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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 […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: update, WordPress, wordpress update

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. […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: Peace of Mind Program, WordPress, wordpress update

The definitive WordPress web hosting checklist

9 must-have features that will keep your website flexible, online, and always available If a web host you’re considering does not meet these criteria, don’t even think about signing up for a hosting account. Any web host you’re considering for a WordPress site needs to: Mention WordPress prominently in its sales materials. Look for phrases […]

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: DreamHost, hosting, SiteGround, WordPress

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 […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: automatic update, Background Update Tester, update, WordPress, wordpress update

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 […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: DreamHost, installation, WordPress

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 […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: backup, BackupBuddy, update, upgrade, 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” […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: comments, Genesis, gravatar, widget, WordPress

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 […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: upgrade, WordPress

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 […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: WordPress

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 […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: Aweber, plugin, WordPress

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 […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: plugin, theme, WordPress

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 […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: installation, plugin, WordPress

Categories, Tags, what’s the difference?

WordPress has a built-in ability to assign both categories and tags to your blog posts (but not pages — this is one of the important differences between posts and pages). So, what exactly are categories? What are tags? What are they used for, and what’s the difference? What categories and tags do for you They […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: blogging, categories, tags, WordPress

WordPress Plugin: Broken Link Checker

Broken Link Checker is a tremendously useful plugin, one that I include with all my WordPress installs. It does exactly what its name suggests: Checks your blog posts and pages for broken links (automatically, in the background) and lets you fix them easily, without having to visit and edit each individual post. How to install […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: plugin, URL, web address, WordPress

How to Update a WordPress Plugin

This post is part of my WordPress Essentials Toolkit — a collection of the most important basic steps to maintaining a WordPress site. Get a free copy of this helpful 28-page PDF by subscribing to my Weekly Web Tips! I’ve already described how to install a WordPress plugin from within WordPress. Now that you have […]

Filed Under: WordPress How-To's Tagged With: plugin, upgrade, WordPress

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