WordPress Setup Checklist: 8 Things to Do After Installing

A fresh WordPress install works, but it is not ready for visitors. These eight checks take about thirty minutes and save you from common problems later.

1. Set the basics

Go to Settings → General and set your site title, tagline, and timezone. The title and tagline often appear in browser tabs and search results, so write them for people, not machines.

2. Choose clean permalinks

Permalinks are the web addresses of your pages. Open Settings → Permalinks and pick a readable structure such as Post name, so addresses look like /my-article/ instead of /?p=123. Choose this before you publish, because changing it later means addresses change.

3. Remove what you do not use

Delete unused themes and plugins from Appearance → Themes and Plugins. Inactive code still has to be kept up to date, and old, abandoned plugins are a common way sites get hacked. Keep one active theme, and optionally one spare default theme.

4. Keep everything updated

Open Dashboard → Updates regularly. Updates fix bugs and security problems in WordPress, themes, and plugins. Before a big update, make a backup, and test updates on a copy of the site if you can.

5. Set up backups

A backup is only useful if you can restore it. Keep copies of both your files and your database, store at least one copy away from your web host, and try a restore occasionally. Many hosts include backups, but check what is covered and for how long.

6. Protect your login

Use a long, unique password and avoid the username admin. Give other people their own accounts with only the permissions they need. A well-maintained security plugin that adds two-factor authentication and login limits can help.

7. Check search engine visibility

While you build a site, Settings → Reading → Discourage search engines keeps it out of search results. Remember to untick it when you launch. Forgetting this is one of the most common reasons a new site never appears in search.

8. Add a privacy and legal baseline

If you collect emails, run analytics, or use cookies, you need accurate privacy and cookie pages that match what your site really does. Write them carefully, and consider asking a qualified professional to review them.

Quick summary

• Set title, tagline, and timezone.
• Use post-name permalinks.
• Delete unused themes and plugins.
• Update regularly, with a backup first.
• Protect logins, and untick search discouragement at launch.

Ready to go further? Read our HTML tutorial to understand the code behind your pages.