Find out what version of the Genesis Framework your WordPress site is using, and whether your XHTML child theme is preventing the update to Genesis 3.0+.
Leapfrogging multiple versions of WordPress
If it’s been awhile since you last updated WordPress, you may be several versions behind instead of just one. Here’s how to check : Look in the “At a Glance” section of the home page of your WordPress dashboard for the version of WordPress your site is currently running. This should be near the top […]
Protect Yourself from WordPress 5.0
tl;dr: WordPress site owners should install a protection plugin ASAP, and then wait until January 2019 to update WordPress past version 4.9.8. Public service announcement for everyone who has a WordPress site: WP 5.0 is going to be released on Dec. 6, 2018. The new post/page editor in 5.0 completely revolutionizes the way posts and […]
How to update WordPress
Are you seeing a message at the top of your WordPress dashboard, telling you that a new version of WordPress is available? Complete with a command to “Please update now.”? The “please” softens it a bit, but it’s still a command. This is WordPress’s way of helpfully notifying you that a new version is available. […]
Troubleshooting WordPress automatic updates
If your website uses WordPress, you should definitely take advantage of the automatic updater. If your site is set up correctly and using the automatic updater, it’s already updating itself, and sending you a confirmation email each time this happens. Check your inbox for an email from “WordPress” that has a subject line that looks […]
How to install WordPress
In all my WordPress how-to posts here, I’ve never covered how to actually install WordPress. I haven’t taught any classes that cover WordPress installation, either. Why would I leave out something so obviously needed? Well, partly (only partly!) because you can pay me $97 for a basic WordPress installation package. One of the other big […]
Upgrading: The zeroth step
If you haven’t been inside your WordPress dashboard for awhile, you may be confronted with multiple update notices when you log in. You probably have a handful (or more) of plugins that need updating, and perhaps your theme or theme framework has come out with a new version (yep, those are affiliate links), and WordPress […]
How to use Gravatars on your WordPress site
This post was sparked by a question I received from a client who is working his way through Site Setup Kit, my complete guide to building a unique website. Check out Site Setup Kit today. Have you ever wondered why some blog comments show up with pictures of their authors, while others have generic “mystery mannequin” […]
Anchor yourself with easy jump links
I’ve previously explained how WordPress is an internal linking powerhouse, but even the super-easy and super-powerful WordPress link dialog box doesn’t contain a built-in way to add jump links. Jump links, also known as anchor links, are links that take you to a specific part of a page, instead of the default top location. I personally […]
Custom error pages (with bonus server-eating monsters)
As part of all the tweaking I’ve been doing since my website donned its new outfit on Monday, I made myself a custom 404 error page. Usually, that “File Not Found” page generated by a 404 error is pretty boring. I mean, nobody wants to spend time on a dead-end page that doesn’t have anything […]
But what if your WordPress update fails?
Here’s a quick way to fix one of the most common errors when updating WordPress — plus reassurance that it’s not your fault. Let’s say you follow my advice to update to the latest version of WordPress. You log into your WordPress dashboard and click “Please update now” in the little message at the top […]
How long should you keep your WordPress backups?
On this very blog, I’ve written up instructions for using WordPress Backup to keep copies of your website files, and also for using WP-DB Backup to back up your database (both types of backup are essential). But what to do with those backup files? Keep them, of course, but for how long? Well, when it […]
WordPress Plugin: AWeber Web Form
Last month, AWeber released its official WordPress plugin, so their customers can now install web forms on WordPress websites without copying-and-pasting bits of code. In short, adding a sign-up form to your sidebar just got a lot easier. As a big fan of both WordPress and AWeber, I’m delighted to see the two working together […]
What plugins should you be using?
I’ve heard this question a few times recently. Although I do have a list of plugins that I recommend for most new WordPress sites (more on that in the next post), I’d like to go back to first principles and reframe the question. Before asking “what plugins do I need?” first ask “What do I […]
Updated version of “How to install a WordPress plugin”
I just updated my original How to install a wordpress plugin post with a couple of new screenshots for newer versions of WordPress. Also, it’s now Part 1 of a series on WordPress plugins. I’m playing around with a blog-post-series plugin (my, we’re getting meta today — series on plugins, plugins for series…) to organize […]
