What to do right after installing WordPress (Part 1)

What is the WordPress dashboard?

The dashboard is the private control room of your site. You reach it by adding /wp-admin to your site address. Only people with a login can enter.

Steps

1. Log in at yourdomain.com/wp-admin.
2. Click Settings, then General.
3. Check the Site Title. This is the name visitors see in the browser tab.
4. Write a short Tagline. It is one line that says what your site is about.
5. Check that WordPress Address and Site Address are correct.
6. Set your Timezone. This makes scheduled posts go out at the right time.
7. Click Save Changes.

Set up pretty links

A permalink is the web address of one page or post. The default style uses numbers, such as ?p=123. Names are easier for people and search engines.

1. Go to Settings, then Permalinks.
2. Choose Post name.
3. Click Save Changes.

Clean up the sample content

WordPress adds a sample post, a sample page and a sample comment. You do not need them.

1. Go to Posts, then All Posts. Move Hello world! to the trash.
2. Go to Pages. Move Sample Page to the trash.
3. Go to Comments and trash the sample comment.

Check your search visibility

1. Go to Settings, then Reading.
2. Find Search engine visibility.
3. Make sure the box that asks search engines to skip your site is not ticked once you are ready to go public.

Update your admin account

1. Go to Users, then Profile.
2. Choose a nickname that is not your login name. This keeps your login name private.
3. Use a strong password.
4. Click Update Profile.

Quick recap

• Set the site title, tagline and timezone.
• Choose the Post name permalink style.
• Delete the sample post, page and comment.
• Check search engine visibility and protect your admin account.
• Part 2 covers themes, plugins and security.