Creating a page hierarchy makes it easy for authors to keep track of pages, while also making it easier for visitors to find related content. Of course, there are situations when creating subpages is not ideal.

Thus, before you implement such a system on your website, you need to understand what it entails and when to use one.

Now, a page is different from a post in WordPress. Although they behave similarly, posts are meant for regularly producing content while pages are best used for static information, such as an “About Us” page or a contact form.

What Is A Parent Page In WordPress?

A parent page is a top-level page that is at the top of the hierarchy. Or in other words, it is the original page that child pages are derived from. Without the parent page, you cannot have a child page.

The parent page passes on its URL slug to all child pages, which makes it easy to identify them from one another.

For example, If I had a website that had PlayStation as the parent page, all child pages would have “/PlayStation” in their URL. Visitors need to pass through the parent page in order to access the child pages.

What Is A Child Page In WordPress?

A child page is a page that lives under a parent page in the hierarchy. It inherits the parent page’s slug and can only be accessed through the parent page unless the URL is manually entered.

If you had a child page called PS5, and a parent page called Playstation, the URL slug would be “/PlayStation/PS5” which makes it easy to locate the parent page.

There is no limit on the number of child pages that can come from a single parent. It is also possible for a child page to have a child page, which is commonly referred to as a grandchild page.

When Should You Have A Parent And A Child Page?

Understanding what a parent and child page is in WordPress is one thing, but understanding when to use one is another story entirely.

To be perfectly honest, choosing how and when to use them depends entirely on the kind of website you run.

For example, consider your typical business website, let’s say, home improvement. You may have a parent page called Services, with multiple child pages for each service you offer. This could be roofing, painting, repairs, and so on.

This is a pretty good use of the parent page because visitors will be aware you offer other services and would have to pass through the main service page, thus seeing everything else you offer.

Of course, there are times this isn’t a great option.

For instance, if you run a blog, well, you are much more likely to take advantage of taxonomies like categories and tags for your posts versus creating multiple pages.

As you can already see, this can be a bit complicated, thus, there’s no right answer when it comes to when to use them.

How to Create A Parent Page In WordPress

Setting a page as the Parent Page is incredibly easy in WordPress. The only requirement is that the page must be published so it is selectable in the WordPress Page Attributes section of Gutenberg.

As long as that is done, it takes less than a minute to do.

With another published page in place on your website, go to the page you wish to make a child page or create a new page. Once there, expand the Page Attributes option in the editor settings.

Click on the Parent Page drop-down box and select the page you want to make as the parent. This means the current page you are on will become a child page.

Note: While you can select the homepage, it is highly recommended not to.

And that’s it. Save the changes and you’ll have your first parent page. You’ll be able to denote a subpage in the WordPress page viewer by the “-” in front of the title like so:

And with that, you now know how to make a Parent and Child page in WordPress. Whenever you do this, it is a good idea to create a new sitemap and submit it to Google. This is because your link structure has changed.

If you want to get the best SEO results, always reupload a new sitemap when you are adding a parent page in WordPress.

How to Create a Child Page in WordPress

Creating a parent and child page is very easy. Parent pages are not made to be parent pages. Instead, you select pages that are related to the parent page and call them child pages.

For example, I created three pages Pets, Dogs, and Cats. Pets will be the parent page, but I did not tell WordPress that.

Go to any page that you would like to make a child page. In my case, I am choosing the Dogs page. On the right-hand side of the page, you will see a Page Attribute box.

Under the word “Parent” you will see a drop-down box. Select the page you would like to be the parent page. In my case, I am selecting the Pets page.

By doing this the page you selected will be the parent page of the child page you are on. Save your work. When you are selecting pages you will be able to tell what pages are parent and child pages.

This can be seen by the child pages being dashed beneath the parent page like so.

How to Add an Index to Parent Pages

Now that you have your parent and child pages set up, it is time to add the index. This will help visitors locate relevant pages with ease.

Let’s start by logging into the cPanel and clicking on the File Manager option. The File Manager will allow you to access all of the files related to your website.

You need to locate your themes functions.php file. Click on the public_html directory, then click on the wp-content folder. Inside of this folder, you will find all of the content related to your website.

Click on the themes folder and enter the folder of the theme you are currently using. Finally, right-click on the functions.php file and select the Edit option.

A pop-up window will show up. This box will warn you to create a backup of your files before editing anything. This will ensure that you can revert your website back to when it was working if something goes wrong.

Click on the “Edit” button. A new tab will open containing all of the code from the file.

Copy and paste the following code into your themes functions.php file:

function Index_child_pages() {
global $post;
if ( is_page() && $post->post_parent )
$childpages = wp_list_pages( ‘sort_column=menu_order&title_li=&child_of=’ . $post->post_parent . ‘&echo=0’ );
else
$childpages = wp_list_pages( ‘sort_column=menu_order&title_li=&child_of=’ . $post->ID . ‘&echo=0’ );
if ( $childpages ) {
$string = ‘
‘ . $childpages . ‘
‘;
}
return $string;
}
add_shortcode(‘index_childpages’, ‘Index_child_pages’);

This code will simply check to see if the page is a parent page. If it is a parent page, it will display the child pages and if not, nothing will happen. This is done by using the shortcode [index_childpages].

Once you have inserted the code into the functions.php file, click on the “Save Changes” button to finish.

Now, visit any page that is a parent page and insert the shortcode into a shortcode block.

You can now view an index of all of your child pages for a parent page. It’s a simple addition that can significantly improve site navigation. Remember that you will have to paste this shortcode on every parent page if you want it inside of the page.

Alternatively, if you post it on the sidebar it will display correctly for each page.

How to Edit the Child Page URL to Remove the Parent Slug in WordPress

There are cases where you may want to remove the parent slug from a child page’s URL. While this is possible, and I will demonstrate how to do this, it is worth pointing out that you are better off not making that page a child page in the first place.

Changing the URL in this way can have negative consequences on your website’s SEO. If you wish to proceed with editing the URL, keep reading to learn how to do it with the Custom Permalinks plugin.

Step 1: Install Custom Permalinks

Let’s get started by clicking on Plugins and selecting the Add New option on the left-hand admin panel.

Search for Custom Permalinks in the available search box. This will pull up additional plugins that you may find helpful.

Scroll down until you find the Custom Permalinks plugin and click on the “Install Now” button and activate the plugin for use.

Step 2: Remove the Parent Slug

This plugin works after activation. To edit your child page’s URL, go to your child page. Underneath the Gutenberg editor of the child page, you will see the Custom Permalinks section.

You should see a text box that contains the default URL. Simply remove the parent slug from the URL.

If you do not see the option to edit the parent slug, then you might have encountered a compatibility issue. This happened to me personally, while preparing this tutorial.

I could not determine which plugin caused the issue, but deleting the ones that I did not need solved the issue.

Click on the “Update” button to apply the URL changes. You will need to repeat this for every child page you would like to remove the parent slug from.

Congratulations, you have successfully edited the child page URL to remove the parent slug for your WordPress website. You can use this plugin for more than just removing the parent slug. You can alter any URL on your website to say whatever you want. Keep in mind that it is a good idea to consider your website’s SEO. Unorganized URLs can hurt your website.

How Does A Parent Page Impact SEO In WordPress

One of the main advantages of using a parent page is the SEO benefits it can bring to your website, at least if you use them right. You see, it’s also possible to misuse these pages and hurt your SEO by creating duplicate content.

Let’s take a look at what to do to get the best SEO results and what to avoid.

The Content Must Be Relevant

One thing is consistent across all websites, they need to create content that is relevant to the keywords they are ranking for. And this is perhaps the most challenging part for parent and child pages, as many developers get it wrong.

A child page must consist of unique content that is relevant to the parent page. For instance, a parent page about Marvel and a child page about Ironman make perfect sense.

Whereas, a parent page about Game of Thrones and a child page about One Piece don’t.

Simply put, if the parent and child page does not consist of relevant material, they won’t rank well. In fact, they can actually hurt your rankings, but this is true for any kind of content you produce.

Avoid Duplicate Content

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make when it comes to parent and child pages is that in an attempt to make them relevant to one another, they end up becoming duplicate content.

The main cause of this is typically when a child’s page is not unique enough to stand on its own. For instance, imagine a scenario with a parent page about Pizza and a child page about Pepperoni Pizza.

That’s really similar. How different can these pages realistically be from one another?

While talented writers can make unique content like that standout, the truth is most websites will fall into a trap and create what search engines call duplicate content, which hurts your search rankings.

Get More Clicks

One of the main reasons for a parent page and child page to exist in WordPress is to improve your navigation. Or in other words, make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for.

Of course, this also makes it easier for search engines to understand the relationship between such pages, which is a benefit in itself.

This can help drive traffic between your pages, which is beneficial to your website’s SEO. The more clicks a page gets, the better it performs. Thus, sending visitors from your parent page to your child page can be a huge boon for SEO.

That said, you do want to make sure that the parent page has content to stand on its own. It can actually work against you if visitors are just using the parent page to get to the child page.

Alternatives To Parent Pages

WordPress has a variety of solutions for when you may not want to create a parent page that sometimes works better. Each one works well in specific cases, and you may already be using them on your site.

In fact, if you are not using the first one, you’ve done something very wrong.

Taxonomies

Taxonomies are one of the most important aspects of a well-maintained website. For most websites, this includes your categories and tags, which help visitors identify your post content.

Similar to a parent and child page, a category and post category share a similar relationship. In fact, it’s almost identical.

In many cases where you feel a separate page is not necessary, creating a post hierarchy is a much better option. And to do that, you will be utilizing your taxonomies like categories to properly separate them.

They also offer a similar benefit to parent pages when it comes to SEO. Realistically, you should use taxonomies no matter what you do. It’s just good web design.

Anchor Links

As I said earlier, one of the main benefits of a parent and child page is navigation, however, there are other options. One such is creating anchor links. These allow visitors to quickly navigate to a specific piece of content on a page.

In case you are not familiar with anchor links, these are text links a visitor can click on and have their page automatically scrolled to that location. It’s quite handy and they are present in every table of contents on the internet.

How is this a substitute for a parent page?

Well, instead of creating multiple pages, you could have a single larger page that utilizes anchor text for quick navigation. This helps you avoid duplicate content because it will be on the same page and makes on-page navigation much simpler.

Sidebar Menus

Another approach that can be wildly successful is focusing on your sidebar menu design. The sidebar is a widget area that is visible on every post or page in WordPress unless you change the visibility options.

That means it is an amazing area to post archives, search bars, recent posts, and other useful navigation options to help users quickly find what they are looking for regardless of what post or page they are currently viewing.

That said, it is important to avoid overcrowding your sidebar area. If there are too many items in it, it can be a real hindrance.

One way to avoid this is to make sure the elements you add to it are collapsable and expandable. This gives visitors control over what they see. Thus, if they don’t want to see a long list of archives, they can collapse the menu item.

Create A Parent Page In WordPress Today

As you can see there are many benefits to creating a parent page in WordPress, and it’s very easy to do. There are even several alternatives you can use to improve site navigation while still getting SEO benefits.

Has adding a parent page hierarchy improved your website’s SEO? Did you decide to try any of the alternatives?

The post Parent Page WordPress: What is it & How to Use it Correctly appeared first on GreenGeeks.

If the image looks bad, it will have a direct impact on the amount of traffic you receive. It is essentially a billboard for your content with the goal of grabbing a reader’s attention. That’s why so much effort goes into them.

In most cases, the biggest mistake beginners make is not selecting the right size for their post thumbnail in WordPress. Even if you have a great image, it will look bad if the sizing is off.

In fact, you might be cutting out key parts of the image, or making any text hard to read.

Thus, if you really want to succeed on WordPress, you are going to need to learn how to change the featured image size.

What Is A Featured Image?

A featured image is an image that represents your post or page content.

The featured image will be the first thing visible after the title and is also visible when selecting a post or page from a directory or search engine. Thus, it has a direct effect on the traffic to your site.

It is often called the header image and is used by WordPress to create thumbnails, so the naming can change.

The featured image will appear in multiple locations outside of its original post or page. For instance, it can appear on your homepage if you showcase the newest or most popular posts or your website’s search results.

It will also appear front and center when you share that post or page on social media platforms. As you can imagine, due to how often the image is seen, it is critical to make a good one.

One thing to keep in mind is that many featured image sizing options are dependent on the theme you choose. Each supports different image sizing options and you will need to consult the theme documentation to find the best options.

Thus, the header image size in WordPress is variable and not set in stone for every single website.

How to Set A Featured Image

Now, before you can go about changing a featured image’s size, you need to actually have a featured image. Let’s quickly cover how you will set a featured image in WordPress.

Step 1: Open A Post or Page

Simply open any post or page in WordPress. Alternatively, you can create a new one.

Note: The process is identical for both pages and posts.

Step 2: Locate the Featured Image Section

By default, when you create a new post or page, the settings wheel should be open and visible on the right-hand side. If it is not, click on the settings wheel to open it.

Locate the Featured Image option and click it to expand.

Step 3: Set the Featured Image

Click on the Set featured image box.

This will open up the media library. Select the image you want to use. You will see options to configure the image. You can add Alt Text, Title, Caption, and Description in them.

Just click on the “Set Featured Image” button and your image will be in place.

Did you notice what option was not available? There are no options to configure the size of your featured image. Let’s fix that.

How to Change the Featured Image Size in WordPress

Before going into this, I need to stress that the best size for a featured image depends on your theme. Every theme is unique, thus, you need to select the sizes based on what your theme recommends.

Not following what your theme advises could result in low-quality images that could appear blurry or cut off.

Method 1: Editing the Image in WordPress

So, there is actually an option to edit any image in your media library. You can find this when selecting the image.

You have some pretty basic photo editing options that include cropping, rotating the image right or left, and flipping the image horizontally or vertically. More important, you can actually scale the image.

All you need to do is change the dimensions (in pixels) and click on the “Scale” button.

Now, in reality, this will only be effective in some situations. You see, this can drastically lower the quality and result in blurry images. It really depends on the original dimensions of the image and what you scale it to.

For this reason, most developers will ignore these options in WordPress and focus on using actual photo editing software like Photoshop, which is the next method.

Method 2: Properly Size the Image Before Uploading It

The Featured Image will appear at whatever size the original image was (theme permitting). Thus, one of the simplest ways to control its size is to use software like Photoshop and manually adjust it.

This even includes stock images, as you can put them into Photoshop and crop them to get the correct size without losing quality.

In general, most blogs will utilize Photoshop as it is the widely available photo editing software. There is also a wealth of tutorials that exist to demonstrate how to use it, which can help beginners.

If you don’t have the money for Photoshop, you can use a free online alternative such as Photopea. It works similarly to Photoshop and has many of the same functions and tools.

This also has another simple advantage, you can store the original image on your computer.

Throughout a website’s lifespan, it’s very possible that you will make several changes in relation to your images. This could be changing the size, the border, a specific graphic element, font, or something else.

Having the original available, allows you to edit it, then reupload it. This can save you from having to search for the same stock image again or create a new one from scratch.

Essentially, properly size it before uploading it, that way you can just place it and be done.

Method 3: Set the Featured Image Size In WordPress with PHP

Another, more complicated method, is to code the featured image size using PHP. Or more specifically, by adding some code to your theme’s functions.php file.

Now, I say more complicated loosely, because it really just boils down to copying and pasting a line of code and adding your own values to it. Thus, it’s not very hard.

Yet, it poses a bigger risk because if you make a typo, it can mess up your website.

Before proceeding, I strongly recommend making a backup. In fact, no matter what you do, you should create one.

A backup is an invaluable tool for developers as no matter what mistake occurs, you essentially have a get-out-of-jail-free card. And sometimes, it’s not even a mistake on your end that requires a backup.

In any event, all you need to do is locate your theme’s functions.php file, and paste the following line of code in it:

<?php 
    set_post_thumbnail_size( $width, $height, $crop );
?>

This code is not ready for use as you must make a small change to it. The $width must be replaced with the width of your image in pixels. The $height must be replaced with the height of your image in pixels.

Lastly, the $crop option will crop the image to the specified width and height. If you want to enable this, enter True. Alternatively, you can either leave it blank or enter False.

Thus the code will look like this for a 100 x 100 image without cropping:

<?php 
    set_post_thumbnail_size(100, 100, False );
?>

And that’s it. Save the changes and images you upload to your website after making this change will follow these rules.

Note: Since this code is in your theme’s functions.php file, if you change themes, you will have to add it again. Some themes may not support this function, thus, consult your theme documentation.

How to Change WordPress Image Sizes

Of course, featured images are not the only ones that exist in WordPress. There are actually four default image sizing types:

• Thumbnail size: 150×150 pixels
• Medium size: 300×300 pixels
• Large size: 1024×1024 pixels
• Full size: Original Image Size (No limit)

In fact, every time you upload an image to your media library, WordPress makes a copy of it using each of these sizes. Many developers actually take the time to disable this feature because it will eat up server space.

While these are the default image sizes in WordPress, they can be changed. This is important because sometimes these sizes don’t work well for a theme or for specific types of content.

For instance, the Thumbnail size may be too small for some websites, which could result in a blurry or hard-to-see image.

Let’s cover how to change the WordPress image size.

Step 1: Go to Media Settings

Click on Settings and select the Media option.

Step 2: Change the Default Image Sizes

This area contains the settings that allow you to customize the size of the three default image types. All this entails is changing the image dimensions, so it’s pretty straightforward.

Step 3: Save the Changes

After you have made the changes, all that you need to do is click on the “Save Changes” button at the bottom. Going forward, these will be the sizes your website will utilize.

Important Note: This will not change any of your existing image sizes. You will have to re-upload the image for it to have these sizing options, as WordPress only creates them upon an upload.

For this reason, determining what image sizes you will use should be one of the first things you do.

Optimize Your Featured Image for SEO

Going through all the effort to resize your featured image is completely pointless if no one ever sees it. Thus, you need to optimize the image for SEO.

So, how do you do this?

Well, the most important aspect is Alt Text. This is the text you can add to the image which describes what is happening.

For example, imagine an article about video games that include a featured image of two people playing games on a couch. Well, you would want the image to contain an alt text saying,” Two gamers playing video games on a couch.”

This accurately describes the image, while also including the keyword video games.

These clear descriptions do not just help search engines, they can also help visitors. If the internet connection is weak, especially important for mobile users, the images won’t load. Instead, the Alt Text will appear.

This can be beneficial as the visitor will have an idea of what the image was supposed to be.

Of course, while the focus here is on featured images, all images should get this treatment. It can dramatically improve your search engine rankings.

TL;DR: Describe your image and include the keyword in your featured images.

Featured Image Size in WordPress FAQ

You might have a few lingering questions, so let’s go through a few:

Do I Need to Set the Featured Image in WordPress?

No.

Truthfully, it is not required. In reality, WordPress will detect the first image in a post or page and set that as the featured image. While this is effective, it is less optimal than manually setting one.

In many cases, the image may not be flashy enough to capture a visitor’s attention. Or, it could just not reflect the topic.

Obviously, setting it yourself is a better option that I recommend, however, it is not required.

Are Featured Images Naturally Responsive?

In most cases, yes.

This completely depends on your theme, but virtually all modern WordPress themes are built to be responsive nowadays. It would actually be harder to find a theme that doesn’t do this by default than to find one that does.

That said, it is always recommended to test your website on various devices to confirm. It’s better to find a problem yourself than to let a visitor find it. In some cases, you may be unaware the problem exists.

Visitors do not always let you know.

What Is the Ideal Featured Image Size in WordPress?

It is completely theme-dependent. That said, generally speaking, 1200×628 pixels is a good size to satisfy most WordPress themes.

To really figure out what the best fit for your website would be, read through the theme documentation. If you purchased a premium theme, you can contact support to ask them for a recommendation.

You can also utilize plugin forums or Reddit to ask what others are using. Many developers are willing to help others.

Change Your WordPress Featured Image Size Today

WordPress is one of the most beginner-friendly CMS out there, and as you can see, changing the size of a featured image is pretty straightforward. Not only is it easy, but it’s also important.

The featured image you choose will be the first thing a visitor sees when loading a page. It needs to capture their attention, reflect the topic, and be optimized for SEO. If not, there’s a good chance that the post won’t do very well.

With this in mind, a good amount of time should be spent on every featured image you make for WordPress.

How long do you spend creating featured images in WordPress? Are you happy with the image size that appears in a search?

The post How to Change Your Featured Image Size in WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

It can also be inconvenient if you receive it on your MAMP installation, as these sites are frequently checked locally. This normally includes a web browser or your website’s SSL certificate.

Fortunately, it’s rather simple to fix. It might be as simple as clearing your browser’s cache.

What Does it Mean the Site Can’t Provide a Secure Connection?

What precisely is a “secure link?” is the first thing that comes to mind. It’s simply an HTTPS link to a website rather than an HTTP link.

Most browsers display these sites with a padlock icon in the address bar, indicating that the link is secure.

HTTPS provides major security advantages over HTTP, but it also comes with stringent compliance obligations. One of these is a genuine SSL certificate.

When a browser is unable to check a website’s SSL certificate, it will return a “connection not secure” error. SSL is a secure data encryption mechanism that ensures the privacy and security of transmitted data.

If a browser detects an issue with a site’s SSL certificate, it will refuse to load that site because it is potentially dangerous. While all of this may appear to be scary, nothing is likely to be wrong.

SSL stands for “Secure Sockets Layer,” and it is a sort of online security that safeguards websites. They are particularly critical for websites that contain sensitive data such as names, contact information, payment information, and so on.

A valid SSL Certificate establishes a secure connection between the visitor’s computer and the server. So, what does it mean when a website is deemed “unsecure”?

Visitors to your website will receive warning messages that say things like:

• “Your connection to this site is not secure”
• “Your connection is not private”
• “Your connection is not secure”
• “Site security certificate is not trusted” depending on the web browser being used. (Android phones and tablets)

The ‘This site can’t provide a secure connection error, SSL ERROR NO CYPHER OVERLAP, SSL Handshake Failed Error, and other SSL connection issues can all be caused by a fault with the SSL certificate.

To put it another way, the website claims to be HTTPS compliant yet does not provide a correct certificate or uses one that is incorrect.

If the certificate cannot be verified, the browser will not load the site and instead display an error message.

Various browsers give error messages differently. On Google Chrome, what you see is “this site can’t provide a secure connection,” “Warning potential security ahead” on Mozilla Firefox, and “Can’t connect securely to this page” on Microsoft Edge.

What Causes the Error “This Site can’t Provide a Secure Connection” to Occur?

The “Not Secure” notice indicates that the connection to that page is not secure. It’s warning you that data transmitted and received over that website is unsecured and that it might be stolen, read, or manipulated by attackers, hackers, and entities with access to internet infrastructure (such as ISPs and governments).

The “Not Secure” warning does not imply that malware has infected your computer or the website you’re viewing. Its sole purpose is to notify you that you are not connected to that page over a secure connection.

Website owners must safeguard their sites, and while site users cannot modify a “Not Secure” notice, they can ask for security measures to be implemented.

This article will explain why the “Not Secure” notice appears and what site owners and visitors may do to resolve the issue. To begin, keep in mind that the warning looks different in various browsers.

Let’s look at the most prevalent causes of this error notification:

• In your local environment, there is no SSL certificate. If you utilize a local environment like MAMP, you generally don’t have a certificate for your website. This should be the first step in addressing your problem because it is most likely the source of your issue.
• SSL caches in the browser are out of date. One of the most common causes of the mistake is this. SSL certificates, like other data, are cached by web browsers. It implies that they don’t have to validate the certificate every time they visit a site that speeds up surfing. However, if your SSL certificate changes and the browser still loads an older, cached version, that might be an issue.
• You have incorrectly set the time and date on your computer. If your computer is set to the wrong date and time, it might cause issues with SSL certificate authentication. Fortunately, there is a straightforward remedy.
• Browser add-ons are programs that extend the functionality of a browser. Authentication issues might be caused by a browser extension that is not properly set or is malfunctioning. This might be malicious, but it’s usually just a simple programming error.
• The SSL certificate is either invalid or about to expire. If your website’s SSL certificate expires or becomes invalid, you’ll get this notice. Certificates must be renewed regularly.

Effect of the Site Not Secure Warning on Your Website

When a website declares itself unsecure, it might have major ramifications, particularly if it is an eCommerce site. Websites that are not safe are subject to cyber threats such as malware and cyberattacks.

A cyberattack on your website can disrupt its operation, prohibit people from accessing it, or jeopardize your customers’ personal information.

Furthermore, a cyberattack might harm your company’s brand and result in the loss of clients. According to research, if your consumers’ personal information is hacked, 65% of them will abandon your site.

The loss of consumers is accompanied by a loss of revenue, which may be particularly damaging to small enterprises.

Fixing Error “This site can’t provide a secure connection” on MAMP Installation

Create an SSL Certificate for the Root Server

You must first create a root SSL certificate. You may now sign extra certificates for your domains using this method. To get started, open your computer’s Terminal program and type the following command: OpenSSL genrsa -des3 -out rootCA.key 2048

This command creates a rootCA.key file with an RSA-2048 key. This key will be used to produce the root certificate. You’ll be prompted to provide a password; remember it since you’ll need it to generate certificates using the key.

Then, to create the root SSL certificate, use the following command: OpenSSL req -x509 -new -nodes -key -sha256 -days rootCA.key rootCA.pem -out 1024

The rootCA.pem file will be used to save the certificate. The number “1024” denotes the number of days the certificate will be valid – you may alter it to anything you wish.

Clearing the Browsing History Including Cookies and Cache

Browser cache and cookies are frequently the sources of SSL certificate issues. To begin, clear your cache and cookies in your browser.

For this example, I’m using Google Chrome. The process is similar in other browsers but may have different steps. Check your browser’s documentation for clearing the cache, cookies, and history.

Step 1: Press Ctrl+Shift+Delete (or go to chrome:/settings/clearBrowserData).

Step 2: Select the period (all times) and then press the Clear data option.

Verify Extensions in the Browser are Disabled

Third-party browser extensions, such as anonymizers, proxies, VPNs, antivirus extensions, and other similar add-ons that may interfere with traffic on the target website, are also requested to be removed (deleted).

Again, I’ll be using Chrome for this tutorial.

Step 1: From the top right corner, click the three vertical menu dots, then go to More tools, then Extensions.

Step 2: Go to chrome:/extensions/ to look at the list of installed Chrome extensions. Disable any extensions that you’re not sure about.

Check the Device’s Time and Date Settings

Secure HTTPS website connection difficulties might also be caused by the wrong time or date on your system, or the wrong time zone.

During authentication, your system verifies the time and date when the certificate is generated, when it expires, and when the certificate of the higher certificate authority expires.

Check that the time and time zone are correct.

For Windows computer systems:

Step 1: Go to the system’s bottom right corner and look at the date and time display.

Step 2: Select Change date and time settings and, if necessary, change the time zone.

Check if the QUIC Protocol has been Disabled

Make sure Chrome’s QUIC support is turned on (Quick UDP Internet Connections). QUIC allows you to establish a connection faster and negotiates all TLS (HTTPS) settings when you connect to a site.

SSL connections, on the other hand, might cause issues in particular situations.

Follow these instructions to deactivate QUIC in Chrome:

Step 1: Start typing chrome: On the Chrome search bar, type /flags/#enable-quic.

Step 2: Change the value of the Experimental QUIC protocol option from Default to Disabled.

Step 3: Restart Chrome to see the changes take effect.

Check if the SSL and TLS Protocols are Enabled

Finally, support for the TLS and SSL protocols may be enough to solve the problem. In most cases, this is the most effective. Activating these protocols has an unintended impact on your internet security, thus you should avoid it unless necessary.

When a user previously used an SSL/TLS version, the secure connection problem appears because the client/browser supports it.

Follow the steps below to activate existing versions of the SSL / TLS protocol (be aware that this is not secure):

Step 1: Go to the control panel and select Internet Options.

Step 2: Go to the advanced tab and activate TLS 1.2, TLS 1.1, and TLS 1.0, as well as SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 if that isn’t enough.

Step 3: Restart your browser to see whether the problem has gone away.

If you’re using a Windows PC, try the following if neither of these approaches worked to fix the issue “This site cannot offer a secure connection”:

Step 1: Check to see whether there are any static entries in C:WindowsSystem32driversetchost.

Step 2: Go to the control panel, then internet choices, and make sure the security level for the Internet zone is medium or medium-high. If you previously set the priority to high, the browser may have been blocked from making many SSL connections.

Step 3: Relaunch the Chrome browser and put (chrome:/flags) into the address bar.

Step 4: Look for the TLS 1.3 option and make sure it’s enabled or default.

Conclusion

The message in MAMP that says “This site cannot provide a secure connection” not only prevents people from accessing your website but also raises security concerns.

Fortunately, it’s usually harmless and easy to rectify.

This error typically indicates an issue with your browser’s setup or a problem with your website’s SSL certificate (in most cases, it implies you don’t have one at all on localhost).

Following the above advice, you should be able to quickly correct this error and get back to work.

The post How to Fix “THIS SITE CAN’T PROVIDE A SECURE CONNECTION” appeared first on GreenGeeks.

The good news is that most errors in WordPress have a lot of resources to fix them. And in most cases, they are simple fixes. This issue is no different and can be resolved by following a few simple steps.

The only problem here is that a lot of things can cause this error. As a result, troubleshooting the issue can be downright frustrating if it is your first time. But don’t worry, this guide will show you everything you need to know.

Today, I will cover multiple methods that will resolve the “WordPress Keeps Logging Me Out” issue.

What Is the “WordPress Keeps Logging Me Out” Issue?

Unlike most of the common WordPress errors you will encounter, when WordPress keeps logging out, it doesn’t produce an error message. Instead, your account is constantly logged out of WordPress after a random amount of time has passed.

As you can imagine, or have experienced yourself, this is incredibly annoying and inconvenient to deal with.

For example, imagine you are working on a new blog post, and every time you log in and begin typing, you are logged out. The worst part, the website gives you no indication of why you have been logged out or how to fix it.

It’s frustrating and can easily interfere with your ability to manage a website. So, the next question is, what can cause it?

Well, a lot of things. The primary cause of such an error is usually your web browser. This can be the cache or cookies you have stored within or even the settings.

Luckily, these are all really easy things to fix, but problems could also be on your WordPress site itself. It could have to do with the site address not matching within WordPress, or it could be the result of a plugin.

With that said, I will cover the most common causes of the issue with WordPress logging you out, so it should work for most websites.

Fix the WordPress Keeps Logging Me Out Error

Before you begin troubleshooting this error, it is important to make sure you have a backup in place. While we will not be doing anything difficult, it is a good rule of thumb to always create a backup before troubleshooting a problem.

Failing to do so can leave you worse off if you create a new problem while trying to fix an existing one. Luckily, there are a lot of great backup plugins you can use to accomplish this, and many of them are even free to use.

With that said, let’s start with the easiest fixes using your web browser.

Note: To save time, try opening up a different web browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) and see if the issue persists. If it does, then the web browser is not the problem (skip to method 4), but if it is, the first three methods are likely the solution.

Method 1: Clear Your Web Browser’s Cookies

The first main cause of this error is an expired cookie your web browser is storing. This works because the session you logged into is trying to authenticate itself, but it is using expired cookie data.

As a result, the authentication fails, which ends the session you are in. Or in other words, you get logged out of WordPress. You can directly locate and delete that expired cookie or clear the cookies all at once.

Let’s focus on clearing all of the cookies as that is the easiest way to fix it.

Note: This method depends on your web browser. In the below example, I am demonstrating the process using Google Chrome. Thus, if you are using a different browser, the process will be different. Please refer to that browser’s documentation for more assistance.

On the top right of your Chrome browser, click on the three vertical dots. Hover over History and click on the History option that appears. Alternatively, use the keyboard shortcut CTRL+ H.

Once there, you will see a full list of your website’s browsing history. More importantly, on the left-hand side, click on the Clear Browsing Data option.

This will open up a new tab and a pop-up window. Check the box to clear the Cookies and other site data. Then click on the “Clear data” button.

Once the process is finished, go back to your website and try logging in. If you stay logged in without issue, congratulations, the error has been fixed. To avoid this in the future, check out method 3 to change the browser settings.

If not, let’s try removing the browser cache next.

Method 2: Clear the Browser Cache

While expired cookies are more likely to cause the problem, it could also be outdated data that your web browser has cached. This can result in you being logged out of WordPress.

To fix this, you just need to clear the cache of your web browser.

The process is identical to the last method, but instead of checking the box for cookies, you just need to check the Cached images and files box and click on the “Clear data” button.

Check your website by logging in and seeing if you have any problems. If not, then you’ve solved the issue.

Note: Clearing your cookies and cache will remove your saved passwords. This can make it harder to log into your favorite websites. That said, if you stored passwords in your web browser directly, like using Google Chrome, those passwords will still be stored. You’ll just need to set up the autofill options again. Just be sure to write down any important passwords before they are lost. A better practice is to use a password manager to protect that login information.

Method 3: Change Your Cookie Settings

This is more of a way to prevent the issue from occurring than to actually fix it. You see, there are settings in your web browser that can force cookies to expire after a certain amount of time has passed.

If this is set too low, well, you can run into this problem pretty often. Now, this shouldn’t be changed from the default value unless you specifically downloaded an extension to do so. Thus, you’ll need to use that extension to correct it.

Alternatively, you can reset the browser to default settings to correct the problem.

Another thing you should adjust is that your website has the proper permissions. Again, most sites will have this by default, but there is a chance your web browser has blocked your website’s cookies, which may have caused the error.

This is specific to your web browsing application. You will need to use instructions for your own browser. This tutorial is just for Google Chrome.

At the top-right of your Chrome browser, click on the three dots. Then click on the Settings option.

On the left-hand side, click on the Privacy and security option.

Once here, click on the Cookies and other site data option.

The first way to ensure you won’t have any issues is to allow your web browser to accept all cookies. This is not on by default to protect yourself from harmful cookies. Honestly, I would not recommend this approach, but it exists.

Instead, you just want to make sure your website is on the list of websites to always accept cookies from. To do so, click on the “Add” button and enter your website’s URL.

By taking these steps, you can help ensure that your browser will be less likely to ever cause you to be logged out of WordPress by mistake. It’s quick and easy, so be sure to do it ASAP.

Method 4: Clear Your Website’s Cache

Similar to how your web browser may be storing out-of-date information, the same can be happening on your website itself. Thus, you should clear your website’s cache.

There are multiple ways to go about this, but overall, it’s quite easy to do.

It really depends on how your website handles caching, which makes creating a tutorial for it to be challenging, thus, I will just provide a quick overview depending on how you handle things.

For most sites, you probably have a caching plugin installed. If you don’t, well take the time to add one now, because they are a great asset to every website and can seriously boost performance.

These plugins all have a built-in method to clear the website cache. Just refer to the plugin documentation to clear it.

Of course, you can also clear the cache from your website’s cPanel. And also again, this is different depending on how your website handles caching.

For instance, with GreenGeeks, you’ll have LiteSpeed Cache installed and active by default.

Just go to the Advanced options in cPanel and click on the LiteSpeed Web Cache Manager option.

From here, just click on the “Flush All” button.

This will be different from web host to web host. There are also other caching solutions like Redis that have their own way to clear the cache.

In any case, check to see if you have trouble staying logged in. If you’re still having problems, there are other methods to help fix WordPress from logging you out.

Method 5: Make Sure Your URL Matches the Site Address

I mentioned how cookies are usually the main culprit, and it’s time to check them from the source: your website. You see, the cookies your site generates could actually just not be correct, which forces you to be logged out.

This can occur when your URL does not match your site address in WordPress. This can happen in a variety of situations, but the most common one is if you install an SSL incorrectly, which could make you have one of these start with “HTTP” and the other “HTTPS.”

Luckily, this is incredibly easy to fix and takes less than a minute to verify.

On the left-hand admin panel, click on Settings and select the General option.

The third and fourth fields on this page should be WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL). These values need to match. As I said earlier, the most common reason why these would be different is the “HTTP” or “HTTPS” prefix not matching.

You could also have one of these containing a “www” and the other not having it. Just make sure they match and save the changes if they do not.

This should fix any bad cookies your website is producing, but you will need to clear out your web browser’s cookies again. This is because the bad cookies could still be in place on your web browser.

Refer to Method 1 if you need help.

Method 6: See If A Plugin Is To Blame

The best part of WordPress is the huge library of plugins you can use, but sometimes they can be a double-edged sword. You see, plugins add a lot of extra features, but they are also can result in breaking your website for a myriad of reasons.

It is entirely possible that installing a new plugin or updating an existing one could result in WordPress continually logging you out.

First, take a minute and review your plugins. Did the problem occur after installing any plugins recently? Check your plugin update log, did the issue begin after a plugin was updated?

This can help you quickly zero in on which plugin is to blame. However, if you can’t remember which one it may have been, don’t worry. There’s a simple way to see if the problem stems from a plugin.

Log into the cPanel and click on the File Manager option.

Enter the public_html directory and click on the wp-content folder. Inside this, there should be a folder named plugins. Right-click on that folder and select the Rename option.

Rename the folder “testing” and click on the “Rename File” button.

WordPress will only recognize the folder name of plugins, thus, you have essentially deleted all of your plugins as far as WordPress is concerned.

To get those plugins back, you just need to rename that folder back to plugins to restore them.

More importantly, go back to your website and log in. If the problem is no longer occurring, then a plugin is to blame. If this is the case, rename the folder back to plugins to restore your plugins.

You’ll now need to disable each one and see if the error goes away. If it does, you have your culprit.

Note: Disabling your plugins should not mess up any settings. Most plugins store settings and information in the WordPress database. However, some may need initial setup, especially if they connect to a third party, such as when using Jetpack.

Method 7: Restore Your Website With A Backup

If all of these troubleshooting steps have failed, you have a really tricky issue on your hands. At this point, the quickest and easiest way to resolve the issue is to consider restoring your website before the error began.

This method is only viable if you kept a backup of your website. Most competent backup plugins and tools will keep several backups of your website, which help give you a lot of options.

Locate a backup from before the issue began and restore your website. This should resolve the issue. Just keep in mind that this is not an ideal outcome as you may lose changes you have made to your website such as new blog content.

A way to avoid this is to clone your existing website to a dummy website before restoring it from a backup. This will allow you to quickly copy any content that was lost as a result of restoring the website.

Still Logging Out of WordPress? Contact Your Web Host

If none of these troubleshooting steps fixed the issue of WordPress logging you out, you probably need some help to solve the problem, and your web host is the best place to get it.

Web hosts offer their customers excellent support that can help you troubleshoot problems on your website. Most web hosts provide support through a variety of channels such as phone support, email support, or even live chats.

If you are having trouble contacting your web host or you are not happy with the support, consider switching to a better web host.

Which method worked for you? How long has this error been present on your website?

The post How to Fix the “WordPress Keeps Logging Me Out” Issue appeared first on GreenGeeks.

If the domain is difficult to remember, hard to spell, too long, or just doesn’t reflect the kind of website you run, well, you’re going to have a hard time growing. That’s why many websites end up having to switch their domain name.

Of course, you could just be rebranding your website. But whatever the case, switching a domain name is actually more complicated than most web developers realize. And if you do it wrong, you could cripple your website.

There are really two ways to go about it. The first is to manually edit your database and replace the domain name throughout the tables, which isn’t feasible for most.

The second is to use a plugin that does this for you.

We will show you how to use the Go Live Updates Urls plugin to do just this and the other steps you need to take.

When Should I Change My Domain Name?

As you may have guessed, changing your domain name is a huge undertaking. It is also extremely risky as doing so can damage your website’s SEO if handled incorrectly. So, what situations call for such drastic action?

Well, the first one is if your domain name does not reflect your business or its values. And this happens to be the most common reason a domain name is changed.

For instance, imagine you started an online blog that covered several topics.

After several months, you notice that blogs focusing on green energy perform really well. Naturally, you choose to focus your efforts on those. Eventually, that’s all your website is producing.

Your initial blog name doesn’t reflect what you focus on, thus, it needs to be changed to match the new focal point.

A much simpler example is if you started off as a .net website and want to switch to a .com.

That’s just two examples. You could merge with another business or blog, switch your business style (i.e going from a blog to an eCommerce platform), or do something else entirely. Of course, sometimes you really did just pick a bad domain name.

A bad domain name that is difficult to type and remember can tank you fast, even if you create great content with it. However, most websites fail before they ever take a look at the domain name, thus, you need to stay vigilant.

In any event, the decision to change your domain name should not be taken lightly.

How to Change A Domain Name in WordPress

There are several steps you must carry out to change your domain name. It is a massive undertaking, but with the right prep work and know-how, you can get through it without much trouble.

Without further ado, let’s begin.

Important Note: To ensure a smooth transition between domain names, you are going to need to keep your old domain name active to set up redirects (see step 5). Thus, be sure to not cancel your web hosting account for the old one.

Step 0: Create A Backup

As you might imagine, switching from one domain to another involves a good amount of work. It’s not hard, but there are a lot of little things to look out for.

If something does go wrong when you change the domain name in WordPress, you will want a backup of your website.

This ensures if something goes wrong, you can restore your website to the way it was before. It’s an added layer of security.

There are several ways to create backups in WordPress. The first would be through your cPanel. You can also try one of the many amazing backup plugins WordPress has to offer.

I do not recommend going through this process without a backup.

Step 1: Purchase A New Domain Name for WordPress

Obviously, if you are changing your domain name, that means you are going to actually need to purchase another one. It is not as simple as just picking a new name. There are multiple ways to go about this.

However, the easiest method is to just go directly through your web host. Assuming that the desired name is not taken, you should have no problem purchasing a new domain name.

If it is taken, you either need to brainstorm it again, or try to purchase that domain name from whoever owns it, which can be quite costly.

Now, depending on where you acquired your domain name, you need to add it to your web hosting account. If you bought it from your web host, it is probably already added to your account, but that varies by web host.

If not, you will have to tell the web host what the domain name is so they can add it.

Simply follow the directions your web host provides, and soon enough, you’ll have a new domain added to your web hosting account. For additional support, don’t hesitate to contact support to provide assistance.

Step 2: Transfer Your Website to the New Domain Name

So, now that you have a new domain name and it has been added to your web hosting account, you need to take a few minutes and transfer your existing website to it. The main advantage of this is that your website will still be intact on the old domain.

This gives you some security in case something goes wrong. Think of it like having a backup for your website. Luckily, it’s actually pretty easy to copy a website from one domain to another.

Now, there are quite a few ways to go about this that include:

• Using A Backup to Restore Your Site On the New Domain
• Copying Your Website Files and Pasting Them In the New Domain
• Using A Plugin to Migrate Your Website From One Domain To Another

My personal recommendation would be to use a plugin like All-in-One WP Migration. It’s a really simple plugin that has over 5 million active installs. This tool makes it very easy to migrate your website from one location to another.

This could be from one web host to another, or in our case, from one domain to another.

Step 3: Install Go Live Update URLs

At this point, you should have a new domain ready for use with your website copied from the old domain to the new one. However, since it is a copy, that means all of the information it contains is for the old domain name.

Essentially, we need to replace every URL with the updated domain. And if we were to do this manually, could take a very long time, which is why we are opting for the Go Live Update Urls plugin.

Using it is simple, so begin by installing it on the new domain.

In the left column navigation, mouse over the “Plugins” link and click the “Add New” link.

In the available search box, enter Go Live Update Urls. This will pull up additional plugins that you may find useful.

Locate the Go Live Update Urls plugin. Once you have located the plugin, click the “Install Now” button.

Once the installation process is finished, click the “Activate” button.

Step 4: Change the URLs to the New Domain in WordPress

Using the plugin itself is actually pretty straightforward. The purpose is to change your WordPress site URL, thus you need to tell it the old one and enter the new one. After that, the plugin will update your database accordingly.

Note: You should still have your website intact on your old domain. This will act as a backup as making changes to the database is risky. If something does go wrong, you can copy the website from the old domain to the new one again.

On the left-hand admin bar, click on Tools and select the Go Live option.

You’ll see a warning, “Like any other database updating tool, you should always perform a backup before running.” Luckily, we already have the website stored on the old domain, thus, we already have a backup in place.

Alternatively, you can make a database backup using cPanel, or a standalone tool like MySQL Workbench.

With all of this said, the odds that this plugin fails are extremely low but better safe than sorry.

There’s not much to the configuration in the free version of the plugin. All of the “WordPress Core Tables” should be pre-selected. What this means is that all database tables can be written by the plugin.

Scroll down and you will see two text boxes. One is to enter your Old URL and the other is for the New URL.

And just to be clear, only enter the full domain name itself into each box. You don’t need to enter anything beyond that.

Once that is taken care of, click the “Update URLs” button.

And that’s it. Congratulations, your URL has been changed throughout your new domain. Go through the pages and links on your website to ensure that everything is working as intended.

Step 5: Set Up A Redirect From the Old Domain to the New One

While you have accomplished your goal to change the domain name in WordPress, you are not done. You see, there are probably links outside of your website that lead to posts and pages from the old domain.

You need to set up a 301 redirect from the old domain to the new domain. And just to be extra clear, that redirect should be set up on your old domain, which means you should keep that account open for several months.

This will give users and search engines ample time to update links and backlinks.

The good news, there are a lot of excellent redirection plugins you can choose from. Feel free to use one of them, but I would recommend just using the .htaccess file from the cPanel.

All this entails is just opening the file and adding two lines of code that swap the old URL with the new one.

When you open the .htaccess file, just add the following lines to the top of the file and swap out the “http://domainname.com” with your new domain name:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://domainname.com/$1 [R=301,L]

And that’s it. Any time your old domain is accessed, it will be redirected to your new domain. Again, you’ll need to keep your old domain active for some time, but it’s necessary to ensure a smooth transition.

FAQ

What Else Can I Do to Ensure A Smooth Transition?

One of the first things you should do is submit an XML sitemap to Google.

From the eyes of a search engine, your new domain is a clean slate. If you want it to get ranked quickly, you need to ensure that Google has your sitemap to help map your new domain in WordPress for search bots to crawl.

Failure to do so can make the process take longer than normal. Clearly, this is not optimal, thus presenting the sitemap directly to Google is the best course of action you can take once your new domain goes live.

Just make sure that the old domain has the 301 redirects set up first. Otherwise, your new domain could appear as duplicate content.

It’s also worth pointing out that you should take a few minutes to review any automatic processes you had set up. For example, if you have WordPress set up to update automatically, you may have to set that up again.

Can I Use A Subdomain As An Alternative?

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish.

If your goal is to rebrand your website, then no. A subdomain will still contain the original domain name, thus it doesn’t work well. For example, if your domain name was http://domain.com, then the subdomain would be http://subdomain.domain.com.

The point of the subdomain is to create a separate website using that same domain name. For instance, if you had a blog called http://booktime.com, you could create a subdomain that focused on manga that would be http://manga.booktime.com.

Think of a subdomain as simply an extension of the niche for your primary website.

The subdomain has its uses but if your goal is rebranding, it is not a good option.

Should I Update Links Outside of WordPress?

Absolutely!

Odds are you probably have a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or another social media account for your website. You should go through these accounts and update any URLs pointing to your old domain name.

While the redirect will ensure they end up on the new domain name, you are essentially promoting the old domain name. Thus, this should be one of the first things you do when the new domain is up and running.

Of course, you may also have links on other sites from collaborations, affiliate deals, and whatnot. Try to ask if these sites can update the links for your website accordingly. You want people to associate your website with the new domain name.

That means you want to eliminate all of the traces and paths to the old one.

Does Everything Transfer Without Issue?

While I would like to say yes, the truth is that some things don’t transfer perfectly.

While all of your posts, pages, image URLs, excerpts, post metadata, custom post types, widgets and widget data, and site settings will work, the free version of the plugin doesn’t update database tables created by plugins or update serialized data.

What that means is that some plugins may not be working correctly because the database tables did not transfer or could not be altered by the plugin. In these cases, you simply need to uninstall the plugin and reinstall it on the new domain.

The good news is that this shouldn’t impact most plugins, but more complex ones will need to be reset. And remember that you can use the old domain as a reference to get everything back in order.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

As you can see from the above steps, there’s actually quite a lot to do if you want to change the domain name in WordPress.

As such, it’s very possible something could go wrong. If this happens you should use a backup of your website to restore everything to the way it was, but be sure to take a moment and see what went wrong and attempt to troubleshoot first.

Sometimes it can be something very simple such as a checkbox getting unchecked or needing to reset a plugin, or re-enter an API key. If you have no idea what went wrong, I strongly suggest reaching out to your web host.

Their support team should be more than capable of helping you solve any problems that arise. If not, consider switching to a better web host.

This is a prime example of the importance of backups as well as keeping your old domain active until the new one is working correctly.

Don’t Change Your WordPress Domain Name Lightly

As you can see from this guide, it’s not that hard to change your domain name in WordPress, but you should not do so lightly. It will have a severe effect on your SEO and could take months before you are back to normal.

And that’s if you do everything right. If you mess things up like forgetting to set up 301 redirects, well, you’re going to have a real problem. Thus, you should only change your domain name after a lot of consideration has gone into it.

Try to exhaust all other avenues before switching the domain name. It really should be a last resort.

Why did you want to change the domain name your WordPress website uses? Did switching your domain name have a positive impact on your website?

The post How to Easily Change the Domain Name in WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

The good news is that no matter what kind of website you are trying to build, the actual process to do it is pretty similar. The type of content you produce will be different, but there is not a huge difference between making a baby website and a taco recipe website.

Today, I will share an overview of how to build a website for babies from scratch using WordPress.

So, What Does A Baby Website Entail?

Anything to do with babies.

You could create a website based on taking care of babies and recommending products for first-time parents. You could sell your own baby products including things like clothes, food, toys, and more.

It’s even possible to create a website for showing off baby pictures, although social media has this covered.

Of course, babies don’t actually need to be the sole focus of the website. For instance, wouldn’t a website for expecting mothers also have a baby as a focus? Perhaps it would be more about the mom, but you are not a mom without a baby.

Basically, if you can find a way to add babies as the focus of your website, you can call it a baby website.

How to Build A Website for Baby Content

Step 1: Find A Niche For A Babies Website

The first step of building any website is all about the planning aspect. You need to find something that will separate your website from the hundreds or thousands of other websites that focus on a similar topic.

To be honest, this actually gets harder every year as more and more websites come online.

You need to identify the topic and direction of your website and how to make it unique. If your website can’t stand out in a sea of clones, it has no chance of success.

So, you need to research similar websites to what you are planning to build and identify how yours can be different.

To be clear, this doesn’t just mean from a visual standpoint. Consider a website that focuses on baby food. A website that focuses on just baby food would be quite different from another that focuses on organic baby food.

It’s the same topic, baby food, but the focus is completely different from one another. Don’t bother building a website if you cannot figure out a unique direction.

Step 2: Choose A Platform to Build On

The first real decision you need to make is what platform you are going to build your website on. Now, any quick Google search will tell you there are hundreds of platforms you can consider using, but let me save you some time.

WordPress is the best platform to build any kind of website on.

WordPress offers developers a low-code environment to create websites. And while you can use code, you won’t need to write a single line of it if you do not want to. This is thanks to its huge collection of plugins and themes.

A plugin is like an app for your smartphone. It adds a specific feature to your WordPress website and you can customize it to meet your needs. Whereas a theme is what dictates the appearance of your website.

Between the two of them, you can create a great website without ever writing a line of code. In terms of possibilities, they are endless.

With WordPress, you can create any type of website from a blog to a full eCommerce platform or even a social network. This accessibility and versatility make WordPress the ideal choice to build any type of website.

Step 3: Choose a Webhost For Your Babies Website

The next major decision you need to make is to pick a web hosting company. A web host is a company that rents you out a web server and maintains it while ensuring your website stays online 24/7.

Every website needs a web host. You see, every time a user connects to your website, they are actually connecting to the web server itself as it contains all of the information that makes up your website.

As you can imagine, the quality of your web server and web host plays a huge role in the performance of your website.

As such, you need to pick a great web hosting service that can meet all of your needs, and at GreenGeeks, that is exactly the kind of service we provide.

We provide lightning-fast speed with our SSD-powered web servers, unmatched customer support that is ready to help you every step of the way, and a commitment to the environment that ensures we are part of the solution and not part of the problem.

For every customer that signs up, we plant a tree and carefully calculate the amount of energy their web server will use. We then purchase three times that amount in clean energy, so every website we host is helping the environment.

All of this can be yours for less than a cup of coffee each month.

Step 4: Install A Theme And Select Plugins

At this point, you should have WordPress installed on your new web server. It’s now time to install a theme.

There are thousands of themes to choose and it really comes down to personal preference. You can choose between free or premium options. The main difference is the level of support you can expect to receive.

If you are just starting out, paying for a premium theme may be the best course of action because you will get much better support options that can help you troubleshoot any problems you may run into.

Once you have a theme in place, you’ll also need to select some plugins. Now, what plugins you choose depends on the type of website you are building. For instance, the plugins a blog would choose are quite different from an online shop.

For example, if you were building an online store for baby products, you would definitely want to install the WooCommerce plugin. It converts your website into a ready-to-use store, which you just need to add products to.

Alternatively, if you were constructing an image gallery, you would want to find a gallery plugin that has a great selection of templates to show off babies and kids. Basically, think of a feature you want to add to your website and search for the plugin.

There is a plugin for just about everything in WordPress.

Step 5: Create Content And Market Your Babies Website

At this point, it’s time to fill your website with content.

Launching a website requires a good amount of content. You need to have enough for visitors to look around the website and feel like they want to come back to see the latest updates. If you just release a single post, well, not many people will come back.

Of course, if your website is focused on selling products, you just need to make sure your website is ready for use and supports popular payment gateways. Having a great selection of products is sure to help.

The bad news is that even if you do everything right and release terrific content, there’s a very high chance no one will know.

To fix that, you are going to need to do a ton of marketing.

Now, large corporations spend millions on advertising. Obviously, that is not an option for a brand-new website. Instead, you need to get more creative and search for effective marketing strategies in your area.

For example, if you did make a website focused on showing off baby pictures, a great place to advertise your website would be on a platform like Instagram or Facebook.

These platforms already have a huge following for baby pics, so advertising a website that focuses on them is a no-brainer.

You need to get the word out that your website exists and it offers great content or products. If you don’t, all of the work you did was futile.

Create A Website For Your Baby Today

As you can see, creating a website for babies is pretty easy. At least on paper. The truth is when you get to it, there’s a lot of work that goes into building a popular site. Even if you do everything right, there’s no guarantee you’ll be successful.

That’s why it’s important to go in with realistic expectations and a good work ethic. And most importantly, be passionate about the content you are producing. That way, you can create content that comes from the heart.

If you do, it won’t feel like a wasted effort even if it doesn’t catch on.

The post How to Quickly Set Up a Website Focused on Babies appeared first on GreenGeeks.

This plugin allows you to easily post positions you are currently looking to fill on your company website. Of course, that’s just one use of a job listing plugin. You could also create a website dedicated to job listings for others.

Think of a site like Indeed. It exists for companies to list their positions and for job seekers to post their resumes. Regardless of your needs, this plugin will be able to facilitate them.

Today, I will demonstrate how to set up the Simple Job Board plugin for WordPress.

Why Add A Job Board To Your Website?

Let’s face it, recruiting new employees for any position can be a nightmare. The worst is when you only get a few applicants but need to hire someone immediately. In the past, many would look in the newspaper or at local job boards.

The internet has made these types of listing obsolete. Instead, everyone looks online to apply for positions. In fact, many companies today like Walmart, have a computer you can use to apply at store locations.

The days of asking for a job application and filling it out are over. Anyone searching for a job will always look online first. Thus, your website needs to have a way to list the details of job positions and accept applications for them.

While there are other ways to add them, a job board plugin for WordPress is the easiest method available.

How to Set Up Simple Job Board for WordPress

The Simple Job Board for WordPress allows you to create positions for any company. You’ll be able to add all of the necessary information such as job descriptions, experience needs, expected work hours, pay rates, and just about everything else.

You can place the job listings anywhere on your website by either using the listings block or by adding a shortcode. While this plugin is free to use, to get the most out of it, you will need to use paid add-ons.

For instance, if a job applicant is looking for a position within a certain pay range, you can purchase the Salary Range Filter add-on to add that functionality. The add-ons you may need depend on what type of site you run.

In any event, the plugin is pretty easy to set up and use, so let’s get right into it.

Step 1: Install Simple Job Board

Let’s start by clicking on Plugins and selecting the Add New option on the left-hand admin panel.

Search for Simple Job Board in the available search box. This will pull up additional plugins that you may find helpful.

Scroll down until you find the Simple Job Board plugin and click on the “Install Now” button and activate the plugin for use.

Step 2: Add Job Types, Categories, & Locations (Taxonomies)

The first thing you should do is add taxonomies to the plugin. The plugin lets you create them for job types, categories, and locations. It’s just like adding a category or tag in WordPress, so you won’t have any trouble.

If you are building a website as a dedicated job board, this is probably the most important step. These options allow applicants to quickly find the positions that they are interested in.

If you are just doing it for your individual company, some of these options may not be applicable. For instance, if you only have a single location, you won’t need to add multiple locations.

Well, unless you’re also offering a remote or work-from-home position.

On the left-hand admin panel, click on Job Board and select the Job Categories, Job Types, or Job Locations option.

Once you have selected one of them, just add the necessary taxonomies. All this entails is adding the name and a short description of it.

Once you have those in place, you are ready to start creating positions to list on the job board.

Step 3: Create Job Positions

So, the real meat and potatoes of this plugin are actually creating the positions you want to advertise and recruit.

The base plugin is pretty simple to use and does lack more advanced options. But for small to mid-size businesses, Simple Job Board will be more than enough.

Click on Job Board and select the Add New option.

The first thing you should do is add a title. This could be something like Cashiere or Web Developer, or whatever the name of the position is.

Next, create a description of the job.

This should entail a short description of the job responsibilities, work days, work experience and education applicants should have, and everything else the applicant should be aware of before applying.

This is just like adding content to any other post or page in WordPress and is done directly through Gutenberg.

Once that’s taken care of, scroll down to find additional fields to enter and create.

The first of them is Job Features. Here, you can create job features that applicants can use to identify suitable jobs. For instance, if the position is an Entry Level, you would probably want to label it as such.

In that example, you would put the Feature as Experience and the Value as Entry Level like so:

Next, locate the Job Data section. Here, you can enter company-specific information like the name, website URL, and even its logo.

Step 4: Create An Application

At this point, the job listing is nearly complete, but you are missing one crucial element – how the applicant can actually apply. This is a bit more complicated than the rest of the plugin, but it’s still fairly simple.

Basically, you are creating this application from scratch by creating individual elements for it. This might sound hard, but it’s really not.

Locate the Application Form section. It has nothing in it to start. You can input a field and choose what type of input it has.

For example, you would probably want a field for Name, and aText Field so they can enter their name.

This is definitely where you may want to take a look at the add-ons. As the base plugin does not have an option for a user to submit a resume, and there are several add-ons that deal with resumes that may be useful.

Enter as many fields as necessary into the application. Some key ones everyone should include are:

• Name
• Email
• Experience
• Education Level
• Phone Number

Once you are satisfied, save the changes and you have created your first job listing. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to make as many positions as you want.

Step 5: Displaying And Managing Your Listings

All that’s left is to display the listings you create in WordPress. You have two options, you can either add the SJB Listing block to a post or page or alternatively, use the shortcode: [jobpost].

Once that’s in place, users will be able to explore the career options available.

You can view applicants applying for the position by visiting the all jobs section and clicking on the View Applications option.

And with that, the plugin is set up and you know how to use it. Remember to check out the add-ons to add further functionality to the plugin.

Add A Simple Job Board To Your Website Today

As you can see, adding the Simple Job Board to WordPress is quite easy and it can help you recruit more employees. Of course, it can also be used to create a full job listing website.

In either case, the plugin is really solid. Just remember that you may want to customize the appearance of the job board to match your WordPress theme. It should do so automatically, but sometimes, you might need to manually change things.

How many positions are you going to display on your site?

The post How to Set Up and Use the Simple Job Board for WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

Now, you may just think that this is a purely cosmetic change, but there’s an actual reason why this switch is occurring. And it’s for the health benefits.

You see, dark mode helps prevent eye strain.

Normal white backgrounds expose your eyes to blue light, which can be harmful in extended screen time (like at work). Darker backgrounds can also help you sleep at night if viewed before bed. And there are even more benefits that you can utilize.

As you might expect, you can enable dark mode on both the front and back ends of your WordPress website.

This tutorial is for:
WordPress 6.1.1
Plugin: WP Dark Mode v3.04

How to Add Dark Mode to WordPress

Unfortunately, WordPress does not have a native dark mode setting. But fear not. Like most things in WordPress, there is a plugin that can help.

In this case, the WP Dark Mode plugin can help us add it in a matter of minutes.

So, what does this plugin do? Well, it adds dark mode. You can choose to enable it on either the back or front ends of your website. You can also give visitors the choice by displaying a floating dark mode button.

There’s no coding required. You just need to install it and toggle some switches.

Step 1: Install WP Dark Mode

Let’s start by clicking on Plugins and selecting the Add New option on the left-hand admin panel.

Search for WP Dark Mode in the available search box. This will pull up additional plugins that you may find helpful.

Scroll down until you find the WP Dark Mode plugin and click on the “Install Now” button and activate the plugin for use.

Step 2: Enable Dark Mode on the Front End

Upon activation of this plugin, your website will actually already have dark mode enabled on the front end of your website. However, you can turn this on or off or adjust the settings for it.

On the left-hand admin panel, click on WP Dark Mode and select the Settings option.

By default, the Enable Frontend Darkmode and Enable OS Aware Dark Mode options are active. What this means is that users can choose to toggle the dark mode on the front end of your website immediately with a button.

If the user’s device has a preference for dark mode, it will automatically be enabled when visitors view your site.

This system will work well for most websites. But in the event you do not want the toggle switch on the front end, you can turn off the Enable Frontend Darkmode option.

Instead, click on Advanced Settings.

The first option will make Dark mode the default option for visitors if you flip the switch.

It’s worth pointing out there are a variety of other settings you can configure. You can adjust the darkness of the background, images, and just about any other element on your website. This might be necessary if your theme does not use a white background.

Be sure to listen to user input and make changes as needed.

That’s really it for the front end of your website. Now, let’s take a look at the back end.

Step 3: Adding It to the Back End

By default, the dark option is off for the backend. Luckily, you just need to toggle a single switch and the change is complete. It is possible to disable all of the frontend options and just leave the backend ones on.

This is also true in the opposite direction. Go back to the plugin’s main settings page. Locate the Enable Backend Darkmode switch and toggle it on, then save the changes.

Once you save the changes, your screen will now be in dark mode and the rest of the backend will be too. The one exception will be the Gutenberg editor. However, there is actually an option to enable it in Gutenberg, and it’s on by default.

Yet, it is a toggle option that you have to manually select within Gutenberg. The good news is that it will remember your choice so, you will only have to select it once. Edit any post or page to gain access to Gutenberg.

Once there, select Dark Mode from the drop-down.

That’s it, you now have it enabled in Gutenberg.

As you can see, the plugin is really easy to set up and gives all users the choice if they want to enable it. Of course, some of the design elements on the front end need to be further customized, so the settings are really dependent on your site’s design.

Congratulations on installing and setting up WP Dark Mode on your WordPress website.

Consider Designing Your Website Around Darkmode

Many websites today actually design around dark mode. In fact, they use it as the starting point of their website because many users prefer it aesthetically over a brighter view. And it can be a great decision depending on the type of website you have.

So, the real question is what design options do you need to consider?

The very first thing you should consider is how dark is too dark. Most plugins will give you the option to decide on the level of darkness. And the internet agrees, never go pure black when choosing.

It’s just too dark and can negatively impact the viewing experience. Of course, the same is also true for text. Don’t go pure white. You need to find the right shades for each one.

Of course, if you are not using white as the text, be sure to avoid darker colors as they can be hard to read.

One of the biggest mistakes I see when it comes to dark modes is when websites try to force their brand colors to work. Not all brand colors will work in dark mode, and in those situations, picking a different variation of that color is a good design policy.

Another consideration should be is how dark mode impacts your website’s trustworthiness.

Now, you may think it’s ridiculous that someone would feel unsafe on a dark website, but that’s actually true. And if you don’t believe me, check your banking website or app. They do not use dark mode because of this perception.

It’s also worth considering that sometimes a dark mode does not fit the vibe of the website. When you think of a health or fitness website, it should be lively and encourage activity, the darker background does not do that and can even be seen as gloomy.

And this is really just scratching the surface. Many platforms treat dark mode as designing an entirely new website.

Give Users A Choice

As you can see, it’s easy to add a dark view to WordPress, but it’s important to give users a choice. Let’s be honest, many users do not like change, and making radical design changes can drive away some users.

Thus, it’s always a good policy to make it an option that users need to toggle on or off. Just make sure to take the time to inform users about these options and where they can find them.

Did you find the plugin easy to use? Do you prefer viewing pages with a light or darker background?

The post How to Add Dark Mode to WordPress for Visitors and Users appeared first on GreenGeeks.

However, figuring out how to start such a website can seem overwhelming at first. The good news is that it is much easier to create a website than ever.

Today, I will outline the steps you need to take to create a roleplay website for games.

What Is A Roleplay Website For Games?

At its core, a roleplay games website focuses on either discussing roleplay games or creating a roleplay setting for users to carry out in their own games (like creating D&D scenarios).

As you can imagine, an RPG website can differ greatly from one another even if they focus on the same games.

The most important element of building your own website is to have a unique twist or niche that can separate it from the competition. If you don’t have this, you won’t find any success with this type of website.

How to Build A Roleplay Website For Games

Step 1: Decide On a Direction

Odds are if you’ve taken the time to look up how to build a website, you already have an idea and direction in mind. But you should take moment to analyze it again or come up with one before continuing.

You need to be able to answer the following questions before you can continue:

1. What Is the Focus of Your Website?
2. How Will Your Website Standout From Others With the Same Focus?

For example, you could say you are focusing on roleplaying in Final Fantasy XIV with the unique feature being the creation of interesting scenarios with a dark twist for roleplayers to follow in the game.

There is an infinite number of possibilities for website ideas you can use. But before you ever build a website, you need to have a clear understanding of what the website will initially offer users and be able to identify your target audience.

Step 2: Choose A Platform to Build On (WordPress)

The first real decision you need to make is to pick a platform on which to build. Now, there are hundreds of options to look at, but I will save you a lot of time and just present the easiest option, WordPress.

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that can build any kind of website. The platform does not require developers to rely on coding or any advanced technical knowledge. Instead, the heavy lifting is done by plugins.

These are small software packages that add specific features to your website (very similar to apps for your smartphone). All you need to do is choose the settings that work best for the site you are building.

The design aspect is handled from themes.

Themes are a collection of stylesheets and templates that dictate the appearance of your website. This means you won’t need to know any HTML, CSS, or JS to create a website that looks good.

If this all sounds good to you, you are not alone. WordPress is currently the most popular CMS on the market with a market share exceeding 40%. As a result, there are thousands of resources you can use to manage your website.

Of, and did I mention it is free to use? No? Well, it is.

Feel free to browse other options, but WordPress is the best option for starting a website in 2023 by a mile.

Step 3: Choose A Web Host

Once you have a platform in mind, you are going to need servers to host your website. You see, every time someone loads a website, they are really connecting to a web server.

That web server is responsible for holding all of the information related to your website and allowing users to access it.

As you can imagine, it plays a critical role in your website’s performance.

Since every website needs a web host, there is no shortage of companies available. So the real question becomes how to identify a good web host from a bad one?

Well, it needs to offer lightning-fast speeds, excellent customer service, and one that doesn’t have a huge impact on the environment. And that’s exactly what GreenGeeks offers its customers.

Also, for every customer that signs up today, we will plant a tree somewhere in the world with our partners at OneTreePlanted.

Step 4: Choose A Theme & Install Plugins

At this point, you should have picked a web host and have WordPress installed on your new web server. The first thing you need to do is pick a theme for your new website.

When it comes to themes in WordPress, you have thousands of choices.

While you may think that you just need to pick one that looks nice, the truth is it’s a bit more complicated than that. Many themes come bundled with plugins or features that are ideal for certain types of websites.

You need to find the ones that match the website you are going to create. Be on the lookout for the following attributes:

• Responsive Design (Appears Great on Mobile Devices)
• Lightweight (Ensures Fast Speeds)
• Highly Customizable

You also need to decide between premium and free options.

Free themes are great and can easily be more than enough for many websites. Premium options may include pre-made sites you can use as a basis and have other features built in.

You also need to consider what plugins you will install. In the case of an RPG website, you might want something like the Events Calendar. This is perfect for hosting in-game events because you can publically display the date and time an event begins.

You may also want a gallery plugin to show off images from events or cosplay images. If you can think of a feature, there are probably several plugins that can add it to WordPress.

Another great idea is to add a Wiki for the games you’re promoting. This can drive all kinds of new visitors while helping the ones who are already following your roleplay blog.

Step 5: Create Content

Alright, with a theme installed and plugins in place, all that’s left is to actually build content for your website.

Obviously, I can’t tell you how to do this because the content you build is unique to your website. But what I can tell you is to make sure the content is of high quality because first impressions matter.

If you are writing guides, make sure they work. Test them yourself and have several others do the same. Most importantly, make sure you have enough content planned when launching the website.

One of the biggest mistakes is expecting instant success with a single post. That’s not enough. You should have several posts and a few extra on the back end to release on a regular basis to keep users engaged.

Step 6: Market Your Website

At this point, your website should be ready for the world to see. However, getting the word out about it is not easy.

Companies spend millions on advertising because it attracts users to their brand. Now, the truth is smaller websites don’t have that budget. Instead, they need to get more creative with their marketing.

For example, if you are advertising in an MMORPG like Final Fantasy XIV or World of Warcraft, you should focus on advertising in-game or using other sites like Reddit or official forums to spread the word.

You need to reach the target audience, and there is no better place to do that than the game itself.

Of course, if your goal is to run a tabletop RPG website, then you need to focus on more online marketing. Create social media groups, and post on Reddit and other dedicated forums for that game.

This is actually the hardest part of starting a website. If you fail to attract visitors, your website won’t last very long.

The First Step Is the Hardest Step

Most people have great ideas for websites, but fail to act on them. Don’t let your roleplay website be another missed opportunity. If there’s demand for such a site and you have ideas on how to capitalize on it, get started today.

The longer you wait, the harder it becomes to start one. And even worse, someone else may have the exact same idea and act on it. That makes it that much harder to compete.

Don’t waste time, get started today and help others enjoy roleplaying games as much as you.

The post How to Easily Create a Website for Roleplay Games appeared first on GreenGeeks.

Luckily, removing themes in WordPress is pretty easy to do and there are a lot of ways to go about it. Not to mention, there are plenty of good reasons why you should.

Today, I will explain why you need to delete old WordPress themes and four ways you can get rid of them.

Why You Should Delete WordPress Themes Not In Use

You have three options with WordPress themes after installing them. You can leave it as your active theme, deactivate it, or delete the theme entirely.

The best course of action if you are not using the theme is to delete it for the following reasons:

Unused Themes Are A Target For Hackers

Let’s say you have a dozen themes installed on your website. How well do you know each theme to identify any extra files within them? Odds are you probably couldn’t recognize that on the theme you are using let alone extra themes.

Hackers know this and specifically target deactivated themes and plugins on your website. They will insert files that create a backdoor to your site inside of them. And since you don’t interact with them regularly, you will have no idea that these files are there.

Even worse, you might not even update these unused themes. Well, that makes the problem even worse because they then become the weakest part of your website’s security. You see, these updates fix security vulnerabilities.

Thus, not getting them is literally creating a place hackers can exploit to get a foot in your website, to begin with.

Unused Themes Take Up Space

You are going to need a web host to host your website on their servers. Each account has different plans to accommodate websites of all sizes, and one of the key differences between plans is the amount of server space you have available.

That’s right, unused themes take up valuable space on your server. Now, themes are not exactly large, but if you have a bunch of them installed, it can add up quickly. And that can put a strain on the webserver.

Not to mention how each file can take up an inode for your account.

You might even make sacrifices in other parts of your website to try and stay within your plan’s storage limit. Deleting unused elements like themes and plugins should be the first thing you do when space becomes a concern.

Deactivated Themes Can Slow Down Your Database

It’s also worth pointing out that even deactivated themes could slow down your website by clogging up your database. Even if a theme is not in use, it is still stored in your database.

This isn’t just a waste of space, it actually impacts your website’s performance. This, in turn, actually impacts your SEO. How so? Well, the easiest way to think about it is to imagine a filing cabinet.

Even if everything is organized correctly, the more items you add to it, the longer it takes to find what you are looking for. And a database is no different. The extra files it has to load impact your website’s speed.

When Not To Delete Themes in WordPress

While there are a lot of good reasons to delete the themes you are not using, there are also times when you should not delete certain themes. And you should make sure none of these conditions apply to your site before continuing.

Don’t Delete A Parent If You Use A Child Theme

One exception you need to be aware of is to not delete a parent theme. If you do, the child theme you are using will no longer work and can cause an error. It’s a situation best avoided.

For those unaware, a child theme is a sub-theme of the parent. This allows you to store all of your theme customizations in the child theme and allow you to update the parent, without impacting those custom additions.

Why is this a good thing to do?

Well, normally, you will customize your WordPress themes with custom CSS to change the designs of various elements in them. You could also include custom PHP or HTML code for various actions on the site.

However, when you update a theme, all of that disappears. And you would have to go back in and write the code again.

Obviously, this creates a cycle of work that needs to be repeated, not to mention it impacts your live site every time a theme gets an update, which is pretty often.

A child theme avoids this as only the child theme contains the custom code while the parent receives the update. Thus, don’t delete the parent theme if you use a child.

Don’t Delete Themes That Are In Use in A Multisite Network

If your website is connected to a multisite network, you may actually have a lot of themes installed. This is because even if the website you are on now is not using that theme, another website on the network might be.

If you delete that theme, you could take down the website that is using that particular layout. This can be really tricky as your network grows. In some cases, you may have a dozen or two sites connected.

You need to verify what themes are in use and what sites they are on before deleting any theme.

How to Remove A WordPress Theme

There are multiple ways to delete themes in WordPress, and none of them are hard. Most website owners will only use the first method and do it directly from the WordPress dashboard.

However, there are cases when that is not available.

For example, what happens if a theme is causing a critical error and you’re unable to log into WordPress? Well, accessing the dashboard is not an option, thus, you need to have other options on the table.

Luckily, none of these are that complicated.

Thus, I have put together all of the ways you can uninstall a theme in WordPress. Just keep in mind that there are other ways to do it as well.

Method 1: Uninstall A Theme From the WordPress Dashboard

By far, the most common way to get rid of an unused theme in WordPress is to uninstall it from the WordPress dashboard. Unfortunately, WordPress does a good job of actually hiding the delete option in the themes area.

It’s actually only visible if you click on the theme, which is why many beginners may have trouble locating it the first time. That said, it’s pretty easy to do so let’s begin.

On the left-hand admin panel, click on Appearance and select the Themes option.

You’ll now see all of the themes you currently have installed on your website.

Unfortunately, the delete option is not visible on this screen. Instead, you will just see the options to customize, activate, or see a live preview of the theme, depending on if it is already active or not.

You may also see an update option if an update is available.

What you need to do is click on the theme you want to delete.

A pop-up will appear that tells you all about the theme you just clicked. In the bottom right corner of this popup, you will see the delete option. Click on it.

A small dialogue box will appear at the top of your screen asking if you are sure. Click on the “Ok” button and the theme will be deleted from your WordPress install.

And that’s it. It’s pretty quick and easy to do, but it is a bit hidden if you are new to the platform.

Method 2: Delete the Theme Files in cPanel

If for some reason you have lost access to your website and need to delete a theme, the best and fastest way to do it is to delete the files directly from your website.

While this might sound complicated, it’s actually pretty straightforward and only takes a few minutes.

That said, since you are directly altering the files, I highly recommend creating a backup of your website. In the unlikely event you delete the wrong file, you can use the backup to restore your website to the way it was before.

It’s always better to be safer than sorry.

Step 1: Access the File Manager

First, begin by logging into your web hosting account. Once you are logged in, select the cPanel of the domain name that you wish to begin removing themes from.

Once inside the cPanel, locate the Files section and select the File Manager option.

Step 2: Locate the Themes Folder

The File Manager contains all of the files related to your website in an easy-to-navigate format. All of the WordPress themes you have installed on your website are located in the Themes folder, thus we need to get there.

Begin by accessing the public_html directory, then locate the wp-content folder within.

Once inside, locate the “themes” folder and enter it.

Step 3: Delete the WordPress Themes

Once inside the themes folder, you will see a folder for every theme you have installed. All you need to do is right-click on the theme folder you want to delete and select the Delete option.

You can also click the theme folder once and then use the “Delete” option in File Manager.

And that’s it. You can repeat this for every theme you want to delete. It’s a bit more cumbersome than the previous method, but it’s quite useful if you can not access your website.

Method 3: Use the Command Line To Delete the Theme

Another approach you can take from the cPanel is to delete themes using the command line. The command line is far more complex than the previous two methods, and I do not recommend using it if you are not knowledgeable about it.

Entering incorrect commands can seriously mess up your website. That said, you can delete themes through a fairly simple command.

Step 1: Access the Terminal

Log into your web hosting account and access the cPanel. Locate the Advanced section and select the Terminal option.

Note: The command line is only available to web hosting accounts that have SSH enabled. If you do not see the Terminal option, you will need to contact your web host to have it allowed.

Step 2: Agree to the Warning

I mentioned earlier that using the command line is dangerous. There is actually a warming message you need to agree to that informs you that entering commands incorrectly can have negative consequences like corrupted or deleted data.

Again, it is not recommended to use this method unless you have the proper knowledge.

If you are sure about continuing with this method, click on the “I Understand and Want to Proceed” button.

Step 3: Deleting Themes in WordPress Via Commands

There are multiple ways to delete themes using the command line for WordPress. I’ll demonstrate a single way that’s straightforward.

First, you need to enter the directory. To do so, use the command line:

cd public_html
cd wp-content
cd themes

These lines will put you in the themes folder of your WordPress install. After that, you need to enter the command to delete directories:

rm -rf theme-name

Replace the “name” portion of the command with the proper name of the theme. This must be the exact spelling.

The directory and all of its contents will be deleted from your WordPress install. It’s important to double-check the spelling of any commands as misspelling some commands can end up turning into different commands entirely.

This is also important for file names. The names must be the exact spelling or you will get an error, or worse, you might delete a similarly named directory.

Method 4: Use An FTP Client

The last method you can use is an FTP client. If you are not a fan of using the cPanel for some reason, you can use your favorite FTP client to access your website’s files.

The client you use does not matter, but the steps to using it may differ slightly.

For this reason, I will not go into detail about deleting themes via a specific FTP client. Instead, I’ll just explain the process.

for those unaware, an FTP accounts give website owners the ability to directly access their website’s files from their desktop. The main advantage is quick access to the files.

Normally, you would need to log into the cPanel every time you want to make a change. Instead, an FTP just requires a one-time setup and you are good to go.

So what’s the actual process?

All you actually need to do is connect your web hosting account with the FTP client you wish to use. Then open up the FTP client and locate the wp-content folder. Once inside, locate and enter the themes folder.

Finally, you will see that every theme you have installed in WordPress is similar to the cPanel method above. All you need to do is select the theme folder you want to delete, right-click it, and select the Delete option.

FAQ

While you now know how to delete a theme in WordPress, you may still have some lingering questions. Here are a few of the most asked questions you may still have after deleting your theme:

Should I Have Any Deactivated Themes On My Website?

So, you may still be wondering if it is alright to have a deactivated theme or two on your website. And for the most part, that is fine as long as you still update them regularly.

For instance, many websites keep the default Twenty Twenty-Two theme installed from WordPress.

One reason you may want to keep a theme or two installed is for testing purposes. Sometimes things can break on your website and the theme you have installed can be to blame.

One of the fastest ways to confirm this is to switch themes and see if the error is still occurring.

The default theme is one of the best options to use for this test. If you switch to it and the error is gone, then something in your theme is causing the problem. If not, then the theme is not to blame and you can safely switch back.

However, as we have discussed, you really shouldn’t have any extra themes installed past this.

Will Deleting A Theme Delete All of the Content It Adds?

Not always.

Many themes come bundled with extra plugins and templates that you can utilize. And sometimes these files are not isolated to that theme’s directory. In these cases, you may have to manually delete a plugin, widget, or locate the proper files for templates.

One of the things you absolutely should be on the lookout for is unused images themes leave behind. Many themes include custom icons or stock images for their theme that end up in your media library.

Images can take up a lot of space, so it’s important to delete the images these themes leave behind. Although, to be fair, it is a good policy, in general, to delete all unused images as they can slow down your website and take up space.

The good news is that themes provide documentation that often includes the exact steps you need to take when uninstalling the theme. Always refer to the official documentation and potentially any support channels they offer.

Can My Web Host Help Delete A Theme?

If you are having a lot of trouble deleting a theme, you can contact your web host for additional support.

Depending on the support they offer, they will either provide documentation that can help you delete a theme, or walk you through the process over support channels.

Some may even be able to delete it for you, but this really depends on the hosting policies.

However, I would recommend doing this after you have exhausted the support options for the theme in question. Aside from theme documentation, most themes offer support options, especially premium ones, that you can use to get help.

Also, never forget about Google. The truth is that if you are having trouble doing something, you are probably not the only one. There is probably a forum post somewhere with the details you are looking for.

Don’t Wait, Delete Your Extra WordPress Themes Today

As you can see, there are multiple ways to uninstall a theme in WordPress. None of them are particularly hard, which allows you to reap the benefits without having to do much work.

Regardless of if it is themes, plugins, or anything else, you should only keep what you absolutely need on your website. Leaving tools and elements you don’t use can slow down your site and waste the resources for which you are paying.

The best practice is to always delete anything you are not using. If you need it later, you can simply reinstall it.

How many WordPress themes do you keep installed on your website? Which method did you find the easiest?

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