take a couple of seconds to process your request. 

    Step 3: Add information about your site

    Now, you can enter some goals for your website, like selling products online, publishing content, or promoting your business. Checking boxes next to any applicable goals will help WordPress.com personalize the setup process for your site.

    questions about website goals

    Hit Continue to go to the next screen. Then, choose a category for your WordPress site by typing in the box or opening the dropdown menu.

    list of website topics and industries

    Next up, it’s time to name your website and give it a tagline. The text you enter here will appear at the top of your site as a header. Keep in mind that you can change it later.

    deciding on a blog title and tagline

    Click on Continue when you’re finished. You should now see a screen directing you to write your first blog post, watch videos about blogging, and choose a design for your website.

    next step options in WordPress

    You may want to explore one of these choices. Otherwise, hit Skip to dashboard to go to your WordPress.com dashboard. Now it’s just a matter of learning the interface, creating content, and designing your dream website!

    Method 4: Choose a host with WordPress pre-installed

    This method is by far the easiest one. If you choose a hosting provider with WordPress pre-installed, you can have your new site up and running in just minutes.

    For instance, the WordPress installation process is very straightforward with Bluehost. Once you’ve signed up for a hosting plan and chosen your domain name, click on My Sites → Add site → Create New Site.

    option to create a new site with Bluehost

    You’ll be prompted to enter a name and tagline for your WordPress website,

    adding a site name and tagline

    When you’re ready, hit Next. Now, choose your domain from the dropdown menu and enter your subdirectory (if relevant). You can also opt to auto-install a few handy plugins like WP Forms or Monster Insights.

    choosing a domain name and plugins to install

    Finally, click on Next. Bluehost will now install WordPress and show you a success message when the process is complete.

    You can access your new WordPress installation by heading to My Sites → Manage site. Now, simply click on Log into WordPress, and you’ll be taken to the login form.

    option to log in to WordPress with Bluehost

    It’s that easy! The process may differ slightly if you’re using one of the other recommended WordPress hosts, but should still be very straightforward. 

    Common WordPress installation problems

    Occasionally, things can go wrong during the WordPress installation process. Here are some problems you might encounter and how to fix them!

    You can see a directory listing instead of your website

    If you can see a directory listing instead of your WordPress website, you’ll need to add a directive to your web server. This will tell it to view index.php and, consequently, display your site.

    You can do this with Apache servers by creating a file named .htaccess and then adding the following directive:

    DirectoryIndex index.php

    Make sure to save your changes and reupload this file via FTP. You can also add the directive to your web server’s configuration file.

    There are “Headers already sent” errors

    If you incorrectly edited the wp-config.php file when installing WordPress, you might see “Headers already sent” errors. These messages indicate you made some syntax errors within the file.

    In this case, open up the wp-config.php file with your text editor and check for the following mistakes:

    • Text or whitespace before the opening <?php
    • Text or whitespace after the closing ?>
    • Byte order marks (BOM)

    Additionally, both <?php and ?> should be alone on their respective first and final lines, with no other content. Make sure to save any changes within the file, re-upload it to WordPress, and refresh the browser to see if the issue has been fixed. 

    The page contains a lot of “<?php ?>” tags

    When you complete the WordPress installation process, you should see the login form for the dashboard. But, in some cases, you might see a page that looks like gibberish with multiple <?php ?> tags. 

    This indicates that PHP is not running correctly on your server. In a nutshell, it’s not executing before sending the HTML file to the browser.

    In this scenario, your server may not be capable of running PHP. Alternatively, it may be incorrectly installed or misconfigured. You’ll need to reach out to your hosting provider and ask for assistance. 

    You can see an “Error connecting to database” message

    If you keep seeing an “Error connecting to database” message, your database credentials don’t match those needed to log in. If you’ve verified that the username is correct, it could be worth changing your MySQL database password.

    Open up phpMyAdmin in your hosting dashboard. Then, open your database, and navigate to SQL.

    SQL option in phpMyAdmin

    Now, type in the following command as a SQL query:

    SET PASSWORD FOR 'wordpressusername'@'hostname' = OLD_PASSWORD('password');

    Make sure to switch out the generic names with the ones that correspond to your database. Then click on Go in the bottom-right corner of the user interface. 

    Alternatively, you can change your password manually if you prefer not to use a command. In cPanel, open MySQL Databases and scroll down to Current Users.

    list of current users

    Select Change Password and enter or generate a new value. Make sure to copy the new password because you’ll need to update the value in your wp-config.php file.

    Then, open wp-config.php and replace the value under DB_PASSWORD with the new password. Remember to save and re-upload it via FTP, and check to see if you can now access the WordPress admin area. 

    There is a “Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress” message 

    If you can see “Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress,” there is a problem with the MySQL plugin. 

    In this case, you’ll need to verify that MySQL is installed and configured correctly on your web server. In most cases, it’s worth reaching out to your hosting provider for technical support. We also created a guide on how to fix this PHP missing MYSQL extension error. 

    You see a 403 error

    At the end of the WordPress installation process, you might see a message similar to this one:

    You are not authorized to view this page. You might not have permission to view this directory or page using the credentials you supplied. If you believe you should be able to view this directory or page, please try to contact the website by using any e-mail address or phone number that may be listed on the examplewebsite.com home page. You can click Search to look for information on the Internet. HTTP Error 403 – Forbidden

    The 403 error is most common with Apache servers. It can indicate that you don’t have sufficient permissions to execute this request on your server. Alternatively, Apache may be unable to access WordPress files.

    In this scenario, it’s best to contact your host. Unless you have root access to your server, you may not be able to fix this problem on your own.

    Frequently asked questions

    As we’ve seen in this tutorial, installing WordPress is relatively easy. If you have any questions left about the process, we’ll answer them here!

    Is WordPress free to download and install?

    Yes, WordPress is completely free to download and install! Still, you will need to pay for a hosting provider and domain name to put your website online. 

    Alternatively, you can create a WordPress.com site. With this platform, you can launch and maintain a basic website completely free. There are also plenty of paid plans available when you’re ready to upgrade for more advanced features. 

    Is PHP required for WordPress?

    WordPress is written using the PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) programming language. Therefore, you cannot install and run the CMS without PHP. Fortunately, many servers and hosting providers are compatible with PHP, enabling you to set up a WordPress installation in no time.

    Can I install WordPress on an existing database?

    Yes, you can install WordPress using an existing database. You’ll just need to import a database backup in place of your ‘new database’ during the installation process. You will also need access to the old database’s credentials.

    Can I install WordPress locally on my computer?

    Yes, you can install WordPress locally on your computer. This setup will store all the website’s files on your device instead of an online database.

    With a local installation, you’ll have a development environment entirely powered by your computer. You won’t need access to the internet or hosting provider, enabling you to develop and perfect your site on a localhost before moving it to a live server.

    There are multiple local server environments available for WordPress development. Some popular options include WAMP and MAMP. 

    Can I install WordPress on an Ubuntu server?

    You can install WordPress on an Ubuntu server (and many other operating systems). Fortunately, the process is also pretty straightforward, with automated scripts to speed things up.

    Additionally, some hosting providers provide one-click WordPress installs for Ubuntu systems. For more information, check out the complete guide to installing WordPress on Ubuntu.

    What should I do after installing WordPress?

    Once you’ve installed WordPress, it’s time to build your website! You’ll first need to log in to your site’s admin dashboard. Then, spend time familiarizing yourself with the interface and learning where all the different settings are located.

    After that, you can start personalizing your site’s design and functionality. Your website will be set up with a default WordPress theme, but you’re free to change this. The WordPress Theme Repository is a great place to browse free themes for all kinds of websites, from online stores to personal blogs.

    WordPress theme respository

    You might also want to install a few WordPress plugins. These add-ons can bring new features to your site, including performance enhancements, extra security, design tools, and more. You can check out a list of must-have WordPress plugins to find the best tools for your website. 

    Once you have a handle on how to use WordPress, you can start creating and editing your site’s pages. Consider adding a homepage, contact form or page, blog, About page, and online store if you’re planning to sell products online. Then, it’s just a matter of writing content, adding images, and sharing your website with the world!

    Start using WordPress today

    WordPress is the most popular Content Management System (CMS), and for good reason. It lets you create and manage a personalized blog or website from a user-friendly dashboard. What’s more, it’s relatively easy to install WordPress.

    You can install WordPress manually using File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Alternatively, your hosting dashboard may provide a one-click install option or access to installation tools like Softaculous. Finally, WordPress.com is an option that simplifies the installation and website management process. 

    Once your WordPress website is up and running, you’ll want to ensure it’s functioning at its full potential. With the Jetpack suite of tools, you can boost your site’s performance, protect it against security threats, back up your content, and more.