There are a number of reasons why WordPress has become so popular. From its ease of use to the ability to accomplish almost anything with the right theme and selections of plugins, all of this works together to continue to drive overall popularity.

WordPress development is also very popular. If you know how to develop for WordPress, then chances are you can take that skill and turn it into a nice living.

In this article, I am going to go over some simple steps to take so that you can learn how to become a WordPress developer.

What is a WordPress Developer?

WordPress website design and WordPress development should not be confused.

While you can do both, they are actually a little different. Simply put, a WordPress developer is someone who specializes in the ecosystem and infrastructure of WordPress.

A WordPress specialist like this works not only to build, manage, and design websites but also to develop themes and plugins and get more involved within the WordPress core. Developing and building new items is their main thing.

However, so we don’t limit what WordPress developers do, they are also involved with quite a few other aspects of development. Some of these include:

• Themes
• Plugins
• Resources
• Wireframes
• Migrating Sites
• Redesign
• SEO
• Marketing

As you can see, there are a lot of different WordPress developer jobs out there and things to get involved with once you have honed your skills.

Let’s take a look at the steps you need to take to become a WordPress developer.

How to Become a WordPress Developer

The path to becoming a WordPress developer is not cut and dry. There are multiple ways to go about it and it is highly dependent on what you want to specialize on.

Here is a brief outline:

Step 1: Learn All About Coding

So, there is often confusion about code and WordPress. Most people think that it is a popular CMS because you can build and design websites without having to learn how to code. This assumption is correct.

However, in order to be a WordPress developer, you are going to have to learn the fundamentals of code and how to write it.

Knowing and understanding the basics of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP will be essential not only for debugging and working on the platform but also for building themes and plugins.

Why do I need to learn so many languages you ask? Let’s take a look at how each one is used:

HTML: You can build custom pages with HTML, customize your WordPress theme, or even create content using an HTML editor inside of WordPress. It’s a versatile language that is fundamental to all website development.

CSS: This language is exclusively used for design purposes. With it, you can customize its appearance, layout, fonts, colors, and more. Nearly everything in WordPress has an additional CSS box for you to add code into.

JavaScript: This language is all about adding dynamic elements to pages, posts, or across your entire website. If you want to create an interactive piece of content for visitors, it will use JavaScript.

PHP: PHP is the fundamental language of WordPress, or to say it another way, WordPress was built with PHP. That means understanding PHP allows you to change anything in WordPress, making it the most important language to learn.

As you can see, each language plays an important part in building a website. The good news is that there are a lot of similarities in coding languages. That makes learning multiple languages much easier.

Step 2: Understand WordPress as a CMS

While WordPress is universally hailed as one of the easiest CMS to learn, mastering it is another story.

Even if you have a firm handle on coding, using that knowledge in WordPress requires you to actually understand all of the moving parts of WordPress, and there are a lot of them.

In fact, a lot of features won’t even need that knowledge or require code.

For example, let’s say you want to create a page. It’s a basic task for a WordPress developer, but how do you go about it?

The first way would be to use the built-in editor, Gutenberg. This is a block-based editor that is constantly being updated in every major version update, thus, you actually need to keep learning.

The second way would be to master a page-building plugin like Elementor. There are quite a few page-builders, and mastering them can be a boon for business. But each one has hundreds if not thousands of features to learn.

Another approach would be to write up a page in HTML and upload it to your WordPress site.

As you can already see, even a simple task in WordPress has a variety of approaches you can take as a developer. The good news is that there are several resources online that you can use to learn more about WordPress.

You will find all sorts of tutorials as well, as they are posted everywhere. Becoming a part of different communities will help with the process. You need to learn everything to be competitive in this field.

Helpful Resources

Some other WordPress-related resources to consider include:

WordPress Codex: This is the official online manual written by WordPress developers. It covers everything imaginable. From basic site-building to complex WordPress situations. If you want to learn everything about this CMS platform, then this is where to go.

Envato WordPress Tutorials: Yes, there are dozens of places, blogs, podcasts, and learning platforms that offer different types of WordPress tutorials. However, the Envato Marketplace offers a wide variety of them. Envato nearly covers everything, and they are fairly priced.

WordPress Developer Resources: WordPress has an entire part of its site dedicated to developers. Here, you can access code references, APIs, the Gutenberg editor, and tons of other developer-related tools that will help you on your journey.

WordPress Reddit: When it comes to being part of a community, Reddit is one of the best places to start. The WordPress community has over 166 thousand members ready to hand out advice. Ask and answer questions to learn the ins and outs of the platform.

Aside from the above resources, you should consider attending a WordPress development course. These courses teach the fundamentals of WordPress and provide you with a certificate as proof.

Even if you are quite knowledgeable, obtaining the certificate can open up opportunities for you.

Step 3: Choose an Area to Focus On

WordPress is a huge ecosystem. In fact, it’s so big that it’s really not feasible to be a jack-of-all-trades. And to be perfectly honest, customers are not looking for one. Instead, they want a specialist.

While WordPress development is a broad term, it can be broken up into three, equally broad, categories:

• Core Development
• Theme Development
• Plugin Development

Now, just to be clear, you can do it all. For example, it’s actually pretty common for development teams to form and create a theme and then design plugins for that theme.

So with that said, what does each one entail?

Core Development

Core development is the most popular of the three. This consists of the essential parts of WordPress, editing, building, security, optimizations, and just about everything you can do in WordPress.

So, I know what you are thinking, that’s a pretty broad description. And you are definitely correct.

In simple terms, a core developer is someone who manages just about every detail of WordPress installation to the content creation process. You can also break this down into smaller bits.

For instance, there are developers who specialize in quickly setting up new websites. This would entail installing WordPress in a hosting account and possibly installing and setting up a few plugins and a theme.

Another example would be someone who focuses specifically on page design. Or someone who focuses on improving the SEO of your website. Due to all of the possibilities, this is the most popular option.

Theme Development

WordPress has thousands of themes to choose from. However, only a few themes are actually made by the WordPress team. Instead, the vast majority of them are made by independent developers.

The main goal of working on theme development is to be able to sell your theme to core developers. Or to sell add-ons or support for that theme. It can be a very lucrative business, assuming your theme is prevalent.

The main issue is how crowded the field is, but that’s really a different conversation altogether.

That’s why the best way to approach it is to go for a niche. While there are a ton of really great all-purpose themes, beginners will struggle to transform them into something they want to use.

And that’s why building a theme for a specific niche can be extremely popular. That is also assuming enough people are looking for the layout type.

Plugin Development

Plugins are the bread and butter of WordPress. These are the tools developers can use to add functionality to their website without writing a line of code. However, creating a plugin does.

In fact, it requires a lot of coding as a single plugin can interact with hundreds of files in your WordPress install simultaneously.

Similarly to theme development, the main goal here is to create a plugin that accomplishes a specific task that others are willing to pay for.

You might have noticed that most plugins are free. What you might not have noticed, is that a good portion of those free plugins have a premium version available.

Thus, for many tools, the free version acts as a demo for users to try.

In some cases, if the tool is popular enough, you can collect donations from users. It can be very lucrative, to say the least.

Step 4: Embrace the WordPress Community And Be Active

WordPress is the most popular CMS in the world. Naturally, it also has the biggest community. And just to be clear, it’s not even close.

The WordPress community is huge. There are all sorts of ways to access it as well. You can hit message boards, blogs, forums, and even join communities in software programs like Slack.

Before the pandemic, the WordPress community would meet up at WordCamps. These were events hosted in major cities where WordPress developers could congregate and make new contacts.

There are also courses during these events hosted by experts. The good news is that WordCamps and in-person Meetups are starting to happen again.

It is important to get out there and become involved, as the more you have access to, the more you will be able to learn in the long run.

There are millions of people using WordPress and involved in all sorts of WordPress-related things. Becoming involved in all this not only gets your name out there but also allows you to learn and see what everyone else is doing and talking about.

In fact, you can use something like Meetup.com to find WordPress events in your local area.

Step 5: Build a Portfolio

Now, even if you have the knowledge and the connections, you are still missing one piece of the puzzle – a portfolio.

Portfolios are always key for anyone who does visual work like development or graphic design. These allow you to show everyone what kind of work you do, what jobs you have done, and the types of finished products you create.

Your portfolio can include projects, skills, development service information, personal information, and anything else you might think is relevant to potential customers.

Of course, this means you actually need to have something to show or demonstrate.

This can be very difficult for beginners, as they won’t have a long work history to pull from. The best solution is to create multiple demo sites for the sole purpose of showing off your skill.

As you start to get more jobs, be sure to add the experiences to your portfolio. Having a diverse library of projects to display can open the door to multiple opportunities.

You can also display your portfolio on a site or use it for scooping up other jobs on freelance sites like Upwork.

While a portfolio is one of the most common ways to show off your work, for many jobs, you may need a more traditional resume when applying to a corporation. So, be sure to have one made and mention that you have a portfolio.

FAQ

Just understanding the path you will have to take to become a WordPress developer does not answer every question. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions:

Are SEO Specialists A Type of WordPress Developer?

One thing every WordPress developer should be aware of is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is one of the most important aspects of any website and can take years to fully master.

SEO determines how well a website ranks on a search engine. Thus, the better your SEO, the better you will rank, which has a direct impact on the traffic a website receives.

Since it is integral to WordPress and hard to learn, this raises the question, “is an SEO Specialist a type of WordPress developer?”

In many ways, yes, you could definitely call an SEO specialist a WordPress developer that focuses on search engine optimization.

However, many of these improvements apply to any CMS platform. As a result, an SEO specialist won’t exclusively work on WordPress.

That said, many SEO specialists will focus specifically on WordPress.

WordPress has a variety of unique optimizations when it comes to search engine performance. And to be clear, this is also true for other platforms.

Thus, in most cases, an SEO specialist is not considered a WordPress developer. It’s a separate entity altogether.

What About Marketing Specialists?

Marketing is another essential part of any website and there are literally hundreds of ways to go about it.

Primarily, a marketing specialist will work on platforms outside of the actual website they are trying to promote. For instance, they will work on creating a social media presence on Facebook or Twitter.

However, it’s worth noting that they may very well be marketing other things on a WordPress website. For example, perhaps your website is marketing products with affiliate links by reviewing them.

While that work is definitely done on WordPress, it can be done on almost any other CMS.

Thus, a marketing specialist is not a WordPress developer.

How Much Does A WordPress Developer Make Annually?

While you should always do something you are passionate about, bills still need to be paid. Thus, it’s only natural to worry about income.

When it comes to being a WordPress developer, the average salary varies wildly.

According to Indeed.com, the average hourly wage for a WordPress developer is $32.55. However, hourly wages only apply to positions offered by corporations or small businesses.

The vast majority of WordPress developers are freelancers.

This means they are their own bosses and have to find customers themselves. Generally speaking, most projects are not on an hourly basis. While it can be very lucrative, sometimes it is not.

While the rate varies, the average range is between $110,000 and $220,000 per year.

It’s also worth noting that what you specialize in will have a very big impact on your earning potential. Experience is also very important as customers do not want to pay top dollar for an amateur’s work.

Do I Need a Degree to Be a WordPress Developer?

No, in fact, 70% of all developers are self-taught, with less than 50% having a degree.

Instead of getting a college degree, many WordPress developers sign up for WordPress development courses. These courses will help you build a strong foundation and learn the fundamentals at your own pace.

At the end of the course, you will receive a certificate. In fact, you may also want to take other courses in certain languages like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Not only do they help improve your understanding, but they are also great resume builders.

With that said, the demand for WordPress developers is rising exponentially. And as competition increases, getting a degree may become a deciding factor for some customers.

Never underestimate the value of quality and verifiable education.

Should I Create A Development Environment?

Before answering this, let’s take a moment and define what a development environment actually is.

A development environment is a workspace for developers to work. The contents of a development environment depend entirely on what is being developed.

In the case of WordPress, this could include customized core, theme, and plugin files.

There are multiple ways to create one. The first is to take a more direct approach using WAMP or XAMP. These are local WordPress websites that you can customize and design from your computer without a web host.

There are also easier local WordPress install tools you can try like Bitnami. But is all this necessary?

Absolutely. In fact, it would be a stretch to call yourself a WordPress developer without having one of these.

Using one will not only save you a huge amount of time but can dramatically improve the quality of the work. And the more familiar you are with your environment, the easier it becomes to design content, layouts, and functions.

So yes, you should create one to ensure you work efficiently.

Where Do WordPress Developers Work?

Where a WordPress developer works largely depends on where you are hired.

For instance, Freelancers are the most common form of WordPress developers, and they mostly work remotely. In fact, they can have customers from around the world.

Of course, if you are hired by a corporation, you will most likely be working in an office setting. Yet, like most things in today’s post-covid world, the options for remote work exist.

In both cases, sometimes traveling is required to meet up with clients. That said, sometimes just using a phone or Zoom will suffice. It really depends on the client as many like to have a real interaction with the WordPress developer.

Should I Consider Other CMS Platforms?

While WordPress is certainly the largest CMS platform, it is not the only one.

There are literally hundreds of other platforms you can use to build a website. Each one requires specialized knowledge to master, but there is a lot of overlap. You can definitely branch out to other platforms.

In reality, there may be times when WordPress is not the best platform to use. Being able to point customers in the right direction can help build loyalty.

Start Your Journey Today

Learning how to become a WordPress developer may seem out of reach at first. That being said, if you have a path and know the steps to take, then the journey is not as difficult as originally thought.

There are a lot of different things to learn on your journey to becoming a WordPress developer. Take your time, immerse yourself in everything, and learn as much as you can from people who are already developers.

Before you know it, you will be developing WordPress themes and plugins for others to use and enjoy.

Good luck on your journey.

Are there any other steps you took to become successful as a WordPress developer? Is it a rewarding career

The post How to Become a WordPress Developer and Shine in 2023 appeared first on GreenGeeks.

What Are Cron Jobs in WordPress?

WP-Cron is how WordPress handles scheduling out time-based tasks. A number of very important core features in WordPress use WP-Cron. These will include but are not limited to:

• Checking for Updates
• Publishing Scheduled Posts
• Backup Plugin Running on a Predefined Schedule

The “Cron” part of the name WP-Cron comes from the cron time-based task scheduling system that is available on UNIX systems.

Basically, WP-Cron works by checking, on every page load, a list of scheduled tasks. This way it can see what needs to run. Any tasks due to run will be called during that page load.

Note: WP-Cron does not run as constantly as the system cron does. It is only triggered on page load.

Why Use WP-Cron?

Even though WP-Cron PHP can have an effect on the overall performance of your website, there are still several good reasons to use it. Honestly, unless your website deals with very high traffic, you probably don’t need to worry about how often the system runs.

That being said, you do have the ability to disable cron in WordPress whenever you want. Before I show you how to do that, let’s look at some good reasons to use WP-Cron.

• The WordPress core and many plugins need a scheduling system to perform time-based tasks. Cron jobs get this done.
• Using the WordPress API is a much easier way to set scheduled tasks than going outside of WordPress to the system scheduler.
• With WP-Cron, all scheduled tasks are put into a queue and will run at the next opportunity. The next opportunity really means at the next page load.

Note: There is no way to be 100% sure when the task will actually run. However, you can be 100% sure that it will indeed run.

Why Does WP-Cron Cause Performance Issues?

WP-Cron is the built-in cron handler for WordPress. Many high traffic and high demand and interaction websites may find they have issues with this. See, WP-Cron is not a real cron job. Instead, it is the system WordPress has created to mimic what a system cron does.

And while sites with high traffic can have issues, sites with very little traffic can suffer performance issues as well. This is because when not many people are loading a page, then a schedule has a higher chance of being missed.

A solution to this is to disable cron and then use the system cron instead. This will help you better run a predefined schedule.

With that being said, let’s take a look at how to easily pull off a WP-Cron disable method. I will also show you how to create a cron job using cPanel after WP-Cron has been disabled.

How to Disable WP-Cron

In order to disable WP-Cron, you need to access the wp-config file for your website. To do this, log into cPanel and click on the “File Manager”icon.

Once inside the file manager, click on the “public_html folder” and then search and open the wp-config file.

Go ahead and open the wp-config file and add this line into it:

define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);

You want to add this down at the bottom of the file around line 68. Right before the end of the file. See where I added it in the following screenshot.

Once this is added, go ahead and save the file and you are good to go. At this point, WP-Cron has been disabled.

You can choose to just move on from here, as we have disable cron in order to improve performance. However, it is still a good idea to create cron jobs and make sure certain tasks are being handled.

You can create your own channel and have total control. Let’s take a look at how together.

Note: Make sure you disable the default WP-Cron first, as we did together above.

Create a Cron Job in cPanel

In order to create your own cron job, you will need to log back into your cPanel. If you are still in there because you just accessed the wp-config file, great.

Scroll down to the “Advanced” section of your cPanel and click on the “Cron Jobs” icon.

You will see there is an “Add New Cron Job” page now. Go ahead and add in the settings you want under the Common Settings area. There are several predefined schedules to choose from. These will include options like twice per day, once per week, and many more.

Simply choose the one you want and the box will auto-fill.

Finally, you need to add the following line of code into the command line:

wget -q -O - https://domain.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron >/dev/null 2>&1

You want to replace the https://domain.com portion with your domain. So don’t forget that.

You can see it done here in the screenshot as well.

Note: This command could vary slightly based on how your hosting is configured.

Now click on the “Add New Cron Job” button and you are good to go.

That’s it! You have successfully added your own cron job using cPanel.

Easy Cron

Lastly, if you are not comfortable with creating your own cron jobs in cPanel, or if your web host does not provide you with that access, then you have another option. You can use a solid third-party solution like Easy Cron.

This solution is a great alternative to what we did above. They will give you all the tools necessary to perform all the cron functions you need. Give them a look if you are not comfortable with what we went over together above. 

It is basically allowing you to perform all the same functions, but giving you an easier way than to make the changes yourself.

Final Thoughts

There is a lot to think about if you want to disable cron in WordPress. Yes, your site may run smoother, but you still need it to perform certain functions. For this reason, it is a good idea to create your own cron jobs in cPanel or by using a third-party solution.

I showed you how to not only disable cron, but also how to create your own cron jobs using cPanel. Furthermore, if you are not comfortable with that, then you can check out the suggested Easy Cron solution.

I hope this tutorial has shown you how easy it is to disable cron in WordPress in order to improve performance. You may need to do some research or go slowly through the process if it is your first time, but you will get there.

Not everything in WordPress can be handled with a plugin. While this method is definitely preferred, in some instances you need to have knowledge of your website files, how to access them, and how to configure certain options.

Have you disabled cron on your WordPress site before? Have you found that there is a link to that and better overall performance?

The post How to Disable Cron for WordPress and Improve Performance appeared first on GreenGeeks.

There is actually a really easy way to show a WordPress page in mobile-specific content. You don’t have to mess with any code, you simply need to have the right tools and be willing to do a little editing.

Let’s take a look at how to show specific content for mobile devices. This will allow your WordPress users the ability to see and experience things differently when looking at a mobile page or post from your website.

Why Show Specific Content on Mobile

Mobile specific layouts of posts and pages have started to become very relevant. Google actually introduced AMP a while back. While that is more for search optimization, they did set a stone in motion for website owners to start being more mindful of how their content is displayed on mobile units.

Most pages and posts in the mobile version of WordPress will automatically display properly because of the theme. Most of the better WordPress themes are mobile-friendly and responsive.

That being said, there may be some posts and pages that are just too packed with content for mobile users in WordPress to view the right way.

Another thing to think about is that you may want to display different versions of the same page or post on mobile devices for different reasons. It could be that you want a different style or look, or that you want the information to be different just because of the device being used.

Instead of having to worry about a bunch of code, I have found a great plugin that will allow you to edit your regular pages and posts to create mobile versions of them to display.

This plugin gives you the ability to easily show specific content on mobile. Let’s take a look at the plugin together.

Specific Content for Mobile

The Specific Content for Mobile plugin allows you to easily create specific pages and posts for mobile users in WordPress. This is a great plugin if you want to add, remove, or redesign specific content to show differently based on mobile versions.

There are some rules you will have to play within, but overall, the Specific Content for Mobile plugin will give you the option to successfully create different versions of pages and posts for hand-held viewing.

The plugin is actually very lightweight, and according to the author, is compatible with the Gutenberg block editor, the classic editor, and all WordPress page builders.

Let’s take a look at how to install and activate the plugin, as well as how to use it.

Note: Before moving on, please remember that this plugin supports mobile versions of posts and pages. It does not support custom post types, archives, or terms.

Install and Activate Plugin

In order to split your posts and pages and start showing specific content for mobile devices, you first need to install and activate the plugin. You can do this by going to the plugins page located in the WordPress admin dashboard. Just search the plugin name and it will come up.

Once the plugin has been installed and activated, you will automatically be redirected to your list of plugins.

However, the plugin has now added a tab for mobile versions of posts and pages. This tab is located within the editor.

Let’s take a look at how to get there and what you need to do to show mobile-device content to your WordPress users.

Edit Posts and Pages to Show Specific Content in Mobile

As stated above, the plugin is very lightweight and ready to roll out of the box. Basically, there isn’t a main settings page for the plugin. It simply adds an editing tab and/or button within the posts and page editing area of your WordPress admin dashboard.

To access your pages, click on Pages > All Pages. This will take you to all the pages you have in your admin area.

Now you are in the Pages section of your admin area. Scroll over the page you want to edit. You will see a selection of editing options come up. These will depend on what you have installed.

You can see in the screenshot below that I have both the block editor and the classic editor installed. You will also notice that now there is an option to “create a mobile version” of the page in question.

So, you can click on that link, or click on either the block or classic editor link. The one you choose is just simply for you to edit the page to show for mobile WordPress users.

For this example, we are going to use the block editor. So we have clicked on that link and now the relevant page is open. This page is the current version showing for both desktop and mobile users.

Scroll down some to the bottom right of the page. You see there is a dropdown tab now titled “Mobile version.” Click on the “Create Mobile Version” button located within that dropdown.

What happens is that a copy of the page is created that is for mobile viewing only. You can now edit this page how you would like. All the edits you make will be available for those who are using mobile to read your site.

You will know you are editing the mobile version because the dropdown mobile menu area will inform you.

Edit the page however you would like. When you are finished, simply click on the “Publish” button to make the mobile version of the page live.

For confirmation, click out of the editing portion and now look at the page list in your admin area. You will see that a mobile version of the page has been created and is now there to edit whenever you need.

That’s it! You have successfully created specific content for mobile users. You can do this for any page you want.

Note: The process is exactly the same for posts. Simply go to the posts section of your dashboard and edit any posts for mobile readers that you want.

Final Thoughts

Creating specific content for mobile devices can be an important aspect of site design and configuration. This is especially true if you are trying to show different items or information based on the type of device someone is accessing your website with. Mobile access to websites has continued to increase over time. It is important that you give people a good view of your WordPress content.

Aside from using AMP to modify how your site shows (which is actually a different process altogether), creating specific content for mobile users is a great way to allow site visitors to easily view content on those units the way you intended it to be.

Have you been using a different plugin to accomplish this? Do you find that layout and styles look better on the mobile versions of WordPress pages and posts you have created?

The post How to Show Specific Content to Mobile Users in WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

This can be for many reasons, but the good news is it’s easy to deactivate plugins and there are multiple ways to do it.

On top of deactivation, you also have the option to completely remove these tools. However, it is important to make it clear that they are not the same thing.

Today, I will demonstrate how to deactivate plugins in WordPress using multiple methods.

Why Deactivate Plugins in WordPress

Plugins add features to WordPress that it does not have by default or enhances the features it does have. If plugins do this, why would anyone want to deactivate them?

There are multiple reasons why you may need to deactivate a plugin at any given time.

For starters, almost every plugin has competition. While it is very normal to test multiple plugins, many of them will interfere with each other.

For example, most security plugins will interfere with each other and they also use a lot of resources. Thus, you are going to want to test them one at a time and deactivating them makes it easy to do.

A more obvious reason is to simply turn off the plugin. Sometimes things don’t go as expected. You may find out that a new plugin or an update to an existing function on your website has caused the site to stop working or significantly slow down.

Deactivating the plugin until the issue is resolved or you delete it is the best course of action.

Deactivating A Plugin Is Not Removing It

A very big misconception is that deactivating a plugin is the same as removing it, but this is not true. In reality, deactivating a plugin is the equivalent of simply turning it off.

For instance, when you are done watching television, you turn it off. Did you throw the TV out? No. However, if you take the T.V and throw it in the garbage, you are removing it.

Plugins work like in a similar fashion. When they are deactivated, they are off. But with just one click, they can be turned back on.

It is a very bad habit to keep a plugin disabled for a long period of time. Unfortunately, the internet is not the safest place. Hackers look for any way to get inside of your website and when they do, they like to leave backdoors.

Disabled plugin files make the perfect home for backdoors. You are not using the plugin, thus you wouldn’t look in the file. However, you wouldn’t think it’s strange that the file is still there. Thus, not removing these files is a huge security issue.

If you do have disabled plugins for a long period of time, it’s always a good idea to have them set up for automatic updates. This helps reduce security threats.

On top of security concerns, they also increase your website’s backup size, which can cost you more money in the long run. Long story short, if you are not using a plugin, deactivate it and then remove it.

Method 1: Deactivating In WordPress

This first method is how I recommend deactivating plugins. It is by far the simplest and most intuitive method.

On the left-hand admin panel, click on Plugins and select the Installed Plugins option.

Here you will see a full list of every plugin that is currently installed on your website. This includes both activated and deactivated tools.

When deactivating plugins, you have two options within WordPress. You can either deactivate them one at a time or use a bulk action to do it.  I will demonstrate both ways.

To deactivate one plugin, click the Deactivate option under the plugin name. The plugin will get deactivated immediately.

To deactivate multiple plugins at once, check the boxes of the plugins you want to deactivate. You can also check the box above the list to select all plugins.

In the Bulk action drop-down menu, select the deactivate option. Click on the Apply button.

This is by far the easiest way to deactivate a plugin, but there is a good reason why you may need a different method.

Method 2: PHPMyAdmin

Unfortunately, there is a chance that you may be locked out of your website. Even worse is that a plugin might be responsible for the lockout. This poses a problem for the previous method.

You need to be able to log into your WordPress admin area to do it. However, you can still use this method if you do not have access to your admin area.

It is very important to make it clear that all of the plugins on your website will be deactivated. Afterward, you can go onto your website and activate the ones you want.

Log into your website’s cPanel to begin. The login information is provided to you by your web host.

In the Databases section, click on PHPMyAdmin.

On the left-hand side of the screen, you need to click on your website’s database. Once in the database, you need to locate the wp_options table. There may be a variation on how it looks. In my case, it was labeled wpx4_options.

Inside on the wp_options table, locate the active_plugins option name. You can scroll through the list to locate it or use CTRL + F to search for it.

Click on the Edit option next to it.

You will now be able to make edits. All you need to do is delete the one line in the file under option_value. This will deactivate every plugin on your website, but not delete them. Once the line is deleted, click on the “Go” button.

You can now visit your website and all of your plugins will be deactivated.

How To Uninstall A Plugin

Odds are if a plugin just locked you out of your website, you are going to delete it. It is also good for the security of your website to remove any unused plugins.

Now that you will have access to your website, click on Plugins and Select the Installed Plugins option. Underneath the deactivated plugin’s name, click on the Delete option. A confirmation message will appear that you will need to confirm.

This will uninstall the plugin from your website. You can reinstall and activate it for use at any time.

It should be noted that even if a plugin is uninstalled, there is a chance it may leave behind some traces. For the majority of plugins, this will be very minor files, tables or shortcodes. In most cases, you can safely ignore them, but it is worth mentioning that they will add to your back up size.

If you need further help in deleting extra files and shortcodes, you can learn to unsinstall plugins the right way which guides you through the process.

Plugins Make WordPress Great

Plugins make WordPress the most accessible platform for building a website. They allow web developers of any level the ability to add features without writing a single line of code.

Sometimes they may need to be deactivated or removed, but as this tutorial has demonstrated, it’s very easy.

How long did it take you to deactivate a plugin? Why did you need to deactivate a plugin in WordPress?

The post How to Properly Deactivate Plugins in WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

How to Use the Loop

When using the Loop, it should be placed in your Theme’s index.php, as well as placed in any other templates used to display your website post information.

In this article, I will show you several examples of how to use The Loop and override it to display posts in several different ways. Simply follow the code examples below to get the WordPress Loop override structure that you prefer.

You will need to access the functions.php file that is located in the WordPress admin dashboard if you want to add any of the code below. Scroll down to the bottom of this tutorial for instructions on how to access that file.

Once you have the file open and ready, then start adding the demo code functions displayed below.

You can also display custom fields from a specific post outside the WordPress Loop if you want.

Display Any Number of Posts

The loop example will display any number of posts within that specific WordPress Loop. Open any template file where you would like to place the posts and add the following loop:

// if everything is in place and ready, let's start the loop


// to display 'n' number of posts, we need to execute the loop 'n' number of times
// so we define a numerical variable called '$count' and set its value to zero
// with each iteration of the loop, the value of '$count' will increase by one
// after the value of '$count' reaches the specified number, the loop will stop
// *USER: change the 'n' to the number of posts that you would like to display



// for CSS styling and layout purposes, we wrap the post content in a div
// we then display the entire post content via the 'the_content()' function
// *USER: change to '' to display post excerpts instead





// here, we continue with the limiting of the number of displayed posts
// each iteration of the loop increases the value of '$count' by one
// the final two lines complete the loop and close the if statement

Exclude Posts From a Category

This loop example demonstrates how to hide a specific Category or Categories from being displayed:

have_posts() ) : while ( $query->have_posts() ) : $query->the_post(); ?>






 by 




 
 

Style Posts From Some Category Differently

This loop example displays each post with its Title (which is used as a link to the Post’s Permalink), Categories, and Content. It also allows posts in a category with Category ID ‘3’ to be styled differently:

 by 










 

 














Nested Loops



Nested Loops simply means that you are trying to run a second loop before finishing the first one. Using this in certain situations can be useful. For example, maybe you want to display a post list with a shortcode.


$my_query = new WP_Query( 'cat=3' );
if ( $my_query->have_posts() ) {
             while ( $my_query->have_posts() ) {
                         $my_query->the_post();
the_content();
}
}
wp_reset_postdata();



Remember, you want to reset the main loop data after a nested loop. Do this so that some global variables hold the correct values again.



Accessing the functions.php File



In order to add any of the code above to play with the default WordPress loop, or any other code you may want to try, you have to know how to access the functions.php file on your WordPress website. You can do this by accessing the cPanel and going to the correct file.



However, the easiest way to access the file is directly from the WordPress admin dashboard. Here is how you do that and how to enter the code from above if you are trying it out.



Step 1: Go to Theme Editor



From the admin dashboard of the WordPress site, click on Appearance > Theme Editor. You will see this option on the left side menu area of the dashboard.







This takes you to all of the main site files.



Step 2: Click on the Theme Functions File



You will see that there are several file options available to the right of the screen. The number of options available will be based on what you are currently running.



You want to find the “Theme Function functions.php file and click on that to open it up.







Step 3: Scroll to the Bottom of the File



Now that the file is open, you can add the appropriate code to it. Scroll down to the very bottom of the file and add any relevant code updates there.







Don’t forget to update your file when you make code changes. When the update is successful, go ahead and see if the code worked.



You can repeat these steps and add as much relevant code to that file for different functions as you want.



Final Thoughts



I hope this article gave you a few easy examples of how you can override the default WordPress loop in a few different ways. You can see by the code above that there are several options to play with.



Don’t mess with the functions.php file and add and subtract code unless you have a decent understanding of how it all works, and how to fix it if something happens. As of this writing, we have still not found a plugin that accomplishes this. Let us know if you find one.



Did the code above work correctly? Do you understand how to easily access the correct functions.php file to use the code above?

The post How To Override the Default WordPress Loop appeared first on GreenGeeks.

Unfortunately, WordPress does not automatically remove unneeded core files after updating. This may not appear to be a big deal, but it is. These un-updated files become vulnerable over time and are a prime target for hackers. Today, I will demonstrate how to remove old core files in WordPress using the Old Core Files plugin.

Why Remove Old Core Files From WordPress

Every time there is a core file update in WordPress, the platform will update various files, but some of the files become obsolete and will not be used by WordPress. These files can remain there for a long time if you do not manually delete them. This creates an easy access point for hackers to target.

These obsolete files do not get any of the security enhancements WordPress makes every time it updates. Old un-updated files that are never accessed by anyone are the prime targets of hackers. This goes for other unused file types like theme and plugin files.

Files that get no attention make it easy for hackers to leave backdoors on your website. A backdoor is essentially a way for a hacker to gain access to your website without setting off any of the security. They can use executables and steal valuable information from your website.

How to Remove Old Core Files From WordPress

Today, I will demonstrate how to remove old core files from WordPress using the Old Core Files plugin. This plugin detects and lists old obsolete core files that WordPress does not use anymore. You can directly delete old core files in WordPress with this plugin. Deleting these old files will not improve the performance of WordPress, but will make it safer.

Whenever you are relying on a plugin to delete files, it is always a good policy to create a backup of your website. This will ensure that if any mistakes are made, you can use the backup to revert to before the mistake was made.

Installing Old Core Files

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

Search for Old Core Files in the available search box. This will pull up additional plugins that you may find helpful.

Scroll down until you find the Old Core Files plugin and click on the “Install Now” button and activate the plugin for use.

On the left-hand admin panel click on Tools and select the Old Core Files option. This will pull up the main settings page.

Using Old Core Files

This plugin is really easy to use. There are two viewable options, “Existing” and “All”. It is very important to understand the difference.

“Existing” refers to all of the obsolete core files found on your website. If files appear under this section, there will be a delete option. Use the option to delete these unused files to secure your website.

“All” refers to every core file found on your website. There will not be a delete option for these files through the plugin. Do not try to manually delete the files that are listed under this section. Your website will no longer work if you do.

Congratulations, you have successfully learned how to delete old core files in WordPress. This will improve WordPress security by removing vulnerable files that hackers can take advantage of. Many security plugins will delete these files automatically, so if you do not see any existing files, it is probably because of them.

Keep WordPress Secure

Keeping your website safe against hackers and other threats is not an easy task. It is important to remove vulnerable files from WordPress. The most common files include old core files, plugins, and themes. Most of the vulnerable plugins and themes are no longer activated but remain installed.

For this reason, you should delete any plugins or themes you are no longer using. You can easily reinstall any plugin or theme in a matter of minutes, so there are no positive reasons for keeping unused files in WordPress.

How easy do you find the Old Core Files plugin to use? Do you regularly delete unused plugins and themes?

The post How to Remove Old Core Files From WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

If you are uncomfortable with code editing, I recommend using the plugin method, but it is quite easy to use the SQL query. Keep in mind that using either method will replace all of the text that matches throughout your website. Today, I will demonstrate how to replace text using two methods.

When Should I Use This Technique

It is very important that you understand how much text could be affected by this technique. For example, let’s say you typed “sql” instead of SQL. This is a great example of a small typo that may be found throughout a website. As you can see, the letters are not all capital, but what if there were specific instances where it was left lower case intentionally, like in this article?

This means that replacing text is not a simple task and you need to carefully review everything before making a change. You cannot reverse this process regardless of the method you choose. Your only option is to use a backup of your website. This way you can safely revert your website back to before the change was made.

How to Replace Text in Your WordPress Database

Today, I will demonstrate how to replace text using two methods. The first method I will demonstrate is the plugin method. The Better Search Replace plugin is extremely popular with over 400,000 active installs. You can select from all of the content on your website.  Keep in mind there are plenty of alternatives to choose from.

The second method is to use the SQL query within your database to make the changes. Don’t worry if you are not a coding expert, all you need to do is copy and paste a line of code and change the words you want to replace and what to replace it with.

Method 1: Plugin Method

Installing Better Search Replace

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

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

Scroll down until you find the Better Search Replace plugin and click on the “Install Now” button and activate the plugin for use.

On the left-hand admin panel click on Tools and select the Better Search Replace option. This will pull up the main settings page.

Using Better Search Replace

It is very important to understand that the only way to undo a change is to revert your website using a backup. You need to make sure that all of the text you type is accurate. You do not want to replace a URL with the wrong one or fix a typo with another typo. These changes will directly affect your database and you need to review everything carefully before making a change. If you have not created a backup of your website at this time, do so now.

Type the text you want the plugin to search for in the first text box. Type the text you would like to replace it within the second box. Check carefully for spelling errors.

You now need to select the tables from your database. You can select multiple by pressing Ctrl + left-click on Windows and Cmd + left-click on Mac. Make sure you are selecting the correct tables or you could make a serious mistake. You will most likely be using the posts table. The names of the tables will be different for most. In my case, it is “wpx4_posts”.

You will now have three options to select. The first is if you want your text to be case insensitive. By default, it is case sensitive. The second is to include Guid columns. If you are not aware of what they are, skip it and leave it unchecked. The final option is for a dry-run. This allows you to search first and see the results before making a change. I recommend doing this first and when you are ready, uncheck the box to complete the process.

Click on the “Run Search/Replace” button.

Congratulations, the plugin will make all of the appropriate changes if you left the dry-run option unchecked. If you are not happy after making the changes, use a backup to revert your website to before the changes were made.

Method 2: SQL Query

You will need access to your website’s cPanel. The login information is provided to you with your web hosting plans when you create an account. This is a very simple method to follow even if you have zero coding experience.

Log into your cPanel. Click on the phpMyAdmin option under the database section.

You need to locate your WordPress database on the left-hand side. The naming conventions are different depending on your web host and if you manually made a name change. Once you have found your database, click on the SQL tab.

The SQL query is a simple text box where you can enter code commands. Copy and paste the following code command:[ht_message mstyle=”info” title=”” show_icon=”” id=”” class=”” style=”” ]update Insert_Table_Here set content =
replace(content, ‘Text to locate’, ‘text to replace with’);[/ht_message]

You need to replace a few things in this code. First, Insert_Table_Here needs to be changed to the correct table. Naming conventions are different so my name will not apply to everyone, but it should be similar to wp-posts if you want to change it throughout your posts. Second, content must be changed to the content name. Finally, the text must also be changed. The “Text to locate” is what will be changed, and the “text to replace with” will be what it is changed too. Review everything and click on the “Go” button to make the changes.

Congratulations, you have successfully replaced text in your WordPress database.

Review Twice Change Once

It is very important to be sure about any potential changes you will make using either method. You will only be able to fix it by using a backup of your website and it could be very bad if your backup is not up to date. This is an extremely useful method for larger websites with thousands of posts. It is not feasible to change every post individually. For these cases, bulk changes are the only solution.

Review all of the information twice because these changes can have serious consequences for your website. If you are a smaller website that is looking to change something on a few articles, you may want to manually do it.  This method should be reserved for bigger bulk changes.

Which method have you chosen to use? How long has your method taken you?

The post How to Replace Text in Your WordPress Database appeared first on GreenGeeks.

Of course, you may wonder why anyone would ever need to reset such an essential part of a website.

Many web developers use cloned websites to test significant changes. Making changes on a clone or staging site ensures that your live site doesn’t experience any downtime while you work out the bugs. And when the testing is complete, resetting WordPress to default is necessary in most cases.

Today, I will demonstrate how to reset WordPress database settings to default using the Advanced WordPress Reset and WP Reset Database plugins.

Before We Reset

Resetting a WordPress database is appropriate when you want to revert to the default WordPress setup. But if you’re trying to fix a sluggish database, and intend to keep some content, you may want to consider doing a database “clean up” before resetting.

And as you might have guessed, there is a plugin for that.

The Advanced Database Cleaner plugin will fine-tune your WordPress database, removing a lot of unnecessary data. It can delete old revisions of posts and pages, auto drafts, trash posts, spam and trash comments, pingbacks, and trackbacks.

It can also remove a lot of “orphan” data. Things that are no longer linked from your site, but remain in the database—orphan metadata from posts, comments, users, and terms. You can view and verify specific data types before performing a cleanup.

Resetting the database should be a last resort and only done when you want to start from scratch. If that’s your goal, let’s carry on with the reset.

How to Reset the Default WordPress Database Settings

Database reset plugins are very easy to use, and there is a lot to choose from. In this tutorial, I will be examining two of them that will reset your database to default.

Taking this action will reset WordPress settings, comments, posts, pages, and all data to default. Thus, if you want to preserve any of this content, create a backup before continuing.

Method 1: Advanced WordPress Reset Plugin

Step 1: Install Advanced WordPress Reset

First, we’ll reset the default WordPress database settings using the Advanced WordPress Reset plugin. The plugin will completely reset your WordPress website’s database. The site will be as it was after installing WordPress for the first time.

It’s perfect for test websites, but can also be used on live websites if the need arises.

Note: This plugin should not be used on a website that you want to save the content for. This plugin will wipe everything.

Start by clicking the “Plugins” link and selecting the “Add New” option.

Enter “Advanced WordPress Reset” in the search box. That will also list additional plugins that you may find useful.

Find the Advanced WordPress Reset plugin and click the “Install Now” button. Then activate the plugin for use.

Step 2: Reset Your Database

Luckily, the reset process only takes a few clicks of the mouse.

In the left-hand admin panel, click Tools and select the Advanced WP Reset option.

The plugin is straightforward to use, but remember that you will be resetting the entire WordPress database to default, with one notable exception. Your current administrator account will be recreated with the same login information.

That will make it easier for you to rebuild your test website. If you do not have an administrator account, resetting could cause an error and lock you out of the website. If you don’t have one, create an admin account before you begin.

To reset your database, you need to verify that you want to proceed by typing “reset” into the text box.

After the word “reset” has been entered, you are ready. This is the point of no return! Create a database backup now if you have not already done so and do not want to lose any data.

Click the “Reset database” button to begin the process.

Your website’s database should now be reset. It may take several minutes. How long the process takes depends on the size of the website.

Once the plugin runs, there’s no going back unless you created a backup of the website and database.

Method 2: WP Database Reset Plugin

Step 1: Install WP Database Reset

Another reliable tool to reset WordPress with a plugin, you may want to try is the WP Reset Database plugin. It allows you to quickly and easily reset any or all database tables to the default settings in just a few clicks.

As a result, this tool is more versatile than the last because it allows you to reset individual data tables. After all, the database for WordPress is made up of a series of smaller tables that handle one type of data.

To use the plugin, it needs to be installed and activated. Do that the same way we installed the first plugin, from the plugins page in your WordPress admin dashboard.

Step 2: Reset Your Database

Once the plugin has been installed and activated, click Tools and select the Database Reset option.

That will take you to the database reset page. Here you can find all of the options the plugin provides and it even lists them in 3 easy steps.

The first step is a warning that instructs you to make a backup of your website. This will ensure that if you can recover any data that is deleted during the reset. Of course, if you do not want any of the data, feel free to skip this step.

Now you need to select which database tables you will reset. As I said before, this plugin provides you with a lot of options. Use the drop-down box to select an individual table to reset or click on the Select All Tables option.

Lastly, you will need to enter the security code provided into the textbox. This is intended to make sure that users do not mistakingly reset their database.

Double-check your selection and click on the “Reset Tables” button to clear your database.

The reset will now begin and the time will vary depending on how large the database was.

Method 3: Resetting the Database Without A Plugin

Step 1: Delete the Existing Database

For those of you that may not want to use a plugin, you don’t need to. But it is definitely a longer process without one. To put it simply, you need to delete the existing database, create a new one, delete other key files (plugin, theme, etc.), and finally reinstall WordPress.

Again, like the last two methods, this will delete everything on your website and send you back to default. Proceed with caution.

First, log in to your cPanel and locate the Database section. Click on the MySQLDatabases.

There is a chance you might have multiple databases here. If so, locate the database that is your specific WordPress install and click on the Delete option.

Step 2: Create A New Database

Now that the old database is gone, you will need to create a new one. And luckily, this is in the exact same spot as where you deleted the old one.

Scroll to the Create Database section. Enter a name and click on the “Create database” button.

The database will now be generated. After that, you need to assign users to that database. Scroll down to the Add User to Database Section. There are two drop-down menus, one for users and one for databases.

Simply choose a user and a database to assign them to. Click on the “Add” button to finish.

Step 3: Delete the wp-content Folder

Now, it’s time to delete the wp-content folder. This will result in the deletion of all plugin and theme files.

Go back to the cPanel and click on the File Manager.

Click on the public_html directory. Locate the wp-content folder and delete it.

Your website is now completely reset, but it is not functional. To make it so, in your URL bar, type YourWebsite.com/wp-admin/install.php. Make sure to replace “YourWebsite” with your actual domain name.

A small welcome form will appear on the screen and ask you to fill in some information regarding your default settings and new database credentials. Fill it in and click on the “Install WordPress” button. WordPress will install and the website will be fully operational.

Congratulations on learning how to reset your WordPress database.

Test Everything First

Knowing how to reset WordPress is an essential tool for any website developer in a testing environment. Testing new features and designs is vital for all websites. It may be fine to test a new website on a live platform if the site doesn’t yet have an audience.

But as you grow and gain visitors, you should avoid testing on the live site.

The best way to test new ideas is on a test site since it will not affect your actual live content and layout. You can create a clone of your website and work out your ideas there. It’s better to work out experiments and updates where no one can see them.

Your live site should never have a broken page or function. This cannot only ruin the user experience but also affect your website’s SEO.

Why do you want to reset your website? How often do you use a clone or staging site to test ideas for your live website?

The post How to Reset the Database Settings to Default in WordPress appeared first on GreenGeeks.

By default, WordPress uses its own PHP-based messaging ability to send email. However, this is something that a lot of developers would rather avoid as it can cause problems with spam filters and other elements. The mail function may not be enabled on WAMP Mac servers.

In these situations, it’s better to simply set the system to use SMTP when sending WordPress emails from the local server. Using your email server, you can set the site to send email without some of the problems that arise with PHP messaging.

In this tutorial, I’m going to show you how to use email functionality in WordPress on localhost. It’s a quick set up process that will make your site use a specific SMTP server and address other than what you use to install the system.

Using the WP Mail SMTP Plugin

Today, I’m going to demonstrate the WP Mail SMTP plugin. It has nearly three-quarters of a million active installs and is a relatively simple tool to set up and use. One of the features I like most about it is that you can set SSL mail through the system if you have a secured domain.

From WordPress, go to the Plugins section on the left and click, “Add New.”

Install and activate the “WP Mail SMTP” plugin. You can find this by using the search field in the right-hand side of the screen. It’s important to note you will see several similar plugins available when searching for WP Mail SMTP. Choose the one that’s labeled, “by WPForms.”

Once it’s installed, go to the Settings sections and click, “WP Mail SMTP.”

Setting Up the Mail Basics

Enter the email address you want to display in the “From” area. If you leave it blank, the default email address WordPress has in the system will be used.

Enter the name you want the email to be from. For instance, you could put your name or the company name if you plan on using this system to interact with other users.

Keep the Mailer option set to use SMTP. At any point, you can revert WordPress to use the PHP mail function. For now, however, we want to use SMTP to send messages.

Click the checkbox for the return path if you want things like non-delivery receipts to go to the address. The return path is also visible to others if you use WordPress to send mail to them.

Click the “Save Changes” button. This will keep the above settings before you start entering the information for SMTP.

Setting Up the SMTP Server

For this next part, you will need to know the information regarding your email server. You can access this information using cPanel to manage your email accounts.

Enter the SMTP Host name of the email account. The SMTP host will be provided by your hosting provider. For example, Gmail users would enter “smtp.gmail.com” in this field to access the account. It may also look like, “mail.ggexample.com.”

Enter the SMTP Port of the email server. This defaults to port 25, which is the standard for outgoing email. However, secured servers such as those using SSL on the domain will have a different number available.

Choose whether your server uses encryption or not. You can select between SSL and TLS depending on how your web server is set up for security. In most instances, you’ll more likely either select “No Encryption” or “Use SSL encryption.” This is information your web hosting provider will give you if you set up a secured website.

Select the Authentication method for the email server. This is another point that your web host provider will supply when you set up the email address. A lot of domains will be set up to use SMTP authentication to help prevent unauthorized access to the account. This is perhaps one of the more common practices.

Enter your username and password for the email account. WordPress will need this to connect to the email server and send messages. However, these values are unnecessary if your email server doesn’t use SMTP authentication.

NOTE: For WordPress to use the email server, the password cannot be encrypted. This means it will be visible when you type it into the password field.

Click the “Save Changes” button on the bottom.

You are now ready to start sending WordPress emails from the local server.

In many ways, this is similar to how you would set up Outlook or any other email system on your computer. The only difference is that WordPress isn’t geared for POP3 responses. For that, you will need to either use Webmail or access the email in another way.

Before you call it complete, you should test the email settings. This gives you a chance to make sure the email address information is correct. If it’s not, you won’t receive messages from WordPress.

Enter a test email address and click the “Send Test” button.

If you don’t receive the test message, verify your email settings in WP Mail SMTP are correct.

SMTP over PHP

Many developers prefer the SMTP local host over the PHP mail function for a variety of reasons. From a more professional appearance to preventing being identified as spam, there are distinct advantages to setting up an SMTP account for your website. Decide if it’s right for you and customize your WordPress experience.

What kind of mailing system do you use with WordPress? Are your visitors more receptive to SMTP messages over the PHP function?

The post How to Receive WordPress Emails from a Local Server appeared first on GreenGeeks.

This situation can be very inconvenient as you may need quick access to your local website at the moment this occurs. Thankfully, the process of performing a WordPress localhost password reset is quite easy. Today I will demonstrate how to complete a WordPress password reset on a locally hosted website on a Windows operating system.

What Causes the Password Reset to Stop Working on a Localhost

You might be wondering why exactly the WordPress password reset feature does not work on your locally hosted website. The answer is quite simple. A local website can only be accessed through your computer. This means there is no way for WordPress itself to alter your login information if you forget it. This means it is very important to write down this information in case you forget. Since the main purpose of a using a local server version of WordPress is to test things in private, it may be easy to forget the login information if you test things infrequently.

Why Use a Locally Hosted WordPress Website

As previously said,  a locally hosted website is used for testing purposes. This is great when you are running a large website, creating plugins, or creating themes. Being able to privately make changes and see how your website works is great. This will avoid downtime on your website if something were to go wrong when making a change. If you are a theme or plugin developer, then a test server is already is mandatory. Since potentially millions of people will use your plugin or theme, it is critical that it works perfectly and does not crash any websites. If your plugin or theme is responsible for crashing a website, you are costing site owners traffic and revenue.

How to find a Lost WordPress Password

Today I will demonstrate how to complete a WordPress password reset on a locally hosted website on a Windows operating system. To start we need to go over a few things. This tutorial will be using a Windows operating system. Since a local server is stored on your computer, it does not matter which operating system you are using and only certain steps will change. There are multiple softwares available to help you set up a local server and I would recommend using either WAMP or XAMP when you are creating one for the first time. This tutorial will work for either of them and possibly others as well. This process should be very quick but is not easily done without instructions.

The first thing you need to do is access the phpMyAdmin page. Go into your Internet browser and insert the following into the URL:

[ht_message mstyle=”info” title=”” show_icon=”” id=”” class=”” style=”” ]https://localhost/phpmyadmin/[/ht_message]

You will be on the main page of your local phpMyAdmin page. Click on the Databases tab.

You will see a list of databases. Click on the one you used when you created your local server and installed WordPress. Find the wp-users and click on the Browse option.

You will now see every user on your computer. Click on the Edit option next to the user you want to change the password for.

Here you can change all of your user settings. Look for the user_pass line. On the drop-down box select the “MD%” option. In the value text box, type in the new password you want to use. Make sure you write down the new password in case you forget it again.

Once you have entered your new password click on the “Go” button at the bottom of the page.

Congratulations, your password has been changed and you will be able to access your website. If you still cannot access it, check to make sure you edited the correct user and that you are using the correct password.

Create a Way to Remember or Store Passwords Safely

Forgetting passwords is very common, especially when every website login has a different one. Common practice is to use different passwords on different sites because if you are using the same email, every service or site that uses that login information is compromised. You can try creating a spreadsheet with all of your password information and printing it and storing the page in an easy to reach and secure location. There are many creative ways to store passwords and if you want to ensure you don’t need to reset your password out of forgetfulness then you should consider looking into some methods.

Always Maintain a Secure Login For Your Website

You’ve probably heard all kinds of password safety tips when you need to create a password. The general ones are very basic, but the importance of creating strong passwords cannot be stressed enough. Do not use the same password twice, do not share your login info with anyone, and do not use common or easy to guess passwords like date of birth. It is very unlikely that someone will be able to get into your local website and steal information since it can only be accessed on your computer, but these rules apply to any password system.

Remember, you can also change the password if you just want to change the password for some reason. Perhaps someone in your house or office knows the password to your local website. Regardless, password security is extremely important and there are many bad practices that hackers and thieves take advantage of every day.

Have you taken any measures to make sure you will not forget the new password? Do you plan on routinely changing your password on a schedule?

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