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21 Types of WordPress Sites You Can Build with AI

WordPress has evolved far beyond its blogging roots and can now power almost any kind of site — from personal sites and portfolios to memberships, news sites, and full business websites.
And with its new AI website builder, designing a website has become even easier — simple text prompts are enough to turn your ideas into a working site for any need.

I challenged myself to build 21 different types of websites using this tool.
Here are the results, along with pro tips for prompting, design, page structure, and more.
1. Portfolio website
A portfolio website helps share your creative work, whether that’s writing, photography, design, video production, or something else.
You can send it to clients to highlight your expertise and share work samples.

Here’s the prompt I used with the AI site builder to build a portfolio site:

“Create a portfolio website called ‘Rochi’s Portfolio’ to display my long-form writing services for tech companies. There should be five sections on the site: Introduction, Work Samples, Testimonials, How I Work, and Contact Form. Use warm colors, a minimalistic design, and a friendly tone.”
In under five minutes, I got a clean, ready-to-use portfolio site that I could refine with the AI chat by adding content, examples, and customizations.
Key pages and features of portfolio sites
Work samples: Add a dedicated page showing your work samples, or use a new section in a one-page website to showcase your top portfolio pieces.
Service details: Add a page or section about the services you offer, including your timeline, working process, and prices (if you’re comfortable). This gives a potential client a good idea of what they can expect while working with you.
Contact methods: Make it clear how visitors can inquire about your services. You can mention your email, or better yet, use a Form block so leads can fill out the necessary details without leaving your website. You bring the idea — AI makes it real
Use our AI website builder for free today.
Try it now -> 2. Resume/CV website
A resume website is your CV in digital form. It offers a unique and interactive experience for hiring managers and more room for creativity when showcasing your skills.

Here’s the prompt I used in WordPress.com’s AI website builder to create a resume site:

“Build a resume website for Rochi Zalani to showcase my abilities as a content writer. The design should feel professional, minimal, and easy to scan. Include four pages: Home, About, Testimonials, and Contact.”
Key pages and features of resume/CV sites
About page: Your homepage is your resume itself. But beyond that, it’s a great way to demonstrate your personality and skills beyond the work-related confines of a CV. You don’t need to complicate it — talk about your hobbies, interests, and professional journey.
Testimonials and endorsements: Ask your previous employers to write a brief testimonial about what it’s like working with you. Add a new page or a section on your homepage with their endorsements. This social proof will help you build trust with future employers.
Contact methods: Use a Form block or include your email on your homepage so prospective employers can easily reach out. Tip: Keep your initial prompts detailed and specific, but focused. Always use the AI chat to refine your initial site — add pages, adjust content, request new features, and ask for improvement ideas.
3. Personal website
A personal website can be anything — a blog about your hobbies, a creative outlet, a journal, a place to build your side projects, etc. It’s your own corner of the internet and helps you connect with people who share your interests.

I wanted to create a personal website documenting my travel experiences and recommendations.
Here’s the prompt I used to create this site:

“Create a personal website documenting my travel experiences and recommendations called ‘The Nomad Freelancer.’ Include five pages: Home, About, Budget Trips, Luxury Travel, and Travel Tips. The design should be bright and colorful.”
Key pages and features of personal websites
About page: Include a page with details about you and your website so readers know what to expect from it. Share why you began your site, and sprinkle it with some personality.
Social links: Invite visitors to connect with you beyond your site. Use the Social Icons block to integrate your social media accounts into your website. 4. Link‑in‑bio page
A link-in-bio site is mainly for social media creators who send followers to their bio to get a link, a download, an offer, etc.
Since most platforms limit how many links you can add to your social media profile, a link-in-bio page is a great workaround.
You can combine everything in one place and use it to share affiliate links, discount codes, freebies, and more.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a link-in-bio page:

“Create a link-in-bio website called ‘Rochi’s recs.’ Include the following pages: Home, Instagram, TikTok, Top recommendations, and Newsletter. The CTA on the homepage should be to “Stay connected,” which leads to the Newsletter page. Use bold colors and eye-catching visuals.”
Key pages and features of link‑in‑bio pages
Top recommendations: Add a separate page for your most-loved product recommendations. This allows your followers to find your favorite items without digging through your social media posts.
Platform-specific pages: If you have built a presence on multiple social media sites, add separate pages for each platform. Your audience can easily navigate to the profile where they already follow you to find your recommendations.
Newsletter: Add a newsletter to your site to grow your email list. This helps you deepen your relationship with your social media audience and connect with them beyond the algorithm. 5. Blogging website
A blogging website can be a part of a larger business or a personal endeavor.
You can create a blog around your hobbies (similar to a personal site) or focus on a niche topic to build an audience and monetize through ads, sponsored content, affiliate links, and more.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a blogging website about influencer marketing:

“Build a website called ‘Influencing Right’ for influencer marketers looking for pro tips to improve their creator marketing strategy. Include five pages: Home, Research Reports, Sponsored Campaigns, Free Strategy Template, and About. The tone should be warm and friendly.”
Key pages and features of blogging websites
Category pages: Use different pages to categorize various posts on your blog. For example, if you’re starting a productivity blog, you can create categories around time management, productivity tools, and organization tips. Use the Categories List block on WordPress.com to display the various topics on your site.
Lead magnet page: Create a freebie that you can offer to your website visitors as a lead magnet. This lets you collect their emails so you can stay connected with readers and encourage recurring visitors to your site.
About page: Explain why you’re starting the website, and establish your expertise. This helps build trust and lends authority to your posts. 6. Business website
You can also create a business website to sell almost anything — digital products, merchandise, services, etc.
Your small business needs a site so people can learn about your products, company, or services. It establishes credibility and allows customers to learn more about your brand.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a site offering cleaning services:

“Create a multipage website for a cleaning business. Add pages: Home, About, Services, Pricing, Testimonials, Contact. Use a clean, modern layout with blue colors and simple, professional but friendly copy.”
Key pages and features of business websites
Appointment booking: Use a scheduling plugin that allows potential customers to check your availability and book a service appointment through your site.
FAQ answers: Have a section or page dedicated to answering your customers’ common questions. For example, if you sell merch, answer questions about your refund or exchange policy.
Business details: Depending on your business model, create a section or website page sharing key product or service information. For example, if you have a brick-and-mortar store, enter your business hours and map location. 7. Landing page
A landing page is a single, focused page designed to drive one action — for example, collecting emails, promoting a product, booking a call, launching something new, or running paid ads.
Landing pages work well when you want a clean, distraction-free layout that guides visitors toward a single CTA.
Here’s the prompt I used to create a high-converting landing page:
“Create a conversion-focused landing page for a digital product called ‘Influencer Briefs,’ which are brief templates used by marketers. The page should include: a strong hero section with a centered headline and one CTA (‘Download the template’), a problem/solution section, what’s included, testimonials, and a FAQ. Use clean, modern design with bold accents and minimal distractions.”
Key pages and features of landing pages
Hero section: Add a centered headline with one clear CTA, plus a short value statement that explains what the visitor gets. Offer overview + social proof: Combine your problem/solution, what’s included, and a few testimonials or logos into one streamlined section. Conversion elements: Include a simple form or repeated CTA at the bottom of the page, plus a short FAQ to resolve hesitation (questions about refunds, access, delivery, etc.). 8. Nonprofit website
Nonprofit websites can help nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) promote their work, raise funds, recruit volunteers, and provide a company history.
A dedicated website also makes it easier to organize events and stay connected with your community.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a nonprofit website for an educational organization:

“Create a modern, inspiring website for an educational NGO called ‘Education for All.’ The site should feel hopeful, community-driven, and trustworthy, with bright, positive colors and warm photography. Include the following pages and sections: Homepage with a prominent CTA to ‘Get involved,’ Mission Statement page, Programs page, and Impact page. Make the overall site feel credible, community-focused, and mission-driven.”
Key pages and features of nonprofit websites
Programs and impact pages: Create separate pages for future campaigns and to highlight successful past events. This can help attract more volunteers and donations.
Mission page: Dedicate a page to explaining what you do, along with a brief company history. Spotlight the founders and the team to help people understand and connect to your company’s values and goals.
Donate and volunteer page: Use the Donations Form block to accept donations via your site, and use a Form block for people to register their interest in volunteering. 9. Restaurant or café website
A restaurant or café site helps familiarize people with key information, such as your working hours, menu, prices, location, and special offers.
You can also use it to encourage customers to sign up for a loyalty program, book a table, or order online.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a site for a Japanese restaurant:

“Create a clean, modern website for a Japanese restaurant called Sakura, inspired by minimalist Japanese design and warm, natural textures. Include the following pages: Home, Menu, Reservations, Contact, and Locate Us. The homepage should feature a hero image of signature Japanese dishes, highlighted specials, operating hours, and a clear ‘Reserve Now’ button. Make the website elegant, mobile-friendly, and visually focused on authentic Japanese cuisine.”
Key pages and features of restaurant sites
Locate us: Have a dedicated page or section with your address so people can locate your restaurant or café easily. If you have multiple locations, create a dedicated page to highlight their precise locations. You can also use the Map block feature to make your customers’ experience interactive and ease site navigation.
Menu: Upload a snapshot of your menu in a dedicated page so people can see exactly what you offer, including prices. Include CTA options to book a table and order online on this page as well.
Special offers: Use the homepage to highlight any special or seasonal offers you’re running. Add a newsletter form or a website chat plugin encourage customers to sign up for regular updates. 10. Educational or course website
You can also create an educational site, whether it’s a knowledge base for a specific topic or a site to inform your customers about business-related topics.
Course websites allow you to host and sell an educational course, making it interactive through features such as polls or community plugins.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to build a site selling a course on YouTube growth:

“Create a modern, conversion-focused website for an online course brand called ‘Freelance Writer Pro,’ which teaches people how to earn money via freelance writing. Include the following pages: Home, Courses, Pricing, Testimonials, and About. The homepage should highlight the main course, student success stories, and a strong CTA saying ‘Earn your first $100 via freelance writing.’ Use bold, energetic colors, clean typography, and visuals. Make the site mobile-friendly and optimized for selling digital courses.”
Key pages and features of educational course websites
Courses or topics overview: Create an overview page or section that lists the topics of your educational site. If you’re selling a course (or multiple courses), you can create a page to describe the course’s content. This helps readers easily navigate your site and get clarity on your offerings.
Pricing page: If you’re selling a course, create a pricing page with your payment policy, refund options, and FAQs. If you’re offering tiered pricing, include a table about what each plan includes.
About page: Use the about page to showcase your expertise in the site topic. Explain why you’re the right person to learn from, highlighting your experience or credentials to build trust. 11. Membership or subscription website
If you sell a membership or subscription of any sort, you need a website to manage it.
This enhances your members’ experience, makes it easy to share exclusive content, and encourages community participation.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a membership site for content marketers:

“Build a modern, professional membership website called ‘Content Marketer Collective,’ designed for content marketers who want ongoing training, templates, and community support. Include these pages: Home, Membership benefits, Pricing, Content library, About, Support, and Login. The homepage should highlight the core value — weekly resources, templates, live sessions, and expert feedback. Make the design clean, editorial, and conversion-focused.”
Key pages and features of membership websites
“Who is it for” section: Add a dedicated section about who your ideal member is. This helps ensure the right people self-select themselves for your subscription, reducing your need to filter applicants manually.
Membership overview: Include a page or section explaining the benefits members can expect from a membership or subscription. If you have them, add a few testimonials from existing members to build some social proof.
Special features and member-only content: Offer paid content behind a paywall, run subscriber-only newsletters, and create full membership platforms with user accounts, tiers, dashboards, and restricted content using a membership plugin. 12. Podcast website
Having a website for your podcast gives you a dedicated home for your episodes, including which streaming platforms they’re available on, and full control over your brand presentation.
You can also use it to share extra details — transcripts, guest info, sponsor notes, and more — for each episode.
If you want your podcast to feel more interactive, enable comments and engage with your audience directly on your site.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a podcast website about a marketer’s show:

“Create a clean, engaging website for a marketing podcast called ‘Marketer Secrets,’ focused on interviewing top marketers about their content strategy and digital marketing insights. Include four pages: Home, Episodes, About, and Sponsor Us. The homepage should have a CTA button saying ‘Listen Now’ or ‘Subscribe on Your Favorite App.’ There should also be a Newsletter block in the second section.”
Key pages and features of podcast websites
Episode archives: Have a page that contains all your podcast episodes, along with a quick excerpt for each. Use the Podcast Player block to allow your audience to filter and search the episodes (by most recent, most popular, etc.).
Sponsorship page: Dedicate a page on your site to attract sponsors. Include details such as audience demographics, past results, previous sponsors, pricing, and any testimonials. This gives you a professional link to share with prospects. You can also use specialized sponsorship plugins to enable various features.
Newsletter block: Include a newsletter block on your site so listeners can sign up for new episode notifications. Offer a free resource to encourage more people to subscribe. 13. News or magazine website
News and magazines need a website to host their content, connect with readers, and achieve wider distribution.
WordPress.com is a great choice to build this type of site because it offers plenty of multimedia embed options, including podcast and video embeds, plus helpful features such as an option to add multiple authors or newsfeed plugins.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a magazine website:

“Create a bright, engaging website for a digital magazine called ‘Nourish Weekly,’ focused on nutrition, healthy eating, and science-backed wellness tips. Include five pages: Home, Articles, Healthy Eating, About, and Previous Issues. The homepage should feature top stories, trending topics, a featured expert column, and a clear ‘Read the Latest Issue’ CTA. Use a fresh, editorial design with clean typography, soft colors, and plenty of white space.”
Key pages and features of news and magazine websites
Topic hubs: Use categories to organize your news or magazine content so it’s easy for readers to navigate your website and find exactly what they need.
Author widget: Author widgets allow you to seamlessly indicate authorship and establish expertise. You can also use it to give credit to experts, along with pullquote blocks to highlight key quotes.
Archives: Include an archives page so readers can quickly find old issues or news pieces. It’s also a good idea to use a search bar plugin so visitors can easily search through large archives. 14. Community forum website
Community forum websites help you gather a group of people with similar interests on one site.
You can use it to facilitate discussion, share knowledge and updates, and enable collaboration among members.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a community forum website centered around fitness:

“Create a community forum website called ‘Female Fitness Forum,’ where women can discuss workouts, nutrition, weight loss, strength training, and overall fitness. Include five pages: Home, Forum, Guidelines, Contact, and About. The homepage should have a CTA like ‘Join the Community.’ Use a clean, energetic design with easy navigation, mobile-friendly layouts, and features like search, tags, upvotes, and notifications.”
Key pages and features
Community guidelines: Have a page or section where you share the guidelines for joining your community and any member rules to follow once you enter the forum. Your audience will know what to expect, and moderation rules promote healthy, respectful communication.
Interactive features: Allow members to interact with community posts using features such as liking, commenting, and sharing. You can use vote, poll, and upvote blocks to achieve this on WordPress.com sites.
Discussion boards: Add discussion boards on your site using community plugins. Doing this for various subjects allows members to interact with each other on the topics they’re interested in. 15. Photography gallery website
Photographers can use a website to showcase their work with full creative control and create a professional home for their portfolio.
It also serves as a central hub for bookings, inquiries, and service packages.
A site can host high-resolution galleries, content carousels, and organized albums, giving your photos the space and quality they deserve.
Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a website for a wedding photographer:

“Create a romantic, elegant website for a wedding photographer called ‘Captured Promise Weddings.’ Include four pages: Home, Gallery, Packages, and Contact. The homepage should feature a clear ‘Book Your Date’ CTA button. Use a soft, timeless aesthetic with warm tones and refined typography.”
Key pages and features of photography gallery websites
Galleries: Add a dedicated page on your site for your photos, dividing them into categories for easy browsing. For example, a wedding photographer can use subcategories such as engagement or candid. Use photo gallery plugins to make organizing your portfolio easier.
Pricing and FAQs: Include a page or section about your pricing — how you charge (by hour, project, etc.), “starting at” ranges if your price depends on project scope, and a list of services you offer. Add an FAQ section to answer common questions such as turnaround times for photos, what clients can expect during a session, and how they can help you succeed.
Testimonials: Feature testimonials from previous clients to build trust and social proof. You can choose how you display these reviews on your site via WordPress.com. 16. Recipe/food website
If you create recipe or food content, a website gives you far more control and a better user experience than social posts.
A food blog lets you organize recipes, add clear, step-by-step instructions and videos, and offer extras (such as printable recipe cards).

Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a vegan recipe website:

“Create a bright, inviting vegan recipe website called ‘Plantful Kitchen,’ focused on sharing healthy plant-based recipes for busy moms. Include five pages: Home, Recipes, Meal Prep, Contact, and About. The homepage should highlight featured recipes, trending dishes, seasonal picks, and have a clear CTA button ‘Browse all recipes.’ Use a clean, fresh aesthetic with soft greens, warm neutrals, and easy-to-read layouts.”
Key pages and features of recipe websites
Recipe pages: Use a consistent format across all your recipes so readers can build familiarity with the structure and your work. Recipe plugins give you plenty of ready-to-use template options.
Social sharing plugins: Make it easy for yourself to promote your website and recipes to social media, directly from your site. On WordPress.com, you can instantly reshare (or schedule a reshare) to any of your social media accounts.
Like button: Add a like button to all your recipe pages so you can find out which recipes are the most popular. This can help you pinpoint what your audience loves. 17. Event/conference website
If you are hosting an event or conference, a site allows you to build a central hub for all information and updates, instead of attendees relying on scattered social media posts.
Having a dedicated website also makes it easy for participants to register and sign up for future events.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to build a website for a marketing event:

“Create a sleek, high-energy conference website for a marketing event called ‘Marketing Momentum Summit 2026’ held in London for content marketers. Include four pages: Home, Speakers, Tickets, and Sponsors. The homepage should feature a bold hero section with event dates (31 Jan–2 Feb), location, and a clear ‘Get your ticket now’ CTA button.”
Key pages and features of event websites
Tickets and pricing: Add one page for all ticket details, including pricing tiers, refund policy, venue information, and cancellation charges. Use the Payments block on WordPress.com to collect ticket fees right from your site.
Agenda and schedule: Dedicate one section of your homepage to the agenda and schedule of the event or conference. Share details about what you’ll discuss each day and at what time. This helps attendees plan their day accordingly.
Countdown section: Use the Event Countdown block on your homepage, which updates automatically, to garner excitement among your attendees. 18. Health/fitness website
Fitness professionals benefit immensely from having a site — it can become a singular place to update your class schedule, host memberships, upload free workouts or meal plans, and streamline booking.

Here’s an AI prompt I used to create a fitness website for a pilates instructor:

“Create a calming, elegant website for a Pilates instructor called ‘The Pilates Room.’ Include five pages: Home, Classes, About your instructor, Group sessions, and Contact. The hero image of the homepage should feature a soothing image of a woman doing pilates on a reformer and a clear CTA button ‘Book a session.’ Use a clean, airy design with neutral colors and gentle typography.”
Key pages and features of fitness websites
Calendar block: Use a Calendar block on your scheduling or classes page to display your availability. You can combine this with a Table block to show your class schedule if you offer group classes or a set schedule for 1:1 sessions.
Members-only area: If you offer subscriptions to your visitors, you can create members-only areas using subscriber logins and paywall plugins. These features allow you to host your free and paid content under one site.
About page: Add a detailed about page with your credentials and certifications. Put a spotlight on your fitness journey to build trust. 19. Author/book website
A polished author website builds credibility with agents, media, and publishers. It also gives you a direct channel to reach readers without relying on third-party algorithms.
You can use it to promote events you’re part of and publish additional writing, such as blog posts or short stories.
Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a website for a young adult (YA) fiction writer:

“Create a bold, character-driven author website for Rochi Zalani, a YA fiction writer. Include five pages: Home, Books, About, Events, and Blog. The CTA button on the homepage should say ‘Get the first chapter for free.’ Use an atmospheric, youthful design with strong typography.”
Key pages and features of author websites
Freebies: Offer a free chapter of your book, a sneak peek into your next book, or some other incentive. Use this freebie to build your email list, establishing a direct line of communication with your readers.
Books page(s): Dedicate one page to each book, including available purchasing options such as via Kindle, Amazon, or local, independent bookstores. You should also add a synopsis for each book, along with a few reviews to build excitement.
Events page: If you’re doing book signings, hosting events, or speaking at conferences, use a page on your site and update it regularly. Upload recordings of past events if you can — this allows people to see what an event might look like. 20. Travel guide website
A travel recommendations website boosts visibility through SEO and gives you space for long-form guides and monetization.
You can also offer downloadable resources, such as itineraries and checklists.
Here’s the AI prompt I used to build a travel guide site:

“Create an inspiring, easy-to-navigate travel guide website called ‘Wander With Rochi’ — focused on destination guides, itineraries, and travel tips. Include five pages: Home, Destinations, Blog, Contact, and About. The homepage should highlight featured locations, trending guides, a ‘Start planning’ CTA button, and a search bar. Use an artsy, editorial design with travel-friendly visuals.”
Key pages and features
Strong search and filtering: Make it easy for fellow travelers to seek recommendations from you by using a search bar and filter plugins. If you want to go even further, create quizzes that readers can take to determine the type of traveler they are (adventurous, offbeat, relaxed, etc.) and customize the content they see.
Map block: Use the Map block to highlight the exact locations you recommend. It makes it easier for your audience to view — and navigate to — those places directly from your site.
Table of contents: If you’re writing a long and detailed guide about a place, add a Table of Contents block at the top so readers can easily jump between sections and find exactly what they need. 21. Music/band website
Musicians and bands can use their website to keep their audience informed about upcoming shows, sell tickets, and organize their albums in one place.
A website also makes it easy to build a direct connection with fans and connect with the press.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to build a music website:

“Create an indie, atmospheric website for a musician called Rochi Zalani. Include five pages: Home, Tours, Music, Press, and Contact. The homepage should feature cinematic visuals, a featured track, and a ‘Listen now’ CTA. Use a moody, artistic aesthetic with soft colors, expressive typography, and a mobile-first layout.”
Key pages and features
Music players: Use music player plugins so visitors can easily access and play your songs directly from your website. This removes the friction for someone encountering your work for the first time.
Tour page: If you’re on tour now or in the future, add a page for visitors to see when you’re performing in their city. It’s also a great idea to include a Subscribe block so people can sign up for notifications when you visit (or revisit) their city in the future.
Merch store: You can sell merch such as t-shirts, posters, and hoodies using your site. Use the Payments block to receive payments directly. Tell your unique story with our AI website builder
Exploring these 21 websites shows how easily you can create almost anything with our AI website builder.
No developer help, design skills, or long setup is required — the AI handles the structure, layout, and starter content, so the creative work is what matters.
Plus, nothing is fixed. You can further customize every page, block, color, and element through AI commands or manual editing.
The best part: You can launch instantly with WordPress.com’s managed hosting, built-in SEO tools, essential security and performance features, and more.

You bring the idea — AI makes it real
Use our AI website builder for free today.
Try it now -> View the full article

By Drewfus · Yesterday at 03:00 PM1 day
Tammy Silva Built a Career Helping Others Build Theirs. Her New Website Scales That Mission.

Tammy Silva started sharing remote job opportunities on LinkedIn during the pandemic.
When she moved back to Brazil after years in Singapore and Australia, she noticed something: most Brazilians had no idea they could work remotely for U.S. companies and earn in dollars.
So she started posting about it on LinkedIn. Job openings. Resume tips. Interview advice. All free.
“I wasn’t doing it for work,” Tammy says. “I was just trying to reach people. If I helped 10 or 20 people get better jobs, that was enough.”
But people kept following. The audience grew. What started as a side project became a full-time business — and a website she built in one day using our AI website builder.
From a side project to a full-time business
What began as a volunteer effort turned into something bigger:
A recruiting agency connecting Brazilian talent with U.S. startups A growing audience of job seekers Tammy educates for free Speaking engagements, coaching sessions, and a newsletter Over 190,000 LinkedIn followers Tammy’s approach was simple: give everything away for free. No gated content. No paywalls. Just genuine help.

She spent hours a week hunting for remote roles that would hire Brazilians — work she did voluntarily, on top of her day job. She posted resume tips, interview advice, and job openings.
Nobody teaches you how to build a resume. I started my career in HR — I’ve reviewed thousands of them. I know what companies actually look for. So I just started sharing what I knew.
People followed because the help was real. And what started as a passion project became a full-time business.
The inbox problem
But with scale came a problem.
Every day, Tammy’s inbox flooded with the same questions: What do you do? Can you help me? Is this free? How do I work with you?
I was getting 50+ messages a day. People didn’t understand what I offered or how to work with me. I needed one place to explain it all.
Tammy needed a website. And she’d been putting it off for too long.
From an idea to a website — in one afternoon
Tammy had wanted a website for months. But between running the business, creating content, and managing clients, it kept sliding down the list.
Then one Friday evening, she decided she’d had enough.
I didn’t want to hire a UI/UX designer plus a developer. I wanted something ready.
She opened WordPress.com, found the AI website builder, and got to work:
The tool generated a website to match Tammy’s vision and needs She used the drag-and-drop blocks to further structure the site The AI helped her refine her copy to match her tone of voice and the visual look She also used AI to add extra features, like embedding a newsletter signup form All of it runs on WordPress.com’s managed hosting — set up and maintained for her And of course, she picked a pink color palette to match her brand…
…and her hair:
In a couple of hours, her website was live.
I built my website in an afternoon. No designer. No developer. Just me.
23K site visitors and counting
Today, tammysilva.com.br works as a self-serve hub:
Explains who Tammy is and what she offers Separates free resources from paid services Collects resumes directly into her candidate database Drives newsletter signups Links to events and speaking engagements The result? People now check the site before reaching out.
Now people already have all the information. They don’t need to message me to ask what I do.
Since launching in August, the website has helped Tammy achieve:
Almost 23,000 site visits Monthly views reaching over 7,000 in peak months Fully booked 1:1 coaching sessions — 10 slots filled in 2 days Massive reduction in inbox volume Before, I would have to post about my 1:1s to fill them. Now I don’t even mention them on LinkedIn. People just check the website and book.
Your story deserves a home, too
Tammy is already building her second WordPress.com site — this one for her B2B recruiting business.
She didn’t need to hire a developer for the first site. She won’t need one for the second either.
That’s what makes WordPress.com special — the AI website builder gets you started fast, and managed hosting means you’re not stuck dealing with updates, security, or backups.
You focus on your business. The platform handles the rest.
Tammy’s story started on LinkedIn. But her website is where it all comes together — a place she owns, controls, and can grow however she wants.
Yours can too.
You bring the idea — AI makes it real
Use our AI website builder for free today.
Try it now ->
Where did your story start — and where does it live now? Tell us in the comments.

View the full article

By Drewfus · Thursday at 03:04 PM5 days
11 Steps to Build a Strong Online Presence for Your New Business: Lessons from Founders

If you’re launching a new business — whether it’s ecommerce, a consultancy, or a creator project — one of your first moves is to build an online presence, usually starting with a website.
Going online itself isn’t the hard part. The real challenge is knowing what to focus on first.
This guide walks through the key steps required to build an online presence, focusing on what actually matters in your first few months.
We spoke with founders and small business experts to pull together practical advice and examples you can learn from.
Step 1: Define your business in one sentence
Start by writing a one-line descriptor that clearly explains what you do, who you help, and which problems you solve.
This sentence becomes the baseline for your homepage, service pages, and how you talk about your business everywhere else.
The most important thing is to make sure that the site clearly says what you do, who you do it for, how well you do it, and what specifically you do. Nothing else will work unless the site is clear. — Andy Crestodina, co-founder and CMO at Orbit Media
Take Coa — a platform providing a therapist-led learning experience. Its “gym for mental health” tagline works because it borrows a familiar concept everyone understands (gym as a place for regular practice, professional guidance, and ongoing improvement) and applies it to mental wellness.
Use this template to write your own one-line description:

“I/We help [who] [do / achieve] by [how you do it], so they can [solve problems or get outcomes].”
Let’s say you have a business selling ready-made meals for busy moms. Your description line could be shaped as:
“We help busy moms feed their families healthy, balanced meals without the hassle of cooking every night.”
The sentence is simple, shows exactly the value offered, and makes it clear who it’s for.
Step 2: Focus on one audience (not everyone)
Choose one specific audience to focus on and make sure your website is built primarily for them.
When you try to speak to everyone, your messaging gets vague and harder to act on.
Prioritizing one target market early makes your site clearer, faster to build, and easier to improve.
Audience alignment is the number one and the most important thing in a strategic partnership. You have to get extremely clear on who you serve. The clearer you get on that, the easier everything else becomes. — Jimmy Newson, founder and CEO of Moving Forward Small Businesses.

To identify this ideal customer profile, narrow your focus using the criteria below:
Who has the problem you solve: Think about who needs your services or products right now.
Who can you reach: There might be a large market for your business, but think about a smaller audience segment you can reach right now.
What they need: Once you’ve narrowed down your target audience, focus on understanding their pain points and how you can address them. Kat Boogard demonstrates this on her hiring page by clearly defining the types of businesses she works with — such as software companies in the “world of work” space that already have a strategy and understand results take time:
Tip: Whenever you redefine your ideal customer profile — or learn more about your audience — make sure you update your one-line business description.
Step 3: Create a homepage that explains what you do
Your homepage should make it crystal clear what you do and who you serve within five seconds.
This means writing headlines and copy that your target audience can understand instantly — clarity beats cleverness every time:
People are buying you. They want to like you, trust you, and understand you. If they don’t understand you, they’re not going to move forward. — Sarah Noel Block, founder of Tiny Marketing
Your homepage needs three core elements:

A one-line description of the problem you solve and who it’s for, written as a clear, specific tagline. Content that shows what makes you different or better than other solutions. A clear call to action to buy, explore, or learn more about your products and services, or sign up for a lead magnet.
Using our meal service business as an example, I applied these elements to build a homepage with WordPress.com’s AI website builder using the following prompt:

“Create a website called “Easy Nourish” that provides meal services for busy moms who want to feed healthy meals to their families every night without the hassle of cooking every day. Keep the tone lighthearted and empathetic. The color palette should be sky blue.”
The homepage makes the value clear at a glance: ready-to-heat meals for busy moms, with a clear next step to try the service.
You bring the idea — AI makes it real
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Try it now -> Step 4: Create niche-specific pages on your site
Next, create dedicated pages for your main offers, so visitors can land directly on what they need.
Separate your core services and offerings into their own pages, then keep foundational pages such as About and Pricing focused and easy to scan.
This makes navigation clearer, improves search visibility for specific queries, and gives each offer a place to explain outcomes, proof, and next steps.
For example, Justin Moore has a standalone page for each of his offerings (coaching, course, and event) on his website:
When mapping out your pages:
Write down the exact services or offers you want people to pay for (for example: career coaching, website design, tax consulting) and create one page per service. Focus on long-tail phrases such as “career coaching for women working in tech in Barcelona” to attract people with a clear, specific need. State clearly what the service is, who it’s for, and how to get in touch or buy, without making people hunt for information. Tip: A simple way to check if your pages work is to ask a few people to click through your site and tell you what feels unclear or hard to find.
Have other people go through the site, because they’ll see things you’re blind to. You might think something is clever, but it’s actually stopping people from getting where they want to go. — Jimmy Newson, founder and CEO of Moving Forward Small Businesses
Step 5: Show the human(s) and vision behind the business
Share your story on your site — who you are, why you do this work, and what you care about — not just what you sell.
For small businesses, trust is the differentiator and a way to compete with bigger brands. People trust people, not logos or vague brand statements.
If I were starting again, I’d put my face on the homepage. People are not buying a logo. They’re buying trust. — Andy Crestodina, Co-founder & CMO, Orbit Media
Here’s how you can achieve this with your new website:

Include real people: Add your (or your team’s) image over stock images. It will help people instantly recognize and connect with you.
Share why you care: Explain the mission behind your work. When your audience understands your why, it helps them trust you more.
Add your background story: Briefly explain how you came to start your business. Use first person language if appropriate and don’t be afraid to showcase your expertise in the business. Tammy Silva embodies humanizing your site perfectly.
Instead of hiding behind a logo or generic brand language, she puts herself front and center — Tammy with pink hair, openly sharing her goal of helping people find remote work opportunities.
The key is to write the way you speak and let your personality shine. Avoid fussing too much over sounding smart, professional, or clever.
Step 6: Set up the technical basics to go live
Your site should be reliable, secure, and easy to manage from day one, so you can focus on growing your business instead of troubleshooting technical issues.
These technical foundations create a smooth experience for your customers while freeing you to do what you do best:

Reliable web hosting: Your site needs to load fast and stay online 24/7. Tight security: An essential investment to ensure your site remains free of malware, hacks, and spam. Regular updates and backups: This will ensure your site continues to run smoothly and there is no risk of data being lost. Basic site analytics: These will provide essential and usable data on how people are finding and using your site.
Tip: Many small businesses choose WordPress.com’s managed hosting because these essentials are built in without extra setup. If you’re creating your site with the AI website builder, you can simply choose a relevant plan after you finish building your site.
Get WordPress.com for your business Step 7: Create high-impact assets for your site
From here, focus on publishing a few high-quality pieces — comprehensive guides, detailed case studies, or in-depth tutorials that genuinely help your audience.
It’s tempting to pad your site with lots of surface-level blog posts just to “have content,” but that often backfires.
Thin, semi-useful pieces quietly erode trust and leave visitors unimpressed. Quality beats quantity every time.
Don’t start with thin content. Start with something big. Publish the detailed thing that explains your thinking or what works based on research. — Andy Crestodina, co-founder and CMO at Orbit Media
Take The King’s Monologue, for example.
Instead of publishing dozens of thin articles on history, the site only shares deeply researched, well-written, in-depth articles and academic papers:
As a starting point, concentrate your efforts on three or four core topics you can cover exceptionally well — fewer pieces, higher standards, and content that actually earns attention.
Step 8: Join the conversation in your niche
Build relationships in your niche by joining communities where your target audience already gathers — both on public platforms such as LinkedIn and in smaller, targeted communities.
This helps you build an online presence through real relationships and understand your niche on a deeper level.
Show up consistently, pay attention to what people are asking, and contribute helpfully before promoting anything.
The new currency is community. Instead of trying to blast a message to thousands of people, have real, direct conversations with people in the places they already show up — whether that’s private groups, forums, or smaller communities. — Jimmy Newson, Founder & CEO, Moving Forward Small Businesses
Here’s how you can build a network strategically:
List the people who lead or influence communities in your niche. Send personalized connection requests focused on starting a conversation, not making an ask. Show up consistently over time so your feed reflects the people and topics you actually care about.
Tip: Look for the smaller, intentionally-built communities where your target audience gathers.
The best clients come from small, private communities. Slack groups, invite-only groups, places you can’t just search for. You don’t find them through Google. You find them by asking people: where do you hang out online? Ask your customers or peers what communities they’re part of. If you’re a good fit, you’ll often get invited. — Sarah Noel Block, founder of Tiny Marketing
For example, The Mom Collective is a community of moms in Barcelona where participants discuss the challenges they are facing, share new things they’ve learned, and organize meet-ups.
If you’re running a business catering to this audience and you meet the criteria, it’s a good idea to join this group.
Step 9: Contribute to external sources to boost your visibility
Instead of waiting for people to find your site, borrow attention from places your audience already trusts.
This can include guest appearances on podcasts, writing for industry blogs or newsletters, being quoted in articles, or collaborating with complementary businesses.
Podcast guesting is the main reason my website ranks so well. I have hundreds of backlinks because of those guest appearances, and my last clients all came from that. — Sarah Noel Block, founder of Tiny Marketing
Visibility opportunities will come your way organically when you focus on building a community in your niche. To take a more proactive approach:

Research the intricacies of the influential voices and platforms in your niche — what do they publish, which topics they cater to, what is missing from their catalog, and what value can you add.
Pitch yourself as a guest by showcasing the value you bring to the table — highlight your unique perspective and explain why you’d be a good fit in the community. For instance, marketer Katelyn Bourgoin has appeared in many podcasts, provided insights for articles, and partnered with other companies — not just to gain early traction, but to sustain momentum as her business continues to grow.
Step 10: Treat effort and consistency as your KPIs
In the early days, measure your success by effort and consistency — not external metrics.
Traffic and subscriber metrics take time to grow. In the early days, it’s more useful to measure your effort with internal benchmarks such as:
Content published: guides, service pages, or guest posts you’ve published. Collaborations initiated: podcast appearances, guest articles, or partnerships started. Real conversations: calls, DMs, or feedback sessions with customers and potential partners. When you’re new, track success based on activity, not performance. It would be strange to see big results early on — what matters is staying consistently active and building the foundation. — Andy Crestodina, Co-founder & CMO, Orbit Media
Growing your online presence from zero requires time and effort and doesn’t typically provide immediate rewards — but the payoff is totally worth it.
Step 11: Build community through real conversations
Finally, have direct conversations with your audience to understand their real needs, gather feedback, and refine your business based on what you learn.
This can include:

Scheduling regular 1:1 calls with early customers to gather feedback. Participating in community discussions where your target audience is present. Maintaining relationships with your peers who share the same target audience and want to solve similar problems.
Instead of trying to reach a thousand people, talk to seven. Those direct conversations will give you more insight than anything else — and they’ll shape your messaging, offers, and direction far better than broadcasting ever will.— Jimmy Newson, Founder & CEO, Moving Forward Small Businesses
Rishabh Goyal — founder of Dodo Payments — demonstrates this well. He interacts with relevant Reddit threads without pushing his product, staying genuinely helpful and curious about solving problems.
This provides him with understanding of his audience’s real needs and builds direct, two-way communication with the community.
Build your online presence in 2026
Building an online presence for your new business doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

The secret is knowing what to tackle first: Get clear on what you do and who you serve, create a homepage that reflects that clarity, and build momentum through real conversations and consistent effort.

WordPress.com makes this entire process simpler.
With the AI website builder to get you online quickly and managed WordPress hosting to handle the technical side, you’re free to focus on your audience and your business.

Build your site with WordPress.com
View the full article

By Drewfus · January 28Jan 28
WordPress Studio 1.7.0: Meet the New Studio CLI

Version 1.7.0 of WordPress Studio is a major upgrade for anyone building WordPress sites locally, especially developers and power users who like to automate tasks and work from the terminal.
In earlier releases, the Studio CLI focused mainly on creating and managing preview sites.
With version two, it becomes a full-featured command-line companion for much of your Studio workflow, including creating and managing local sites, running WP-CLI in the right context, connecting to WordPress.com, and more.
In this post, we’ll review what’s new and share practical ways to incorporate the Studio CLI into AI-assisted workflows.
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For the full command reference and advanced options, see the updated Studio CLI documentation included with this release.
What is a CLI?
A CLI (command-line interface) lets you control tools and applications by typing commands into a terminal, instead of clicking through menus. Developers tend to like CLIs because they’re:
Fast: Spin up, change, or remove environments with a single command Repeatable: Run the same commands on any machine, or bake them into scripts Automatable: Let build systems and AI agents run commands for you Even if you don’t typically work in the terminal, the Studio CLI is still worth paying attention to.
It’s the common “language” automation tools can use to interact with Studio. Once it’s enabled, your editor, scripts, or AI coding assistants can do things like create a new site, run database upgrades, or publish a preview without you having to navigate through multiple screens in the Studio application.
Getting started with the Studio CLI
To begin using the Studio CLI, complete the following steps:
Open the WordPress Studio application on your machine. From the main menu, open the Settings modal. You can also click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the app. Enable the Studio CLI option and click Save. On macOS, you’ll be prompted for your computer password to allow installation. Once the Studio CLI is enabled, you will have access to a global studio command from your preferred terminal application:
studio <area> <command> [options] In Studio 1.7.0, the CLI now covers four main areas:
Authentication: Manage your WordPress.com account for features that require it Preview sites: Create and update WordPress.com hosted preview sites Local site management: Create, start, stop, configure, and delete Studio-managed local sites WP-CLI integration: Run WP-CLI commands inside correctly configured Studio environments, without installing WP-CLI yourself You can see an overview at any time by running studio --help:
Most commands are designed to be run from the root folder of a Studio-managed site.
For quick access, you can open that folder directly in your terminal by clicking the Terminal button on the site’s Overview tab.
Managing local Studio sites
One of the biggest upgrades in Studio CLI v2 is end-to-end local site management from the terminal.
Rather than switching back to the Studio user interface for routine tasks, you can create a site, check its status, start or stop it, and clean it up when you’re finished.
It’s a faster day-to-day workflow, and it also makes automation much easier, whether you’re writing scripts yourself or using an AI agent to do it for you.
At the center of it all is the studio site command. The available options include:
studio site status # Get status of sitestudio site create # Create a new sitestudio site list # List sitesstudio site start # Start sitestudio site stop # Stop site(s)studio site delete # Delete sitestudio site set # Configure site settings Create local sites with a single command
Use studio site create to spin up a new site in your current directory or at a specific path. Here are a few examples of what you can do:
# Create a new site with default options in the current folderstudio site create# Create a new site with a custom domain and HTTPSstudio site create --https --domain hello.wp.local# Create a site in a different directorystudio site create --path /path/to/site The CLI will:
Set up a local WordPress environment. Start the WordPress server. Open WP Admin in your browser when it is ready. You can run this from an empty folder, or from a directory that already contains a WordPress site that is not yet registered within the Studio app.
List, inspect, start, and stop local sites
When you are working with multiple local sites, the `list` and `status` commands make management much easier:
studio site list # Show all local sites known to Studiostudio site status # Status of the site in the current directory Status output includes:
Whether the site is running The local URL, for example http://localhost:PORT Key configuration details such as PHP version and login information Starting and stopping sites is also straightforward:
studio site start studio site stop This works well in scripts that need to start a site, run tests or content operations, and then stop it again.
Delete and configure sites safely
When you are finished with a project, you can remove it from Studio and, if needed, delete all the associated files from your machine with the following commands:
studio site delete # Remove the site from Studiostudio site delete --files # Remove the site and files For configuration changes, studio site set lets you adjust settings for a specific local site:
studio site set [options] You can, for example:
Change the PHP or WordPress version. Update the local domain or port. Toggle features that affect how the local environment runs. Tip: Run studio site set --help for the full list of available options.
Authentication from the terminal
Some Studio features, such as creating or updating preview sites, require a logged-in WordPress.com account.
Studio CLI v2 gives you dedicated studio auth commands so you can manage this from the terminal:
studio auth login launches a browser flow and gives you a token to paste back into your terminal to complete the login. studio auth status tells you whether you are authenticated and which account is active. studio auth logout disconnects the CLI from your WordPress.com account and clears stored credentials. If you run a command that needs authentication while logged out, such as studio preview create that we will review next, the CLI will guide you to log in.
Preview sites from the CLI
Preview sites are temporary, shareable environments hosted on WordPress.com that mirror your local Studio site. They are ideal for sharing work with others who do not have a local environment.
The CLI provides a complete set of commands:
studio preview create # Create a preview sitestudio preview list # List all your preview sitesstudio preview update <host> # Redeploy changes to a previewstudio preview delete <host> # Remove a preview site Tip: Run studio preview list to see all previews associated with your WordPress.com account, then use the host value from that output with studio preview update or studio preview delete.
Built-in WP-CLI, configured for you
WP-CLI is the official command-line interface for WordPress itself. Studio CLI v2 integrates it directly through a dedicated studio wp command, so you do not need to install or configure WP-CLI on your own:
studio wp [<wp-cli-command>] [<wp-cli-arguments>...] From your site’s root directory, you can run common WP-CLI tasks like:
studio wp core version shows the WordPress version for the current site. studio wp plugin list lists installed plugins (and their status). studio wp core update-db runs any required database updates after a WordPress update. Studio sets the environment variables, paths, and credentials for you, so these commands run against the correct database and files with no extra setup.
Using Studio CLI with AI coding tools
One of the biggest advantages of Studio CLI v2 is how naturally it fits into AI-assisted development workflows, especially with tools like Claude Code and Cursor.
These agents read the code in your local project (including themes and plugins) and run commands in your environment, which makes it possible to offload much of the repetitive work. For example, they can:
Use studio site commands to create, start, stop, and manage local environments. Run studio wp for diagnostics, database tasks, and content management. Create and update WordPress.com preview sites for review without leaving your editor. Provide context
The AI tool you’re using may not automatically understand WordPress Studio or the Studio CLI. To get useful results, start by giving the AI agent a bit of context about what it’s looking at and what tools it can use.
For example, imagine you’ve opened a local Studio site folder in your terminal.
Begin by telling the AI agent what this directory is, and that it can run the Studio CLI.
In this example, we’ll use Claude Code and explicitly note that it can invoke the CLI via studio.
“This is the folder for a WordPress Studio site. You have access to the Studio CLI, which can be invoked by running studio. Start by exploring the available options.”
From there, you should get a response that looks like this:
With a simple prompt, the AI now has a solid understanding of the Studio CLI. This example was generated using Opus 4.5.
Automate environment setup
Once the AI understands what Studio can do, you can start handing off routine setup tasks. For instance, you might tell your agent:
“Set up a new local WordPress site using Studio with the name “Nick’s Site””
Behind the scenes, it may run something like:
studio site create --path "../nicks-site" --name "Nick's Site" --skip-browser Here’s an example of the output from Claude Code, again using Opus 4.5.
Debugging and verification with WP-CLI
Studio also makes it easy to troubleshoot issues using WP-CLI — especially when you’re staring at an error and don’t want to manually hunt down the cause.
You might say:
“Use the Studio CLI to run WP-CLI checks and figure out why this site is failing, then propose fixes.”
From there, the agent can:
Run studio wp commands (for example, plugin list, theme list, or core update-db) to collect diagnostics. Suggest (or apply) code and configuration changes based on what it finds. Re-run the same WP-CLI checks to confirm the issue is resolved. If you haven’t already, check out this great overview of WP-CLI to get a sense of what it can do.
Creating preview sites
Preview sites are one of the most popular features in WordPress Studio, but creating them and keeping them updated can feel a bit tedious if you’re doing it through the Studio user interface.
The CLI streamlines the workflow, and it becomes even easier when you pair it with an AI agent.
When you’re ready to share your work with a client or teammate, you can simply ask your AI to create a preview site:
“Can you spin up a preview site for me?”
If you’re not already authenticated, the agent will prompt you to log in, then it will create the preview and return the URL. The output should look something like this:
As you continue working locally, you can periodically ask the agent to update the preview site.
If you’re also using the AI to help build the site, theme, or plugin, you can even add a rule like: after any major change, update the preview site automatically so your shared link stays current.
Best practices when using AI with Studio CLI
AI agents can be incredibly effective copilots when you pair them with the Studio CLI. They can speed up setup, troubleshooting, preview deployments, and run real commands against your environment.
That said, a little structure up front helps you get the benefits while avoiding unpleasant surprises.
Work from the Studio site root (or use `–path`). This ensures commands run against the project you actually intend, especially if you have multiple sites on your machine. Set clear boundaries in your prompts. For example: “Do not delete sites,” “Only run read-only studio wp commands,” or “Ask before running database migrations.” Double-check destructive operations. For commands like studio site delete and studio preview delete, have the agent show you the exact commands it plans to run before it executes anything. Used thoughtfully, AI plus Studio CLI can remove much of the repetitive setup, testing, and deployment friction, so you can focus more on designing and building great WordPress experiences.
Start building with Studio CLI
Studio CLI v2 makes WordPress Studio more scriptable and automation-friendly for everyday development, whether you’re running commands yourself or working with an AI agent.
If you want to go further, the Studio CLI documentation walks through everything you can do and how to fit it into your workflow.
If you haven’t tried WordPress Studio yet, or it’s been a while, this is a great time to jump in. Download Studio, spin up a site, and take the updated CLI for a quick test drive.
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By Drewfus · January 27Jan 27
12 Top WordPress Themes People Actually Use in 2026 (Tested & Ranked)

A great theme makes building your WordPress site feel effortless.
I went through the most popular options on WordPress.com — based on real usage data — and tested each one.
From personal blogs to online stores, I looked at what works best for different types of sites.
Here are the 12 best WordPress themes worth considering in 2026.
TL;DR: The best WordPress themes
Here are our top picks of WordPress.com themes based on real usage data from WordPress.com:
Twenty Twenty-Four: Best for content-focused sites. Retrospect: Best for photography websites. Twenty Twenty-Three: Best for getting a flexible starting point Twenty Twenty-Five: Best for building an adaptable, creative site Zoologist: Best for all types of blogging websites Hey: Best for personal blogging Tsubaki: Best for ecommerce websites Fewer: Best for portfolio sites Poema: Best for poetry or pure text sites Nook: Best for hobby and community-driven sites Aether: Best for small business sites Vivre: Best for magazine sites. Pro tip: Set up and customize your site in minutes with our AI website builder, using simple text prompts to define the layout and visual look.
1. Twenty Twenty-Four
Best for: Content-focused sites Price: Free
Twenty Twenty-Four is a great WordPress theme for beginners who want a clean, simple, and minimalist design.
It’s one of the most popular themes in the WordPress.com universe, with 9.78% of sites using it based on our data.
The theme’s simple yet powerful features make it perfect for content-focused sites, such as blogs and portfolio sites.
My experience
Right from the start, I loved the styling options. The typography and color choices are excellent and offer a lot of diversity.
Each option looks elegant and professional. You can easily pick one that fits your brand and tweak it to your liking.
I also liked the template options.
They felt especially geared toward content-heavy sites, with layouts for pages with sidebars, index pages, blog homepages, and single posts.
Twenty Twenty-Four also comes with over 200 patterns — predesigned blocks you can drop into your pages.
I found them helpful for building layouts quickly without starting from scratch.
Choose this theme to:
Build a content-heavy site, such as a blog or personal writing website. Showcase your creative work. Create a clean, minimal, and modern design.
Activate this theme on your site 2. Retrospect
Best for: Photography websites Price: Free
Retrospect is a perfect WordPress theme for photographers. It displays images at full resolution alongside your post content.
Over 5.93% of WordPress.com users choose this theme for photo blogs and visual-first sites.
My experience
I liked the minimalist approach of the Retrospect theme. It’s a strong choice for art, travel, or photography blogs, where the focus should stay on visuals.
The layout is distraction-free, so your images can shine without clutter.
It also comes with patterns for newsletter sign-up, booking forms, and contact sections.
Setup is fast and intuitive. On mobile, images still look sharp without taking over the whole screen.
Choose this theme to:
Build a visual-first site, whether that’s a photo journal or personal blog. Run a low-maintenance site that’s easy to set up. Create a clean, distraction-free layout.
Activate this theme on your site 3. Twenty Twenty-Three
Best for: Getting a flexible starting point Price: Free Twenty Twenty-Three is a minimalist theme that gives you a clean starting point without heavy styling.
It offers plenty of style variations, but the base design stays flexible — more blank canvas than finished product.
About 5.53% of WordPress.com users choose this theme.
My experience
I liked the style variation options in this theme. The color palettes and typography options are vastly different from one another, making it easy to match the look to different kinds of sites.
If you’re building a simple one-page website, the template library and patterns make it easy to get started.
The minimal base also gives you room to experiment, which is great when you want more creative control over the design.
Choose this theme to:
Create a minimal design without heavy styling. Maintain full creative control over your website’s design.
Activate this theme on your site 4. Twenty Twenty-Five
Best for: Building an adaptable, creative site Price: Free
Twenty Twenty-Five sits at the cusp of a blank canvas and a fully designed premium theme.
It hits the right balance if you want something that looks and feels polished but is still easily customizable to your needs.
This theme is chosen by 3.83% of WordPress.com users.
My experience
My favorite part about this theme is the new and improved patterns.
There’s a wide variety of choices, from online store layouts to poster-style sections and event RSVP blocks.
No matter what type of site you’re building, you’re guaranteed to find something valuable here, which makes it a strong choice for beginners and more advanced users.
The style variations are also ready to use. You can switch between different color palettes and typography options without extra tweaking.
The bottom line: Twenty Twenty-Five sits between Twenty Twenty-Four, which is more specialized toward blogging with a clearly defined design, and Twenty Twenty-Three, which is broader and more open in its design.
Choose this theme to:
Gain a versatile base for many kinds of sites. Build pages visually using patterns and templates. Customize the appearance of your site easily. Activate this theme on your site 5. Zoologist
Best for: All types of blogging websites Price: Free
Zoologist is an ideal theme for all sorts of blogging websites.
The single-column layout displays your posts in a clean, linear format, with no sidebars or distractions.
My experience
Zoologist has strong blogging roots.
To me, it felt like a great choice for anyone publishing long-form, whether that’s a business blog, a personal website, or a journal.
You can choose from several color variations to customize the visual design of your site.
The theme also offers templates and patterns similar to Twenty Twenty-Four, which help you add essential elements such as newsletter sign-up forms and waitlists.
My favorite part of this WordPress theme: It has little noise, with no unnecessary bells and whistles — just set it up and start publishing.
Choose this theme to:
Publish content using a simple, clean, single-column layout. Build a straightforward blog or content-centric site. Create a lightweight, minimal design.
Activate this theme on your site 6. Hey
Best for: Personal blogging Price: Free If you want a site that feels like your creative playground but is still easy to use, it doesn’t get better than the Hey theme.
It’s designed for personal blogging and keeps things simple with a ready-to-go setup.
My experience
The Hey theme instantly reminds me of a personal diary or journal. It works well for founder or artist notes or for logging your creative progress.
The focus is purely on the reading and writing experience, with no extra frills or complex customization options.

Choose this theme to:
Get your website up and running quickly. Prioritize readability and simplicity over fancy layouts. Create a blank-canvas feel with generous whitespace.
Activate this theme on your site 7. Tsubaki
Best for: E-commerce websites Price: Available on the Business plan ($25/month on the annual plan)
If you’re building an online store, Tsubaki is a WordPress theme worth considering.
It’s designed for e-commerce and integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, so your store, blog, and site all live in one place.
My experience
Tsubaki is built around e-commerce from the ground up.
The layout, navigation, and structure all support product displays and shopping flows.
The patterns are e-commerce-focused, with options for product categories, new arrivals, checkout sections, and more.
The additions don’t detract from the core blogging features, though. You can use this theme to host your blog while selling your physical or digital products.
Choose this theme to:
Build an online store or e-commerce site. Combine shop and blog content on one site. Use WooCommerce with an e-commerce-friendly layout.
Activate this theme on your site 8. Fewer
Best for: Portfolio sites Price: Free Fewer’s clean content presentation and project-driven focus, which combine text and visuals neatly, make it an excellent choice for building portfolio sites.
Its design is clear and readable without being noisy, which helps keep the spotlight on your work.
My experience
I was immediately impressed by Fewer’s style variations.
The designs are versatile but not so loud that they shift focus away from the projects you want to highlight.
I found the typography especially clean and balanced.
Fewer is a solid choice if you want an elegant, content-first site that displays your work with minimal clutter.

While it’s great for portfolio sites, it’s also flexible enough to work for business or blog sites.
Choose this theme to:
Take advantage of style and typography variations. Build a blog, portfolio, or content-driven site. Keep the focus on your content or visuals through good typography and design.
Activate this theme on your site 9. Poema
Best for: Poetry or pure text sites Price: Free Poema is a simple black-and-white text site built in honor of writer and poet Fernando Pessoa.
It’s designed to focus 100% on the writing material, with no visuals or design elements overpowering the text.
Poema is perfect for poetry sites, personal journals, or anywhere writing needs to take center stage.
My experience
Entering the Poema theme feels like opening a poetry book.
The design is clean and clutter-free — just your words on the page. The layout feels classic and literary, with serif fonts, neutral colors, and lots of whitespace.
Despite the name, it works just as well for long-form essays, journal entries, or personal reflections.
Choose this theme to:
Create an elegant site focused on typography and reading. Set up a simple site that’s easy to maintain. Publish writing without complex layouts
Activate this theme on your site 10. Nook
Best for: Hobby and community-driven sites Price: Free Nook uses a classic two-column layout with a sidebar structure, giving it a familiar blog feel.
It’s a strong choice for someone creating a personal site, food blog, journal, or craft-focused blog.
My experience
Nook has a warm, nostalgic blog feel.
If I were building a site for fun or to explore a hobby, this is the theme I’d pick. It’s great for getting creative and connecting with people who share your interests.
The templates and patterns are especially helpful if you’re a beginner or want to get started quickly.
I also liked the overall familiarity of the theme. Everything feels intuitive — easy to set up for you and easy to navigate for your visitors.
Choose this theme to:
Create a classic two-column blog layout with a sidebar. Design a warm, comfortable, and timeless site. Build a blog or personal site.
Activate this theme on your site 11. Aether
Best for: Small business sites Price: Available on the Premium plan ($8/month on the annual plan) Aether is a great WordPress theme for small-scale stores that want to weave storytelling into their business site.
It’s particularly suitable for handcrafted goods, boutique products, or small merch brands, where you want clean presentation and built-in store-style flows.
My experience
As soon as I entered the Aether theme, its focus was clear: it’s built to help you sell your products while combining shop functionality with a brand story, an About page, a testimonials section, and a visual gallery.
The homepage includes sections for best-sellers, brand story, testimonials, and contact info, so you can launch a shop with minimal custom work.
The patterns are small business-friendly, with options for Instagram grids, sitewide notices, product displays, and more.
Choose this theme to:
Run a small jewelry, accessories, or artisan brand store. Showcase products with a focus on style and storytelling. Launch quickly with a ready-to-use homepage and store-oriented sections.
Activate this theme on your site 12. Vivre
Best for: Magazine sites Price: Free Vivre is heavily inspired by fashion and lifestyle magazines, making it a good fit for publication sites.
The design has a stylish, editorial feel that enhances the reading experience. The font pairing (heavy sans with elegant serif) and generous whitespace give it a traditional magazine vibe.
My experience
Vivre feels like a magazine from the moment you open it.
It features bold visuals, strong headers, and stylized typography that feels like ink on paper, making it well-suited for editorial or publication sites.
The patterns are also especially helpful when finishing your site. You can quickly add a hero post, a recent content section, and a posts grid.
It’s a great theme if your site relies on strong visuals or a distinct brand style.
Choose this theme to:
Create a bold, magazine-style look. Balance style with readability. Build a fast-loading site, even with heavy stylistic elements.
Activate this theme on your site How to choose the right WordPress theme
The best WordPress theme is the one that matches your site’s purpose and saves you time down the road.
Use this quick checklist:
Does it match your use case? If you’re building a blog, pick a blogging theme. If you’re building a portfolio, choose one designed for showcasing work. You’ll get the right features without extra customization. Does it fit the visual style you want? Most themes offer style variations, so check them all before committing. Think about the impression you want to make, whether it’s calm, minimalist, bold, or editorial. Does it have the features you need? For example, if you’re selling products, you’ll want a theme with WooCommerce support. If you’re a beginner, look for a solid pattern library to help you build pages fast. Can it scale with you? If you’re planning to add pages, products, or content over time, make sure the theme can handle it. Is it well-maintained? Themes from trusted developers get regular updates, which means fewer bugs and better performance. You can always switch themes later — it’s not irreversible. But investing time upfront helps you avoid dealing with broken layouts and user experience headaches down the road.
Get started with WordPress.com
WordPress.com gives you plenty of themes to build any kind of site.
But themes are just the start.
WordPress.com also takes care of the essentials that keep your site running smoothly:
Power your site with specialized WordPress hosting so it always stays up. Get a free domain name for one year with paid plans. Add unlimited pages and users, with pricing that doesn’t scale with traffic. Protect your site with built-in security against spam and attacks. Expand your site with hundreds of plugins, AI features, and more.
Create your website with WordPress.com View the full article

By Drewfus · January 26Jan 26
Connect AI Agents to WordPress.com with OAuth 2.1 and MCP

In October, we announced that WordPress.com now supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), enabling AI agents to interact with your sites.
Today, WordPress.com supports OAuth 2.1, making MCP integrations simpler.
MCP clients work natively with OAuth 2.1, so authorizing the AI tools you already use is as straightforward as adding a URL and approving access — no workarounds or manual configuration required.
With MCP, AI agents can help with everyday tasks on your WordPress.com site, such as finding posts, pulling site details, or drafting new content, while you control what they can access.
How OAuth 2.1 powers MCP integrations
When an AI assistant (like Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, or a custom AI tool) wants to access your WordPress.com content, OAuth 2.1 now handles the secure connection:
The MCP client requests authorization. You’re redirected to WordPress.com to approve the connection. After approval, the client receives secure tokens. The client uses those tokens to access the WordPress.com MCP. Tokens refresh automatically as needed. All of this is protected by PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange).
Even if someone intercepts the authorization code, they can’t use it without the secret verification code that stays on your device.
Simple setup: Just add a URL
WordPress.com provides an MCP server that AI tools can connect to using OAuth 2.1.
All you’ll need to do is:
Create a custom connector or app in your AI tool Add the WordPress.com MCP server URL Authenticate and approve access through WordPress.com using OAuth 2.1 That’s it.
WordPress.com handles authentication and permissions, so there’s no manual credential setup and no passwords to share.
Tip: View the MCP connection guide in the developer documentation for Claude Desktop and ChatGPT–specific instructions.
What MCP clients can do with WordPress.com
Once authenticated, MCP clients can interact with your WordPress.com sites through the MCP API:
Search and retrieve posts: Find content across your sites Read post details: Access full post content, metadata, and comments Access site information: Get site settings, statistics, and user data All of this happens with the permissions you’ve explicitly granted, and you can revoke MCP access at any time from your WordPress.com MCP settings.
Get started with MCP and OAuth 2.1
OAuth 2.1 is available now for all AI agents to connect to WordPress.com.
Whether you’re building a custom integration or using existing MCP-compatible AI tools, it provides the secure authentication foundation for your work.
If you haven’t already, enable MCP on your WordPress.com account to start connecting your AI assistants.
Useful resources
WordPress.com MCP documentation Available MCP tools reference MCP prompt examples Model Context Protocol documentation Share Your Feedback
We’d love to hear how you’re using OAuth 2.1 and MCP with WordPress.com. Have questions or suggestions? Drop a comment below or share your experience in the developer forums.
Start building with OAuth 2.1 → View the full article

By Drewfus · January 22Jan 22
Introducing the Enhanced Code Block: Syntax Highlighting and More

Last year, WordPress.com introduced new code editors for the block editor and the Additional CSS input box in the WordPress admin. This was the first stage of a larger effort to make editing code a more enjoyable experience.
Today, I’m happy to announce the launch of the second stage of that effort: introducing the new and improved Code block.
This is not a new block. It’s an enhancement to the current Code block that you’ve likely already been using, which includes several improvements over the original:
Syntax highlighting: Supports color-based syntax highlighting for over 100 common languages. Configuration: Decide to show the filename, language name, line numbers, and even include a copy button for visitors. Drag-and-drop: Dragging a code file from your computer to the editor will automatically transform it to the Code block with the language set. Transforms: Transform other code-supported blocks on WordPress.com, such as Syntax Highlighter, to the new Code block. Styles: Customize syntax colors directly from the editor or via ‘theme.json’ if you’re a developer. Using the enhanced Code block
You do not have to enable anything to begin using the new version of the Code block. It’s already available to use. Just insert the Code block anywhere in the block editor and add your code.
By default, when adding a Code block and inserting code, you will see your code in Plain Text:
Of course, Plain Text doesn’t include any syntax highlighting since it’s not a language. To change this, choose a code language from the Settings → Language dropdown in the sidebar:
Syntax highlighting will then be applied based on the language that you selected, making the code much more readable for both you and your visitors!
Pro tip: If you type three backticks followed by the language name (e.g., ```php) and then hit Enter, the editor will automatically create a new Code block instance and auto-fill the Language setting.
If you want to kick your Code block’s features up a notch, you can also configure several other settings besides the language:
Filename: Add a custom filename to display in the top left of the code block (useful when walking readers through tutorials). Show language name: Displays the language name in the top right corner of the block. Show copy button: Inserts a Copy button in the top right of the block, allowing site visitors to copy the entirety of the code. Show line numbers: Displays line numbers next to your code on the left. Line numbers start at: Choose a starting line number. This will make your site’s code examples much more reader friendly:
Customizing the Code block colors
There are multiple ways to customize the syntax highlighting and colors shown with the enhanced Code block. In this section, I’ll walk you through each from the quickest/simplest to the more advanced techniques.
Selecting a block style
The Code block ships with four block styles out of the box:
Default: Will use the default styles and colors from your theme. No Highlight: Disables syntax highlighting. Solarized Light: A light color scheme. Solarized Dark: A dark color scheme. Themes can also register additional styles. Selecting one of these styles is the quickest way to change how your Code block is output:
Customizing colors from the editor
You can also customize the colors directly from the editor via the Styles → Color panel in the block sidebar. The block has an extensive array of color options for customizing every aspect of the syntax highlighting:
You are not limited to only colors either. You can customize any of the other available styles, such as Typography, Border, and more. These options haven’t changed with the latest enhancement.
Customizing the Code block via theme.json
If you’re a developer or theme author, you’ll most likely want to define default syntax colors and other styles for the default output of the block. theme.json support is included with this batch of enhancements.
Here’s what my custom Code block styles look like after a few tweaks in theme.json:
Because the WordPress software itself doesn’t support custom colors via theme.json, the developers at WordPress.com built in custom support for this feature.
You can customize any of the syntax colors via settings.custom.core/code in theme.json. This is an object where each key is the syntax color name and the value is the color itself.
Here’s an example snippet that you can use to customize your own colors:
theme.json { "$schema": "https://schemas.wp.org/trunk/theme.json", "version": 3, "settings": { "custom": { "core/code": { "comment": "#94a3b8", "keyword": "#8b5cf6", "boolean": "#f59e0b", "literal": "#10b981", "string": "#06b6d4", "specialString": "#ec4899", "macroName": "#8b5cf6", "variableDefinition": "#3b82f6", "typeName": "#14b8a6", "className": "#f97316", "invalid": "#ef4444" } } }} Any valid CSS color is supported, so you’re not limited to hex color codes. Use CSS custom properties, RGBA, and more.
If you want to borrow my full theme.json customizations, copy and paste the following code. It includes additional custom styles to make the Code block even nicer:
theme.json { "$schema": "https://schemas.wp.org/trunk/theme.json", "version": 3, "settings": { "custom": { "core/code": { "comment": "#94a3b8", "keyword": "#8b5cf6", "boolean": "#f59e0b", "literal": "#10b981", "string": "#06b6d4", "specialString": "#ec4899", "macroName": "#8b5cf6", "variableDefinition": "#3b82f6", "typeName": "#14b8a6", "className": "#f97316", "invalid": "#ef4444" } } }, "styles": { "blocks": { "core/code": { "border": { "color": "#e2e8f0", "style": "solid", "width": "1px", "radius": "8px" }, "color": { "background": "#f1f5f9", "text": "#1e293b" }, "typography": { "fontSize": "15px" } } } }} Start sharing code now.
Whether you’re publishing snippets or full-blown tutorials, the enhanced Code block makes sharing and styling code in WordPress.com smoother and more customizable than ever before.
Syntax highlighting, block styles, and custom color options put you in full control of how your code appears.
With these improvements, you can focus less on formatting and more on writing great content that helps your readers learn and build.
View the full article

By Drewfus · January 19Jan 19
What is Managed Hosting? A Practical Guide

Managed hosting means your hosting provider takes care of the technical maintenance of your website, including updates, security, and performance.
I didn’t realize how much that mattered until I built my first site. I thought my job was just to write and publish — then the updates, security alerts, and performance issues started piling up.
In this guide, I explain what managed hosting includes, how it compares to regular hosting, and its advantages.
What is managed hosting?
Managed hosting is a type of web hosting where the provider takes care of the technical work behind your site for you.
Instead of dealing with things like updates, security, and ongoing maintenance yourself, you rely on the host to handle them.
Here’s what you typically get:
Automatic updates: The host takes care of important system and platform updates in the background. Security monitoring: Your site is checked for security issues and protected against common threats. Regular backups: Backups are handled automatically by the host, making it easier to recover your site if something goes wrong. Performance optimization: The host handles speed-related setup and optimizations to help your site load faster. Uptime monitoring: Your site is monitored to make sure it stays online, and issues are caught early. Tip: WordPress.com offers managed hosting out of the box. The technical setup is handled for you, so you don’t need to worry about maintenance or configuration.
Managed hosting vs. unmanaged hosting
The key difference is who handles the technical work. With managed hosting, your provider takes care of it; with unmanaged, you do everything yourself.
This applies across hosting types — VPS, dedicated, cloud — as any of them can come in a managed or unmanaged version.
In practice, managed hosting gets you up and running faster and keeps the technical workload off your plate long-term.
Here’s how the two compare across key areas:
FeatureUnmanaged hostingManaged hostingTechnical setup & managementYou install software, configure the server, secure it, and keep everything updated.Your provider manages setup, configuration, updates, security, and ongoing maintenance.MaintenanceYou manage backups and troubleshoot issues yourself, often using plugins or external tools.Your host takes care of backups, monitoring, and security tasks. PerformancePerformance depends on how well the server is configured.Built-in optimization for faster, more reliable performance.SecurityYou add protections manually.Built-in protections like SSL, firewalls, and malware scanning.SupportGeneral hosting support; expertise varies.Support teams are familiar with the platform your site runs on. For example, WordPress.com offers 24/7 expert support from specialists who know WordPress inside and out. When is managed hosting the right choice?
I recommend managed hosting if you want a reliable website without taking on the technical overhead of running it.
WordPress.com users, for example, often choose managed hosting so they can focus on building their site and publishing — not troubleshooting updates or security issues.
Here’s how managed hosting helps me day to day:
No surprise maintenance tasks: Routine updates and server work happen automatically. Fewer disruptions: Issues are handled before you ever notice them. Stable, predictable performance: No juggling settings or extra tools. More time for real work: Publishing, designing, or growing your business takes center stage. Peace of mind: You’re not the one troubleshooting issues. Key features of managed hosting to look for
If you consider opting for managed hosting, look for features that keep your site running smoothly with minimal maintenance.
These are the ones that make the biggest difference:
Server management
Check that setup, configuration, and ongoing server maintenance are included.
A managed host should give you a ready-to-use environment without requiring server knowledge, while still letting you access server settings when needed.
Performance optimization
Look for built-in performance features like caching and server-level tuning.
These help keep your site fast and stable, with less need for extra plugins or manual setup.
For example, WordPress.com includes server-level caching by default, so key performance optimizations are handled at the hosting layer.
Tip: If your audience is global, also check whether the host provides edge caching or a distributed data-center network. On WordPress.com, Global Edge Caching across 28+ data centers helps pages load quickly for visitors worldwide.
Security and backups
Look for built-in security protections and automatic backups that run without manual setup.
A managed host should handle malware scanning, firewalls, and regular backups so that you don’t need to worry about running scans or remembering backup schedules.
Tip: WordPress.com includes SSL certificates, malware detection, and brute-force protection on all plans. Business and Commerce plans add real-time backups with one-click restore and advanced security features.
Support and expertise
Check what the support team is trained to help with — for example, whether they have experience with your specific CMS.
Managed hosting often includes support that’s familiar with the software your site runs on, which can be helpful when issues go beyond basic hosting questions.
With managed WordPress hosting, this usually means access to WordPress-specific support.
Tip: All WordPress.com paid plans include direct support from WordPress experts. Business and Commerce plans also include priority 24/7 support.
Scalability and reliability
Opt for hosting that can handle traffic spikes and keep your site stable as it grows, without you having to manage servers or make technical decisions.
For example, WordPress.com runs your site across multiple locations worldwide, so pages load quickly for visitors everywhere.
When traffic spikes, the system automatically handles the extra load — and you don’t need to add any manual changes.
How to select the best managed hosting provider
The best managed hosting provider will make running your site easier and take most of the technical work off your hands.
Because “managed” can mean very different things depending on the provider, I recommend focusing on how much responsibility they take off your plate and whether they fit your setup.
Here are a few questions to guide your decision:
How much technical work does the host handle for you? The more setup, updates, and security they manage, the less you have to worry about.
Is the hosting environment optimized for your platform — e.g., WordPress? For instance, some hosts simply install WordPress on a generic server and leave the rest to you.
Others, like WordPress.com, are optimized for running WordPress, so your site runs faster and stays stable without extra tuning.
What kind of support will you receive? Support teams familiar with your website platform can solve problems faster and with less back-and-forth.
Will the hosting grow with your site? Your site should be able to grow and receive more traffic without forcing you to switch plans or providers. For instance, WordPress.com includes unmetered traffic on every plan, so your costs don’t increase as your audience grows.
How transparent is the pricing? Look for plans where essential features — like backups, security, and SSL — are included upfront, so you’re not surprised by extra charges as your site scales.
Does the host keep your site online if something goes wrong? Some managed hosts use a distributed infrastructure, so your site stays available even if a server in one region has issues.
For instance, during a recent AWS outage that took many websites offline, WordPress.com sites continued running without interruption:
Get started with WordPress.com managed hosting
If you’re building a site with WordPress, managed hosting can take a lot of work off your plate — from updates and backups to security and basic maintenance.
On WordPress.com, managed hosting is built in, so you don’t need to set up servers, install performance tools, or manage updates yourself.
That’s the setup I wish I’d had when I started. Once I made the switch, the updates, security alerts, and performance issues that used to eat up my time disappeared. Now I just focus on the site itself.
Sound like something you’d benefit from?
Launch your site on WordPress.com View the full article

By Drewfus · January 13Jan 13
How to Choose WordPress Hosting: A Guide for Any Skill Level

If you want a website, you need hosting — a place to store your site files so people can access your pages.
Even though WordPress can run on almost any server, the hosting environment you choose affects performance, stability, security, and how much technical work you’re responsible for.
This guide gives you a simple framework to select the right WordPress hosting plan — whether you’re a first-time blogger, a small business owner, or an experienced agency user.
TL;DR: How to pick WordPress hosting for your needs
When choosing hosting for your WordPress site, focus on a few key factors like ease of management, speed, security, support, and budget.
For a quick overview, we’ve listed them in the table below:
Hosting prioritiesWhat to look for when choosing a providerEasy site managementManaged hosting that handles updates, backups, and security for you.Site performanceOptimized WordPress servers with guaranteed resources and built-in caching.ScalabilityPlans without traffic limits and easy upgrades as your site grows.SecurityAutomatic backups, SSL included, and active malware/firewall protection.User friendlinessOne-click WordPress install and a clean, unified dashboard.Support quality24/7 WordPress-trained support and assisted migration.Developer and agency needsStaging sites, SSH/CLI access, and multi-site management.Extra featuresDomain, email, premium themes/plugins included.AffordabilityPlans with transparent renewals, no hidden limits, and enough features for your needs at your preferred tier. Looking for WordPress hosting that covers all of the points above? WordPress.com brings them together in one managed platform.
Now, let’s break down how to choose the right WordPress hosting provider step by step.
1. Explore different types of WordPress hosting
First, you need to understand how different web hosting providers divide server resources — this affects your site’s performance, stability, and price.
Your website sits on a server with limited capacity, and each hosting model allocates those resources differently.
As a result, each hosting type offers a different balance of control, speed, and stability:
Shared hosting: Your site shares a server with many others, which keeps costs low but may affect your website’s performance as traffic on other websites increases. VPS (Virtual Private Server): Fewer sites share the server, and each gets a set amount of resources, giving your site somewhat more consistent speed. Dedicated hosting: Your site uses an entire server on its own, giving you full control and the highest level of performance. Cloud hosting: Your site uses resources from multiple servers, which helps it handle traffic changes without the higher cost of a dedicated server. Tip: These hosting types explain how server resources are shared and how much raw capacity your site has access to. WordPress-optimized hosting, on the other hand, describes how that server environment is prepared specifically for WordPress — with the right software, settings, and defaults in place — so you don’t have to handle the technical configuration yourself.
2. Choose your level of hands-on management
Next, decide how much of the server setup and technical maintenance you want the host to handle for you.
Two different approaches exist:
Managed hosting: Managed WordPress hosting providers like WordPress.com take over day-to-day tasks such as automatic updates for WordPress core, security, performance optimization, and backups. Unmanaged hosting: You’re responsible for setting up and maintaining the WordPress environment yourself, including updates, security, performance tuning, and backups. Managed WordPress hosting is often an ideal choice for beginners. It frees up time for more impactful work instead of routine maintenance.
However, experienced users can benefit from it too — especially when the managed plan includes the right developer features.
For example, WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans offer staging sites, WP-CLI, SSH access, and multi-site management, making them a strong fit for advanced users and agencies looking to focus on growth rather than hands-on management.
3. Prioritize core hosting features
The hosting environment you choose plays a big role in your site’s performance, security, ease of use, and the tools you have access to.
So make sure you understand which features matter most before making a decision.
Performance and stability
Pick a hosting plan that keeps your WordPress site fast and stable.
When too many sites share the same hosting resources, slowdowns and outages are more likely, especially during traffic spikes.
Hosting that limits resource sharing or can scale when needed tends to deliver more consistent performance.
Focus on these features when it comes to performance and stability:
Fast storage: Faster storage helps your pages load more quickly. Look for hosting that uses SSD storage. Built-in caching: Caching saves parts of your site so repeat visitors can pick up where they left off. Uptime guarantees: Uptime is how consistently your website is reachable to visitors. The industry standard is at least 99% uptime. Servers close to your audience: Helps people in your desired region get faster load times. A global CDN: A Content Delivery Network stores copies of your site on servers around the world so people in other countries get quicker load times. Modern technology: The latest version of PHP and other server software help your site run smoothly and stay compatible with WordPress. On WordPress.com, your site benefits from a 99.999% uptime guarantee, a global CDN and edge-cache network across 28+ data centers — plus a hosting environment configured specifically for WordPress.
Security and protection
From here, consider safety features that keep your site protected from hacks, malware, and downtime.
The best approach is to choose a provider that handles most of this for you, so you can focus on running your site instead of maintaining the infrastructure.
In particular, look for these features:
SSL certificates: SSL/TLS encrypts data between the browser and server. Your host should include and set this up for free. Malware scanning and removal: Malware hurts both user trust and search visibility. You can add protection yourself or choose a host that includes it. Firewalls: A firewall blocks threats before they reach your site. It’s best when this is built in, since setting it up yourself takes extra work. DDoS protection: Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks flood servers with fake traffic to knock sites offline. Good hosts have protections in place to prevent this. Automated backups: Backups let you restore your site quickly if something goes wrong. You can handle this yourself or pick a host that automates it. Anti-spam filters: Comment spam is also common. Filters stop harmful links and content before they appear on your site. Similarly, you can configure this yourself or use a host that covers it. All WordPress.com plans come with free SSL encryption, regular malware scans, and automatic software updates and backups. Additionally, your website is protected by a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and comes with one-click restore on Business and Commerce plans.
Ease of use and site management
Choose hosting that lets you manage your site from one place, without juggling multiple tools or dashboards.
With many hosting providers, managing a website means jumping between different systems that don’t work the same way.
You might handle hosting settings in one panel, manage your domain somewhere else, and use separate tools for performance, security, or analytics.
For beginners, this can become overwhelming fast. That’s why, on WordPress.com, nearly all of this happens in a single interface:
The custom-built control panel lets you manage everything — performance monitoring, logs, PHP version, SFTP/SSH accounts, caching, and more — without leaving your account or dealing with separate dashboards.
Support quality and availability
Whether you’re a beginner or not, having reliable hosting support makes a real difference when something goes wrong.
Ask these key questions about a potential hosting provider:
Is support available for your timezone, including weekends and holidays? What’s the average response time? Do they offer live chat or ticket-only support? Are there other support channels? What’s the support depth? Do they help with server issues only or also troubleshoot WordPress-specific problems? How about onboarding and documentation? Does support help you migrate your website to them? On WordPress.com, you get access to 24/7 expert support with a live chat, along with WordPress-specific guides, courses, and community forums.
It’s a mix of experts who know WordPress inside out and self-serve resources designed to help you learn and troubleshoot quickly.
Developer and agency tools
If you’re a developer or agency, look for hosting that supports features like multi-site management, automation, environment optimization, and professional workflows.
You may look for functionalities like:
Staging sites: Create separate environments to test changes before deploying them. Command Line Interface (CLI): Manage WordPress installations from the console to save time, for example, by batching and automating tasks. Git/GitHub integrations: Enable version-controlled theme, plugin, and feature deployments. Revert changes easily if something breaks. Selective push/pull: Move only specific parts of a site between staging and production environments to save time. Multi-site dashboards: Manage multiple client sites from a single interface instead of juggling different logins. SSH access: Get secure, direct access to the server so you can administer files via the command line. WordPress.com offers all of the above. Additionally, you can use WordPress Studio to spin up local WordPress sites in minutes, push and pull to and from production, and share preview links with clients.
4. Review additional features and extras
Beyond core hosting features, check what other tools and services the provider offers to make site management easier.
Here are some useful extras you might look for depending on your needs:
Domain and email services: Being able to register a domain and set up branded email in one place to save time and resources. Premium themes and plugins: Access to premium WordPress themes, performance tools, or other extensions. Ecommerce and marketing tools: Built-in payment options, email marketing, or SEO features. Website builders and AI features: AI website building tools like our AI website builder, AI writing features, AI tools for web development, etc. On WordPress.com, annual plans include a free domain for the first year, and you can set up a professional email with your domain. Each site also comes with premium plugins like Akismet and Jetpack already included, adding built-in tools for spam protection, analytics, social sharing, and more.
For example, you can use Jetpack Stats to track your site and visitor behavior without leaving the platform:
5. Compare your needs to your options
From here, compare providers based on how well they support your specific requirements.
Your hosting choice should match the type of site you’re building, the traffic you expect, and how hands-on you want to be with technical tasks.
Here’s what to consider:
Website type: A simple one-page site needs far fewer resources than a complex, multi-language e-commerce store. Traffic expectations: A small hobby blog doesn’t require the same infrastructure as a news site that sees large, regular traffic spikes. Skill level and workflow: Beginners may want a simple setup, developers often prefer full control, and agencies need an easy way to manage multiple client sites. WordPress.com hosting is flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of needs. Every site comes with unlimited traffic and visitors, theme designs for many purposes, and the ability to customize website functionality via plugins. Affordable plans allow you to start small and scale up later.
6. Clarify the real cost of your hosting plan
Finally, make sure you understand the long-term costs of your chosen WordPress hosting plan.
Pay special attention to renewal prices and any extra charges, including fees for essential features or going over bandwidth or traffic limits.
Check for the following:
Initial pricing vs renewal rates: It’s common for hosts to advertise lower first-term rates that significantly increase at renewal. Charges for traffic overages: Many hosting plans include bandwidth or visitor limits. If you exceed them, you may be charged incremental extra fees. This can add up quickly when one of your blog posts goes viral. Unclear resource limits: Shared hosting often advertises “unlimited” resources, but may throttle or shut down your site if it consumes too much processing power. Hidden fees: Watch out for extra charges such as for SSL certificates, backups, restores, or malware cleanups. The good news: All WordPress.com plans include unlimited bandwidth, unlimited visitors, and a clear, bundled pricing structure with no hidden fees.
WordPress.com: A great choice for most WordPress hosting needs
Your hosting should match your goals, budget, and skill level, and offer the level of hands-on management you’re comfortable with.
Once you’ve compared your options, the best next step is to get started — you’ll understand hosting much better once you’re working with it.
That’s where WordPress.com fits in: it offers a managed WordPress environment that works for a wide range of users.
Beginners get automated security, performance, and updates with expert support, while advanced users have access to staging sites, WP-CLI, SSH, multi-site management, and WordPress Studio for local workflows.
Launch your site on WordPress.com View the full article

By Drewfus · January 8Jan 8
How to Build an Interactive WordPress Theme Demo with Playground Blueprints

WordPress Playground lets anyone launch a live WordPress site instantly — no hosting or installation required. It’s a quick, hands-on way to explore how a theme looks and behaves.
You can open a fresh WordPress instance with a single link and start experimenting right away.
If a theme is available in the WordPress repository, you can preview it in Playground by adding the theme’s slug to the URL, for example:
?theme=kiosko.
That said, each Playground site starts with a clean WordPress install, so themes load with no existing pages or demo content.
If you want your theme to appear exactly as you’ve designed it — with sample content, navigation, and settings — you can use Playground Blueprints.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to get started with Playground Blueprints and create a complete, interactive demo site for your theme.
For this exercise, you’ll use a GitHub repository to store assets, such as .xml and blueprint.json files, to build your demo. For Playground to have access, it needs to be a public repository.
What are Playground Blueprints?
WordPress Playground Blueprints let you create preconfigured demo sites in JSON format.
Each Blueprint describes how the Playground instance should be built — what theme to install, what content to import, which settings to enable, and more.
You can browse the full documentation here: WordPress Playground → Blueprints
With Blueprints, you can share a single link that launches a fully configured demo of your theme — complete with pages, patterns, and media — so visitors can explore it directly in their browser.
Let’s explore the process step by step.
1. Create your demo website content
First, build a demo version of your theme locally — complete with pages, posts, navigation, and settings — to show how it looks in a real site.
You’ll later export this content and use it inside Playground.
If you’ve worked with the Site Editor before, this part will feel familiar. You already know what combination of pages, posts, navigation, images, and WordPress settings makes your theme shine.
For this post, I prepared a demo site using the Twenty Twenty-Five default theme, applying one of its style variations and modifying some templates.
The example mimics a travel blog demo with a homepage, blog page, about page, and example templates and patterns:
I’ve also included a 404 page template:
As well as an ‘About Us’ page:
And more.
2. Handle images and patterns
While you create your content, you might use Patterns that come with your theme.
Often, images used are part of the theme and stored in the theme’s assets folder.
You would need to upload those to the Media Library and pull them from there into your pages or posts — or replace their URL references in the content with relative links pointing to:
/wp-content/themes/{yourtheme}/assets/{filename} …and remove the https://{domain.ext} part of the URL.
It’s best to use WordPress tools to automatically add them to the Media Library to save or from the image block toolbar.
This gives you a self-contained content file you can reuse with other themes or Playground instances.
3. Export your content
Once you’ve built the demo content on your local site, export it using the WordPress Export feature:
Go to Tools → Export, and select All Content (or make specific choices).
You can learn more about the Export feature in the documentation.
Before importing the .xml file into Playground, make sure your images and other assets are ready.
You’ll also need to update the image references in your content file.
4. Prepare your export for Playground
Before importing your exported .xml file, make sure Playground can access your media files and that all image links point to the correct locations.
To do this:
Upload your demo images and assets to a public GitHub repository (for example, to a /media folder).
Update the image references in your .xml file so they point to those GitHub URLs. Upload your demo images and assets
Playground uses the WordPress Importer plugin, which automatically resizes images and updates URLs for the new site.
However, the importer tries to fetch images from their original URLs — and most web servers block these requests because of Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) policies.
To fix that, host your demo assets on GitHub.
GitHub’s raw.githubusercontent.com domain bypasses these restrictions, making it ideal for serving demo media.
Upload all your images to a /media folder in your GitHub repository and keep their original filenames to speed up the import process.
Update the image references in your .xml file
Next, replace the image references in your .xml file with the new GitHub URLs, under the <wp:attachment_url> tag.
Use this pattern:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/{organization}/{reponame}/{branch}/media/{filename} For example:
<wp:attachment_url><![CDATA[https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wptrainingteam/tt5-demo-blueprint/main/media/random-headshot-1.jpg]]></wp:attachment_url> And here’s what each part means:
Organization: your GitHub organization (for example, wptrainingteam)
Repository: your repo name (for example, tt5-demo-blueprint)
Branch: main
Folder: media
Filename: the original file name
Search your .xml file for <wp:attachment_url> (keeping the <![CDATA[…]]> tags intact) and replace each reference with the correct GitHub URL.
Tip: In the Twenty Twenty-Five demo site example, there were 17 replacements in total.
Your integrated development environment (IDE) probably allows you to find the particular string in your .xml file, no matter how big it is. You might see other image references in the file when you use the same image in different sizes.
I added a small Bash script to the repo; you could modify and use it at your own risk.
The WordPress Importer will resize the new images from the attachment URLs and replace the references in other places. You only need to change each image reference once.
5. Create your Blueprint
Now that your demo content is ready, it’s time to configure your Playground site using a Blueprint.
A Blueprint defines how Playground sets up your demo — which theme to install, which content to import, and which options to apply.
Understand the Blueprint structure
The Blueprint file has two main parts:
Settings – placed in the root of the document.
Steps – actions listed in an array that Playground runs in order. You can learn more in the Blueprint documentation.
Here’s an outline of a starter JSON file:
{ "$schema": "https://playground.wordpress.net/blueprint-schema.json", "login": true, ... more settings, "steps": [ { "step":"installTheme" { } }, { "step":"importWXR" { } } more steps... ] } The first line ($schema) is optional.
Adding it helps your IDE validate syntax, suggest properties, and catch possible errors.
Add basic settings
The first setting is “login”: true.
If you don’t need specific credentials, this shorthand automatically gives visitors admin access on the demo site.
If you prefer more control, review the Blueprint step documentation and the Blueprint Gallery for different scenarios.
Clean the default WordPress content
Each new WordPress install includes sample content — a post, a comment, and a page — which can interfere with your demo.
You can add a step to the Blueprint to remove the content by executing a WP-CLI command:
{ "step": "wp-cli", "command": "wp site empty --yes" }, Import your demo content
To import the content specifically, leverage the importWxr step — using the raw.githubusercontent.com domain to point to your *.xml file.
{      "step": "importWxr",      "file": {        "resource": "url",        "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wptrainingteam/tt5-demo-blueprint/main/playgroundcontent.xml"      } } Install and activate the theme
Next, install and activate the theme you want to demo.
It can come from the WordPress repository, a ZIP file, or a directory of theme files.
This example uses the default Twenty Twenty-Five theme:
{         "step": "installTheme",         "themeData": {             "resource": "wordpress.org/themes",             "slug": "twentytwentyfive" }, "options": { "activate": true     }     }, Set Site options
You might also want to set a few Site options. You can use a step or the shorthand to setSiteOptions:
For the links to category pages and navigation menus to work, you’ll need to enable pretty permalinks. You can also set values for the blog name and description to make it more enticing. To fully set up your demo, you’ll probably also want to configure your front page and blog page. The snippet below shows how to implement these settings:
"setSiteOptions": {        "blogname": "Twenty-Twenty-Five",        "blogdescription": "The WordPress default theme",        "show_on_front": "page",        "page_on_front": 80,        "page_for_posts": 26, "permalink_structure": "/%postname%/"    } The numbers for page_on_front and page_for_posts match the post IDs in your imported content.
This works because the site was emptied before import.
Optional: Add plugins
You can also include plugins — for example, block collections or WooCommerce.
Here’s the shorthand for installing the “Block Visibility,” “Public Post Preview,” and “Gutenberg” plugins and activating them.
To add more plugins, just add them to the array:
{ "plugins": [ "block-visibility","public-post-preview", "gutenberg" ] } Combine everything
Now that you’ve added each step, it’s time to combine them into one complete Blueprint file.
This final JSON defines your entire demo site setup — from cleaning the default content to installing your theme, importing posts, and setting site options:
{   "$schema": "https://playground.wordpress.net/blueprint-schema.json",   "login": true,   "steps": [     {         "step": "wp-cli",         "command": "wp site empty --yes"     },     {       "step": "updateUserMeta",       "meta": {           "admin_color": "modern"       },       "userId": 1     },     {         "step": "installTheme",         "themeData": {             "resource": "wordpress.org/themes",             "slug": "twentytwentyfive"         },         "options": {             "activate": true         }     },     {       "step": "importWxr", "file": { "resource": "url", "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wptrainingteam/tt5-demo-blueprint/main/playground-content.xml" }     },     {       "step": "setSiteOptions",       "options": {         "blogname": "Theme Demo ",         "blogdescription": "A preview of a theme",         "show_on_front": "page", "page_on_front": 80, "page_for_posts": 26,         "permalink_structure": "/%postname%/"       }     }   ],    "plugins": [ "block-visibility","public-post-preview", "gutenberg" ], } 6. Test your Blueprint
Before sharing your demo, test the Blueprint in Playground to confirm that every step runs correctly and your theme appears as intended.
Open your Playground URL to launch the demo site and check that:
The theme installs and activates properly.
All pages, posts, and menus from the .xml import display.
Images load from the GitHub /media folder.
Permalinks and front-page settings work as expected. If something looks off, review your blueprint.json for typos or missing commas.
Blueprints are declarative, so even a small syntax issue can interrupt setup. Fix any issues locally, upload the corrected file to GitHub, and refresh the Playground link to test again.
7. Share your Blueprint
Finally, upload your blueprint.json file to GitHub and share the Playground URL with the Blueprint query parameter.
You can use a URL shortener such as Bitly to track usage.
For example:
https://playground.wordpress.net/?blueprint-url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wptrainingteam/tt5-demo-blueprint/main/blueprint.json
The complete theme demo is available on GitHub and includes:
The content to import Images and assets in the /media folder The blueprint.json file The Bash script to help with the attachment URL replacements Tip: The Blueprints documentation offers many ways to configure your Playground instance for your or your clients’ needs.
Learn more about Blueprints and Playground
Now that you’ve learned how to use Playground to showcase your products, explore these guides on the WordPress Developer Blog:
Introduction to Playground: running WordPress in the browser Exploring the future of web development with WebAssembly and PHP How to use WordPress Playground for interactive demos You can also apply this knowledge in WordPress Studio, which now supports Blueprints.
Learn more here. View the full article

By Drewfus · January 5Jan 5
Is WordPress Free? Yes and No — Here’s Why

WordPress itself is free and open source, but getting a site online always involves costs like a domain and hosting.
In this guide, you’ll learn what WordPress includes for free and what you should realistically expect to pay for when running a full website.
Is WordPress really free? Yes, but with a caveat
WordPress core software is free and open source under the General Public License (GPL). You don’t pay to download it, install it, or build with it.
What does cost money is putting your website online. To publish a full site, you’ll need at least:
A domain: your site’s address Hosting: the service that keeps your site running and available to visitors Everything else — premium themes, plugins, or advanced features — is optional depending on what you want your site to do.
Want to test the waters first? Start free on WordPress.com today.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com: How the cost differs
Both options let you start a WordPress site for free — the difference is how hosting, maintenance, and site setup are handled. With WordPress.org, hosting and technical setup are your responsibility; with WordPress.com, they’re covered at the platform level.
Here’s a quick summary:
WordPress.com provides free access to WordPress software. You can then upgrade to paid plans to benefit from managed WordPress hosting that handles security, updates, backups, and performance for you. WordPress.org also offers the free WordPress software, but you’re responsible for finding a hosting provider and buying a domain, as well as setting up any additional tools or services you want to use. What you get for free with WordPress — and why
The WordPress software is free because it’s open source, and the GPL license ensures it will always be available to use, study, and modify at no cost.
Anyone can publish, build improvements, or add new extensions — continuing the project’s mission of open, community-driven web publishing.
Overall, you can access:
The WordPress website builder; there is no license fee to download or use it Hundreds of free themes and plugins available in the WordPress ecosystem The ability to export, move, and reuse your site’s files wherever you choose WordPress Studio, a free local development app for building and testing sites on your computer What costs extra when you use WordPress
Running a fully functional website always incurs costs regardless of the web builder or host you use.
Here’s what you need to budget for.
Domain name
A domain name usually costs under $30 annually. Most web hosts, including WordPress.com, offer free domains in the first year on any paid annual plan.
On WordPress.com, popular domain extensions like .com, .org, and .net average $13 per year.
Web hosting
Web hosting can cost anywhere from a few dollars per month to hundreds for higher-traffic or enterprise sites.
The price depends on the type of hosting you choose, the resources included, and how much traffic your site receives.
As your traffic grows and you exceed your plan’s limits, you may also need to upgrade — e.g., going from 35,000 to 105,000 monthly visits can raise costs from about $35 to $90 per month, adding roughly $660 per year.
WordPress.com takes a different approach. Every paid plan includes unlimited bandwidth and visits for a predictable monthly price (from $4 to $45 with annual billing), along with security protections, backups, updates, and expert support.
Premium plugins and themes
Premium WordPress plugins and themes come with annual license fees — these are optional upgrades offering advanced functionality or more professional designs.
Prices vary widely, with most plugins falling in the $20–$200/year range and premium themes costing $20–$100+, depending on the provider and features.
For example, the Sensei Pro plugin ($9/month) lets you create, manage, and sell online courses — a useful upgrade for creators growing their knowledge businesses online.
Development and maintenance costs
Hiring third-party professionals for custom development or ongoing maintenance can range anywhere from $15 to over $200 per hour, depending on their experience and the complexity of the work.
This is common in WordPress setups where hosting, updates, backups, security, and performance are not handled at the platform level, and responsibility ultimately sits with the site owner.
On WordPress.com, advanced security, performance optimization, and automatic updates and backups are included in your plan — saving you the effort of paying separate services.
You get SSL certificates, DDoS protection, encryption, brute force prevention, advanced firewalls, and more.
Tip: If you prefer a hands-on workflow, WordPress Studio is a free tool that lets you build and test WordPress sites locally before publishing them anywhere. It’s useful for developers and creators who want full control during the building phase.
Other considerations (email, ecommerce, monetization, etc.)
Hosting covers the basics, but many site features — especially for email, marketing, monetization, and ecommerce — typically add $5–$60+ per month.
These can include:
Business email, SMTP, and newsletter tools Payment processing and subscription features Ecommerce add-ons like shipping tools or advanced WooCommerce extensions Performance and marketing upgrades, such as CDNs, analytics tools, or SEO assistants On WordPress.com, many of these extras are already included, so you get built-in tools for ecommerce, newsletters, social sharing, memberships, performance, and AI content generation — without stacking add-on fees.
You also get access to the AI website builder that lets you generate and set up your entire website using simple text prompts.
Here’s what it looks like:
Benefits of using WordPress
After breaking down what different parts of a WordPress site may cost, let’s look at what you get in return.
Here are the key benefits of using WordPress:
Scalability and performance: WordPress is a great choice for any website, and WordPress.com’s full-stack performance infrastructure keeps your site fast even during traffic spikes. SEO friendliness: WordPress uses clean, crawlable code, and WordPress.com automates essential SEO tasks, including generating sitemaps. Themes and plugins: You can choose from 100,000+ themes and plugins to add features — like crowdfunding, quizzes, memberships, etc. — without hiring developers. Customization and ownership: As open-source software, WordPress gives you full control over design, functionality, and long-term ownership — which is also true for WordPress.com. Support and community: WordPress has a huge global community, and WordPress.com paid plans include 24/7 expert support from our Happiness Engineers. Tip: WordPress.com also includes essentials like Jetpack for security, backups, and analytics, so you don’t need multiple add-ons and extensive experience to successfully grow your website.
Start your website journey with WordPress.com
The WordPress software itself is free, but running a fully functional website always involves costs — hosting, a custom domain, and the premium features you need to operate your site reliably.
If you want everything handled in one place, WordPress.com simplifies the entire setup.
You get managed WordPress hosting with automatic updates and backups, built-in security monitoring, unmetered bandwidth and visits, a free domain for the first year, expert support, and tools like the AI Website Builder.
Launch your site on WordPress.com View the full article

By Drewfus · December 23, 2025Dec 23
What Is WordPress Hosting? A Simple Breakdown

WordPress hosting helps you get a WordPress site online faster and keep it running smoothly by reducing setup and configuration work.
This guide explains what WordPress hosting is, how it differs from other hosting options, and what to look for in a provider.
What is WordPress hosting?
WordPress hosting is a specialized type of web hosting built and optimized for running WordPress. It gives you the right environment and features to keep your site fast, secure, and low-maintenance.
WordPress hosting becomes relevant as soon as you create a WordPress site, since it’s prepared for how WordPress works.
Such hosting plans typically include:
WordPress pre-installed or one-click installation A domain name (often bundled in the plan) Built-in security features like backups or malware scanning Performance optimizations for WordPress (PHP versions, caching, database tuning) Support teams familiar with WordPress Tip: WordPress.com offers a fully managed WordPress environment with automatic updates, built-in performance tools, and a secure infrastructure designed to scale with your site.
How does hosting actually work?
Hosting stores your website on a server and shows it to people when they visit your domain.
When someone types yourblogsname.com into their browser, their device requests your website’s information from your hosting provider’s server — a computer that is always online.
The server then locates your site’s files and sends them to the visitor’s browser so the page can load.
In turn, the page’s loading time depends on your hosting plan and provider.
The bottom line: every host follows the same basic flow, but not all of them optimize it for WordPress.
Tip: If you’re curious to know what powers that speed, this behind-the-scenes tour of WordPress.com’s data centers explains it really well.
WordPress hosting vs. regular web hosting
Regular web hosting gives you a standard server where you set up WordPress yourself, while WordPress hosting provides an environment already optimized for it.
This usually means WordPress is faster to install, performance settings are already tuned for it, and getting started takes less work.
Tip: Web hosting comes in different types (e.g., VPS, dedicated, cloud), which describe how server resources are allocated. WordPress hosting works on top of these by optimizing the environment specifically for WordPress.
Here’s how regular web hosting and WordPress hosting compare across key areas:
FeatureRegular web hostingWordPress hostingBuilt forAny type of websiteOptimized specifically for WordPress sitesSetupYou install and configure WordPress yourselfWordPress is pre-installed, or ready in one clickMaintenanceYou manage updates, backups, security tools, caching, and troubleshootingThe hosting environment is pre-tuned for WordPress, reducing initial setup and configuration workSpeedDepends on the server setup and how well you configure WordPressServer settings (PHP, caching, database tuning) are optimized for WordPress out of the boxSecurityHost defaults + whatever WordPress protections you add manuallyComes with WordPress-friendly security defaults (firewall rules, malware scanning, HTTPS)Ease of useMore manual setup and configurationEasier onboarding thanks to WordPress-ready defaults and helpful built-in toolsSupportGeneral hosting support; WordPress knowledge variesSupport teams familiar with WordPress, themes, plugins, and common issues These differences explain how WordPress hosting compares to general hosting, but there’s another important layer to consider: how much of the ongoing work the host handles for you.
Managed vs. unmanaged WordPress hosting
Managed WordPress hosting handles updates, security, backups, and performance for you.
With unmanaged WordPress hosting, the host provides the server, but you handle WordPress setup, updates, and maintenance yourself.
The key is choosing a level of management based on how much time and responsibility you want to take on for updates, security, and performance.
How does managed WordPress hosting make things easier?
Managed WordPress hosting gives you a smoother, more predictable experience because you’re not dealing with the technical issues that usually slow site owners down.
Instead of troubleshooting errors, comparing plugins, or fixing problems after updates, the hosting environment prevents most of those issues before they happen.
What this means in practice:
Fewer surprises: Updates and changes don’t break your site unexpectedly. No plugin juggling: You don’t need extra tools for speed, backups, or security. No firefighting: Errors, threats, and performance drops are handled before you ever see them. Consistent stability: Your site behaves the same day-to-day without tuning settings. More time on real work: You spend your effort building pages, writing content, and improving the site experience — not managing the technical side. Tip: Plenty of hosts label their plans as “managed WordPress,” but many are just shared hosting with a few extras. WordPress.com delivers true managed hosting with expert support, built-in security, a global infrastructure, and a 99.999% uptime guarantee.
How to choose the best WordPress hosting provider
The right WordPress host gives you speed, reliable uptime, strong security, and support so you can run your site without extra work.
Here’s what to look for when comparing WordPress hosting providers:
Fast loading speed: Built-in caching, CDN, and servers optimized for WordPress. Reliable uptime: Consistent availability with fast recovery and alerts if issues occur. Built-in security: SSL certificates, malware scanning, and automatic backups at no extra cost. Ease of use: Simple UI and automatic updates, without touching code. Expert WordPress support: Access to support teams trained specifically in WordPress. Room to grow and transparent pricing: Plans that can handle spikes and long-term traffic. WordPress.com, for example, includes unmetered traffic on every plan, so your costs don’t rise as your audience grows. How much work you avoid: Check how much setup, maintenance, performance tuning, and security the host handles for you versus what you’re expected to manage yourself. Go with WordPress.com’s managed hosting
Choosing between hosting options ultimately comes down to your priorities and how much work you’re willing to handle yourself.
The differences we outlined are straightforward:
General web hosting: You get a standard server and install/configure WordPress yourself. WordPress hosting: The server is pre-tuned for WordPress, so setup is quicker and fewer settings need manual adjustment. Managed WordPress hosting: Ongoing updates, security, performance, and backups are also handled for you. If you don’t want to deal with technical upkeep, WordPress.com gives you a fast, fully managed WordPress environment backed by automatic updates and expert support.
Get started with WordPress.com
View the full article

By Drewfus · December 22, 2025Dec 22
How to Build Faster, Safer Local WordPress Dev Workflows for Your Agency

Agencies move quickly. With constant new client builds, redesigns, plugin audits, and last-minute fixes, everything relies on a workflow that’s stable, fast, and consistent across the team.
For many WordPress agencies, the challenge isn’t shipping great work; it’s getting every team member working the same way, on the same stack, without losing time to process.
WordPress Studio was created to remove those slowdowns so agencies can spend more time building and less time wrestling with overhead — giving every developer a consistent workflow and helping agencies deliver higher-quality work in less time.
Watch the complete walkthrough of these agency workflows below, and keep reading to see how each fits into modern agency development with Studio:
Spin up identical development environments for all
Every agency knows the pain of onboarding a new developer, configuring a stack from scratch, or replicating a teammate’s environment.
You can start a clean local site, restore from a backup, or use a Blueprint, a reusable site recipe that defines specs such as which themes and plugins to install, which PHP version to use, and which content or settings to apply.
Using Blueprints means every project starts from the same proven foundation, not from a blank slate, which, for agencies, results in faster onboarding and better handoffs between team members, turning hours of setup work into seconds of standardized automation.
Once you start a Studio site with a Blueprint, you and your team can build from your desired specs rather than a blank slate. This alone compresses hours of administrative work into seconds.
To start a site with Blueprints in Studio:
Click the “Add site” button. Select “Start from a Blueprint,” and you will see a gallery of featured Blueprints and an option to choose your own custom Blueprint file. Select a featured Blueprint that fits your needs or “Choose Blueprint file” and select the JSON file from your computer. Click Continue. On the setup screen, give your site a name. You can open “Advanced settings” for more options. Click “Add site.“ Behind the scenes, Studio will build the site from whichever Blueprint you selected or added. To keep your team aligned across projects, check out our guide to creating custom Blueprints.
Share “always-online” snapshots for faster team and client approvals
Once you’ve created a site in Studio, you can keep your team and clients in the loop with reliable, shareable, and fully online preview sites.
Preview sites allow you to share snapshots of your local builds publicly. They’re built on a temporary domain powered by WordPress.com, and each Studio user can spin up 10 at a time.
The beauty of preview sites is that they’re fully hosted sites — they’re not tunnels that require you to be online for your team and clients to see them. Not only that, you can share login credentials with your team or clients so they can explore the backend as well.
Preview sites are temporary and automatically deleted after seven days. This feature ensures that preview environments are used for short-term feedback and review purposes.
To send a preview site to your team or clients:
Select the local site within the Studio. Click on the Previews tab. Log in to WordPress.com if you haven’t already. Click on the “Create preview site” button. Once the preview site is created, copy your preview site domain and share. You can provide login credentials to folks by clicking the Settings tab in the Studio and copying the username and password under WP Admin. While preview sites are intended for sharing with clients and gathering early feedback for up to seven days, a hosting plan is required to make your site permanently accessible. Use the Studio Sync or Import/Export features to connect your Studio site to a hosting plan.
Stay in sync with staging and prod
When it’s time to go live, Studio Sync helps you move updates with confidence, without wrestling with exports, plugins, or fragile workflows.
Studio Sync allows you to synchronize a WordPress.com or Pressable-hosted staging or production site with your Studio sites in either direction.
Not only that, sync functionality is selective, meaning you have precise control over what gets transferred between Studio and any connected production or staging sites. No more accidentally overwriting the plugins already running smoothly in production or having your local test content affect the live database.
To sync with staging or production:
Select the site you wish to synchronize from the Studio sidebar. Open the Sync tab. Locate the WordPress.com or Pressable-connected site or connect to another one. Making this connection won’t transfer any data; it simply tells Studio which hosted site you want to pull from or push to. Click Pull or Push to open the sync modal. Choose to sync “All files and folders” or “Specific files and folders.” Select the elements you want to synchronize from or to your production or staging environment. You can expand the plugins, themes, and uploads folders to select individual items. Decide whether to include the Database in the sync. Click the Pull or Push button. Sync is an excellent accompaniment to preview sites for agencies. You can pull a live site into Studio, use preview sites to demo your local work for others, and once you’re happy, you can push the changes to staging or production.
There are some requirements for Studio Sync, so be sure to check out the full documentation to get the most out of this feature.
Set your preferences to get into the work faster
A “small but big” feature in Studio is Preferences, allowing you to quickly work on Studio site files in the editor and terminal application you rely on every day.
Once you have a Studio site running, you’ll notice some buttons under the “Open in…” heading on the Overview tab.
You can specify which code editor and terminal app you use in your everyday workflows in the Studio preferences menu — click on the user icon in the top right corner to open “User Settings,” then click the Preference tab and make your selections.
Work on development sites locally
If you’re part of our free agency program, Automattic for Agencies, you have access to five free development sites.
These are fully-hosted WordPress.com websites that act as staging sites, and if you want to work on them locally in a safe, isolated environment, you can use Studio’s sync feature.
To spin up a development site and sync it to and from Studio:
Log into your Automattic for Agencies account. Click the Marketplace button from the sidebar, then click Hosting and Standard. Scroll down to find the Start building for free section, and click on the “Create a development site →” button. Specify your site address, PHP version, and primary data center, and click “Create site.” This will be a fully-hosted development site on WordPress.com. Once the site is created, it can be synced into Studio by following the syncing instructions above.
It’s a workflow that keeps everything aligned — your local builds, your development site, and your final production push — without the tool mismatch, manual migration steps, or “which version is this?” confusion agencies often battle.
This means fewer unknowns and faster turnaround times across your entire portfolio.
Streamline your agency’s workflows with Studio
When your team moves fast, every slowdown compounds. The tools you use can create friction or remove it — and Studio is built to remove it.
From spinning up consistent environments to sharing always-on previews and safely syncing with staging and production, it gives agencies a clearer path from first draft to final delivery.
It cuts through the messy parts of WordPress development so your team can stay focused on the work clients actually see.
Plus, the WordPress.com team supporting Studio ships updates fast and often, so you can always expect new features and performance enhancements to streamline your workflows further. And if you have any feature requests for the team, we encourage you to open an issue on GitHub.
Try WordPress Studio for free and give your team a faster, more reliable way to build and ship on WordPress.
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By Drewfus · December 19, 2025Dec 19
When Typepad Shut Down, We Helped 3,684 Blogs Find a New Home

30 days’ notice. Years of memories at stake. Here’s how WordPress.com stepped up.
On August 28, 2025, Typepad announced it was shutting down.
Creators who’d been blogging since the early 2000s suddenly faced an impossible deadline: save everything or lose it forever in 30 days.
We couldn’t let that happen.
A race against the clock
By September 30 — Typepad’s official shutdown date — 3,684 blogs had successfully migrated to WordPress.com.
And here’s the thing: these weren’t small archives.
Some creators brought over 3,400+ posts, thousands of images, and nearly 10,000 comments dating back to 2005.
The migration wasn’t always smooth. Typepad’s export files often didn’t include media. Some archives were massive — multi-gigabyte files that required special handling.
But we worked through each case, one by one.
More than websites
For many creators, this move was about preserving a body of work — not just keeping a site online.
Book launches chronicled post-by-post. Family milestones captured over the years. Niche communities that had grown over a decade or more.
Most were individual bloggers. Many had been writing for 10, 15, even 20+ years.
One blogger with 3,400 posts, 9,000+ images, and 7,000 comments going back to February 2005:
“Truly bowled over by the level of service and the courtesy and friendliness! Wish I’d made the move long ago.”
Another with a similarly massive archive shared:
“I see all of my Typepad posts on WordPress! I am so happy I am crying! Thank you so very much! This feels huge for me!”
That’s exactly why we do this.
How the migration worked
The process was straightforward in theory: export your Typepad archive, import it to WordPress.com, done.
In practice? Not always that simple.
Typepad’s exports often arrived without media. Some archives were enormous — we’re talking decades of posts crammed into multi-gigabyte files.
Our team worked through the tricky cases hands-on, making sure nothing got left behind.
Once the dust settled, many creators took the opportunity to pick a fresh theme or finally clean up years of messy categories.
A forced move turned into a fresh start.
Your archives deserve a stable home
Platforms come and go. Your work shouldn’t have to.
WordPress.com is built for the long haul — with speed, security, automatic backups, and support whenever you need it.
Whether you’re running a personal journal or a publication with thousands of posts, there’s room to grow.
We’re honored to welcome thousands of Typepad creators to WordPress.com. Your archives matter — and now they have a home built to last.
Thinking about moving your blog? Get started here or reach out to our support team — we’re happy to help.

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By Drewfus · December 18, 2025Dec 18
How to Manage Multiple Client Sites with WordPress Studio

Managing multiple client sites often means juggling local setups, updates, and changes across different environments.
It works — until the workflow starts getting in your way.
Small issues, like inconsistent configurations, overwritten files, and repetitive setup tasks, can all add up and slow you down.
WordPress Studio simplifies all of that.
The free, open-source tool lets you spin up local sites quickly, share previews instantly, and move changes between environments without the usual hassle — helping you focus on creating rather than configuring and troubleshooting.
Here’s how you can use it to manage multiple client WordPress sites.
Step 1: Set up a new local site
You have three options for creating a new site in WordPress Studio:
Start with a blank site: Create a fresh WordPress installation. Start from a Blueprint: Build a preconfigured site using a “recipe.” Import from a backup: Use the backup of an existing site. Here are more details on those three options.
Start with a blank site
Starting with a blank site creates a fresh WordPress installation using the default out-of-the-box configuration.
This option works well for one-off builds, but Studio can save even more time once you start using Blueprints.
Start from a Blueprint
Blueprints are reusable JSON files that act as recipes for creating preconfigured local sites — they’re one of the key ways that Studio helps you save time and reduce repetitive tasks.
Instead of setting up each project from scratch, you can create Blueprints for various website types (e.g., blogs or online stores) — defining everything your site needs, from WordPress and PHP versions to themes, plugins, settings, and content.
The Studio Assistant and interactive builder help you generate these automatically — simply tell the AI-powered assistant the site configuration, and it will create the Blueprint.
To use a Blueprint in Studio, choose “Start from a Blueprint” and either pick one of the featured options or upload your own Blueprint file.
Studio currently offers three featured Blueprints (you can preview each in WordPress Playground):
Quick Start: A WordPress.com-like setup with the plugins and themes included on new Business-plan sites. Development: A configuration for theme and plugin developers, with debug settings and tools like Query Monitor, Plugin Check, Theme Check, and Create Block Theme. Commerce: A WooCommerce-ready setup with companion plugins for building online stores. You can also browse the WordPress Blueprints Gallery for community-created configurations.
Import a site from a backup file
Note: Sites on the WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans don’t need to be imported from a backup. Instead, they can use the Studio Sync feature. This is more powerful and efficient than importing from a backup file.
You can also import a WordPress site into Studio from a backup file. This is useful if you have an existing site you’d like to work on locally.
Follow these steps to import from a backup file:
Install one of the supported backup plugins, such as the free All-in-One WP Migration and Backup plugin, on the site you’d like to import into Studio.
Then, create a backup of the site (WP Admin → All-in-One WP Migration → Backups → Create Backup).
From here, download the backup file and load it into WordPress Studio.
When you’re done working on the local version, use the plugin to create a new backup and import that backup into the live site.
Step: Configure your local site
Studio lets you configure each local site to match the hosted environment, making sure they’re compatible.
The local site’s environment can be configured from the “Advanced settings” panel.
Whether you start with a blank site, a Blueprint, or a backup, Studio lets you adjust a range of optional settings for your local environment. For example, you can:
Set a custom local path: Define where the site folder is stored on your computer. Change the WordPress version: Use the latest release, a specific version, or a Beta/Nightly build (useful for testing upcoming releases). Change the PHP version: Match your hosting environment or test different versions. Use a custom domain (must end with .local): Make accessing your local site in the browser easier. Use SSL to enable HTTPS: Enable HTTPS on your local site so it closely resembles a live environment. Tip: You can change these settings after you’ve created a site.
After configuring the environment, you can also set up the tools you want Studio to use while you work.
These settings can be accessed from Settings → Preferences.
Your preferred tools will be used when accessing the site from the “Open in…” section of the Overview tab.
Step 3: Develop and collaborate
Once your local site is configured, you can begin developing and testing changes.
WordPress Studio applies updates instantly as you work, so you can move quickly and collaborate without delays.
Build locally
Your local site updates in real time — whether you’re editing files, adjusting settings in WP Admin, or adding plugins and themes.
When you do need to add plugins or themes, you can install them through WP Admin just as you would on a hosted site, or drop the files directly into the site’s folders.
If you use certain plugins or themes regularly, keeping them on your computer makes adding them to each new project even faster.
Tip: If you reuse the same plugins across projects, Blueprints (from Step 1) let you spin up sites preconfigured with your preferred plugins, themes, and settings. Studio’s AI Assistant can also help you make updates to your local sites.
Edit individual files
Beyond installing plugins and themes, you can also edit your site’s files directly.
Studio gives you quick access to those files from the Overview tab.
The “Open in…” section gives you quick access to the site’s files and folders.
This is useful if you want to edit a local site’s files, including plugin or theme files, in your preferred code editor.
Each time you edit and save a file, your local site will immediately start using the updated version — there’s no need to wait for files to upload to a server.
Tip: Our blog post on Local WordPress Development Workflows Using WordPress Studio includes a helpful section on the ideal development workflow, whether you’re creating sites, plugins, or themes.
Share a preview of a local site
While working on a site, you can also use the preview feature to get client and collaborator feedback.
Previews are a useful addition to any workflow because they help you get more accurate feedback, faster.
This way, your clients get to experience the site for themselves, instead of relying on inefficient screenshots or video walkthroughs.
All you need to do is share the temporary URL with clients and team members, and they can inspect the site snapshot remotely.
The preview feature is powered by WordPress.com and uses a temporary domain (wp.build).
The main aspects of the preview sites feature include:
One-time snapshot: Any changes you make to the site after creating the preview won’t be applied to the preview (unless you update it). This lets you continue to work on the local site without affecting the preview. WP Admin access: Anyone with a WordPress user account on the site can log in to the preview to access WP Admin. Free functionality: You don’t need hosting to create a preview site, just a free WordPress.com account. Create multiple preview sites: You can have up to 10 preview sites at a time. Seven-day access: Preview sites are temporary and are deleted after seven days, but updating a site restarts the seven-day expiry period. Step 4: Connect and sync with a remote site
After building locally, use Studio’s Sync feature to synchronize your local and hosted sites in either direction (push or pull).
The user-friendly interface and ability to selectively sync reduce the risk of accidental overwrites that can happen when transferring files manually.
Tip: Sync is available on WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans. These plans have Jetpack enabled by default, so your hosted site can connect to Studio and use Sync without any extra setup.
You can synchronize between a local site and the hosted production and staging environments.
Synchronizing with the staging site is especially useful as it lets you test your work in a private hosted environment before moving it to the live production site.
As Studio supports selective sync, you can push or pull only the files, folders, or database tables you need.
Thanks to selective sync, it’s easy to push just a theme from your local site to your hosted WordPress.com site and vice versa, leaving the rest of the site intact.
A backup is created when you initiate a sync, so you can restore your site if necessary. An email notification is also sent when the sync completes.
Step 5: Test on staging and push changes
Now it’s time to test the site in a staging environment — a feature available to WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans.
This gives you a safe place to identify issues before they go live.
For the best results, follow one of these workflows after creating a WordPress.com staging site:
Go to your Sites list in the WordPress.com dashboard. Select the site you want to create a staging site for. Open the Overview tab and click the “Add staging site +” link. You can use the switcher to change between the production and staging environments.
See the WordPress.com documentation to find out how staging sites work.
Now that your staging site is set up, here are two workflows that show how to use WordPress Studio when working on client sites:
Workflow for new sites
This workflow for building a new client site involves creating a local site, sharing a preview, pushing to the staging site, and then pushing to the production site.
Follow these steps:
Create a new local site in Studio. Use the Preview feature to share your work with the client. Once the client approves the work, push the local site to the staging environment. After testing, push the staging site to the production environment to make it available online. WordPress.com has a built-in Coming Soon mode with a preview feature that’s useful for controlling access to sites in development.
Workflow for existing sites
This workflow lets you update an existing live site without overwriting important content or disrupting anything outside the changes you’ve made.
Selective Sync ensures you don’t overwrite important live content — such as form submissions, comments, orders, or anything added while you were working.
For this scenario:
Use Studio’s Sync feature to pull the entire live site to a local site. Update the local site, such as editing the theme files. Use the Preview feature to share those changes with the client. After client approval, selectively sync the theme files to push them from the local site to the staging site. Test the staging site. If everything works as expected, push the relevant files and folders from the staging site to the production site without syncing the database. The live site now includes your theme changes, and any other updates made while you were working locally won’t be overwritten.
Step 6: Scale across multiple clients
Once your workflow is in place, WordPress Studio makes it easy to scale your process across multiple client projects.
Instead of repeating setup work or jumping between disconnected tools, you can reuse configurations, switch between projects instantly, and keep each site organized and isolated.
Use Studio’s core actions to stay efficient as your client list grows:
Create: Set up a separate local site for each client — start with a fresh installation, use a Blueprint, or import a backup. Switch: Move easily between projects by switching between local sites. Share: Use the Preview feature to share work with clients and collaborators. Sync: If you’re on WordPress.com Business or Commerce plans, use Sync to transfer work between local, staging, and production environments. Streamline client projects with WordPress Studio
WordPress Studio is a fast, open-source, and free way to build and manage local WordPress sites.
It helps you save time, share work with clients more effectively, and reduce errors when transferring files.
Blueprints let you spin up consistent, pre-configured sites in seconds, reducing setup time and repetitive work — so you can receive and apply client feedback with ease.
If you’re using WordPress.com’s Business or Commerce plans, Sync adds an extra layer by letting you move work between local, staging, and production safely and with confidence.
The bottom line: No matter where the final site is hosted, Studio helps you manage multiple client projects with less overhead and more control.
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By Drewfus · December 17, 2025Dec 17

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21 Types of WordPress Sites You Can Build with AI

WordPress has evolved far beyond its blogging roots and can now power almost any kind of site — from personal sites and portfolios to memberships, news sites, and full business websites.
And with its new AI website builder, designing a website has become even easier — simple text prompts are enough to turn your ideas into a working site for any need.

I challenged myself to build 21 different types of websites using this tool.
Here are the results, along with pro tips for prompting, design, page structure, and more.
1. Portfolio website
A portfolio website helps share your creative work, whether that’s writing, photography, design, video production, or something else.
You can send it to clients to highlight your expertise and share work samples.

Here’s the prompt I used with the AI site builder to build a portfolio site:

“Create a portfolio website called ‘Rochi’s Portfolio’ to display my long-form writing services for tech companies. There should be five sections on the site: Introduction, Work Samples, Testimonials, How I Work, and Contact Form. Use warm colors, a minimalistic design, and a friendly tone.”
In under five minutes, I got a clean, ready-to-use portfolio site that I could refine with the AI chat by adding content, examples, and customizations.
Key pages and features of portfolio sites
Work samples: Add a dedicated page showing your work samples, or use a new section in a one-page website to showcase your top portfolio pieces.
Service details: Add a page or section about the services you offer, including your timeline, working process, and prices (if you’re comfortable). This gives a potential client a good idea of what they can expect while working with you.
Contact methods: Make it clear how visitors can inquire about your services. You can mention your email, or better yet, use a Form block so leads can fill out the necessary details without leaving your website. You bring the idea — AI makes it real
Use our AI website builder for free today.
Try it now -> 2. Resume/CV website
A resume website is your CV in digital form. It offers a unique and interactive experience for hiring managers and more room for creativity when showcasing your skills.

Here’s the prompt I used in WordPress.com’s AI website builder to create a resume site:

“Build a resume website for Rochi Zalani to showcase my abilities as a content writer. The design should feel professional, minimal, and easy to scan. Include four pages: Home, About, Testimonials, and Contact.”
Key pages and features of resume/CV sites
About page: Your homepage is your resume itself. But beyond that, it’s a great way to demonstrate your personality and skills beyond the work-related confines of a CV. You don’t need to complicate it — talk about your hobbies, interests, and professional journey.
Testimonials and endorsements: Ask your previous employers to write a brief testimonial about what it’s like working with you. Add a new page or a section on your homepage with their endorsements. This social proof will help you build trust with future employers.
Contact methods: Use a Form block or include your email on your homepage so prospective employers can easily reach out. Tip: Keep your initial prompts detailed and specific, but focused. Always use the AI chat to refine your initial site — add pages, adjust content, request new features, and ask for improvement ideas.
3. Personal website
A personal website can be anything — a blog about your hobbies, a creative outlet, a journal, a place to build your side projects, etc. It’s your own corner of the internet and helps you connect with people who share your interests.

I wanted to create a personal website documenting my travel experiences and recommendations.
Here’s the prompt I used to create this site:

“Create a personal website documenting my travel experiences and recommendations called ‘The Nomad Freelancer.’ Include five pages: Home, About, Budget Trips, Luxury Travel, and Travel Tips. The design should be bright and colorful.”
Key pages and features of personal websites
About page: Include a page with details about you and your website so readers know what to expect from it. Share why you began your site, and sprinkle it with some personality.
Social links: Invite visitors to connect with you beyond your site. Use the Social Icons block to integrate your social media accounts into your website. 4. Link‑in‑bio page
A link-in-bio site is mainly for social media creators who send followers to their bio to get a link, a download, an offer, etc.
Since most platforms limit how many links you can add to your social media profile, a link-in-bio page is a great workaround.
You can combine everything in one place and use it to share affiliate links, discount codes, freebies, and more.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a link-in-bio page:

“Create a link-in-bio website called ‘Rochi’s recs.’ Include the following pages: Home, Instagram, TikTok, Top recommendations, and Newsletter. The CTA on the homepage should be to “Stay connected,” which leads to the Newsletter page. Use bold colors and eye-catching visuals.”
Key pages and features of link‑in‑bio pages
Top recommendations: Add a separate page for your most-loved product recommendations. This allows your followers to find your favorite items without digging through your social media posts.
Platform-specific pages: If you have built a presence on multiple social media sites, add separate pages for each platform. Your audience can easily navigate to the profile where they already follow you to find your recommendations.
Newsletter: Add a newsletter to your site to grow your email list. This helps you deepen your relationship with your social media audience and connect with them beyond the algorithm. 5. Blogging website
A blogging website can be a part of a larger business or a personal endeavor.
You can create a blog around your hobbies (similar to a personal site) or focus on a niche topic to build an audience and monetize through ads, sponsored content, affiliate links, and more.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a blogging website about influencer marketing:

“Build a website called ‘Influencing Right’ for influencer marketers looking for pro tips to improve their creator marketing strategy. Include five pages: Home, Research Reports, Sponsored Campaigns, Free Strategy Template, and About. The tone should be warm and friendly.”
Key pages and features of blogging websites
Category pages: Use different pages to categorize various posts on your blog. For example, if you’re starting a productivity blog, you can create categories around time management, productivity tools, and organization tips. Use the Categories List block on WordPress.com to display the various topics on your site.
Lead magnet page: Create a freebie that you can offer to your website visitors as a lead magnet. This lets you collect their emails so you can stay connected with readers and encourage recurring visitors to your site.
About page: Explain why you’re starting the website, and establish your expertise. This helps build trust and lends authority to your posts. 6. Business website
You can also create a business website to sell almost anything — digital products, merchandise, services, etc.
Your small business needs a site so people can learn about your products, company, or services. It establishes credibility and allows customers to learn more about your brand.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a site offering cleaning services:

“Create a multipage website for a cleaning business. Add pages: Home, About, Services, Pricing, Testimonials, Contact. Use a clean, modern layout with blue colors and simple, professional but friendly copy.”
Key pages and features of business websites
Appointment booking: Use a scheduling plugin that allows potential customers to check your availability and book a service appointment through your site.
FAQ answers: Have a section or page dedicated to answering your customers’ common questions. For example, if you sell merch, answer questions about your refund or exchange policy.
Business details: Depending on your business model, create a section or website page sharing key product or service information. For example, if you have a brick-and-mortar store, enter your business hours and map location. 7. Landing page
A landing page is a single, focused page designed to drive one action — for example, collecting emails, promoting a product, booking a call, launching something new, or running paid ads.
Landing pages work well when you want a clean, distraction-free layout that guides visitors toward a single CTA.
Here’s the prompt I used to create a high-converting landing page:
“Create a conversion-focused landing page for a digital product called ‘Influencer Briefs,’ which are brief templates used by marketers. The page should include: a strong hero section with a centered headline and one CTA (‘Download the template’), a problem/solution section, what’s included, testimonials, and a FAQ. Use clean, modern design with bold accents and minimal distractions.”
Key pages and features of landing pages
Hero section: Add a centered headline with one clear CTA, plus a short value statement that explains what the visitor gets. Offer overview + social proof: Combine your problem/solution, what’s included, and a few testimonials or logos into one streamlined section. Conversion elements: Include a simple form or repeated CTA at the bottom of the page, plus a short FAQ to resolve hesitation (questions about refunds, access, delivery, etc.). 8. Nonprofit website
Nonprofit websites can help nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) promote their work, raise funds, recruit volunteers, and provide a company history.
A dedicated website also makes it easier to organize events and stay connected with your community.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a nonprofit website for an educational organization:

“Create a modern, inspiring website for an educational NGO called ‘Education for All.’ The site should feel hopeful, community-driven, and trustworthy, with bright, positive colors and warm photography. Include the following pages and sections: Homepage with a prominent CTA to ‘Get involved,’ Mission Statement page, Programs page, and Impact page. Make the overall site feel credible, community-focused, and mission-driven.”
Key pages and features of nonprofit websites
Programs and impact pages: Create separate pages for future campaigns and to highlight successful past events. This can help attract more volunteers and donations.
Mission page: Dedicate a page to explaining what you do, along with a brief company history. Spotlight the founders and the team to help people understand and connect to your company’s values and goals.
Donate and volunteer page: Use the Donations Form block to accept donations via your site, and use a Form block for people to register their interest in volunteering. 9. Restaurant or café website
A restaurant or café site helps familiarize people with key information, such as your working hours, menu, prices, location, and special offers.
You can also use it to encourage customers to sign up for a loyalty program, book a table, or order online.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a site for a Japanese restaurant:

“Create a clean, modern website for a Japanese restaurant called Sakura, inspired by minimalist Japanese design and warm, natural textures. Include the following pages: Home, Menu, Reservations, Contact, and Locate Us. The homepage should feature a hero image of signature Japanese dishes, highlighted specials, operating hours, and a clear ‘Reserve Now’ button. Make the website elegant, mobile-friendly, and visually focused on authentic Japanese cuisine.”
Key pages and features of restaurant sites
Locate us: Have a dedicated page or section with your address so people can locate your restaurant or café easily. If you have multiple locations, create a dedicated page to highlight their precise locations. You can also use the Map block feature to make your customers’ experience interactive and ease site navigation.
Menu: Upload a snapshot of your menu in a dedicated page so people can see exactly what you offer, including prices. Include CTA options to book a table and order online on this page as well.
Special offers: Use the homepage to highlight any special or seasonal offers you’re running. Add a newsletter form or a website chat plugin encourage customers to sign up for regular updates. 10. Educational or course website
You can also create an educational site, whether it’s a knowledge base for a specific topic or a site to inform your customers about business-related topics.
Course websites allow you to host and sell an educational course, making it interactive through features such as polls or community plugins.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to build a site selling a course on YouTube growth:

“Create a modern, conversion-focused website for an online course brand called ‘Freelance Writer Pro,’ which teaches people how to earn money via freelance writing. Include the following pages: Home, Courses, Pricing, Testimonials, and About. The homepage should highlight the main course, student success stories, and a strong CTA saying ‘Earn your first $100 via freelance writing.’ Use bold, energetic colors, clean typography, and visuals. Make the site mobile-friendly and optimized for selling digital courses.”
Key pages and features of educational course websites
Courses or topics overview: Create an overview page or section that lists the topics of your educational site. If you’re selling a course (or multiple courses), you can create a page to describe the course’s content. This helps readers easily navigate your site and get clarity on your offerings.
Pricing page: If you’re selling a course, create a pricing page with your payment policy, refund options, and FAQs. If you’re offering tiered pricing, include a table about what each plan includes.
About page: Use the about page to showcase your expertise in the site topic. Explain why you’re the right person to learn from, highlighting your experience or credentials to build trust. 11. Membership or subscription website
If you sell a membership or subscription of any sort, you need a website to manage it.
This enhances your members’ experience, makes it easy to share exclusive content, and encourages community participation.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a membership site for content marketers:

“Build a modern, professional membership website called ‘Content Marketer Collective,’ designed for content marketers who want ongoing training, templates, and community support. Include these pages: Home, Membership benefits, Pricing, Content library, About, Support, and Login. The homepage should highlight the core value — weekly resources, templates, live sessions, and expert feedback. Make the design clean, editorial, and conversion-focused.”
Key pages and features of membership websites
“Who is it for” section: Add a dedicated section about who your ideal member is. This helps ensure the right people self-select themselves for your subscription, reducing your need to filter applicants manually.
Membership overview: Include a page or section explaining the benefits members can expect from a membership or subscription. If you have them, add a few testimonials from existing members to build some social proof.
Special features and member-only content: Offer paid content behind a paywall, run subscriber-only newsletters, and create full membership platforms with user accounts, tiers, dashboards, and restricted content using a membership plugin. 12. Podcast website
Having a website for your podcast gives you a dedicated home for your episodes, including which streaming platforms they’re available on, and full control over your brand presentation.
You can also use it to share extra details — transcripts, guest info, sponsor notes, and more — for each episode.
If you want your podcast to feel more interactive, enable comments and engage with your audience directly on your site.

Here’s the prompt I used to create a podcast website about a marketer’s show:

“Create a clean, engaging website for a marketing podcast called ‘Marketer Secrets,’ focused on interviewing top marketers about their content strategy and digital marketing insights. Include four pages: Home, Episodes, About, and Sponsor Us. The homepage should have a CTA button saying ‘Listen Now’ or ‘Subscribe on Your Favorite App.’ There should also be a Newsletter block in the second section.”
Key pages and features of podcast websites
Episode archives: Have a page that contains all your podcast episodes, along with a quick excerpt for each. Use the Podcast Player block to allow your audience to filter and search the episodes (by most recent, most popular, etc.).
Sponsorship page: Dedicate a page on your site to attract sponsors. Include details such as audience demographics, past results, previous sponsors, pricing, and any testimonials. This gives you a professional link to share with prospects. You can also use specialized sponsorship plugins to enable various features.
Newsletter block: Include a newsletter block on your site so listeners can sign up for new episode notifications. Offer a free resource to encourage more people to subscribe. 13. News or magazine website
News and magazines need a website to host their content, connect with readers, and achieve wider distribution.
WordPress.com is a great choice to build this type of site because it offers plenty of multimedia embed options, including podcast and video embeds, plus helpful features such as an option to add multiple authors or newsfeed plugins.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a magazine website:

“Create a bright, engaging website for a digital magazine called ‘Nourish Weekly,’ focused on nutrition, healthy eating, and science-backed wellness tips. Include five pages: Home, Articles, Healthy Eating, About, and Previous Issues. The homepage should feature top stories, trending topics, a featured expert column, and a clear ‘Read the Latest Issue’ CTA. Use a fresh, editorial design with clean typography, soft colors, and plenty of white space.”
Key pages and features of news and magazine websites
Topic hubs: Use categories to organize your news or magazine content so it’s easy for readers to navigate your website and find exactly what they need.
Author widget: Author widgets allow you to seamlessly indicate authorship and establish expertise. You can also use it to give credit to experts, along with pullquote blocks to highlight key quotes.
Archives: Include an archives page so readers can quickly find old issues or news pieces. It’s also a good idea to use a search bar plugin so visitors can easily search through large archives. 14. Community forum website
Community forum websites help you gather a group of people with similar interests on one site.
You can use it to facilitate discussion, share knowledge and updates, and enable collaboration among members.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a community forum website centered around fitness:

“Create a community forum website called ‘Female Fitness Forum,’ where women can discuss workouts, nutrition, weight loss, strength training, and overall fitness. Include five pages: Home, Forum, Guidelines, Contact, and About. The homepage should have a CTA like ‘Join the Community.’ Use a clean, energetic design with easy navigation, mobile-friendly layouts, and features like search, tags, upvotes, and notifications.”
Key pages and features
Community guidelines: Have a page or section where you share the guidelines for joining your community and any member rules to follow once you enter the forum. Your audience will know what to expect, and moderation rules promote healthy, respectful communication.
Interactive features: Allow members to interact with community posts using features such as liking, commenting, and sharing. You can use vote, poll, and upvote blocks to achieve this on WordPress.com sites.
Discussion boards: Add discussion boards on your site using community plugins. Doing this for various subjects allows members to interact with each other on the topics they’re interested in. 15. Photography gallery website
Photographers can use a website to showcase their work with full creative control and create a professional home for their portfolio.
It also serves as a central hub for bookings, inquiries, and service packages.
A site can host high-resolution galleries, content carousels, and organized albums, giving your photos the space and quality they deserve.
Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a website for a wedding photographer:

“Create a romantic, elegant website for a wedding photographer called ‘Captured Promise Weddings.’ Include four pages: Home, Gallery, Packages, and Contact. The homepage should feature a clear ‘Book Your Date’ CTA button. Use a soft, timeless aesthetic with warm tones and refined typography.”
Key pages and features of photography gallery websites
Galleries: Add a dedicated page on your site for your photos, dividing them into categories for easy browsing. For example, a wedding photographer can use subcategories such as engagement or candid. Use photo gallery plugins to make organizing your portfolio easier.
Pricing and FAQs: Include a page or section about your pricing — how you charge (by hour, project, etc.), “starting at” ranges if your price depends on project scope, and a list of services you offer. Add an FAQ section to answer common questions such as turnaround times for photos, what clients can expect during a session, and how they can help you succeed.
Testimonials: Feature testimonials from previous clients to build trust and social proof. You can choose how you display these reviews on your site via WordPress.com. 16. Recipe/food website
If you create recipe or food content, a website gives you far more control and a better user experience than social posts.
A food blog lets you organize recipes, add clear, step-by-step instructions and videos, and offer extras (such as printable recipe cards).

Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a vegan recipe website:

“Create a bright, inviting vegan recipe website called ‘Plantful Kitchen,’ focused on sharing healthy plant-based recipes for busy moms. Include five pages: Home, Recipes, Meal Prep, Contact, and About. The homepage should highlight featured recipes, trending dishes, seasonal picks, and have a clear CTA button ‘Browse all recipes.’ Use a clean, fresh aesthetic with soft greens, warm neutrals, and easy-to-read layouts.”
Key pages and features of recipe websites
Recipe pages: Use a consistent format across all your recipes so readers can build familiarity with the structure and your work. Recipe plugins give you plenty of ready-to-use template options.
Social sharing plugins: Make it easy for yourself to promote your website and recipes to social media, directly from your site. On WordPress.com, you can instantly reshare (or schedule a reshare) to any of your social media accounts.
Like button: Add a like button to all your recipe pages so you can find out which recipes are the most popular. This can help you pinpoint what your audience loves. 17. Event/conference website
If you are hosting an event or conference, a site allows you to build a central hub for all information and updates, instead of attendees relying on scattered social media posts.
Having a dedicated website also makes it easy for participants to register and sign up for future events.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to build a website for a marketing event:

“Create a sleek, high-energy conference website for a marketing event called ‘Marketing Momentum Summit 2026’ held in London for content marketers. Include four pages: Home, Speakers, Tickets, and Sponsors. The homepage should feature a bold hero section with event dates (31 Jan–2 Feb), location, and a clear ‘Get your ticket now’ CTA button.”
Key pages and features of event websites
Tickets and pricing: Add one page for all ticket details, including pricing tiers, refund policy, venue information, and cancellation charges. Use the Payments block on WordPress.com to collect ticket fees right from your site.
Agenda and schedule: Dedicate one section of your homepage to the agenda and schedule of the event or conference. Share details about what you’ll discuss each day and at what time. This helps attendees plan their day accordingly.
Countdown section: Use the Event Countdown block on your homepage, which updates automatically, to garner excitement among your attendees. 18. Health/fitness website
Fitness professionals benefit immensely from having a site — it can become a singular place to update your class schedule, host memberships, upload free workouts or meal plans, and streamline booking.

Here’s an AI prompt I used to create a fitness website for a pilates instructor:

“Create a calming, elegant website for a Pilates instructor called ‘The Pilates Room.’ Include five pages: Home, Classes, About your instructor, Group sessions, and Contact. The hero image of the homepage should feature a soothing image of a woman doing pilates on a reformer and a clear CTA button ‘Book a session.’ Use a clean, airy design with neutral colors and gentle typography.”
Key pages and features of fitness websites
Calendar block: Use a Calendar block on your scheduling or classes page to display your availability. You can combine this with a Table block to show your class schedule if you offer group classes or a set schedule for 1:1 sessions.
Members-only area: If you offer subscriptions to your visitors, you can create members-only areas using subscriber logins and paywall plugins. These features allow you to host your free and paid content under one site.
About page: Add a detailed about page with your credentials and certifications. Put a spotlight on your fitness journey to build trust. 19. Author/book website
A polished author website builds credibility with agents, media, and publishers. It also gives you a direct channel to reach readers without relying on third-party algorithms.
You can use it to promote events you’re part of and publish additional writing, such as blog posts or short stories.
Here’s the AI prompt I used to create a website for a young adult (YA) fiction writer:

“Create a bold, character-driven author website for Rochi Zalani, a YA fiction writer. Include five pages: Home, Books, About, Events, and Blog. The CTA button on the homepage should say ‘Get the first chapter for free.’ Use an atmospheric, youthful design with strong typography.”
Key pages and features of author websites
Freebies: Offer a free chapter of your book, a sneak peek into your next book, or some other incentive. Use this freebie to build your email list, establishing a direct line of communication with your readers.
Books page(s): Dedicate one page to each book, including available purchasing options such as via Kindle, Amazon, or local, independent bookstores. You should also add a synopsis for each book, along with a few reviews to build excitement.
Events page: If you’re doing book signings, hosting events, or speaking at conferences, use a page on your site and update it regularly. Upload recordings of past events if you can — this allows people to see what an event might look like. 20. Travel guide website
A travel recommendations website boosts visibility through SEO and gives you space for long-form guides and monetization.
You can also offer downloadable resources, such as itineraries and checklists.
Here’s the AI prompt I used to build a travel guide site:

“Create an inspiring, easy-to-navigate travel guide website called ‘Wander With Rochi’ — focused on destination guides, itineraries, and travel tips. Include five pages: Home, Destinations, Blog, Contact, and About. The homepage should highlight featured locations, trending guides, a ‘Start planning’ CTA button, and a search bar. Use an artsy, editorial design with travel-friendly visuals.”
Key pages and features
Strong search and filtering: Make it easy for fellow travelers to seek recommendations from you by using a search bar and filter plugins. If you want to go even further, create quizzes that readers can take to determine the type of traveler they are (adventurous, offbeat, relaxed, etc.) and customize the content they see.
Map block: Use the Map block to highlight the exact locations you recommend. It makes it easier for your audience to view — and navigate to — those places directly from your site.
Table of contents: If you’re writing a long and detailed guide about a place, add a Table of Contents block at the top so readers can easily jump between sections and find exactly what they need. 21. Music/band website
Musicians and bands can use their website to keep their audience informed about upcoming shows, sell tickets, and organize their albums in one place.
A website also makes it easy to build a direct connection with fans and connect with the press.

Here’s the AI prompt I used to build a music website:

“Create an indie, atmospheric website for a musician called Rochi Zalani. Include five pages: Home, Tours, Music, Press, and Contact. The homepage should feature cinematic visuals, a featured track, and a ‘Listen now’ CTA. Use a moody, artistic aesthetic with soft colors, expressive typography, and a mobile-first layout.”
Key pages and features
Music players: Use music player plugins so visitors can easily access and play your songs directly from your website. This removes the friction for someone encountering your work for the first time.
Tour page: If you’re on tour now or in the future, add a page for visitors to see when you’re performing in their city. It’s also a great idea to include a Subscribe block so people can sign up for notifications when you visit (or revisit) their city in the future.
Merch store: You can sell merch such as t-shirts, posters, and hoodies using your site. Use the Payments block to receive payments directly. Tell your unique story with our AI website builder
Exploring these 21 websites shows how easily you can create almost anything with our AI website builder.
No developer help, design skills, or long setup is required — the AI handles the structure, layout, and starter content, so the creative work is what matters.
Plus, nothing is fixed. You can further customize every page, block, color, and element through AI commands or manual editing.
The best part: You can launch instantly with WordPress.com’s managed hosting, built-in SEO tools, essential security and performance features, and more.

You bring the idea — AI makes it real
Use our AI website builder for free today.
Try it now -> View the full article

By Drewfus · Yesterday at 03:00 PM1 day
Tammy Silva Built a Career Helping Others Build Theirs. Her New Website Scales That Mission.

Tammy Silva started sharing remote job opportunities on LinkedIn during the pandemic.
When she moved back to Brazil after years in Singapore and Australia, she noticed something: most Brazilians had no idea they could work remotely for U.S. companies and earn in dollars.
So she started posting about it on LinkedIn. Job openings. Resume tips. Interview advice. All free.
“I wasn’t doing it for work,” Tammy says. “I was just trying to reach people. If I helped 10 or 20 people get better jobs, that was enough.”
But people kept following. The audience grew. What started as a side project became a full-time business — and a website she built in one day using our AI website builder.
From a side project to a full-time business
What began as a volunteer effort turned into something bigger:
A recruiting agency connecting Brazilian talent with U.S. startups A growing audience of job seekers Tammy educates for free Speaking engagements, coaching sessions, and a newsletter Over 190,000 LinkedIn followers Tammy’s approach was simple: give everything away for free. No gated content. No paywalls. Just genuine help.

She spent hours a week hunting for remote roles that would hire Brazilians — work she did voluntarily, on top of her day job. She posted resume tips, interview advice, and job openings.
Nobody teaches you how to build a resume. I started my career in HR — I’ve reviewed thousands of them. I know what companies actually look for. So I just started sharing what I knew.
People followed because the help was real. And what started as a passion project became a full-time business.
The inbox problem
But with scale came a problem.
Every day, Tammy’s inbox flooded with the same questions: What do you do? Can you help me? Is this free? How do I work with you?
I was getting 50+ messages a day. People didn’t understand what I offered or how to work with me. I needed one place to explain it all.
Tammy needed a website. And she’d been putting it off for too long.
From an idea to a website — in one afternoon
Tammy had wanted a website for months. But between running the business, creating content, and managing clients, it kept sliding down the list.
Then one Friday evening, she decided she’d had enough.
I didn’t want to hire a UI/UX designer plus a developer. I wanted something ready.
She opened WordPress.com, found the AI website builder, and got to work:
The tool generated a website to match Tammy’s vision and needs She used the drag-and-drop blocks to further structure the site The AI helped her refine her copy to match her tone of voice and the visual look She also used AI to add extra features, like embedding a newsletter signup form All of it runs on WordPress.com’s managed hosting — set up and maintained for her And of course, she picked a pink color palette to match her brand…
…and her hair:
In a couple of hours, her website was live.
I built my website in an afternoon. No designer. No developer. Just me.
23K site visitors and counting
Today, tammysilva.com.br works as a self-serve hub:
Explains who Tammy is and what she offers Separates free resources from paid services Collects resumes directly into her candidate database Drives newsletter signups Links to events and speaking engagements The result? People now check the site before reaching out.
Now people already have all the information. They don’t need to message me to ask what I do.
Since launching in August, the website has helped Tammy achieve:
Almost 23,000 site visits Monthly views reaching over 7,000 in peak months Fully booked 1:1 coaching sessions — 10 slots filled in 2 days Massive reduction in inbox volume Before, I would have to post about my 1:1s to fill them. Now I don’t even mention them on LinkedIn. People just check the website and book.
Your story deserves a home, too
Tammy is already building her second WordPress.com site — this one for her B2B recruiting business.
She didn’t need to hire a developer for the first site. She won’t need one for the second either.
That’s what makes WordPress.com special — the AI website builder gets you started fast, and managed hosting means you’re not stuck dealing with updates, security, or backups.
You focus on your business. The platform handles the rest.
Tammy’s story started on LinkedIn. But her website is where it all comes together — a place she owns, controls, and can grow however she wants.
Yours can too.
You bring the idea — AI makes it real
Use our AI website builder for free today.
Try it now ->
Where did your story start — and where does it live now? Tell us in the comments.

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By Drewfus · Thursday at 03:04 PM5 days
11 Steps to Build a Strong Online Presence for Your New Business: Lessons from Founders

If you’re launching a new business — whether it’s ecommerce, a consultancy, or a creator project — one of your first moves is to build an online presence, usually starting with a website.
Going online itself isn’t the hard part. The real challenge is knowing what to focus on first.
This guide walks through the key steps required to build an online presence, focusing on what actually matters in your first few months.
We spoke with founders and small business experts to pull together practical advice and examples you can learn from.
Step 1: Define your business in one sentence
Start by writing a one-line descriptor that clearly explains what you do, who you help, and which problems you solve.
This sentence becomes the baseline for your homepage, service pages, and how you talk about your business everywhere else.
The most important thing is to make sure that the site clearly says what you do, who you do it for, how well you do it, and what specifically you do. Nothing else will work unless the site is clear. — Andy Crestodina, co-founder and CMO at Orbit Media
Take Coa — a platform providing a therapist-led learning experience. Its “gym for mental health” tagline works because it borrows a familiar concept everyone understands (gym as a place for regular practice, professional guidance, and ongoing improvement) and applies it to mental wellness.
Use this template to write your own one-line description:

“I/We help [who] [do / achieve] by [how you do it], so they can [solve problems or get outcomes].”
Let’s say you have a business selling ready-made meals for busy moms. Your description line could be shaped as:
“We help busy moms feed their families healthy, balanced meals without the hassle of cooking every night.”
The sentence is simple, shows exactly the value offered, and makes it clear who it’s for.
Step 2: Focus on one audience (not everyone)
Choose one specific audience to focus on and make sure your website is built primarily for them.
When you try to speak to everyone, your messaging gets vague and harder to act on.
Prioritizing one target market early makes your site clearer, faster to build, and easier to improve.
Audience alignment is the number one and the most important thing in a strategic partnership. You have to get extremely clear on who you serve. The clearer you get on that, the easier everything else becomes. — Jimmy Newson, founder and CEO of Moving Forward Small Businesses.

To identify this ideal customer profile, narrow your focus using the criteria below:
Who has the problem you solve: Think about who needs your services or products right now.
Who can you reach: There might be a large market for your business, but think about a smaller audience segment you can reach right now.
What they need: Once you’ve narrowed down your target audience, focus on understanding their pain points and how you can address them. Kat Boogard demonstrates this on her hiring page by clearly defining the types of businesses she works with — such as software companies in the “world of work” space that already have a strategy and understand results take time:
Tip: Whenever you redefine your ideal customer profile — or learn more about your audience — make sure you update your one-line business description.
Step 3: Create a homepage that explains what you do
Your homepage should make it crystal clear what you do and who you serve within five seconds.
This means writing headlines and copy that your target audience can understand instantly — clarity beats cleverness every time:
People are buying you. They want to like you, trust you, and understand you. If they don’t understand you, they’re not going to move forward. — Sarah Noel Block, founder of Tiny Marketing
Your homepage needs three core elements:

A one-line description of the problem you solve and who it’s for, written as a clear, specific tagline. Content that shows what makes you different or better than other solutions. A clear call to action to buy, explore, or learn more about your products and services, or sign up for a lead magnet.
Using our meal service business as an example, I applied these elements to build a homepage with WordPress.com’s AI website builder using the following prompt:

“Create a website called “Easy Nourish” that provides meal services for busy moms who want to feed healthy meals to their families every night without the hassle of cooking every day. Keep the tone lighthearted and empathetic. The color palette should be sky blue.”
The homepage makes the value clear at a glance: ready-to-heat meals for busy moms, with a clear next step to try the service.
You bring the idea — AI makes it real
Use our AI website builder for free today.
Try it now -> Step 4: Create niche-specific pages on your site
Next, create dedicated pages for your main offers, so visitors can land directly on what they need.
Separate your core services and offerings into their own pages, then keep foundational pages such as About and Pricing focused and easy to scan.
This makes navigation clearer, improves search visibility for specific queries, and gives each offer a place to explain outcomes, proof, and next steps.
For example, Justin Moore has a standalone page for each of his offerings (coaching, course, and event) on his website:
When mapping out your pages:
Write down the exact services or offers you want people to pay for (for example: career coaching, website design, tax consulting) and create one page per service. Focus on long-tail phrases such as “career coaching for women working in tech in Barcelona” to attract people with a clear, specific need. State clearly what the service is, who it’s for, and how to get in touch or buy, without making people hunt for information. Tip: A simple way to check if your pages work is to ask a few people to click through your site and tell you what feels unclear or hard to find.
Have other people go through the site, because they’ll see things you’re blind to. You might think something is clever, but it’s actually stopping people from getting where they want to go. — Jimmy Newson, founder and CEO of Moving Forward Small Businesses
Step 5: Show the human(s) and vision behind the business
Share your story on your site — who you are, why you do this work, and what you care about — not just what you sell.
For small businesses, trust is the differentiator and a way to compete with bigger brands. People trust people, not logos or vague brand statements.
If I were starting again, I’d put my face on the homepage. People are not buying a logo. They’re buying trust. — Andy Crestodina, Co-founder & CMO, Orbit Media
Here’s how you can achieve this with your new website:

Include real people: Add your (or your team’s) image over stock images. It will help people instantly recognize and connect with you.
Share why you care: Explain the mission behind your work. When your audience understands your why, it helps them trust you more.
Add your background story: Briefly explain how you came to start your business. Use first person language if appropriate and don’t be afraid to showcase your expertise in the business. Tammy Silva embodies humanizing your site perfectly.
Instead of hiding behind a logo or generic brand language, she puts herself front and center — Tammy with pink hair, openly sharing her goal of helping people find remote work opportunities.
The key is to write the way you speak and let your personality shine. Avoid fussing too much over sounding smart, professional, or clever.
Step 6: Set up the technical basics to go live
Your site should be reliable, secure, and easy to manage from day one, so you can focus on growing your business instead of troubleshooting technical issues.
These technical foundations create a smooth experience for your customers while freeing you to do what you do best:

Reliable web hosting: Your site needs to load fast and stay online 24/7. Tight security: An essential investment to ensure your site remains free of malware, hacks, and spam. Regular updates and backups: This will ensure your site continues to run smoothly and there is no risk of data being lost. Basic site analytics: These will provide essential and usable data on how people are finding and using your site.
Tip: Many small businesses choose WordPress.com’s managed hosting because these essentials are built in without extra setup. If you’re creating your site with the AI website builder, you can simply choose a relevant plan after you finish building your site.
Get WordPress.com for your business Step 7: Create high-impact assets for your site
From here, focus on publishing a few high-quality pieces — comprehensive guides, detailed case studies, or in-depth tutorials that genuinely help your audience.
It’s tempting to pad your site with lots of surface-level blog posts just to “have content,” but that often backfires.
Thin, semi-useful pieces quietly erode trust and leave visitors unimpressed. Quality beats quantity every time.
Don’t start with thin content. Start with something big. Publish the detailed thing that explains your thinking or what works based on research. — Andy Crestodina, co-founder and CMO at Orbit Media
Take The King’s Monologue, for example.
Instead of publishing dozens of thin articles on history, the site only shares deeply researched, well-written, in-depth articles and academic papers:
As a starting point, concentrate your efforts on three or four core topics you can cover exceptionally well — fewer pieces, higher standards, and content that actually earns attention.
Step 8: Join the conversation in your niche
Build relationships in your niche by joining communities where your target audience already gathers — both on public platforms such as LinkedIn and in smaller, targeted communities.
This helps you build an online presence through real relationships and understand your niche on a deeper level.
Show up consistently, pay attention to what people are asking, and contribute helpfully before promoting anything.
The new currency is community. Instead of trying to blast a message to thousands of people, have real, direct conversations with people in the places they already show up — whether that’s private groups, forums, or smaller communities. — Jimmy Newson, Founder & CEO, Moving Forward Small Businesses
Here’s how you can build a network strategically:
List the people who lead or influence communities in your niche. Send personalized connection requests focused on starting a conversation, not making an ask. Show up consistently over time so your feed reflects the people and topics you actually care about.
Tip: Look for the smaller, intentionally-built communities where your target audience gathers.
The best clients come from small, private communities. Slack groups, invite-only groups, places you can’t just search for. You don’t find them through Google. You find them by asking people: where do you hang out online? Ask your customers or peers what communities they’re part of. If you’re a good fit, you’ll often get invited. — Sarah Noel Block, founder of Tiny Marketing
For example, The Mom Collective is a community of moms in Barcelona where participants discuss the challenges they are facing, share new things they’ve learned, and organize meet-ups.
If you’re running a business catering to this audience and you meet the criteria, it’s a good idea to join this group.
Step 9: Contribute to external sources to boost your visibility
Instead of waiting for people to find your site, borrow attention from places your audience already trusts.
This can include guest appearances on podcasts, writing for industry blogs or newsletters, being quoted in articles, or collaborating with complementary businesses.
Podcast guesting is the main reason my website ranks so well. I have hundreds of backlinks because of those guest appearances, and my last clients all came from that. — Sarah Noel Block, founder of Tiny Marketing
Visibility opportunities will come your way organically when you focus on building a community in your niche. To take a more proactive approach:

Research the intricacies of the influential voices and platforms in your niche — what do they publish, which topics they cater to, what is missing from their catalog, and what value can you add.
Pitch yourself as a guest by showcasing the value you bring to the table — highlight your unique perspective and explain why you’d be a good fit in the community. For instance, marketer Katelyn Bourgoin has appeared in many podcasts, provided insights for articles, and partnered with other companies — not just to gain early traction, but to sustain momentum as her business continues to grow.
Step 10: Treat effort and consistency as your KPIs
In the early days, measure your success by effort and consistency — not external metrics.
Traffic and subscriber metrics take time to grow. In the early days, it’s more useful to measure your effort with internal benchmarks such as:
Content published: guides, service pages, or guest posts you’ve published. Collaborations initiated: podcast appearances, guest articles, or partnerships started. Real conversations: calls, DMs, or feedback sessions with customers and potential partners. When you’re new, track success based on activity, not performance. It would be strange to see big results early on — what matters is staying consistently active and building the foundation. — Andy Crestodina, Co-founder & CMO, Orbit Media
Growing your online presence from zero requires time and effort and doesn’t typically provide immediate rewards — but the payoff is totally worth it.
Step 11: Build community through real conversations
Finally, have direct conversations with your audience to understand their real needs, gather feedback, and refine your business based on what you learn.
This can include:

Scheduling regular 1:1 calls with early customers to gather feedback. Participating in community discussions where your target audience is present. Maintaining relationships with your peers who share the same target audience and want to solve similar problems.
Instead of trying to reach a thousand people, talk to seven. Those direct conversations will give you more insight than anything else — and they’ll shape your messaging, offers, and direction far better than broadcasting ever will.— Jimmy Newson, Founder & CEO, Moving Forward Small Businesses
Rishabh Goyal — founder of Dodo Payments — demonstrates this well. He interacts with relevant Reddit threads without pushing his product, staying genuinely helpful and curious about solving problems.
This provides him with understanding of his audience’s real needs and builds direct, two-way communication with the community.
Build your online presence in 2026
Building an online presence for your new business doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.

The secret is knowing what to tackle first: Get clear on what you do and who you serve, create a homepage that reflects that clarity, and build momentum through real conversations and consistent effort.

WordPress.com makes this entire process simpler.
With the AI website builder to get you online quickly and managed WordPress hosting to handle the technical side, you’re free to focus on your audience and your business.

Build your site with WordPress.com
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By Drewfus · January 28Jan 28
WordPress Studio 1.7.0: Meet the New Studio CLI

Version 1.7.0 of WordPress Studio is a major upgrade for anyone building WordPress sites locally, especially developers and power users who like to automate tasks and work from the terminal.
In earlier releases, the Studio CLI focused mainly on creating and managing preview sites.
With version two, it becomes a full-featured command-line companion for much of your Studio workflow, including creating and managing local sites, running WP-CLI in the right context, connecting to WordPress.com, and more.
In this post, we’ll review what’s new and share practical ways to incorporate the Studio CLI into AI-assisted workflows.
Try WordPress Studio now
For the full command reference and advanced options, see the updated Studio CLI documentation included with this release.
What is a CLI?
A CLI (command-line interface) lets you control tools and applications by typing commands into a terminal, instead of clicking through menus. Developers tend to like CLIs because they’re:
Fast: Spin up, change, or remove environments with a single command Repeatable: Run the same commands on any machine, or bake them into scripts Automatable: Let build systems and AI agents run commands for you Even if you don’t typically work in the terminal, the Studio CLI is still worth paying attention to.
It’s the common “language” automation tools can use to interact with Studio. Once it’s enabled, your editor, scripts, or AI coding assistants can do things like create a new site, run database upgrades, or publish a preview without you having to navigate through multiple screens in the Studio application.
Getting started with the Studio CLI
To begin using the Studio CLI, complete the following steps:
Open the WordPress Studio application on your machine. From the main menu, open the Settings modal. You can also click the gear icon in the top-right corner of the app. Enable the Studio CLI option and click Save. On macOS, you’ll be prompted for your computer password to allow installation. Once the Studio CLI is enabled, you will have access to a global studio command from your preferred terminal application:
studio <area> <command> [options] In Studio 1.7.0, the CLI now covers four main areas:
Authentication: Manage your WordPress.com account for features that require it Preview sites: Create and update WordPress.com hosted preview sites Local site management: Create, start, stop, configure, and delete Studio-managed local sites WP-CLI integration: Run WP-CLI commands inside correctly configured Studio environments, without installing WP-CLI yourself You can see an overview at any time by running studio --help:
Most commands are designed to be run from the root folder of a Studio-managed site.
For quick access, you can open that folder directly in your terminal by clicking the Terminal button on the site’s Overview tab.
Managing local Studio sites
One of the biggest upgrades in Studio CLI v2 is end-to-end local site management from the terminal.
Rather than switching back to the Studio user interface for routine tasks, you can create a site, check its status, start or stop it, and clean it up when you’re finished.
It’s a faster day-to-day workflow, and it also makes automation much easier, whether you’re writing scripts yourself or using an AI agent to do it for you.
At the center of it all is the studio site command. The available options include:
studio site status # Get status of sitestudio site create # Create a new sitestudio site list # List sitesstudio site start # Start sitestudio site stop # Stop site(s)studio site delete # Delete sitestudio site set # Configure site settings Create local sites with a single command
Use studio site create to spin up a new site in your current directory or at a specific path. Here are a few examples of what you can do:
# Create a new site with default options in the current folderstudio site create# Create a new site with a custom domain and HTTPSstudio site create --https --domain hello.wp.local# Create a site in a different directorystudio site create --path /path/to/site The CLI will:
Set up a local WordPress environment. Start the WordPress server. Open WP Admin in your browser when it is ready. You can run this from an empty folder, or from a directory that already contains a WordPress site that is not yet registered within the Studio app.
List, inspect, start, and stop local sites
When you are working with multiple local sites, the `list` and `status` commands make management much easier:
studio site list # Show all local sites known to Studiostudio site status # Status of the site in the current directory Status output includes:
Whether the site is running The local URL, for example http://localhost:PORT Key configuration details such as PHP version and login information Starting and stopping sites is also straightforward:
studio site start studio site stop This works well in scripts that need to start a site, run tests or content operations, and then stop it again.
Delete and configure sites safely
When you are finished with a project, you can remove it from Studio and, if needed, delete all the associated files from your machine with the following commands:
studio site delete # Remove the site from Studiostudio site delete --files # Remove the site and files For configuration changes, studio site set lets you adjust settings for a specific local site:
studio site set [options] You can, for example:
Change the PHP or WordPress version. Update the local domain or port. Toggle features that affect how the local environment runs. Tip: Run studio site set --help for the full list of available options.
Authentication from the terminal
Some Studio features, such as creating or updating preview sites, require a logged-in WordPress.com account.
Studio CLI v2 gives you dedicated studio auth commands so you can manage this from the terminal:
studio auth login launches a browser flow and gives you a token to paste back into your terminal to complete the login. studio auth status tells you whether you are authenticated and which account is active. studio auth logout disconnects the CLI from your WordPress.com account and clears stored credentials. If you run a command that needs authentication while logged out, such as studio preview create that we will review next, the CLI will guide you to log in.
Preview sites from the CLI
Preview sites are temporary, shareable environments hosted on WordPress.com that mirror your local Studio site. They are ideal for sharing work with others who do not have a local environment.
The CLI provides a complete set of commands:
studio preview create # Create a preview sitestudio preview list # List all your preview sitesstudio preview update <host> # Redeploy changes to a previewstudio preview delete <host> # Remove a preview site Tip: Run studio preview list to see all previews associated with your WordPress.com account, then use the host value from that output with studio preview update or studio preview delete.
Built-in WP-CLI, configured for you
WP-CLI is the official command-line interface for WordPress itself. Studio CLI v2 integrates it directly through a dedicated studio wp command, so you do not need to install or configure WP-CLI on your own:
studio wp [<wp-cli-command>] [<wp-cli-arguments>...] From your site’s root directory, you can run common WP-CLI tasks like:
studio wp core version shows the WordPress version for the current site. studio wp plugin list lists installed plugins (and their status). studio wp core update-db runs any required database updates after a WordPress update. Studio sets the environment variables, paths, and credentials for you, so these commands run against the correct database and files with no extra setup.
Using Studio CLI with AI coding tools
One of the biggest advantages of Studio CLI v2 is how naturally it fits into AI-assisted development workflows, especially with tools like Claude Code and Cursor.
These agents read the code in your local project (including themes and plugins) and run commands in your environment, which makes it possible to offload much of the repetitive work. For example, they can:
Use studio site commands to create, start, stop, and manage local environments. Run studio wp for diagnostics, database tasks, and content management. Create and update WordPress.com preview sites for review without leaving your editor. Provide context
The AI tool you’re using may not automatically understand WordPress Studio or the Studio CLI. To get useful results, start by giving the AI agent a bit of context about what it’s looking at and what tools it can use.
For example, imagine you’ve opened a local Studio site folder in your terminal.
Begin by telling the AI agent what this directory is, and that it can run the Studio CLI.
In this example, we’ll use Claude Code and explicitly note that it can invoke the CLI via studio.
“This is the folder for a WordPress Studio site. You have access to the Studio CLI, which can be invoked by running studio. Start by exploring the available options.”
From there, you should get a response that looks like this:
With a simple prompt, the AI now has a solid understanding of the Studio CLI. This example was generated using Opus 4.5.
Automate environment setup
Once the AI understands what Studio can do, you can start handing off routine setup tasks. For instance, you might tell your agent:
“Set up a new local WordPress site using Studio with the name “Nick’s Site””
Behind the scenes, it may run something like:
studio site create --path "../nicks-site" --name "Nick's Site" --skip-browser Here’s an example of the output from Claude Code, again using Opus 4.5.
Debugging and verification with WP-CLI
Studio also makes it easy to troubleshoot issues using WP-CLI — especially when you’re staring at an error and don’t want to manually hunt down the cause.
You might say:
“Use the Studio CLI to run WP-CLI checks and figure out why this site is failing, then propose fixes.”
From there, the agent can:
Run studio wp commands (for example, plugin list, theme list, or core update-db) to collect diagnostics. Suggest (or apply) code and configuration changes based on what it finds. Re-run the same WP-CLI checks to confirm the issue is resolved. If you haven’t already, check out this great overview of WP-CLI to get a sense of what it can do.
Creating preview sites
Preview sites are one of the most popular features in WordPress Studio, but creating them and keeping them updated can feel a bit tedious if you’re doing it through the Studio user interface.
The CLI streamlines the workflow, and it becomes even easier when you pair it with an AI agent.
When you’re ready to share your work with a client or teammate, you can simply ask your AI to create a preview site:
“Can you spin up a preview site for me?”
If you’re not already authenticated, the agent will prompt you to log in, then it will create the preview and return the URL. The output should look something like this:
As you continue working locally, you can periodically ask the agent to update the preview site.
If you’re also using the AI to help build the site, theme, or plugin, you can even add a rule like: after any major change, update the preview site automatically so your shared link stays current.
Best practices when using AI with Studio CLI
AI agents can be incredibly effective copilots when you pair them with the Studio CLI. They can speed up setup, troubleshooting, preview deployments, and run real commands against your environment.
That said, a little structure up front helps you get the benefits while avoiding unpleasant surprises.
Work from the Studio site root (or use `–path`). This ensures commands run against the project you actually intend, especially if you have multiple sites on your machine. Set clear boundaries in your prompts. For example: “Do not delete sites,” “Only run read-only studio wp commands,” or “Ask before running database migrations.” Double-check destructive operations. For commands like studio site delete and studio preview delete, have the agent show you the exact commands it plans to run before it executes anything. Used thoughtfully, AI plus Studio CLI can remove much of the repetitive setup, testing, and deployment friction, so you can focus more on designing and building great WordPress experiences.
Start building with Studio CLI
Studio CLI v2 makes WordPress Studio more scriptable and automation-friendly for everyday development, whether you’re running commands yourself or working with an AI agent.
If you want to go further, the Studio CLI documentation walks through everything you can do and how to fit it into your workflow.
If you haven’t tried WordPress Studio yet, or it’s been a while, this is a great time to jump in. Download Studio, spin up a site, and take the updated CLI for a quick test drive.
Try WordPress Studio now View the full article

By Drewfus · January 27Jan 27
12 Top WordPress Themes People Actually Use in 2026 (Tested & Ranked)

A great theme makes building your WordPress site feel effortless.
I went through the most popular options on WordPress.com — based on real usage data — and tested each one.
From personal blogs to online stores, I looked at what works best for different types of sites.
Here are the 12 best WordPress themes worth considering in 2026.
TL;DR: The best WordPress themes
Here are our top picks of WordPress.com themes based on real usage data from WordPress.com:
Twenty Twenty-Four: Best for content-focused sites. Retrospect: Best for photography websites. Twenty Twenty-Three: Best for getting a flexible starting point Twenty Twenty-Five: Best for building an adaptable, creative site Zoologist: Best for all types of blogging websites Hey: Best for personal blogging Tsubaki: Best for ecommerce websites Fewer: Best for portfolio sites Poema: Best for poetry or pure text sites Nook: Best for hobby and community-driven sites Aether: Best for small business sites Vivre: Best for magazine sites. Pro tip: Set up and customize your site in minutes with our AI website builder, using simple text prompts to define the layout and visual look.
1. Twenty Twenty-Four
Best for: Content-focused sites Price: Free
Twenty Twenty-Four is a great WordPress theme for beginners who want a clean, simple, and minimalist design.
It’s one of the most popular themes in the WordPress.com universe, with 9.78% of sites using it based on our data.
The theme’s simple yet powerful features make it perfect for content-focused sites, such as blogs and portfolio sites.
My experience
Right from the start, I loved the styling options. The typography and color choices are excellent and offer a lot of diversity.
Each option looks elegant and professional. You can easily pick one that fits your brand and tweak it to your liking.
I also liked the template options.
They felt especially geared toward content-heavy sites, with layouts for pages with sidebars, index pages, blog homepages, and single posts.
Twenty Twenty-Four also comes with over 200 patterns — predesigned blocks you can drop into your pages.
I found them helpful for building layouts quickly without starting from scratch.
Choose this theme to:
Build a content-heavy site, such as a blog or personal writing website. Showcase your creative work. Create a clean, minimal, and modern design.
Activate this theme on your site 2. Retrospect
Best for: Photography websites Price: Free
Retrospect is a perfect WordPress theme for photographers. It displays images at full resolution alongside your post content.
Over 5.93% of WordPress.com users choose this theme for photo blogs and visual-first sites.
My experience
I liked the minimalist approach of the Retrospect theme. It’s a strong choice for art, travel, or photography blogs, where the focus should stay on visuals.
The layout is distraction-free, so your images can shine without clutter.
It also comes with patterns for newsletter sign-up, booking forms, and contact sections.
Setup is fast and intuitive. On mobile, images still look sharp without taking over the whole screen.
Choose this theme to:
Build a visual-first site, whether that’s a photo journal or personal blog. Run a low-maintenance site that’s easy to set up. Create a clean, distraction-free layout.
Activate this theme on your site 3. Twenty Twenty-Three
Best for: Getting a flexible starting point Price: Free Twenty Twenty-Three is a minimalist theme that gives you a clean starting point without heavy styling.
It offers plenty of style variations, but the base design stays flexible — more blank canvas than finished product.
About 5.53% of WordPress.com users choose this theme.
My experience
I liked the style variation options in this theme. The color palettes and typography options are vastly different from one another, making it easy to match the look to different kinds of sites.
If you’re building a simple one-page website, the template library and patterns make it easy to get started.
The minimal base also gives you room to experiment, which is great when you want more creative control over the design.
Choose this theme to:
Create a minimal design without heavy styling. Maintain full creative control over your website’s design.
Activate this theme on your site 4. Twenty Twenty-Five
Best for: Building an adaptable, creative site Price: Free
Twenty Twenty-Five sits at the cusp of a blank canvas and a fully designed premium theme.
It hits the right balance if you want something that looks and feels polished but is still easily customizable to your needs.
This theme is chosen by 3.83% of WordPress.com users.
My experience
My favorite part about this theme is the new and improved patterns.
There’s a wide variety of choices, from online store layouts to poster-style sections and event RSVP blocks.
No matter what type of site you’re building, you’re guaranteed to find something valuable here, which makes it a strong choice for beginners and more advanced users.
The style variations are also ready to use. You can switch between different color palettes and typography options without extra tweaking.
The bottom line: Twenty Twenty-Five sits between Twenty Twenty-Four, which is more specialized toward blogging with a clearly defined design, and Twenty Twenty-Three, which is broader and more open in its design.
Choose this theme to:
Gain a versatile base for many kinds of sites. Build pages visually using patterns and templates. Customize the appearance of your site easily. Activate this theme on your site 5. Zoologist
Best for: All types of blogging websites Price: Free
Zoologist is an ideal theme for all sorts of blogging websites.
The single-column layout displays your posts in a clean, linear format, with no sidebars or distractions.
My experience
Zoologist has strong blogging roots.
To me, it felt like a great choice for anyone publishing long-form, whether that’s a business blog, a personal website, or a journal.
You can choose from several color variations to customize the visual design of your site.
The theme also offers templates and patterns similar to Twenty Twenty-Four, which help you add essential elements such as newsletter sign-up forms and waitlists.
My favorite part of this WordPress theme: It has little noise, with no unnecessary bells and whistles — just set it up and start publishing.
Choose this theme to:
Publish content using a simple, clean, single-column layout. Build a straightforward blog or content-centric site. Create a lightweight, minimal design.
Activate this theme on your site 6. Hey
Best for: Personal blogging Price: Free If you want a site that feels like your creative playground but is still easy to use, it doesn’t get better than the Hey theme.
It’s designed for personal blogging and keeps things simple with a ready-to-go setup.
My experience
The Hey theme instantly reminds me of a personal diary or journal. It works well for founder or artist notes or for logging your creative progress.
The focus is purely on the reading and writing experience, with no extra frills or complex customization options.

Choose this theme to:
Get your website up and running quickly. Prioritize readability and simplicity over fancy layouts. Create a blank-canvas feel with generous whitespace.
Activate this theme on your site 7. Tsubaki
Best for: E-commerce websites Price: Available on the Business plan ($25/month on the annual plan)
If you’re building an online store, Tsubaki is a WordPress theme worth considering.
It’s designed for e-commerce and integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce, so your store, blog, and site all live in one place.
My experience
Tsubaki is built around e-commerce from the ground up.
The layout, navigation, and structure all support product displays and shopping flows.
The patterns are e-commerce-focused, with options for product categories, new arrivals, checkout sections, and more.
The additions don’t detract from the core blogging features, though. You can use this theme to host your blog while selling your physical or digital products.
Choose this theme to:
Build an online store or e-commerce site. Combine shop and blog content on one site. Use WooCommerce with an e-commerce-friendly layout.
Activate this theme on your site 8. Fewer
Best for: Portfolio sites Price: Free Fewer’s clean content presentation and project-driven focus, which combine text and visuals neatly, make it an excellent choice for building portfolio sites.
Its design is clear and readable without being noisy, which helps keep the spotlight on your work.
My experience
I was immediately impressed by Fewer’s style variations.
The designs are versatile but not so loud that they shift focus away from the projects you want to highlight.
I found the typography especially clean and balanced.
Fewer is a solid choice if you want an elegant, content-first site that displays your work with minimal clutter.

While it’s great for portfolio sites, it’s also flexible enough to work for business or blog sites.
Choose this theme to:
Take advantage of style and typography variations. Build a blog, portfolio, or content-driven site. Keep the focus on your content or visuals through good typography and design.
Activate this theme on your site 9. Poema
Best for: Poetry or pure text sites Price: Free Poema is a simple black-and-white text site built in honor of writer and poet Fernando Pessoa.
It’s designed to focus 100% on the writing material, with no visuals or design elements overpowering the text.
Poema is perfect for poetry sites, personal journals, or anywhere writing needs to take center stage.
My experience
Entering the Poema theme feels like opening a poetry book.
The design is clean and clutter-free — just your words on the page. The layout feels classic and literary, with serif fonts, neutral colors, and lots of whitespace.
Despite the name, it works just as well for long-form essays, journal entries, or personal reflections.
Choose this theme to:
Create an elegant site focused on typography and reading. Set up a simple site that’s easy to maintain. Publish writing without complex layouts
Activate this theme on your site 10. Nook
Best for: Hobby and community-driven sites Price: Free Nook uses a classic two-column layout with a sidebar structure, giving it a familiar blog feel.
It’s a strong choice for someone creating a personal site, food blog, journal, or craft-focused blog.
My experience
Nook has a warm, nostalgic blog feel.
If I were building a site for fun or to explore a hobby, this is the theme I’d pick. It’s great for getting creative and connecting with people who share your interests.
The templates and patterns are especially helpful if you’re a beginner or want to get started quickly.
I also liked the overall familiarity of the theme. Everything feels intuitive — easy to set up for you and easy to navigate for your visitors.
Choose this theme to:
Create a classic two-column blog layout with a sidebar. Design a warm, comfortable, and timeless site. Build a blog or personal site.
Activate this theme on your site 11. Aether
Best for: Small business sites Price: Available on the Premium plan ($8/month on the annual plan) Aether is a great WordPress theme for small-scale stores that want to weave storytelling into their business site.
It’s particularly suitable for handcrafted goods, boutique products, or small merch brands, where you want clean presentation and built-in store-style flows.
My experience
As soon as I entered the Aether theme, its focus was clear: it’s built to help you sell your products while combining shop functionality with a brand story, an About page, a testimonials section, and a visual gallery.
The homepage includes sections for best-sellers, brand story, testimonials, and contact info, so you can launch a shop with minimal custom work.
The patterns are small business-friendly, with options for Instagram grids, sitewide notices, product displays, and more.
Choose this theme to:
Run a small jewelry, accessories, or artisan brand store. Showcase products with a focus on style and storytelling. Launch quickly with a ready-to-use homepage and store-oriented sections.
Activate this theme on your site 12. Vivre
Best for: Magazine sites Price: Free Vivre is heavily inspired by fashion and lifestyle magazines, making it a good fit for publication sites.
The design has a stylish, editorial feel that enhances the reading experience. The font pairing (heavy sans with elegant serif) and generous whitespace give it a traditional magazine vibe.
My experience
Vivre feels like a magazine from the moment you open it.
It features bold visuals, strong headers, and stylized typography that feels like ink on paper, making it well-suited for editorial or publication sites.
The patterns are also especially helpful when finishing your site. You can quickly add a hero post, a recent content section, and a posts grid.
It’s a great theme if your site relies on strong visuals or a distinct brand style.
Choose this theme to:
Create a bold, magazine-style look. Balance style with readability. Build a fast-loading site, even with heavy stylistic elements.
Activate this theme on your site How to choose the right WordPress theme
The best WordPress theme is the one that matches your site’s purpose and saves you time down the road.
Use this quick checklist:
Does it match your use case? If you’re building a blog, pick a blogging theme. If you’re building a portfolio, choose one designed for showcasing work. You’ll get the right features without extra customization. Does it fit the visual style you want? Most themes offer style variations, so check them all before committing. Think about the impression you want to make, whether it’s calm, minimalist, bold, or editorial. Does it have the features you need? For example, if you’re selling products, you’ll want a theme with WooCommerce support. If you’re a beginner, look for a solid pattern library to help you build pages fast. Can it scale with you? If you’re planning to add pages, products, or content over time, make sure the theme can handle it. Is it well-maintained? Themes from trusted developers get regular updates, which means fewer bugs and better performance. You can always switch themes later — it’s not irreversible. But investing time upfront helps you avoid dealing with broken layouts and user experience headaches down the road.
Get started with WordPress.com
WordPress.com gives you plenty of themes to build any kind of site.
But themes are just the start.
WordPress.com also takes care of the essentials that keep your site running smoothly:
Power your site with specialized WordPress hosting so it always stays up. Get a free domain name for one year with paid plans. Add unlimited pages and users, with pricing that doesn’t scale with traffic. Protect your site with built-in security against spam and attacks. Expand your site with hundreds of plugins, AI features, and more.
Create your website with WordPress.com View the full article

By Drewfus · January 26Jan 26
Connect AI Agents to WordPress.com with OAuth 2.1 and MCP

In October, we announced that WordPress.com now supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), enabling AI agents to interact with your sites.
Today, WordPress.com supports OAuth 2.1, making MCP integrations simpler.
MCP clients work natively with OAuth 2.1, so authorizing the AI tools you already use is as straightforward as adding a URL and approving access — no workarounds or manual configuration required.
With MCP, AI agents can help with everyday tasks on your WordPress.com site, such as finding posts, pulling site details, or drafting new content, while you control what they can access.
How OAuth 2.1 powers MCP integrations
When an AI assistant (like Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, or a custom AI tool) wants to access your WordPress.com content, OAuth 2.1 now handles the secure connection:
The MCP client requests authorization. You’re redirected to WordPress.com to approve the connection. After approval, the client receives secure tokens. The client uses those tokens to access the WordPress.com MCP. Tokens refresh automatically as needed. All of this is protected by PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange).
Even if someone intercepts the authorization code, they can’t use it without the secret verification code that stays on your device.
Simple setup: Just add a URL
WordPress.com provides an MCP server that AI tools can connect to using OAuth 2.1.
All you’ll need to do is:
Create a custom connector or app in your AI tool Add the WordPress.com MCP server URL Authenticate and approve access through WordPress.com using OAuth 2.1 That’s it.
WordPress.com handles authentication and permissions, so there’s no manual credential setup and no passwords to share.
Tip: View the MCP connection guide in the developer documentation for Claude Desktop and ChatGPT–specific instructions.
What MCP clients can do with WordPress.com
Once authenticated, MCP clients can interact with your WordPress.com sites through the MCP API:
Search and retrieve posts: Find content across your sites Read post details: Access full post content, metadata, and comments Access site information: Get site settings, statistics, and user data All of this happens with the permissions you’ve explicitly granted, and you can revoke MCP access at any time from your WordPress.com MCP settings.
Get started with MCP and OAuth 2.1
OAuth 2.1 is available now for all AI agents to connect to WordPress.com.
Whether you’re building a custom integration or using existing MCP-compatible AI tools, it provides the secure authentication foundation for your work.
If you haven’t already, enable MCP on your WordPress.com account to start connecting your AI assistants.
Useful resources
WordPress.com MCP documentation Available MCP tools reference MCP prompt examples Model Context Protocol documentation Share Your Feedback
We’d love to hear how you’re using OAuth 2.1 and MCP with WordPress.com. Have questions or suggestions? Drop a comment below or share your experience in the developer forums.
Start building with OAuth 2.1 → View the full article

By Drewfus · January 22Jan 22
Introducing the Enhanced Code Block: Syntax Highlighting and More

Last year, WordPress.com introduced new code editors for the block editor and the Additional CSS input box in the WordPress admin. This was the first stage of a larger effort to make editing code a more enjoyable experience.
Today, I’m happy to announce the launch of the second stage of that effort: introducing the new and improved Code block.
This is not a new block. It’s an enhancement to the current Code block that you’ve likely already been using, which includes several improvements over the original:
Syntax highlighting: Supports color-based syntax highlighting for over 100 common languages. Configuration: Decide to show the filename, language name, line numbers, and even include a copy button for visitors. Drag-and-drop: Dragging a code file from your computer to the editor will automatically transform it to the Code block with the language set. Transforms: Transform other code-supported blocks on WordPress.com, such as Syntax Highlighter, to the new Code block. Styles: Customize syntax colors directly from the editor or via ‘theme.json’ if you’re a developer. Using the enhanced Code block
You do not have to enable anything to begin using the new version of the Code block. It’s already available to use. Just insert the Code block anywhere in the block editor and add your code.
By default, when adding a Code block and inserting code, you will see your code in Plain Text:
Of course, Plain Text doesn’t include any syntax highlighting since it’s not a language. To change this, choose a code language from the Settings → Language dropdown in the sidebar:
Syntax highlighting will then be applied based on the language that you selected, making the code much more readable for both you and your visitors!
Pro tip: If you type three backticks followed by the language name (e.g., ```php) and then hit Enter, the editor will automatically create a new Code block instance and auto-fill the Language setting.
If you want to kick your Code block’s features up a notch, you can also configure several other settings besides the language:
Filename: Add a custom filename to display in the top left of the code block (useful when walking readers through tutorials). Show language name: Displays the language name in the top right corner of the block. Show copy button: Inserts a Copy button in the top right of the block, allowing site visitors to copy the entirety of the code. Show line numbers: Displays line numbers next to your code on the left. Line numbers start at: Choose a starting line number. This will make your site’s code examples much more reader friendly:
Customizing the Code block colors
There are multiple ways to customize the syntax highlighting and colors shown with the enhanced Code block. In this section, I’ll walk you through each from the quickest/simplest to the more advanced techniques.
Selecting a block style
The Code block ships with four block styles out of the box:
Default: Will use the default styles and colors from your theme. No Highlight: Disables syntax highlighting. Solarized Light: A light color scheme. Solarized Dark: A dark color scheme. Themes can also register additional styles. Selecting one of these styles is the quickest way to change how your Code block is output:
Customizing colors from the editor
You can also customize the colors directly from the editor via the Styles → Color panel in the block sidebar. The block has an extensive array of color options for customizing every aspect of the syntax highlighting:
You are not limited to only colors either. You can customize any of the other available styles, such as Typography, Border, and more. These options haven’t changed with the latest enhancement.
Customizing the Code block via theme.json
If you’re a developer or theme author, you’ll most likely want to define default syntax colors and other styles for the default output of the block. theme.json support is included with this batch of enhancements.
Here’s what my custom Code block styles look like after a few tweaks in theme.json:
Because the WordPress software itself doesn’t support custom colors via theme.json, the developers at WordPress.com built in custom support for this feature.
You can customize any of the syntax colors via settings.custom.core/code in theme.json. This is an object where each key is the syntax color name and the value is the color itself.
Here’s an example snippet that you can use to customize your own colors:
theme.json { "$schema": "https://schemas.wp.org/trunk/theme.json", "version": 3, "settings": { "custom": { "core/code": { "comment": "#94a3b8", "keyword": "#8b5cf6", "boolean": "#f59e0b", "literal": "#10b981", "string": "#06b6d4", "specialString": "#ec4899", "macroName": "#8b5cf6", "variableDefinition": "#3b82f6", "typeName": "#14b8a6", "className": "#f97316", "invalid": "#ef4444" } } }} Any valid CSS color is supported, so you’re not limited to hex color codes. Use CSS custom properties, RGBA, and more.
If you want to borrow my full theme.json customizations, copy and paste the following code. It includes additional custom styles to make the Code block even nicer:
theme.json { "$schema": "https://schemas.wp.org/trunk/theme.json", "version": 3, "settings": { "custom": { "core/code": { "comment": "#94a3b8", "keyword": "#8b5cf6", "boolean": "#f59e0b", "literal": "#10b981", "string": "#06b6d4", "specialString": "#ec4899", "macroName": "#8b5cf6", "variableDefinition": "#3b82f6", "typeName": "#14b8a6", "className": "#f97316", "invalid": "#ef4444" } } }, "styles": { "blocks": { "core/code": { "border": { "color": "#e2e8f0", "style": "solid", "width": "1px", "radius": "8px" }, "color": { "background": "#f1f5f9", "text": "#1e293b" }, "typography": { "fontSize": "15px" } } } }} Start sharing code now.
Whether you’re publishing snippets or full-blown tutorials, the enhanced Code block makes sharing and styling code in WordPress.com smoother and more customizable than ever before.
Syntax highlighting, block styles, and custom color options put you in full control of how your code appears.
With these improvements, you can focus less on formatting and more on writing great content that helps your readers learn and build.
View the full article

By Drewfus · January 19Jan 19
What is Managed Hosting? A Practical Guide

Managed hosting means your hosting provider takes care of the technical maintenance of your website, including updates, security, and performance.
I didn’t realize how much that mattered until I built my first site. I thought my job was just to write and publish — then the updates, security alerts, and performance issues started piling up.
In this guide, I explain what managed hosting includes, how it compares to regular hosting, and its advantages.
What is managed hosting?
Managed hosting is a type of web hosting where the provider takes care of the technical work behind your site for you.
Instead of dealing with things like updates, security, and ongoing maintenance yourself, you rely on the host to handle them.
Here’s what you typically get:
Automatic updates: The host takes care of important system and platform updates in the background. Security monitoring: Your site is checked for security issues and protected against common threats. Regular backups: Backups are handled automatically by the host, making it easier to recover your site if something goes wrong. Performance optimization: The host handles speed-related setup and optimizations to help your site load faster. Uptime monitoring: Your site is monitored to make sure it stays online, and issues are caught early. Tip: WordPress.com offers managed hosting out of the box. The technical setup is handled for you, so you don’t need to worry about maintenance or configuration.
Managed hosting vs. unmanaged hosting
The key difference is who handles the technical work. With managed hosting, your provider takes care of it; with unmanaged, you do everything yourself.
This applies across hosting types — VPS, dedicated, cloud — as any of them can come in a managed or unmanaged version.
In practice, managed hosting gets you up and running faster and keeps the technical workload off your plate long-term.
Here’s how the two compare across key areas:
FeatureUnmanaged hostingManaged hostingTechnical setup & managementYou install software, configure the server, secure it, and keep everything updated.Your provider manages setup, configuration, updates, security, and ongoing maintenance.MaintenanceYou manage backups and troubleshoot issues yourself, often using plugins or external tools.Your host takes care of backups, monitoring, and security tasks. PerformancePerformance depends on how well the server is configured.Built-in optimization for faster, more reliable performance.SecurityYou add protections manually.Built-in protections like SSL, firewalls, and malware scanning.SupportGeneral hosting support; expertise varies.Support teams are familiar with the platform your site runs on. For example, WordPress.com offers 24/7 expert support from specialists who know WordPress inside and out. When is managed hosting the right choice?
I recommend managed hosting if you want a reliable website without taking on the technical overhead of running it.
WordPress.com users, for example, often choose managed hosting so they can focus on building their site and publishing — not troubleshooting updates or security issues.
Here’s how managed hosting helps me day to day:
No surprise maintenance tasks: Routine updates and server work happen automatically. Fewer disruptions: Issues are handled before you ever notice them. Stable, predictable performance: No juggling settings or extra tools. More time for real work: Publishing, designing, or growing your business takes center stage. Peace of mind: You’re not the one troubleshooting issues. Key features of managed hosting to look for
If you consider opting for managed hosting, look for features that keep your site running smoothly with minimal maintenance.
These are the ones that make the biggest difference:
Server management
Check that setup, configuration, and ongoing server maintenance are included.
A managed host should give you a ready-to-use environment without requiring server knowledge, while still letting you access server settings when needed.
Performance optimization
Look for built-in performance features like caching and server-level tuning.
These help keep your site fast and stable, with less need for extra plugins or manual setup.
For example, WordPress.com includes server-level caching by default, so key performance optimizations are handled at the hosting layer.
Tip: If your audience is global, also check whether the host provides edge caching or a distributed data-center network. On WordPress.com, Global Edge Caching across 28+ data centers helps pages load quickly for visitors worldwide.
Security and backups
Look for built-in security protections and automatic backups that run without manual setup.
A managed host should handle malware scanning, firewalls, and regular backups so that you don’t need to worry about running scans or remembering backup schedules.
Tip: WordPress.com includes SSL certificates, malware detection, and brute-force protection on all plans. Business and Commerce plans add real-time backups with one-click restore and advanced security features.
Support and expertise
Check what the support team is trained to help with — for example, whether they have experience with your specific CMS.
Managed hosting often includes support that’s familiar with the software your site runs on, which can be helpful when issues go beyond basic hosting questions.
With managed WordPress hosting, this usually means access to WordPress-specific support.
Tip: All WordPress.com paid plans include direct support from WordPress experts. Business and Commerce plans also include priority 24/7 support.
Scalability and reliability
Opt for hosting that can handle traffic spikes and keep your site stable as it grows, without you having to manage servers or make technical decisions.
For example, WordPress.com runs your site across multiple locations worldwide, so pages load quickly for visitors everywhere.
When traffic spikes, the system automatically handles the extra load — and you don’t need to add any manual changes.
How to select the best managed hosting provider
The best managed hosting provider will make running your site easier and take most of the technical work off your hands.
Because “managed” can mean very different things depending on the provider, I recommend focusing on how much responsibility they take off your plate and whether they fit your setup.
Here are a few questions to guide your decision:
How much technical work does the host handle for you? The more setup, updates, and security they manage, the less you have to worry about.
Is the hosting environment optimized for your platform — e.g., WordPress? For instance, some hosts simply install WordPress on a generic server and leave the rest to you.
Others, like WordPress.com, are optimized for running WordPress, so your site runs faster and stays stable without extra tuning.
What kind of support will you receive? Support teams familiar with your website platform can solve problems faster and with less back-and-forth.
Will the hosting grow with your site? Your site should be able to grow and receive more traffic without forcing you to switch plans or providers. For instance, WordPress.com includes unmetered traffic on every plan, so your costs don’t increase as your audience grows.
How transparent is the pricing? Look for plans where essential features — like backups, security, and SSL — are included upfront, so you’re not surprised by extra charges as your site scales.
Does the host keep your site online if something goes wrong? Some managed hosts use a distributed infrastructure, so your site stays available even if a server in one region has issues.
For instance, during a recent AWS outage that took many websites offline, WordPress.com sites continued running without interruption:
Get started with WordPress.com managed hosting
If you’re building a site with WordPress, managed hosting can take a lot of work off your plate — from updates and backups to security and basic maintenance.
On WordPress.com, managed hosting is built in, so you don’t need to set up servers, install performance tools, or manage updates yourself.
That’s the setup I wish I’d had when I started. Once I made the switch, the updates, security alerts, and performance issues that used to eat up my time disappeared. Now I just focus on the site itself.
Sound like something you’d benefit from?
Launch your site on WordPress.com View the full article

By Drewfus · January 13Jan 13
How to Choose WordPress Hosting: A Guide for Any Skill Level

If you want a website, you need hosting — a place to store your site files so people can access your pages.
Even though WordPress can run on almost any server, the hosting environment you choose affects performance, stability, security, and how much technical work you’re responsible for.
This guide gives you a simple framework to select the right WordPress hosting plan — whether you’re a first-time blogger, a small business owner, or an experienced agency user.
TL;DR: How to pick WordPress hosting for your needs
When choosing hosting for your WordPress site, focus on a few key factors like ease of management, speed, security, support, and budget.
For a quick overview, we’ve listed them in the table below:
Hosting prioritiesWhat to look for when choosing a providerEasy site managementManaged hosting that handles updates, backups, and security for you.Site performanceOptimized WordPress servers with guaranteed resources and built-in caching.ScalabilityPlans without traffic limits and easy upgrades as your site grows.SecurityAutomatic backups, SSL included, and active malware/firewall protection.User friendlinessOne-click WordPress install and a clean, unified dashboard.Support quality24/7 WordPress-trained support and assisted migration.Developer and agency needsStaging sites, SSH/CLI access, and multi-site management.Extra featuresDomain, email, premium themes/plugins included.AffordabilityPlans with transparent renewals, no hidden limits, and enough features for your needs at your preferred tier. Looking for WordPress hosting that covers all of the points above? WordPress.com brings them together in one managed platform.
Now, let’s break down how to choose the right WordPress hosting provider step by step.
1. Explore different types of WordPress hosting
First, you need to understand how different web hosting providers divide server resources — this affects your site’s performance, stability, and price.
Your website sits on a server with limited capacity, and each hosting model allocates those resources differently.
As a result, each hosting type offers a different balance of control, speed, and stability:
Shared hosting: Your site shares a server with many others, which keeps costs low but may affect your website’s performance as traffic on other websites increases. VPS (Virtual Private Server): Fewer sites share the server, and each gets a set amount of resources, giving your site somewhat more consistent speed. Dedicated hosting: Your site uses an entire server on its own, giving you full control and the highest level of performance. Cloud hosting: Your site uses resources from multiple servers, which helps it handle traffic changes without the higher cost of a dedicated server. Tip: These hosting types explain how server resources are shared and how much raw capacity your site has access to. WordPress-optimized hosting, on the other hand, describes how that server environment is prepared specifically for WordPress — with the right software, settings, and defaults in place — so you don’t have to handle the technical configuration yourself.
2. Choose your level of hands-on management
Next, decide how much of the server setup and technical maintenance you want the host to handle for you.
Two different approaches exist:
Managed hosting: Managed WordPress hosting providers like WordPress.com take over day-to-day tasks such as automatic updates for WordPress core, security, performance optimization, and backups. Unmanaged hosting: You’re responsible for setting up and maintaining the WordPress environment yourself, including updates, security, performance tuning, and backups. Managed WordPress hosting is often an ideal choice for beginners. It frees up time for more impactful work instead of routine maintenance.
However, experienced users can benefit from it too — especially when the managed plan includes the right developer features.
For example, WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans offer staging sites, WP-CLI, SSH access, and multi-site management, making them a strong fit for advanced users and agencies looking to focus on growth rather than hands-on management.
3. Prioritize core hosting features
The hosting environment you choose plays a big role in your site’s performance, security, ease of use, and the tools you have access to.
So make sure you understand which features matter most before making a decision.
Performance and stability
Pick a hosting plan that keeps your WordPress site fast and stable.
When too many sites share the same hosting resources, slowdowns and outages are more likely, especially during traffic spikes.
Hosting that limits resource sharing or can scale when needed tends to deliver more consistent performance.
Focus on these features when it comes to performance and stability:
Fast storage: Faster storage helps your pages load more quickly. Look for hosting that uses SSD storage. Built-in caching: Caching saves parts of your site so repeat visitors can pick up where they left off. Uptime guarantees: Uptime is how consistently your website is reachable to visitors. The industry standard is at least 99% uptime. Servers close to your audience: Helps people in your desired region get faster load times. A global CDN: A Content Delivery Network stores copies of your site on servers around the world so people in other countries get quicker load times. Modern technology: The latest version of PHP and other server software help your site run smoothly and stay compatible with WordPress. On WordPress.com, your site benefits from a 99.999% uptime guarantee, a global CDN and edge-cache network across 28+ data centers — plus a hosting environment configured specifically for WordPress.
Security and protection
From here, consider safety features that keep your site protected from hacks, malware, and downtime.
The best approach is to choose a provider that handles most of this for you, so you can focus on running your site instead of maintaining the infrastructure.
In particular, look for these features:
SSL certificates: SSL/TLS encrypts data between the browser and server. Your host should include and set this up for free. Malware scanning and removal: Malware hurts both user trust and search visibility. You can add protection yourself or choose a host that includes it. Firewalls: A firewall blocks threats before they reach your site. It’s best when this is built in, since setting it up yourself takes extra work. DDoS protection: Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks flood servers with fake traffic to knock sites offline. Good hosts have protections in place to prevent this. Automated backups: Backups let you restore your site quickly if something goes wrong. You can handle this yourself or pick a host that automates it. Anti-spam filters: Comment spam is also common. Filters stop harmful links and content before they appear on your site. Similarly, you can configure this yourself or use a host that covers it. All WordPress.com plans come with free SSL encryption, regular malware scans, and automatic software updates and backups. Additionally, your website is protected by a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and comes with one-click restore on Business and Commerce plans.
Ease of use and site management
Choose hosting that lets you manage your site from one place, without juggling multiple tools or dashboards.
With many hosting providers, managing a website means jumping between different systems that don’t work the same way.
You might handle hosting settings in one panel, manage your domain somewhere else, and use separate tools for performance, security, or analytics.
For beginners, this can become overwhelming fast. That’s why, on WordPress.com, nearly all of this happens in a single interface:
The custom-built control panel lets you manage everything — performance monitoring, logs, PHP version, SFTP/SSH accounts, caching, and more — without leaving your account or dealing with separate dashboards.
Support quality and availability
Whether you’re a beginner or not, having reliable hosting support makes a real difference when something goes wrong.
Ask these key questions about a potential hosting provider:
Is support available for your timezone, including weekends and holidays? What’s the average response time? Do they offer live chat or ticket-only support? Are there other support channels? What’s the support depth? Do they help with server issues only or also troubleshoot WordPress-specific problems? How about onboarding and documentation? Does support help you migrate your website to them? On WordPress.com, you get access to 24/7 expert support with a live chat, along with WordPress-specific guides, courses, and community forums.
It’s a mix of experts who know WordPress inside out and self-serve resources designed to help you learn and troubleshoot quickly.
Developer and agency tools
If you’re a developer or agency, look for hosting that supports features like multi-site management, automation, environment optimization, and professional workflows.
You may look for functionalities like:
Staging sites: Create separate environments to test changes before deploying them. Command Line Interface (CLI): Manage WordPress installations from the console to save time, for example, by batching and automating tasks. Git/GitHub integrations: Enable version-controlled theme, plugin, and feature deployments. Revert changes easily if something breaks. Selective push/pull: Move only specific parts of a site between staging and production environments to save time. Multi-site dashboards: Manage multiple client sites from a single interface instead of juggling different logins. SSH access: Get secure, direct access to the server so you can administer files via the command line. WordPress.com offers all of the above. Additionally, you can use WordPress Studio to spin up local WordPress sites in minutes, push and pull to and from production, and share preview links with clients.
4. Review additional features and extras
Beyond core hosting features, check what other tools and services the provider offers to make site management easier.
Here are some useful extras you might look for depending on your needs:
Domain and email services: Being able to register a domain and set up branded email in one place to save time and resources. Premium themes and plugins: Access to premium WordPress themes, performance tools, or other extensions. Ecommerce and marketing tools: Built-in payment options, email marketing, or SEO features. Website builders and AI features: AI website building tools like our AI website builder, AI writing features, AI tools for web development, etc. On WordPress.com, annual plans include a free domain for the first year, and you can set up a professional email with your domain. Each site also comes with premium plugins like Akismet and Jetpack already included, adding built-in tools for spam protection, analytics, social sharing, and more.
For example, you can use Jetpack Stats to track your site and visitor behavior without leaving the platform:
5. Compare your needs to your options
From here, compare providers based on how well they support your specific requirements.
Your hosting choice should match the type of site you’re building, the traffic you expect, and how hands-on you want to be with technical tasks.
Here’s what to consider:
Website type: A simple one-page site needs far fewer resources than a complex, multi-language e-commerce store. Traffic expectations: A small hobby blog doesn’t require the same infrastructure as a news site that sees large, regular traffic spikes. Skill level and workflow: Beginners may want a simple setup, developers often prefer full control, and agencies need an easy way to manage multiple client sites. WordPress.com hosting is flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of needs. Every site comes with unlimited traffic and visitors, theme designs for many purposes, and the ability to customize website functionality via plugins. Affordable plans allow you to start small and scale up later.
6. Clarify the real cost of your hosting plan
Finally, make sure you understand the long-term costs of your chosen WordPress hosting plan.
Pay special attention to renewal prices and any extra charges, including fees for essential features or going over bandwidth or traffic limits.
Check for the following:
Initial pricing vs renewal rates: It’s common for hosts to advertise lower first-term rates that significantly increase at renewal. Charges for traffic overages: Many hosting plans include bandwidth or visitor limits. If you exceed them, you may be charged incremental extra fees. This can add up quickly when one of your blog posts goes viral. Unclear resource limits: Shared hosting often advertises “unlimited” resources, but may throttle or shut down your site if it consumes too much processing power. Hidden fees: Watch out for extra charges such as for SSL certificates, backups, restores, or malware cleanups. The good news: All WordPress.com plans include unlimited bandwidth, unlimited visitors, and a clear, bundled pricing structure with no hidden fees.
WordPress.com: A great choice for most WordPress hosting needs
Your hosting should match your goals, budget, and skill level, and offer the level of hands-on management you’re comfortable with.
Once you’ve compared your options, the best next step is to get started — you’ll understand hosting much better once you’re working with it.
That’s where WordPress.com fits in: it offers a managed WordPress environment that works for a wide range of users.
Beginners get automated security, performance, and updates with expert support, while advanced users have access to staging sites, WP-CLI, SSH, multi-site management, and WordPress Studio for local workflows.
Launch your site on WordPress.com View the full article

By Drewfus · January 8Jan 8
How to Build an Interactive WordPress Theme Demo with Playground Blueprints

WordPress Playground lets anyone launch a live WordPress site instantly — no hosting or installation required. It’s a quick, hands-on way to explore how a theme looks and behaves.
You can open a fresh WordPress instance with a single link and start experimenting right away.
If a theme is available in the WordPress repository, you can preview it in Playground by adding the theme’s slug to the URL, for example:
?theme=kiosko.
That said, each Playground site starts with a clean WordPress install, so themes load with no existing pages or demo content.
If you want your theme to appear exactly as you’ve designed it — with sample content, navigation, and settings — you can use Playground Blueprints.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to get started with Playground Blueprints and create a complete, interactive demo site for your theme.
For this exercise, you’ll use a GitHub repository to store assets, such as .xml and blueprint.json files, to build your demo. For Playground to have access, it needs to be a public repository.
What are Playground Blueprints?
WordPress Playground Blueprints let you create preconfigured demo sites in JSON format.
Each Blueprint describes how the Playground instance should be built — what theme to install, what content to import, which settings to enable, and more.
You can browse the full documentation here: WordPress Playground → Blueprints
With Blueprints, you can share a single link that launches a fully configured demo of your theme — complete with pages, patterns, and media — so visitors can explore it directly in their browser.
Let’s explore the process step by step.
1. Create your demo website content
First, build a demo version of your theme locally — complete with pages, posts, navigation, and settings — to show how it looks in a real site.
You’ll later export this content and use it inside Playground.
If you’ve worked with the Site Editor before, this part will feel familiar. You already know what combination of pages, posts, navigation, images, and WordPress settings makes your theme shine.
For this post, I prepared a demo site using the Twenty Twenty-Five default theme, applying one of its style variations and modifying some templates.
The example mimics a travel blog demo with a homepage, blog page, about page, and example templates and patterns:
I’ve also included a 404 page template:
As well as an ‘About Us’ page:
And more.
2. Handle images and patterns
While you create your content, you might use Patterns that come with your theme.
Often, images used are part of the theme and stored in the theme’s assets folder.
You would need to upload those to the Media Library and pull them from there into your pages or posts — or replace their URL references in the content with relative links pointing to:
/wp-content/themes/{yourtheme}/assets/{filename} …and remove the https://{domain.ext} part of the URL.
It’s best to use WordPress tools to automatically add them to the Media Library to save or from the image block toolbar.
This gives you a self-contained content file you can reuse with other themes or Playground instances.
3. Export your content
Once you’ve built the demo content on your local site, export it using the WordPress Export feature:
Go to Tools → Export, and select All Content (or make specific choices).
You can learn more about the Export feature in the documentation.
Before importing the .xml file into Playground, make sure your images and other assets are ready.
You’ll also need to update the image references in your content file.
4. Prepare your export for Playground
Before importing your exported .xml file, make sure Playground can access your media files and that all image links point to the correct locations.
To do this:
Upload your demo images and assets to a public GitHub repository (for example, to a /media folder).
Update the image references in your .xml file so they point to those GitHub URLs. Upload your demo images and assets
Playground uses the WordPress Importer plugin, which automatically resizes images and updates URLs for the new site.
However, the importer tries to fetch images from their original URLs — and most web servers block these requests because of Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) policies.
To fix that, host your demo assets on GitHub.
GitHub’s raw.githubusercontent.com domain bypasses these restrictions, making it ideal for serving demo media.
Upload all your images to a /media folder in your GitHub repository and keep their original filenames to speed up the import process.
Update the image references in your .xml file
Next, replace the image references in your .xml file with the new GitHub URLs, under the <wp:attachment_url> tag.
Use this pattern:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/{organization}/{reponame}/{branch}/media/{filename} For example:
<wp:attachment_url><![CDATA[https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wptrainingteam/tt5-demo-blueprint/main/media/random-headshot-1.jpg]]></wp:attachment_url> And here’s what each part means:
Organization: your GitHub organization (for example, wptrainingteam)
Repository: your repo name (for example, tt5-demo-blueprint)
Branch: main
Folder: media
Filename: the original file name
Search your .xml file for <wp:attachment_url> (keeping the <![CDATA[…]]> tags intact) and replace each reference with the correct GitHub URL.
Tip: In the Twenty Twenty-Five demo site example, there were 17 replacements in total.
Your integrated development environment (IDE) probably allows you to find the particular string in your .xml file, no matter how big it is. You might see other image references in the file when you use the same image in different sizes.
I added a small Bash script to the repo; you could modify and use it at your own risk.
The WordPress Importer will resize the new images from the attachment URLs and replace the references in other places. You only need to change each image reference once.
5. Create your Blueprint
Now that your demo content is ready, it’s time to configure your Playground site using a Blueprint.
A Blueprint defines how Playground sets up your demo — which theme to install, which content to import, and which options to apply.
Understand the Blueprint structure
The Blueprint file has two main parts:
Settings – placed in the root of the document.
Steps – actions listed in an array that Playground runs in order. You can learn more in the Blueprint documentation.
Here’s an outline of a starter JSON file:
{ "$schema": "https://playground.wordpress.net/blueprint-schema.json", "login": true, ... more settings, "steps": [ { "step":"installTheme" { } }, { "step":"importWXR" { } } more steps... ] } The first line ($schema) is optional.
Adding it helps your IDE validate syntax, suggest properties, and catch possible errors.
Add basic settings
The first setting is “login”: true.
If you don’t need specific credentials, this shorthand automatically gives visitors admin access on the demo site.
If you prefer more control, review the Blueprint step documentation and the Blueprint Gallery for different scenarios.
Clean the default WordPress content
Each new WordPress install includes sample content — a post, a comment, and a page — which can interfere with your demo.
You can add a step to the Blueprint to remove the content by executing a WP-CLI command:
{ "step": "wp-cli", "command": "wp site empty --yes" }, Import your demo content
To import the content specifically, leverage the importWxr step — using the raw.githubusercontent.com domain to point to your *.xml file.
{      "step": "importWxr",      "file": {        "resource": "url",        "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wptrainingteam/tt5-demo-blueprint/main/playgroundcontent.xml"      } } Install and activate the theme
Next, install and activate the theme you want to demo.
It can come from the WordPress repository, a ZIP file, or a directory of theme files.
This example uses the default Twenty Twenty-Five theme:
{         "step": "installTheme",         "themeData": {             "resource": "wordpress.org/themes",             "slug": "twentytwentyfive" }, "options": { "activate": true     }     }, Set Site options
You might also want to set a few Site options. You can use a step or the shorthand to setSiteOptions:
For the links to category pages and navigation menus to work, you’ll need to enable pretty permalinks. You can also set values for the blog name and description to make it more enticing. To fully set up your demo, you’ll probably also want to configure your front page and blog page. The snippet below shows how to implement these settings:
"setSiteOptions": {        "blogname": "Twenty-Twenty-Five",        "blogdescription": "The WordPress default theme",        "show_on_front": "page",        "page_on_front": 80,        "page_for_posts": 26, "permalink_structure": "/%postname%/"    } The numbers for page_on_front and page_for_posts match the post IDs in your imported content.
This works because the site was emptied before import.
Optional: Add plugins
You can also include plugins — for example, block collections or WooCommerce.
Here’s the shorthand for installing the “Block Visibility,” “Public Post Preview,” and “Gutenberg” plugins and activating them.
To add more plugins, just add them to the array:
{ "plugins": [ "block-visibility","public-post-preview", "gutenberg" ] } Combine everything
Now that you’ve added each step, it’s time to combine them into one complete Blueprint file.
This final JSON defines your entire demo site setup — from cleaning the default content to installing your theme, importing posts, and setting site options:
{   "$schema": "https://playground.wordpress.net/blueprint-schema.json",   "login": true,   "steps": [     {         "step": "wp-cli",         "command": "wp site empty --yes"     },     {       "step": "updateUserMeta",       "meta": {           "admin_color": "modern"       },       "userId": 1     },     {         "step": "installTheme",         "themeData": {             "resource": "wordpress.org/themes",             "slug": "twentytwentyfive"         },         "options": {             "activate": true         }     },     {       "step": "importWxr", "file": { "resource": "url", "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wptrainingteam/tt5-demo-blueprint/main/playground-content.xml" }     },     {       "step": "setSiteOptions",       "options": {         "blogname": "Theme Demo ",         "blogdescription": "A preview of a theme",         "show_on_front": "page", "page_on_front": 80, "page_for_posts": 26,         "permalink_structure": "/%postname%/"       }     }   ],    "plugins": [ "block-visibility","public-post-preview", "gutenberg" ], } 6. Test your Blueprint
Before sharing your demo, test the Blueprint in Playground to confirm that every step runs correctly and your theme appears as intended.
Open your Playground URL to launch the demo site and check that:
The theme installs and activates properly.
All pages, posts, and menus from the .xml import display.
Images load from the GitHub /media folder.
Permalinks and front-page settings work as expected. If something looks off, review your blueprint.json for typos or missing commas.
Blueprints are declarative, so even a small syntax issue can interrupt setup. Fix any issues locally, upload the corrected file to GitHub, and refresh the Playground link to test again.
7. Share your Blueprint
Finally, upload your blueprint.json file to GitHub and share the Playground URL with the Blueprint query parameter.
You can use a URL shortener such as Bitly to track usage.
For example:
https://playground.wordpress.net/?blueprint-url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/wptrainingteam/tt5-demo-blueprint/main/blueprint.json
The complete theme demo is available on GitHub and includes:
The content to import Images and assets in the /media folder The blueprint.json file The Bash script to help with the attachment URL replacements Tip: The Blueprints documentation offers many ways to configure your Playground instance for your or your clients’ needs.
Learn more about Blueprints and Playground
Now that you’ve learned how to use Playground to showcase your products, explore these guides on the WordPress Developer Blog:
Introduction to Playground: running WordPress in the browser Exploring the future of web development with WebAssembly and PHP How to use WordPress Playground for interactive demos You can also apply this knowledge in WordPress Studio, which now supports Blueprints.
Learn more here. View the full article

By Drewfus · January 5Jan 5

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