Where to Find Important WordPress Files | Hostvento Knowledge Base

Why does it matter?

Sometimes you need to open a file to fix an error or change a setting. Knowing where things live saves time. Think of your site as a house with rooms. Each room has a job.

How to look at your files

You can use the File Manager in your hosting control panel. It shows your files in the browser. You can also use FTP, which moves files between your computer and your hosting account with a program such as FileZilla. Your login details are in your welcome email.

Log in to your hosting control panel.
Open File Manager.
Open the public_html folder. This is the main folder for your website. If WordPress is in a sub-folder, open that one.
Turn on Show Hidden Files in the settings, so you can see files that start with a dot.

Warning: Take a backup before you change or delete any file. Never delete a file when you are unsure what it does.

The key files and folders

Name	What it does
`wp-config.php`	Holds your database name, user and password, and other core settings.
`.htaccess`	Controls web addresses, redirects and some security rules. It is hidden by default.
`wp-content`	Holds all your own things: themes, plugins and uploads.
`wp-content/themes`	One folder for each theme.
`wp-content/plugins`	One folder for each plugin.
`wp-content/uploads`	Your pictures and files, sorted by year and month.
`wp-admin`	Core files for the dashboard. Do not edit them.
`wp-includes`	Core WordPress code. Do not edit it.
`index.php`	The starting file that loads your site.
`robots.txt`	Tells search engines which parts to skip. It may not exist until you make it.

A database is where WordPress stores your posts and settings. It is not a file you see in the folders. You reach it through a tool such as phpMyAdmin in your control panel.

Which files are safe to edit?

Safe, with care: wp-config.php, .htaccess and files in your own child theme.
Do not edit: anything in wp-admin and wp-includes. An update will overwrite your changes.

Tip: Download a copy of any file before you edit it. If something breaks, upload the old copy again.

Quick recap

Use File Manager or FTP to see your files.
Your content lives in wp-content.
Settings live in wp-config.php and .htaccess.
Do not edit wp-admin or wp-includes.
Back up before any change.