As a new WordPress user putting your website together, have you ever found yourself getting confused about what to do first, and what your next step should be?

If you’re a WordPress beginner, these are the tutorials you’ll find most valuable out of the gate. They’re presented in the order you should follow.

#1: Domain Name

You’ll need to register your domain name before you can proceed with WordPress, so do this first. Here are instructions on How to Register Your Domain Name with Namecheap (our preferred registrar. If you’re using a different registrar, the information you need will be similar although the steps may vary a little.)

#2: Hosting

You’ll also need a hosting account before you can set up your WordPress site. Here are instructions on How to Set Up a WordPress Hosting Account. This example uses Siteground’s hosting, which is our recommended shared hosting provider.

Read this article first if you’re not sure what type of hosting account is best for you.

#3: Install WordPress

After registering a domain name and setting up your hosting account, the next step is WordPress itself. Here are instructions on How to Install WordPress.

#4: Log Into WordPress

This is simple, but I’ve had so many questions about it over the years I decided it needed its own tutorial. You’ll find the instructions here.

#5: Install Your Theme

Next, you’ll need to install your theme. Here’s a helpful article on choosing a theme — read it and make your theme choice before you follow the tutorial on How to Install a WordPress Theme.

#6: Add Plugins

Plugins add to your site’s functionality, and they’re easy to install. Here are the basics on How to Install a WordPress Plugin.

#7: Protect Against Comment Spam

As a WordPress beginner, you might be tempted to skip this tutorial. Don’t! Until you’ve experienced out-of-control comments, you have no idea how helpful this little tool can be!

Make it tougher for would-be spammers to attack. Akismet is a plugin from one of WordPress’ original creators, and it’s still included with WordPress when you first install it. How to Protect Against Spammers with Akismet.

#8: Add and Edit Content

Content includes text, images, audio and video, and more. Fortunately, we have tutorials for all of them.

In some cases, we have instructions for the Gutenberg Editor and for the Classic Editor. As I write this, it’s only been a few months since WordPress updated to the Gutenberg block editor, and many people are still using the Classic Editor via the Classic Editor plugin. Not sure which one you should use? This article will help you decide.

Note: If you’re still using the Classic Editor, be prepared to switch sooner than later — WordPress will stop supporting it after this year.

• How to Add a Post to Your WordPress Website Using the Gutenberg Editor
• Common Gutenberg Blocks: They Don’t Have to Be Scary
• WordPress Blocks: What Are They and Why Should You Care?
• How to Add an Image to Your WordPress Post Using the Classic Editor
• How to Set Up Custom Navigation Menus in WordPress
• How to Create and Use WordPress Categories
• How to Add Tags to a WordPress Post
• How to Easily Paste Content into the Gutenberg Editor
• Don’t Screw Up the Code: How to Copy and Paste into WordPress Using the Classic Editor
• How to Add Links in WordPress

#9: Widgets

Widgets are some of the most misunderstood parts of a WordPress site. Read this to get a better handle on widgets, then follow these instructions on How to Add a WordPress Widget.

I’ll be adding more basic tutorials for WordPress beginners (especially about using the Gutenberg block editor), so check back on this page often.

This page was updated on April 19, 2021.