{"id":690,"date":"2021-04-23T10:10:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-23T04:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/?p=690"},"modified":"2023-06-17T02:16:23","modified_gmt":"2023-06-16T20:46:23","slug":"wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/","title":{"rendered":"WordPress Setup Checklist: Top 5 Useful Steps After Installing WordPress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#Introduction\" >Introduction<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#The_Problem\" >The Problem<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#The_Answer\" >The Answer<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#The_Big_Picture\" >The Big Picture<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#ONE-TIME_WORDPRESS_SETUP_IN_EACH_NEW_PROJECT\" >ONE-TIME WORDPRESS SETUP IN EACH NEW PROJECT<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#1_Install_a_fresh_copy_of_WordPress\" >1. Install a fresh copy of WordPress<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#2_Follow_Initial_WordPress_Setup_Checklist\" >2. Follow Initial WordPress Setup Checklist<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#Initial_WordPress_Setup_Checklist\" >Initial WordPress Setup Checklist<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#1_Fix_WordPresss_Settings\" >1. Fix WordPress\u2019s Settings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#2_Install_and_Con%EF%AC%81gure_Your_Theme\" >2. Install and Con\ufb01gure Your Theme<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#3_Install_2_Plugins_Alternative_for_Child_Theme\" >3. Install 2 Plugins (Alternative for Child Theme)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#4_Install_Six_Essential_Plugins\" >4. Install Six Essential Plugins<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#5_Install_Google_Analytics_Google_Search_Console\" >5. Install Google Analytics &amp; Google Search Console<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#QUESTION_%E2%80%93_Why_no_page_speed_plugin_in_Initial_WordPress_Setup\" >QUESTION &#8211; Why no page speed plugin in Initial WordPress Setup?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#WordPress_Setup_Checklist_Quick_Overview\" >WordPress Setup Checklist Quick Overview<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-setup-checklist-for-every-website\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction\"><\/span><strong>Introduction<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Having an Initial WordPress Setup Checklist means shaving hours off development time when there is an error with security or performance in the website. This WordPress setup checklist will help you to build your website faster and with a strong foundation. These steps are a must-do for each website, keeping the long run in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Problem\"><\/span><strong>The Problem<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You\u2019re not doing the most basic required steps.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Usually, while starting a new WordPress project, We tend to forget some steps that is the most required for every website. You miss crucial steps which might save your life in future. Building WordPress websites the correct way can help in making the sites faster, pro\ufb01table and fun.&nbsp; But only with the right foundation in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Answer\"><\/span><strong>The Answer<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>A Initial WordPress Setup Checklist \u2013 the perfect foundation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having an initial WordPress setup checklist means shaving hours off development time in future when there is an error. Use these steps to make the sites foolproof from various security, performance issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>It\u2019s the key to build a better foundation for your<em> <\/em>WordPress sites.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Big_Picture\"><\/span><strong>The Big Picture<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"ONE-TIME_WORDPRESS_SETUP_IN_EACH_NEW_PROJECT\"><\/span><strong>ONE-TIME WORDPRESS SETUP IN EACH NEW PROJECT<\/strong> <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Install_a_fresh_copy_of_WordPress\"><\/span>1. <strong><strong>Install a fresh copy of WordPress<\/strong><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>You can install WordPress on your website using the hosting cPanel. 1-click installer like Softaculous is available in the hosting panel for easy setup. You can contact us if you face any issues. After Installation, Login to your Dashboard using your credentials you entered during the installation of WordPress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Follow_Initial_WordPress_Setup_Checklist\"><\/span>2. <strong>Follow Initial WordPress Setup Checklist<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, A One Time process every time you do to make a foundation for your website, which will have a fast, smooth work\ufb02ow ahead and everything entirely in place. It might take you about 30 minutes max. Once you are well versed, it might take lesser time, too, for the below initial WordPress Setup Checklist.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Initial_WordPress_Setup_Checklist\"><\/span><strong>Initial WordPress Setup Checklist<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Fix_WordPresss_Settings\"><\/span><strong>1. Fix WordPress\u2019s Settings<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, this is our first step in the initial WordPress setup checklist. There are various WordPress settings you can change,&nbsp; but some de\ufb01nitely need tweaking for maximum e\ufb00ect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. SETTINGS &gt; PERMALINKS <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022Select the \u2018Post Name\u2019 option. Best Option for SEO purpose.<br>(Default in WordPress is \u2018Day and Name\u2019 as permalink structure)<br><strong>TIP: <\/strong>if you change this once a site is live, you\u2019ll have to redirect all old URLs to the new ones for search engines. You can either use the Rankmath SEO plugin or install any redirection plugins to do the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. SETTINGS &gt; GENERAL &gt; TITLE <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022Set Title Correctly. <br>\u2022Set Tagline Correctly. <br>\u2022Also, Below, you can choose either a city in the same timezone as you or a UTC.<br>E.g., For India, you can choose Kolkata or UTC +5:30 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. SETTINGS &gt; READING <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022Set \u2018Your homepage displays\u2019 to \u2018A static page\u2019. <br>\u2022Choose your home page and blog page. Create them now\u2014blank pages are \ufb01ne for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Install_and_Con%EF%AC%81gure_Your_Theme\"><\/span><strong>2. Install and Con\ufb01gure Your Theme<\/strong> <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Choose a <strong>page builder-friendly theme<\/strong>. We recommend <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wpastra.com\/?bsf=4151&amp;campaign=Initial-Setup-Checklist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow sponsored\">Astra<\/a><\/strong> or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/generatepress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">GeneratePress<\/a><\/strong>. Both are superb. You\u2019ll need the paid versions to get the best out of them. Initially, you can try the Free versions and later climb up the ladder with premium paid plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are using the Elementor page builder, check our article &#8211; <a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" class=\"rank-math-link\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/7-best-free-elementor-themes-wordpress-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">7 Best Free Elementor Themes for WordPress for 2021<\/span><\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Configure Theme Options<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022You\u2019ll \ufb01nd these in each theme\u2019s control panel (E.g., For Astra Theme \u2013 Appearance &gt;Astra Options). Activate only those options which are required. <br>\u2022Also, Go To Appearance&gt; Customization and do the basic settings of setting up the colours, typography, etc. <br>\u2022Also, Check the sidebar widgets and remove the unnecessary ones from Appearance &gt; Widgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Install_2_Plugins_Alternative_for_Child_Theme\"><\/span><strong>3. Install 2 Plugins (Alternative for Child Theme)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Usually, and in the past, everyone used to create a child theme to avoid your changes being overwritten by new theme updates. Not anymore. These two amazing plugins do the same job for you: <br>\u2022<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/simple-css\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Simple CSS <\/a><\/strong><em>(for adding any custom bits of CSS)<\/em> <br>\u2022<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/header-footer-code-manager\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Header Footer Code Manager<\/a>\/ <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/code-snippets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Code Snippets<\/a> <\/strong><em>(for adding any custom bits of code)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And this was step number three on our initial WordPress setup checklist. Let&#8217;s jump into the next main and essential ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Install_Six_Essential_Plugins\"><\/span><strong>4. Install Six Essential Plugins<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In WordPress, there\u2019s certain standard functionality you must-have on every single site you build. So we install those now on our site, and that is step number four on our initial WordPress setup checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.&nbsp; SECURITY &amp; ANTI-SPAM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wordfence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Wordfence<\/a><\/strong> for security. You can activate it to get an email notification on someone logging into the WP Dashboard. You can also activate the 2FA system for more security and access via an OTP system or Google Authenticator, where you get the Time-based One-time Password Algorithm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.&nbsp; ANTI-SPAM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I love <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/akismet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Akismet Spam Protection<\/a><\/strong> for stopping spam in its roots. It prevents your site from publishing malicious content. You can signup for an account for free and start using the services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3.&nbsp; BACKUP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/updraftplus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">UpdraftPlus<\/a><\/strong> for backups. Set up an automated backup schedule to Google Drive\/Dropbox right now. You\u2019ll thank me later for making you do this step. Backups are so important in the new age of technology; there are thousands of websites getting hacked each day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1395\" height=\"1109\" src=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/UpdraftPlus-WordPress-Backup-Plugin-\u2013-WordPress-Setup-Plugin.png\" alt=\"UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin \u2013 WordPress Setup Plugin\" class=\"wp-image-709\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/UpdraftPlus-WordPress-Backup-Plugin-\u2013-WordPress-Setup-Plugin.png 1395w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/UpdraftPlus-WordPress-Backup-Plugin-\u2013-WordPress-Setup-Plugin-300x238.png 300w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/UpdraftPlus-WordPress-Backup-Plugin-\u2013-WordPress-Setup-Plugin-1024x814.png 1024w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/UpdraftPlus-WordPress-Backup-Plugin-\u2013-WordPress-Setup-Plugin-768x611.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1395px) 100vw, 1395px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a regular backup keeps you from saving time and energy behind the development of your website. And with Updraft, you can get your website restored within a couple of clicks and in few hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4.<\/strong><strong>&nbsp; <\/strong><strong>WP MAIL SMTP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In WordPress, by default, your email functionality is disabled at times. Installing <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-mail-smtp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WP <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-mail-smtp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Mail SMTP<\/a><\/strong>  enables email functionality. It fixes your email deliverability by reconfiguring WordPress to use a proper SMTP provider when sending emails to ensure your emails reach the inbox of your website visitors or subscribers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5.<\/strong><strong>&nbsp; <\/strong><strong>SEO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Install <a href=\"https:\/\/rankmath.com\/?ref=jackson%20monichan&amp;campaign=LWPT-WordPress-Tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>RankMath SEO<\/strong><\/a>. It makes WordPress much more search engine friendly. It has an Easy to Follow Setup Wizard that sets up your WordPress Website&#8217;s SEO perfectly. It also has a Clean &amp; Simple User Interface that helps you preview how your post will appear in the SERPs, preview rich snippets and social channels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1387\" height=\"990\" src=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Rank-Math-SEO-\u2013-Best-SEO-Plugin-for-WordPress.png\" alt=\"Rank Math SEO - Best SEO Plugin For WordPress\" class=\"wp-image-708\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Rank-Math-SEO-\u2013-Best-SEO-Plugin-for-WordPress.png 1387w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Rank-Math-SEO-\u2013-Best-SEO-Plugin-for-WordPress-300x214.png 300w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Rank-Math-SEO-\u2013-Best-SEO-Plugin-for-WordPress-1024x731.png 1024w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Rank-Math-SEO-\u2013-Best-SEO-Plugin-for-WordPress-768x548.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1387px) 100vw, 1387px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We ourselves are using the <a href=\"https:\/\/rankmath.com\/pricing\/?ref=jackson%20monichan&amp;campaign=LWPT-WordPress-Tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow sponsored\"><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">RankMath Pro Plugin<\/span><\/strong><\/a> on our website for SEO work. So you can rest assured now of the performance and advanced SEO modules available in the Rankmath SEO plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you use the Elementor page builder, you will love RankMath for its compatibility with the Elementor Page Builder plugin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn more about Elementor &#8211; Check the article &#8211; <a aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/elementor-page-builder-101-beginner-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rank-math-link\"><strong>Elementor Page Builder: A Free 101 Guide for Every Beginner<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>6.&nbsp; IMAGE COMPRESSION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The very best image compression plugin is <strong><a class=\"rank-math-link\" href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/tiny-compress-images\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ti<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/tiny-compress-images\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">n<\/a><a class=\"rank-math-link\" href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/tiny-compress-images\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">yPNG<\/a><\/strong>. It reduces the size of your images right down automatically for faster page load speeds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"641\" src=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/TinyPNG-\u2013-wordpress-setup-step-by-step-1024x641.png\" alt=\"TinyPNG \u2013 wordpress setup step by step\" class=\"wp-image-711\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/TinyPNG-\u2013-wordpress-setup-step-by-step-1024x641.png 1024w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/TinyPNG-\u2013-wordpress-setup-step-by-step-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/TinyPNG-\u2013-wordpress-setup-step-by-step-768x481.png 768w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/TinyPNG-\u2013-wordpress-setup-step-by-step.png 1487w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We suggest you go ahead and compress your images on the TinyPNG website before uploading them to the WordPress media library. You will see a huge difference in the image size, but the quality of the image will be intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Install_Google_Analytics_Google_Search_Console\"><\/span><strong>5. Install Google Analytics &amp; Google Search Console<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to know your user perspective related stats from your website and if you want to know the search-related stats, then signup and configure the below on your website, and that is step number five of our initial WordPress setup checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1.&nbsp; GOOGLE ANALYTICS<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/analytics.google.com\/analytics\/web\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Google Analytics<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;is <strong>user-oriented<\/strong>, providing data related to those who visit and interact with your website. You can check stats like how many visitors visited your website, new vs returning customers, conversion and event tracking, to name a few, can be seen in Google Analytics. This is a must-use feature for every website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2.&nbsp; GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/search.google.com\/search-console\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Google Search Console<\/a><\/strong>, on the other hand, is&nbsp;<strong>search-engine focused<\/strong>, providing tools and insights that can help site owners improve visibility and presence&nbsp;in the&nbsp;SERPs. <strong>Submit your sitemap<\/strong> in the google search console to get your website pages and posts listed on Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now to configure both the above Google Analytics and Google Search Console on your WordPress Website, you don&#8217;t need to depend on multiple plugins anymore. Google itself has introduced a WordPress plugin, i.e., <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/google-site-kit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Site Kit by Google<\/a>. Using this, you can easily set up and configure both the above 2 plugins with just a couple of clicks and literally in minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1388\" height=\"1010\" src=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Site-Kit-by-Google-\u2013-Analytics-Search-Console-AdSense-Speed-\u2013-wordpress.png\" alt=\"Site Kit by Google \u2013 wordpress setup configuration\" class=\"wp-image-706\" srcset=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Site-Kit-by-Google-\u2013-Analytics-Search-Console-AdSense-Speed-\u2013-wordpress.png 1388w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Site-Kit-by-Google-\u2013-Analytics-Search-Console-AdSense-Speed-\u2013-wordpress-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Site-Kit-by-Google-\u2013-Analytics-Search-Console-AdSense-Speed-\u2013-wordpress-1024x745.png 1024w, https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Site-Kit-by-Google-\u2013-Analytics-Search-Console-AdSense-Speed-\u2013-wordpress-768x559.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1388px) 100vw, 1388px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Site Kit shows key metrics and insights from different Google products like &#8211; Search Console, Analytics, AdSense, PageSpeed Insights, Tag Manager, etc.\u2026 in your WordPress dashboard itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"QUESTION_%E2%80%93_Why_no_page_speed_plugin_in_Initial_WordPress_Setup\"><\/span><strong>QUESTION &#8211; Why no page speed plugin in Initial WordPress Setup?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I often see people advise: \u201cJust install this page speed plugin or that page speed plugin\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although this seems a desirable solution to a slow site. Unfortunately, it\u2019s not that simple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t know what the settings do or how they a\ufb00ect YOUR particular situation, just installing a page speed plugin can do more harm than good\u2014too many factors to explain here. Page speed is a complex topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>OUR ADVICE:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Use the best hosting you can a\ufb00ord. This is a huge factor. I recommend the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/affiliate.tmdhosting.com\/scripts\/click.php?a_aid=5d9837da9fb87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Chemicloud<\/a>.<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use an excellent image compression plugin. As said in the above paragraph \u2013 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/tinypng.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">TinyPNG<\/a>.<\/strong> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Page speed plugins like <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-rocket.me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">WP Rocket<\/a><\/strong> are great. The default settings work great, and we use the same, but\u2026 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check if your hosting provides page caching on the server. If it does, don\u2019t have a plugin doing the same.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, some web hosting has default cache plugins pre-installed on your WordPress dashboard. Just make sure you don&#8217;t add 2 cache plugins at the same time. It will break your site, and you may need a developer to resolve it or get in touch with the hosting provider to resolve the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>And we\u2019re done with the initial WordPress Setup Checklist.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You now have a rock-solid, best practice starting point, ready to start developing immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Enjoy your new, stable foundation WordPress site prepared for the future! Below, you can get all the points of the initial WordPress setup checklist in one overview. You can print or save it for your future reference and check every time you start developing a website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"WordPress_Setup_Checklist_Quick_Overview\"><\/span><strong>WordPress Setup Checklist Quick Overview<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>1. <strong>Fix WordPress\u2019s Settings<\/strong> <br>1.Settings &gt; Permalinks &gt; Set As Post Name <br>2.Settings &gt; General &gt; Set Title, Tagline, Timezone <br>3.Settings &gt; Reading &gt; Set A Static Page<br><br>2. <strong>Install and Con\ufb01gure Your Theme<\/strong> &#8211;  <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wpastra.com\/?bsf=4151&amp;campaign=Initial-Setup-Checklist\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Astra<\/a><\/strong> or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/generatepress.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">GeneratePress<\/a><\/strong><br>1.Theme Options Setting <br>2.Theme Customization <br>3.Edit Sidebar Widgets<br><br>3. <strong>Install 2 Plugins (Alternative for Child Theme)<\/strong> <br>1.<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/simple-css\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Simple CSS<\/a><\/strong> <br>2.<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/header-footer-code-manager\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Header Footer Code Manager<\/a><\/strong> \/ <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/code-snippets\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Code Snippets<\/a><\/strong><br><br>4. <strong>Install Essential Plugins<\/strong> <br>1.Malware &amp; Security &#8211; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wordfence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Wordfence<\/a><\/strong> <br>2.Anti-Spam &#8211; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/akismet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Akismet Spam Protection<\/a><\/strong> <br>3.Backup &#8211; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/updraftplus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">UpdraftPlus<\/a><\/strong> <br>4.SMTP &#8211; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-mail-smtp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">WP Mail SMTP<\/a><\/strong> <br>5.SEO &#8211; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wordpress-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Rankmath SEO Plugin<\/a><\/strong><a class=\"rank-math-link\" href=\"https:\/\/rankmath.com\/?ref=jackson%20monichan&amp;campaign=LWPT-WordPress-Tools\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> <\/a><br>6.Image Compression \u2013 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/tiny-compress-images\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">TinyPNG<\/a><\/strong><br><br>5. <strong>Install<\/strong> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/analytics.google.com\/analytics\/web\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Google Analytics<\/a><\/strong> &amp; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/search.google.com\/search-console\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Google Search Console<\/a><\/strong> using <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/google-site-kit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\"><strong>Google Site Kit Plugin<\/strong><\/a><br><br>6. <strong>Install Page Speed or Caching Plugin<\/strong> &#8211; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-rocket.me\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">WP Rocket<\/a><\/strong> <em>(If Needed)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity alignwide is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a aria-label=\"Download the Initial WordPress Setup Checklist (opens in a new tab)\" class=\"rank-math-link\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/LWPT-Initial-WordPress-Setup-Checklist-cmp.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Download the Initial WordPress Setup Checklist<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check our <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><span style=\"color:#0071a1\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/elementor-workshop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">06 Day Elementor Workshop<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/span> to learn how to design WordPress pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I hope you liked the initial WordPress Checklist.  Use this as a base and do the setup for all your fresh WordPress Setup, and you can use this to check your existing WordPress websites to make them more robust and secured for the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for supporting us. If you like this kind of checklist, then <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/subscribe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Subscribe t<\/a><\/strong>o Our Newsletter to receive a notification on new articles, checklists, latest deals etc.\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have also compiled a list of WordPress tools that we use and recommend to make things more manageable; you can check the article here &#8211; <a aria-label=\"Best WordPress Tools: A Useful 101 Guide For Web Developers (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wordpress-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"rank-math-link\"><strong>Best WordPress Tools: A Useful 101 Guide For Web Developers<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we missed anything in the above list of initial WordPress setup configurations, let us know in the comments, and we will include them in the list above when we update this article. If you want any specific checklist apart from the above, please let us know about the same in the comments section.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Having an Initial WordPress Setup Checklist means shaving hours off development time in future when there is an error with security or performance in the site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":705,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=690"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4717,"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/690\/revisions\/4717"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/learnwptutorials.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}