Essential Settings to Configure After Installing WordPress

Essential Settings to Configure After Installing WordPress

Congratulations on installing WordPress! But the work isn't done yet. Your new website needs some important settings configured to ensure it's secure, fast, and optimized for search engines.

In this guide, I'll walk you through the essential settings you should configure right after installation. Follow this checklist, and your WordPress site will be off to a great start!

1. Site Identity Settings

**Location**: Settings → General

These settings are crucial for your site's identity and SEO:

• Site Title: Your website's main name. Keep it clear and concise (e.g., "My Awesome Blog" instead of "Welcome to My Awesome Blog").
• Tagline: A brief description of your site (e.g., "Tips and tricks for WordPress beginners").
• WordPress Address (URL): Your site's web address. Make sure it uses HTTPS.
• Site Address (URL): Usually the same as your WordPress address.
• Email Address: An admin email where you'll receive notifications.

**Why it matters**: These settings appear in your browser tab, meta descriptions, and are important for branding and SEO.

2. Reading Settings

**Location**: Settings → Reading

These settings control how your content is displayed to visitors:

• Front page displays: • Your latest posts: Good for blogs • A static page: Better for business websites
• Posts page: Select which page will show your blog posts (if different from front page).
• Discourage search engines from indexing this site: Only use this during development!

**Why it matters**: These settings affect user experience and how search engines crawl your site.

3. Discussion Settings

**Location**: Settings → Discussion

Control how comments work on your site:

• Default article settings: • Allow people to post comments on new articles
• Other comment settings: • Users must be registered and logged in to comment • Comment author must have an approved comment before their comments appear automatically
• Email me whenever: Enable both options for comment notifications.

**Why it matters**: These settings help manage spam and improve your comment section quality.

4. Media Settings

**Location**: Settings → Media

Configure how images and other media files are handled:

• Image sizes: • Thumbnail: Max width and height (e.g., 150px)
• Medium: Max width and height (e.g., 300px) • Large: Max width and height (e.g., 1024px)
• Upload files: Make sure "Organize my uploads into month- and year-based folders" is checked.

**Pro tip**: Set reasonable sizes to balance quality with page load speed. You can always crop images after upload.

5. Permalink Settings

**Location**: Settings → Permalinks

This is one of the most important SEO settings:

• Common settings: • Post name: /sample-post/ (BEST for SEO)
• Day and name: /2023/12/05/sample-post/ • Month and name: /2023/12/sample-post/ • Numeric: /archives/123 • Post name: /sample-post/ (RECOMMENDED)

**Warning**: Once you set permalinks and publish content, don't change them without setting up proper redirects to avoid broken links!

6. User Settings

**Location**: Users → All Users → Edit your profile

Configure your admin user account:

• User information: Your display name, nickname, and contact info
• About yourself: Your bio and description
• Contact information: Email and website (if applicable)
• Profile photo: A professional-looking avatar

**Security note**: Avoid using "admin" as your username. If you used it during installation, consider creating a new admin account and deleting the old one.

7. Privacy Settings

**Location**: Settings → Privacy

Control who can see your site during development:

• Privacy: • Allow search engines to index this site: Choose this when ready to launch
• Discourage search engines from indexing this site: Use during development

**Best practice**: Keep "Discourage" selected until your site is complete and ready for public viewing.

8. WordPress Address and Site Address

**Location**: Settings → General

Ensure both addresses are correct:

• WordPress Address (URL): Should be your main site URL
• Site Address (URL): Usually the same as above
• HTTPS: Make sure both addresses start with https://

**Important**: If you need to change these after setup, use the "WordPress Address" field first, then update the "Site Address" field. This prevents login issues.

9. Title and Tagline

**Location**: Settings → General

Your site's first impression:

• Title: Clear, descriptive, and includes your main keyword
• Tagline: Brief description that explains what your site is about

**Example**: • Title: "WordPress Tips for Beginners" • Tagline: "Learn how to build and manage your WordPress website"

10. Timezone Settings

**Location**: Settings → General

Ensure your site uses the correct timezone:

• Timezone: Select your correct timezone from the dropdown
• Timezone format: Choose between city offset or UTC offset

**Why it matters**: Correct timezone ensures your posts are scheduled correctly and timestamps are accurate.

Bonus Settings to Check

SEO Settings

**Location**: Install and configure Yoast SEO or Rank Math plugin

• Set focus keywords for each post
li>Write meta descriptions li>Enable XML sitemap li>Configure social media sharing settings

Security Settings

**Security plugin**: Wordfence or Sucuri Security

li>Enable firewall protection li>Set up login attempt limits li>Enable two-factor authentication

What to Do Next

After configuring these essential settings:

1. Install essential plugins: SEO, security, caching, and backup plugins
2. Choose a theme: Select a responsive, well-coded theme
3. Create content: Start writing your first posts and pages
4. Test everything: Check all links, forms, and functionality

**Remember**: WordPress is designed to work out of the box, but these initial configurations will save you headaches down the road. Take the time to set these up correctly, and your WordPress site will be on the fast track to success!

Happy WordPressing! 🚀