# WordPress basics

> Install WordPress, choose a theme, add plugins and publish your first post to get your new website up and running.

Source: https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/wordpress/guides/wordpress-basics/

WordPress Basics

You've decided to start blogging with WordPress—excellent choice! As the world’s most popular content management system (CMS), WordPress makes it easy to build, manage, and grow your website without needing advanced technical skills. This article walks you through how to get your WordPress site up and running.

**Step 1: Install WordPress**\
The first step is to install WordPress on your hosting account.

If you haven’t yet ordered a hosting account, this process is simple. When you purchase your hosting plan from **ruachost.com**, just select **WordPress** from the list of one-click installation options. Once your account is set up, WordPress will be automatically installed and ready for you to use.

If you already have a hosting account with **ruachost.com**, there are two main ways to install WordPress:

- **Softaculous Installer:**\
  Softaculous is an automated application installer provided with managed hosting accounts at **ruachost.com**. It lets you install WordPress (and many other applications) with just a few clicks. For details on installing WordPress using Softaculous, see our guide on installing applications with Softaculous.
- **Manual Installation:**\
  You can also install WordPress manually, which gives you more control but requires extra configuration steps. For detailed instructions, see our manual installation guide.

Once WordPress is installed, you’re ready to start customizing your site.

**Step 2: Import Content (Optional)**\
If you have existing content from another website or blogging platform, you can import it into WordPress. Because every platform stores data differently, importing methods vary.

The official WordPress documentation offers a full list of supported import methods for different platforms. Visit <https://codex.wordpress.org/Importing_Content> for details.

**Tip:**\
If you’re importing content from another WordPress site, you can do this directly within the WordPress dashboard. Check out our article on importing content between WordPress sites for a step-by-step guide.

**Step 3: Customize WordPress**\
Before you start publishing, take time to personalize your site’s look and functionality. WordPress supports thousands of **themes** and **plugins** to make your site unique.

**Themes**\
Themes define your site’s overall design, including fonts, colors, and layouts. Thousands of free and premium themes are available at <https://wordpress.org/themes>.

Once you’ve selected a theme, install and activate it from your WordPress dashboard to instantly change your site’s appearance. For installation steps, see our article on installing WordPress themes.

**Plugins**\
Plugins extend WordPress functionality. You can find plugins for SEO, security, analytics, forms, image optimization, and much more at <https://wordpress.org/plugins>.

**Important:**\
Avoid installing too many plugins, as they can slow down your site or cause compatibility issues. Stick to essential, reputable plugins.

**Step 4: Create Content**\
With your WordPress setup complete, it’s time to start creating content for your audience.

**Posts and Pages**\
WordPress divides content into **posts** and **pages**:

- **Posts** appear in reverse chronological order on your site’s homepage or blog feed. They often allow reader comments and appear in your RSS feed.
- **Pages** contain static content that doesn’t change often—like “About Us” or “Contact” pages—and are not included in your RSS feed.

Most blogs primarily consist of posts, with a few supporting pages. When launching your site, start by creating key pages first, then focus on publishing regular posts to keep your content fresh.

**Creating a post**

Let's create a new post for your site. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Log in to WordPress as the administrator. The dashboard appears.
2. In the left-side pane, click **Posts**, and then click **Add New**:

![WordPress - Add new post](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/b630b3e03dac.webp)

   3.  Under **Add New Post**, in the first text box, type a title for the post, such as **Hi mom**:

![WordPress - Add new post title](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/cb373f95df39.webp)

   4. In the large text box, type the content for the post:

![WordPress - Add new page content](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/ef4685ff9d24.webp)

> **Note:**
You can use the icons in the toolbar above the text box to add formatting and styling to your text.

    5. The **Publish** section displays the status of the post:

![WordPress - Add new page publish](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/910e6736971f.webp)

To save the content as a draft and work on it later, click **Save Draft**. To preview what the new post looks like, click **Preview**. Because this is a very simple example, go ahead and click **Publish**. The post appears on the home page immediately.

> **Note:**
The **Save Draft** feature is perfect for capturing ideas when you're not ready yet to publish a post for everyone to see.

**Creating a page**

Now that you know how to create and publish a post, let's create a new static page. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Log in to WordPress as the administrator. The dashboard appears.
2. In the left-side pane, click **Pages**, and then click **Add New**:

![WordPress - Add new post](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/b630b3e03dac.webp)

    3. Under **Add New Post**, in the first text box, type a title for the post, such as **Hi mom**:

![WordPress - Add new post title](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/cb373f95df39.webp)

    4. In the large text box, type the content for the post:

![WordPress - Add new page content](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/ef4685ff9d24.webp)

> **Note:**
You can use the icons in the toolbar above the text box to add formatting and styling to your text.

    5. The **Publish** section displays the status of the post:

![WordPress - Add new page publish](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/910e6736971f.webp)

To save the content as a draft and work on it later, click **Save Draft**. To preview what the new post looks like, click **Preview**. Because this is a very simple example, go ahead and click **Publish**. The post appears on the home page immediately.

**Creating a page**

Now that you know how to create and publish a post, let's create a new static page. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Log in to WordPress as the administrator. The dashboard appears.
2. In the left-side pane, click **Pages**, and then click **Add New**:

![WordPress - Add new page](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/c5fd1ecf683c.webp)

    3. Under **Add New Page**, in the first text box, type a title for the page, such as **About me**:

![WordPress - Add new page title](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/5bf3a2ed8b3e.webp)

    4. In the large text box, type the content for the page, such as "I am a thirty-something tightrope walker who likes to read Nabokov by moonlight":

![WordPress - Add new page content](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/ef4685ff9d24.webp)

    5. The **Publish** section displays what you need to know about the status of this page:

![WordPress - Add new page publish](https://helpcenter.ruachost.com/kb-images/910e6736971f.webp)

To save the content as a draft and work on it later, click **Save Draft**. To preview what the new page looks like, click **Preview**. Because this is a very simple example, go ahead and click **Publish**. On most themes, a link to the **About me** page appears automatically on your site's home page.

> **Note:**
Some themes may require some additional configuration to get the **About me** page link to appear. For example, if you are using the default Twenty Fifteen theme, follow these steps to make page links appear on the home page:

- In the left-side pane, click **Appearance**, and then click **Themes**.
- In the Twenty Fifteen area, click **Customize**.
- In the left-side pane, click **Widgets**, click **Widget Area**, and then click **Add a Widget**.
- Click **Pages**.
- In the **Title** text box, type a heading for the pages, and then click **Save & Publish**. Page links should now appear on the home page.

**Step 5: Manage comments**

After you post content, you probably want readers to be able to add comments and discuss what you have written. WordPress makes it easy to approve, edit, reply, and do other tasks with reader comments.