And for the first time, a major WordPress release launched live during the keynote — WordPress 6.9 went out to the world as the audience watched.

If you missed the livestream, you can watch the full recording below:

Our favorite highlights from 2025

2025 was a milestone year for WordPress. The project shipped two major releases, welcomed record numbers of first-time contributors, and saw global adoption accelerate — especially in non-English markets. 

Here’s what stood out:

• WordPress continues to power the open web. About 43% of all websites run on WordPress, with roughly 60% CMS market share. Among the top 1,000 sites, adoption grew to 49.4% — up 2.3% from last year.

• A truly global community. For the first time, over 56% of WordPress sites are in languages other than English. Japanese became the second-most-used language, with Japan reaching 58.5% website share and 83% CMS share.

• A thriving ecosystem. Over 60,000 plugins are now available, with downloads on track to hit 2.1 billion by year’s end. Block theme adoption grew over 40%, passing 1,000 themes.

• Record contributor numbers. WordPress 6.8 had 921 contributors. WordPress 6.9 brought over 900, including 230 first-timers.

• WordPress 6.9 launched live on stage. By the end of the keynote, over 700,000 sites had already been updated. 

Tip: Learn more about the most exciting WordPress 6.9 features for website owners and developers.

AI takes center stage

This year’s AI panel featured James LePage (Automattic), Felix Arntz (Google), and Jeff Paul (10up).

And here’s one of the central themes from the keynote: AI is becoming foundational to WordPress.

Matt Mullenweg announced that a dedicated AI team was formed earlier this year. In just six months, they shipped all four planned “building blocks”:

• Abilities API: Exposes the capabilities of plugins, themes, and WordPress core to AI agents in a standardized, machine-readable format.

• WP AI Client: An abstraction layer for communicating with any generative AI model — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or others — so developers can write prompts without locking into one provider.

• MCP Adapter: Bridges the Abilities API with AI providers through the Model Context Protocol, letting AI assistants understand and act within WordPress.

• AI Experiments plugin: Now live on the WordPress plugin repository.

Besides, the keynote featured a demo of Telex, a tool that generates Gutenberg blocks from natural language. 

During the keynote, Mullenweg showed how Nick Hamze used it to build a Lego price calculator and Google Calendar integration — without writing any code.

All these building blocks set the stage for what the AI panel previewed for 7.0: a Workflows API for stringing abilities together, collaborative editing with AI assistance, and the WP AI Client moving into core. 

AI features aren’t visible in the interface yet, but WordPress is now intelligible to AI systems — and the groundwork is laid for what comes next.

Tip: WordPress.com users can also explore our AI website builder, which helps you create, design, customize, and launch your site much faster and more easily.

WordPress around the world

The keynote also highlighted the increasingly global nature of WordPress:

• 81 WordCamps — community-organized conferences for WordPress users and contributors — took place across 39 countries this year. Over 5,200 volunteers organized them, reaching more than 100,000 people in person. And there are still 16 more scheduled before year’s end.

• Learn.wordpress.org served over 1.5 million users, with average engagement time up 32% after WordCamp US 2025.

• Education programs are expanding, too. Campus Connect is bringing WordPress into universities — Stephanie Garita Johnson from Universidad Fidélitas in Costa Rica spoke about how students there now earn academic credit for contributing to open source.

• And in Nicaragua, Youth Day brought together 75 kids ages 8 to 20 to build their first WordPress sites — with teenagers teaching teenagers.

Ecosystem and infrastructure updates

WordPress is also getting faster to ship, easier to test, and safer to update. 

This year’s improvements focused on reducing friction for plugin developers and making it easier to spin up new sites and migrate existing ones:

• Plugin reviews now take under 7 days thanks to AI-assisted review processes. The team is also handling about 100 more submissions per week than last year.

• A new 24-hour safety window for auto-updates gives developers time to catch issues from early adopters before updates roll out widely.

• WordPress Playground hit 1.4 million users from 227 countries this year. It now includes a file browser, a visual gallery of blueprints, and a stable CLI.

Q&A session

The community Q&A touched on several topics:

On domains and owning your online presence

Mullenweg emphasized that a domain is “your real estate on the web” — the thing that truly belongs to you. He encouraged everyone to get their own domain, even buying one for kids at birth. Without one, “you’re kind of like a digital sharecropper.”

On the “agentic web” and AI

As AI tools start browsing and acting on websites, Mullenweg shared ideas about serving markdown versions of pages for easier AI consumption and embedding micropayments for content attribution.

On open social platforms

He pointed to Bluesky as a positive example — where you can use your own domain as your username — and noted that X has improved its handling of external links.

Explore WordPress 6.9 on WordPress.com

This year’s State of the Word made one thing clear: WordPress is evolving fast — with AI foundations in place, a growing global community, and tools that make building and collaborating easier than ever.

WordPress 6.9 is also live on WordPress.com. Explore the new features in our detailed posts:

• What’s new in WordPress 6.9 for bloggers, creators, and site owners
• What’s new in WordPress 6.9 for developers

And if you missed the livestream, the full recording is available above.

The updates to the Abilities API, Interactivity API, Block Bindings, DataViews, and DataForm make the platform more connected and easier to customize.

This release also puts developers in a better position to build interactive and intelligent features as WordPress moves into an AI-assisted future.

Read on to learn about key updates, see what’s possible, and get excited to start building with WordPress 6.9.

1. Register AI‑ready functions with the Abilities API and MCP

One of the most exciting additions to WordPress 6.9 is the new Abilities API. 

When paired with the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the Abilities API opens the door to AI orchestration — intelligent agents that can understand, extend, and act inside WordPress itself.

Abilities API

The Abilities API makes it possible to expose the capabilities of plugins, themes, and WordPress core to AI agents and automation tools in a standardized, machine-readable format.

This lets AI systems such as Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and other assistants understand precisely what a particular WordPress site can do.

For example, users could give an AI assistant a natural language request to complete a range of tasks, such as:

• Create a post: An AI assistant, together with external tools, could generate and schedule content, leveraging the site’s full capabilities. 
• Audit site content: Using a site’s SEO plugin and connected tools, an AI assistant would analyze content and suggest updates.
• Generate sales reports: Using the ecommerce solution, an AI assistant could review sales data and produce reports.

See the Abilities API in WordPress 6.9 post for more information. 

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

The Abilities API works in conjunction with the Model Context Protocol (MCP). 

MCP is an open standard that lets AI assistants and apps, including WordPress, understand each other. 

It allows a WordPress site’s functionality, exposed by the Abilities API, to connect to AI assistants and other servers and tools in the MCP ecosystem.

Developers can install the MCP Adapter plugin to bridge their Abilities API registry with AI providers, paving the way for intelligent agents that can create posts, audit content, or generate reports from within WordPress.

Learn more about the MCP adapter for WordPress.

The AI building blocks vision

The Abilities API and the MCP Adapter are part of the AI Building Blocks initiative to allow users and developers to create powerful AI implementations within WordPress.

While AI features aren’t yet visible in the interface, the foundations being built mean WordPress is now intelligible to AI systems.

It’s still early days, but it’s the start of something meaningful. 

Looking ahead, this could enable AI agents to perform real actions within WordPress, such as generating content, automating workflows, and dynamically connecting to external data sources, all through standardized APIs.

Besides, using MCP future-proofs WordPress for an AI-driven world. It allows for quick adaptation to new AI systems and protocols without requiring a restructuring of core functionality. 

From that perspective, WordPress 6.9 doesn’t just set the stage for 7.0; it begins to redefine what the platform can become.

2. Build custom dashboards with DataViews and DataForm

WordPress 6.9 also strengthens the data‑management infrastructure in WordPress. 

While there are no visible changes for end users, the updates to DataViews, DataForm, and the Fields API give plugin developers more control and flexibility when building custom dashboards or admin interfaces.

DataViews: more robust data displays

The DataViews component has gained several powerful enhancements:

• Infinite scroll
• Locked filters
• Filtering with type-specific operators (e.g., less than, contains)
• Alignment and action column pinning for table layouts

These improvements make it easier for developers to create consistent, flexible interfaces that display data from any source. 

If you’re not yet familiar with DataViews, the component provides a powerful API for plugin developers to create interfaces that display items from a data source. 

For example, an e‑commerce plugin can use it to display orders inside WP Admin. You choose which fields appear, and whether to show them as a table, grid, or list. 

Users can then filter, search, paginate, and act on that data, and WordPress 6.9 adds finer control over those interactions through features like infinite scrolling and locked filters.

If you’re interested in getting started with the DataViews component, read this article on how to display and interact with data in plugins.

DataForm: flexible layouts and real‑time validation

In 6.9, updates to DataForm allow developers to choose from a number of new layout options. 

These new layouts, including a new modal panel and customizable card designs, give developers more control over how complex forms are structured and presented.

Here’s what’s new:

• New card and row layouts: display form fields in cards or side‑by‑side rows, rather than a single long list.
  
• Modal or dropdown panels: choose how secondary panels open—either as dropdowns or modal dialogs.
  
• Asynchronous validation: real‑time, rule‑based field validation means you can validate inputs both synchronously and asynchronously.

These updates give developers more control over how forms look and behave, making interfaces cleaner and more intuitive.

DataViewsPicker: easier item selection

A new DataViewsPicker component extends the DataViews API with selection management and action buttons.

It’s ideal for building media pickers or any interface where users need to choose multiple items from a dataset. 

End users can browse, filter, and select items in one place, improving usability.

Fields API enhancements

Finally, the Fields API has been expanded from three to 13 field types, adding support for arrays, booleans, colors, dates, email addresses, media, numbers, passwords, telephones, and URLs.

Validation is now rule‑based and supports both synchronous and asynchronous checks, making it easier to build and verify custom forms. 

Together, these enhancements mean developers can define richer forms with less boilerplate and ensure data quality more easily.

3. Inject dynamic data and interactions with Block Bindings and the Interactivity APIs

Updates to the Block Bindings API and the Interactivity API in WordPress 6.9 give developers more power and flexibility to build dynamic, interactive experiences. 

Block Bindings API improvements 

Another change is that WordPress developers can now control which block attributes are eligible for data binding.

The Block Bindings API introduces a new filter, which lets you specify the bindable attributes of any block:

block_bindings_supported_attributes_{$block_type}

Beyond that, the API has been expanded in three important ways:

• Custom binding sources in the editor: You can now register your own data sources by adding a getFieldsList() method to your source registration. This method returns an array of objects (each with a label, type, and args) to populate the binding dropdown.

• More blocks support binding: Binding can now be enabled for additional core blocks, including the Date block and the Image block caption, extending the range of dynamic data you can inject into content.

• Simpler UI for switching sources: The updated interface in the block editor makes it easy for users to switch between data sources and bind or unbind attributes with a single click.

Interactivity API updates

The Interactivity API has been significantly enhanced in WordPress 6.9, making interactive features faster and more reliable.

Updates include:

• Reusing shared stylesheets: 6.9 speeds up client-side navigation. Loaded stylesheets are reused where possible, with new stylesheets only loaded when needed. 
• Script modules for interactive blocks: JavaScript modules for interactive blocks are dynamically loaded, and dependencies are automatically managed, ensuring blocks stay fast and responsive. 
• Support for router regions: Interactive blocks can now include nested router regions and can dynamically render overlays anywhere on the page. This makes interactive features like modals, pop-ups, and dropdowns more flexible and reliable.
• Improved getServerState and getServerContext functions: These functions now reset properly between page transitions to ensure interactive blocks start with the correct data. 
• New TypeScript helpers: AsyncAction and TypeYield have been introduced to help developers address potential TypeScript issues when working with asynchronous actions.

Want to jump in and start experimenting with 6.9? Try binding a custom field to a caption of an Image block or using the Interactivity API to load comments or search results without reloading the entire page.

4. Style your themes faster with form controls and border-radius presets

Finally, WordPress 6.9 brings a set of practical updates for theme developers.

You get better form styling, button typography that now inherits correctly, and new options for setting border-radius size presets.

Together, these changes give you more flexibility when designing and refining themes.

Theme.json form styling

Theme.json now supports styling for form elements.

With the styles.elements property, you can target inputs and select fields to set colors, borders, and typography.

These styles apply across the entire site — including third-party plugins — giving theme developers much more control and consistency.

For more information on styling these form elements, read this blog post on how WordPress 6.9 gives forms a theme.json makeover. 

Border-radius size presets

Theme creators can now define border-radius presets using human-readable names like Small, Medium, and Large.

Users can then choose these presets from a dropdown in the Block Editor and apply them to supported blocks.

This replaces repeated manual input with simple, reusable options, making designs more consistent.

Explore a step-by-step guide to creating these presets in the WordPress Developer Blog post Border radius size presets in WordPress 6.9.

Button typography inheritance

Buttons can now inherit typography from their parent styles when defined in theme.json, making it easier to maintain a consistent look across a site.

When users adjust typography in Global Styles — such as font style, text transform, letter spacing, or font weight — the wp-element-button class now picks up those changes automatically.

The before-and-after image below demonstrates how the button text has inherited the typography styles:

Try out 6.9 and help shape the future of WordPress

WordPress 6.9 brings a range of useful updates for developers — from the Abilities and Interactivity APIs to improvements in DataViews and more.

Here’s a video recap of all key updates:

The best part: It’s easy to start experimenting with them.

The fastest way to start is with WordPress Playground, a browser-based sandbox with no setup required.

Alternatively, use WordPress Studio to quickly spin up new local sites that can sync with the developer-ready managed hosting from WordPress.com. Business and Commerce plans include staging sites, SFTP/SSH access, WP-CLI, and GitHub Deployments. 

Let us know how you get on and help shape the future of WordPress. 

This release speeds up everyday work, improves how teams collaborate, and adds new block options that give you more room to shape your site the way you want.

Here’s a look at the standout WordPress 6.9 features that have arrived since the last update in April 2025, and how they help you build more with WordPress.com.

Collaborate and stage content directly in your posts

Explore the latest Site Editor updates, which make it easier to do more directly inside WordPress without relying on extra tools or touching backend code.

Block-level Notes 

Block-level Notes make collaboration much easier by letting teams leave feedback directly on the block that needs attention.

You can add threaded, resolvable notes from the toolbar or sidebar, and authors automatically get email alerts when new comments come in.

This keeps all feedback — pre-launch edits, content fixes, design tweaks, and even post-publication updates like adding new links — in one place, without needing extra tools.

Hide and Show blocks

Hide and Show lets you switch blocks on and off without deleting them, making it easier to manage content you’ll need again.

Use the visibility toggle in a block’s toolbar to temporarily hide sections like seasonal promos or recurring announcements.

This gives you a simple, built-in way to stage updates without juggling duplicate blocks or storing drafts elsewhere, and your reusable content stays exactly where you left it for when you’re ready to bring it back.

Visual drag and drop

You can now see exactly where a block will land as you drag it.

The live preview makes it much easier to move things around without guessing or fixing mistakes afterward.

It currently works with single blocks, although multi-block dragging is expected in  WordPress 7.0.

Allowed blocks UI and other workflow tools

The allowed blocks UI, found under Advanced settings (with a keyboard shortcut to copy settings: Ctrl/Cmd + Alt/Option + V), lets you specify which block types are allowed within a given container. 

Previously, this was only editable through block markup in code view. 

By bringing these controls into the interface, WordPress now makes it easier to build more complex layouts and features without touching code.

Enrich your content with creative blocks for improved storytelling

Take advantage of new ways to display information visually within WordPress without installing additional plugins or using custom code. 

Accordion block

The Accordion block lets you add collapsible sections with headings and panels, creating an interactive reading experience without requiring code or extra plugins.

It’s ideal for adding frequently asked questions (FAQs) or for expanding details and lists to add additional context within your content.

Term Query and companion blocks

The Term Query block simplifies building category and tag pages by offering a built-in way to display them, similar to the Query Loop block. 

It supports sorting options (e.g., “order-by” sorting), design tools for styling, and a toggle to turn each item into a link. 

When combined with the Term Description block, it offers a powerful setup for directory and magazine sites that use structured filtering or subpage navigation.

Supporting (companion) blocks include:

• Term Template block
• Term Name block
• Term Count block

Time‑to‑Read block

The Time-to-Read block sets expectations for readers by providing an estimated reading time (including a range) based on word count. 

Although incorporating this information doesn’t directly correlate to better SEO performance, it can have an impact on user engagement, which is tangentially related.

Math block

LaTeX is a markup language and high-quality typesetting system for technical and scientific documentation.

The new Math block implements LaTeX for better visualizing mathematical equations and notations, making it especially useful for technical and educational posts. 

Comment Count and Comment Link blocks

By separating the comment count from the comment link, the Comment Count and Comment Link blocks let you place comment access wherever it makes the most sense in a post.

It also lets you control which posts allow comments at all. 

This functionality was once exclusive to the Site Editor, but it’s now available throughout the entire editing experience.

Create and manage reusable layouts with safe drafts and flexible templates

WordPress 6.9 introduces several exciting features that make life easier for anyone building across multiple sites — cutting down on repeat work and helping you move faster without recreating the same layouts from scratch.

Starter pattern modal everywhere

All post types containing patterns (previously just pages) now display the pop-up modal for using starter patterns. 

This makes it easier for creators to drop in structured layouts across different content types, especially when working with varied or more complex designs.

Fit Text (stretchy text)

The new Fit Text option in Heading and Paragraph blocks automatically adjusts text to fill its container.

This gives you precise typographic control without writing custom CSS, making it easier to create eye-catching headers and hero sections that look polished across all screen sizes.

Gallery block aspect ratios and Cover block posters

The Gallery block’s new aspect ratio setting lets you apply a consistent ratio to all images with a single click from the sidebar. 

No more manual edits or custom CSS are necessary to get a clean, unified layout. 

Besides, you can add poster images to Cover blocks with video backgrounds, giving visitors on slower connections a still image to view while the video loads.

Find anything instantly with the Dashboard-wide Command Palette

You can now use the Command Palette across the entire WP Admin dashboard (not just the Site Editor), making navigation commands universally accessible. 

With a single keyboard shortcut, power users and admins can bypass repetitive menu clicking and streamline their workflows.

Press Ctrl/Cmd + K on any admin screen (Posts, Pages, Media, Settings, the Site Editor, and more) to open the search/command bar and quickly run actions or jump to content. 

Developers can also register custom commands through Extensible Commands, giving users even faster access to frequently used features.

Enjoy faster load times with no extra effort

WordPress is known for performance and is constantly raising the standard with new updates. 

The latest technical improvements in WordPress 6.9 work together to boost performance without any extra setup on your part. 

For example, these include:

• On‑demand block CSS: Loads styles only for the blocks actually used on a page, improving performance for classic themes that normally ship more CSS than needed.

• Optimized cron execution: Improves Core Web Vitals tangentially through better Time to First Byte, by scheduling tasks to run after the page loads.

• Template output buffer and hidden block styles: An updated system that template developers can use to optimize HTML outputs, which results in small improvements to page performance — loading block styles only when needed, moving them to the <head> section, and reducing CSS output. It’s enabled by default for classic WordPress themes and skips loading styles for hidden blocks.

Together, these changes help your pages load faster and feel smoother for visitors, all without any extra configuration.

Try WordPress 6.9’s new features today 

WordPress 6.9 is already live on WordPress.com, so you can try the new tools right away and see how they fit into your workflow.

These updates might improve your experience as a content creator, boost user engagement, and ultimately increase blog traffic. 

Test out Notes, the new storytelling blocks, and the template updates to get a feel for what’s possible.

If you create something you’re proud of, share it and tag us — we’d love to see it.

Want a faster, more reliable setup for everything in 6.9? Get started with WordPress.com.

Whether you’re designing layouts, writing copy, or refining appearances, AI handles it all through simple language prompts.

This guide shows you how to build a WordPress website using AI in 12 easy steps. 

Let’s assume we’re creating a site that reviews various snacks to help busy moms and health enthusiasts make purchasing decisions. You can adapt the following prompts to the site you’re building.

Step 1: Define your website’s purpose and content focus

First, list the key details about your site’s foundation. Clearly defining your brand and business details will help you draft specific prompts, which in turn sets up AI website builders for success. 

You don’t need to know everything right away, but try to define the basics:

• Your business or website name
• The kind of site you want to build (personal blog, portfolio, business site, etc.)
• The core focus of your site (sharing detailed articles, selling products, etc.)
• Your target audience 
• What success looks like for your site
• Brand tone (professional, funny, modern, friendly)
• Key pages and sections for your site (Home, About, Products, etc.)

If you’re unsure about your website’s details, you can also ask AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude for help.

For example, I used this ChatGPT prompt to brainstorm my site’s details:

“Act as a website strategist. I run Snack Reviews, which offers detailed reviews of nutrients, taste, ingredients, and more for popular snack options on the market for busy moms and health enthusiasts. Suggest the essential pages I should include, three content ideas for each, and a short list of brand adjectives that describe my ideal look and feel.”

As a result, I got several suggestions for key pages and content I could add to my site:

It’s tempting to miss this step and jump directly to creating a site, but clarifying your site’s focus and purpose will reduce the number of edits you need to make in the future.

Step 2: Explore your visual and brand style

Next, gather a few rough ideas for your website’s appearance. Think of the words that you’d use to describe your site’s visual feel — cozy, minimalistic, artistic, etc. 

For example, Olipop’s site instantly appears energetic and colorful.

The bright colors, fonts, and elements give the website a playful feel:

Bosch’s website, on the other hand, is minimalistic. 

The greys, clean lines, and visuals lend the site an informational and established feeling:

If you don’t know what direction you want to take your visual asthetic, use AI to brainstorm some ideas.

Here is the prompt I used with ChatGPT to find my site’s brand style:

“Suggest three color palettes and font pairings that fit a review website for snacks described as clean and minimalistic. Explain briefly what feeling each palette gives.”

I liked the second palette choice, which caters to both segments of my target audience (busy moms and fitness enthusiasts).

Step 3: Choose an AI site builder

Next, choose an AI website builder that helps you create, refine, and launch your site.

There are many AI website builders that can produce a quick layout from a prompt, but creating the initial site is only the first step.

You need a tool that lets you customize your design, edit content, add key features, and take your site live when you’re ready.

Here’s what to look for:

• Easy editing: You should be able to update pages, layouts, images, and copy using both AI and manual tools (like the Site Editor).

• Flexible design and content: Make sure you can customize fonts, colors, sections, and regenerate copy or visuals as your site evolves.

• Being able to go live: Your builder should make launching simple — letting you connect a domain, publish your site, and rely on built-in hosting so everything works without extra setup.

• SEO and performance basics: Choose a builder that takes care of the technical side for you — like automatic speed and mobile optimization, built-in SSL, a sitemap, and fast loading through caching/CDN. It should also help you improve your pages with simple SEO recommendations.

• Growth features: Make sure you can add newsletters, analytics, social integrations, or ecommerce (depending on your needs).

• Ownership and pricing: Choose an AI builder that lets you keep your content, scale affordably, and avoid platform lock-in.

For example, I’m using WordPress.com’s AI site builder. It can create a complete draft site from a single prompt — including webpages, copy, design, and navigation. You can then easily customize your site using AI or the Site Editor.

Step 4: Generate your first AI-built website draft

Next, create a detailed, specific prompt using the information that you’ve gathered in steps one and two. 

I used this prompt to create a website for my review site:

“Create a website called Snack Reviews that reviews popular snack options in the market for busy moms and health enthusiasts. The tone should be friendly and helpful. Include five pages: Home, Product Reviews, About, and Contact. Use a bright blue and crisp white color palette and Poppins & Inter fonts in the headings and copy, respectively.”

In a few minutes, the first draft of my website was ready.

The tool followed all the instructions given in the prompt — right from the name to the color palette to the font.

I will admit it has taken me some trial and error to learn how to prompt. 

The secret is to be as specific as possible — mention the pages you want on your site, who you are making the site for, and the tone you want your site to have. 

If something still doesn’t look the way you hoped, you can always prompt the AI again to work on it.

Step 5: Review and organize your pages and navigation

Next, make sure your website is smooth to navigate for your visitors. 

Once your site’s first draft comes to life, you can see how all the pages appear together — and decide whether to reorder them, add a new page, or delete any unnecessary pages.

For my site, I realized people often have questions about the authenticity of food reviews if they don’t know the methods used and aren’t aware of an affiliate partnership.

So I first made a dedicated new page to address the concern using this prompt:

“Add a new page titled “Learn how we pick and review snacks” that shows how Snack Reviews chooses and reviews all the snacks on the website. Include three sections inside this page — the first section is “Our reviewing process,” the second section is “How we choose snacks to review,” and the last section is “Do we earn a commission.” Add a call-to-action button at the end that says “See an example reviewing process in action.”

I picked one layout from three options.

I also added and edited some CTA buttons to ensure the navigation is just the way I want.

After adding a new page, I wanted to reorder how the pages appeared in the navigation bar.

You can prompt AI to do this, but I chose the manual route:

1. Click on the WordPress icon in the top left corner.

2. Go to Navigation.

3. Click on Header Navigation.

4. Drag-and-drop the pages in the order you want them.

Once your site has updated the pages and navigation according to your preference, start zooming in on the design.

Step 6: Customize your site’s design

Adjust the visual design aspects of your site to match your preferences. T

hese can be big changes — like changing your site’s layout — or small ones — such as making all the buttons on your site a particular shape.

Tip: Your site’s visual layout should be consistent across all pages. When your audience navigates between pages, they should feel oriented and familiar — as if they were under the same roof. This builds familiarity and trust.

In my case, I wanted to do three things:

• Use different fonts
• Rearrange the homepage
• Make all the buttons round

Here’s how I did it.

Change fonts

I wanted to check if there’s a different font pairing I could use. The current ones felt too sharp for my taste. I prompted the AI website builder this:

“Show me new font pairings that feel softer and more relaxed.”

The tool offered me several fonts for headers and body text that worked well together and matched the vibe I was going for.

I browsed all the options and went with the one that best aligned with the color palette and brand.

Change homepage layout

Next, I wanted to check if there’s a better way to arrange the homepage. 

The homepage is the most important part of the site because it’s the first thing someone sees when they land on your site.

I wanted the site’s homepage to be as striking as possible, but I couldn’t pinpoint which changes would improve it. So I used this prompt to get AI’s help:

“Suggest different layouts for the homepage.”

The various options helped me identify what I could add or remove from the homepage.

The previews are also helpful in gauging how the changes appear before committing to one option. 

I went with the first choice.

Change button shapes

Finally, I wanted to make all the buttons square. Here’s the prompt I used:

“Make all the buttons on the site square.”

Step 7: Refine your copy and on-page sections

The AI website builder will automatically generate the text for each section. Polish it for accuracy until it achieves your styleand goals. 

You can either edit the text directly by clicking on any block, or you can seek AI’s help. 

For example, I selected the text block on the homepage and asked AI to rewrite it in a friendlier tone using this prompt:

“Rewrite this paragraph in a friendlier tone.”

You can also ask the AI website builder to reword a section for brevity, expand descriptions, remove sections, add taglines, and more.

Tip: A good best practice here is to blend AI’s recommendations with manual adjustments. Doing so ensures your site copy doesn’t sound unnatural or dispaly any inaccurate information.

Step 8: Add images, logos, and visual sections

Next, complete the design of your website with additional elements, such as visuals and logos. 

For example, I wanted to update the hero image on the homepage. I prompted the AI website builder to help:

“Create a hero image for this page that shows a person in a laboratory conducting a lab test.”

You can also use similar prompts to rewire all visuals on your site to match a certain aesthetic — if that’s what you want. 

Image generation is honestly my favorite part of the AI website-building process. 

So many standalone image generation tools give you poor results (six fingers and a gazillion teeth smiles, anyone?), but WordPress.com’s AI website builder always aces the assignment.

It can also help you come up with a logo for your site. I used this prompt to create mine:

“Create a logo that says “Snack Reviews” inside of an icon of a chips packet.”

Step 9: Add engagement and monetization features

You can also add elements to your site that will encourage visitors to engage  — e.g., subscribe to a newsletter. 

For example, I used this prompt to add a newsletter form to my site:

“Add a newsletter signup form in the last section of the homepage with an ‘Email’ field along with a CTA button to ‘Subscribe.’ Name the new section ‘Stay in touch.’”

You can also use similar prompts to add monetization features, social media icons, donation buttons, or whatever else you might need for your website. 

AI produces editable blocks of your instructions, which you can configure to meet your requirements.

Step 10: Review SEO basics

Before you publish, check a few simple SEO essentials — titles, descriptions, headings, links, and image alt text. 

The good news is: WordPress.com already covers the technical side of SEO (speed, security, mobile optimization).

For on-page SEO, make sure you:

• Have a clear H1 (title tag) and clean heading structure
• Write readable, scannable content
• Add internal links to related pages
• Add descriptive image alt text
• Use a short, logical URL

You can use AI to make your search presence even stronger by asking it to provide SEO recommendations. For example, I used this prompt:

“Review this page for on-page SEO issues and suggest improvements — check my H1, headings, URLs, internal links, readability, and image alt text, then tell me what’s missing, what I should change, and give specific examples of better titles, descriptions, headings, and alt text.”

The tool then provided multiple suggestions related to keywords, headings, internal linking, and more:

Step 11: Ask AI for improvement ideas

Before launching your site, use the AI website builder to get smart suggestions to improve it. It can recommend:

• Creating new sections or pages
• Navigation simplifications
• Tone or clarity adjustments
• Content and site section ideas

For example, I asked the tool to provide some broad recommendations to improve my site using this prompt:

“Suggest improvements to make this site more engaging for visitors.”

It generated lots of ideas, like adding quizzes and images:

The best part: The AI website builder provides recommendations that are specifically tailored to your website.

Step 12: Launch your site

The final step is releasing your site into the world. 

Every new WordPress.com site starts in Coming Soon mode, so you can refine the design and content before going live. 

Once you’re ready to launch, just click on the Launch button in the top right corner.

After you click Launch, you can choose the pricing plan that fits your goals and set up everything you need to go live (e.g., a domain). 

Tip: If you already own a domain, you can also transfer it to WordPress.com.

Once you launch, your website is instantly live on a secure, fast WordPress.com server — no extra setup, plugins, or third-party services needed. SSL encryption, backups, and a global CDN are all included automatically.

You can continue using the AI website builder to customize your site even after launching it. Add new pages, update copy and images, and brainstorm new ideas to improve your site.

Create your new WordPress site with the AI website builder

Building a website used to take hours. With WordPress.com’s AI website builder, you can launch a polished site in minutes and keep improving it as you grow.

Once your site is live, you can continue using AI to refine pages, adjust your design, and publish new content quickly — without touching code.

Tip: Try the WordPress.com AI site builder for free. When you’re ready to launch, upgrade to a Premium or Business plan to take your site live.

You’ll find the exact workflow and steps I’ve used to successfully move WordPress sites so that you can complete your own website migration with confidence.

TL;DR: Quick WordPress migration checklist

Here’s a quick overview of the WordPress migration checklist that’s covered in full detail in this guide:

Pre-migration steps:

• Plan and communicate: Decide when you’ll migrate, and let your visitors know via emails, social media, and a prominent notice on your homepage. 
• Pause site activity: Place the site in maintenance mode and stop making changes. 
• Back up the site: Create a full site backup and verify you can restore it. 
• Measure site performance: Record load times, SEO benchmarks, and other metrics for comparison after the migration. 
• Prepare the site: Update to the latest software versions, remove unused plugins and themes, and gather all logins.
• Practice the migration: Choose a migration method and rehearse moving the site to a safe environment, and verify the results. 
• Prepare the new site: Create a WordPress site on the new host, ensure that the software versions match those on the source site, and set the search engine visibility. 

During migration:

• Move the site: Start the migration process, whether you’re using a plugin or the WordPress.com migration service. 
• Manage the domain: Point your domain to the new site and enable SSL. SSL encrypts data transferred between the site and the visitor’s browser to keep information private and secure.

Post-migration:

• Test the site: Explore the site to verify it looks and functions as expected. 
• Check URLs: Ensure all URLs and links are working.
• Compare performance: Refer to pre-migration test results to confirm SEO and performance have remained stable or improved. 
• Set visibility: Make the site accessible to visitors and search engines. 
• Monitor analytics: Track key metrics to ensure service continuity. 
• Cancel old host: Close your old hosting account after the migration is complete. 

Let’s go through the checklist in detail so you’re fully prepared to successfully migrate your WordPress site to a new host.

WordPress migration checklist: 10 key steps

From planning and preparation to testing and monitoring, our checklist walks you through the WordPress website migration process. 

1. Plan your migration and communicate clearly

Begin with a clear plan and transparent communication. 

Migrations can lead to short periods of downtime, and letting people know what’s coming helps avoid confusion.

Here’s what you can do:

• Communicate: Be clear about why you’re migrating and how it will benefit your site and its audience. This will make it easier to communicate your plans effectively.
• Plan: Schedule the move during a quiet period, usually the early hours of Sunday morning, but check your analytics to see when visits and conversions are at their lowest. Take seasonal peaks, such as Black Friday, into account.
• Inform: Tell your audience what’s happening and why. Highlight the benefits of the migration, such as faster load times or improved security. Explain what to expect, including temporary unavailability or limited functionality. This helps users to be patient during any downtime. 
• Communicate: Use multiple channels to reach everyone, including email, social media, and on-site banners. Include the date and time of the migration, how long it will take, and the main benefits users can expect once it’s complete. 

Tip: A free plugin like My Sticky Bar makes it easy to create a site notification bar.

For example, this website uses a notification bar to announce its migration window:

2. Enable maintenance mode

Next, enable maintenance mode using a plugin. 

This lets you display a clear message about the migration to visitors and prevents anyone from interacting with your site — like submitting forms or leaving comments — while the move is happening.

Here’s how:

• Install a plugin: For example, CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin is a good free option. 

• Enable maintenance mode: Turn on the plugin’s maintenance mode and add a custom message for your visitors. 

In addition to displaying a custom message and restricting access to your site, a good migration plugin will also return a “503 Service Temporarily Unavailable” status code. 

This code signals to search engines that any downtime is temporary, helping to protect your rankings. 

You can also use an online tool or PowerShell to check the HTTP status code of your site:

curl.exe -I https://yourgroovydomain.com

Don’t make any changes to your site while it’s in maintenance mode. This ensures no data or changes are lost during the move. 

3. Create and verify a site backup

Before migrating, create a complete site backup (including files and database) to protect against data loss.

• Create a backup: A backup plugin makes it easy to back up your site. Popular options include UpdraftPlus and Jetpack VaultPress Backup (included on the WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans). 
• Store safely: Save your backup files off-site, such as on your computer or in cloud storage.
• Verify the restore: Ensure the backup can be successfully restored before beginning the migration. Use a staging site or local installation for testing. 

Tip: Our guide to backing up WordPress sites has step-by-step instructions and extra advice.

4. Audit SEO and performance

From here, record your site’s current performance and SEO metrics before migration. 

This provides a clear baseline, so you can confirm that everything is working as expected once the move is complete.

Follow these steps:

• SEO audit: Note your top-ranking pages, keyword visibility, and traffic levels, using tools like Google Analytics (GA4) and Google Search Console. 

• Page speed: Record load times using the WordPress Speed Test tool and Google PageSpeed Insights. 
• Core Web Vitals: Note FCP, LCP, CLS, TTFB, and TBT metrics. Together, these show how quickly your site loads, how smooth it feels to use, and whether anything shifts or delays interaction.

Tip: This data can be used after the migration to verify the success of the move. 

5. Update and prepare your site

Next, prepare your site for migration by making sure everything’s up to date and ready to move.

Give your site a quick cleanup and compatibility check so the migration goes smoothly and nothing unexpected breaks along the way:

• Update everything: Update WordPress core, themes, plugins, and PHP to the latest versions.
• Clean up: Remove any plugins or themes you no longer need. For example, WordPress.com already offers various features like caching, security, backups, and performance optimization, so plugins in those categories aren’t needed after the migration. Temporarily disable any caching, firewall, and redirection plugins before migrating to avoid conflicts.
• Gather credentials: Record all account login details for your site, including those for hosting and third-party services.
• Check compatibility: Note any plugins, themes, or custom code that may need to be replaced. Check which plugins are incompatible with WordPress.com hosting to see if you’ll need to find alternatives. 

6. Practice the migration in a safe environment

You can now choose a migration method and set up a safe environment to practice moving your site.

Here’s how:

• Choose a migration method: The Migrate to WordPress.com plugin makes it very easy to move your site to WordPress.com, with most sites completing the migration in less than 10 minutes.

• If you have either the WordPress.com Business or Commerce plan, our expert team can handle the migration for you at no cost, while your live site remains unaffected.

• Create a test environment: Set up a staging site, a WordPress.com test site, or a local WordPress installation to practice the migration.

Tip: If migrating your WordPress site to another web host, refer to this step-by-step guide.

7. Prepare your new WordPress site

In the final step before the move, get the new site ready and check that your new hosting plan meets your requirements. 

Review the following:

• Figure out domain setup: Decide whether your site will use a new domain or continue with the existing one after the move. Using your existing domain with WordPress.com hosting is straightforward, and the documentation walks you through the steps. 
• Create a new WordPress site: Set up a fresh WordPress installation at your new host. Keep it empty — don’t add posts, pages, or extra settings — so there’s nothing that could conflict with the content you’ll import. Make sure it’s running the latest versions of WordPress and PHP to match your current site.

• Manage search engine visibility: Instruct search engines not to index the new site (not yet). This is enabled by default for new sites on WordPress.com as part of the coming soon mode. 

• For other hosts, enable the “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” setting (WP Admin → Settings → Reading). 

• Check hosting plan resources: Find out how much storage and bandwidth your site uses (this information is available from your current host). Make sure the new hosting plan meets these requirements. WordPress.com plans have unmetered bandwidth and varying amounts of storage.
• Assess your new hosting plan: Check whether it has features that can replace plugins you’re currently using. For example, the WordPress.com plans include many features, such as forms, backups, security, and SEO tools. 

8. Transfer your site and its content

Once you’ve tested the migration and prepared the new site, it’s time to move your WordPress site to its new home.

• Start the migration: Use the same method as when you tested the migration. If moving to WordPress.com, this could be the done-for-you service or the Migrate to WordPress.com plugin. Follow this guide if moving to another host.
• Set site visibility: The coming soon mode is enabled by default on new WordPress.com sites, but you should check that it’s still active after the migration.

9. Connect your domain and secure the site

After the migration, connect your domain and enable SSL so visitors can safely use the site. 

Make sure to:

• Update domain settings: Change the nameservers or DNS records at your domain registrar so that your domain points to your new hosting provider. This guide explains how to connect a domain to a site hosted by WordPress.com. 

• Enable SSL: This ensures the site loads over “https://” and data is encrypted as it is transferred between the site and the visitor’s browser to keep it private and secure. Some hosts take care of this for you. For example, SSL is enabled by default on sites hosted by WordPress.com. 

10. Test, redirect, and monitor

Make sure that everything works correctly and your SEO and performance are intact after migration. 

Here’s what to consider:

• General verification: Visually check that all posts and pages have been transferred and load correctly. Verify the theme, plugins, menus, forms, logins, and all eCommerce features work as expected.
• Mobile responsiveness: Ensure your site functions smoothly across different devices.
• Meta tags and headings: Check that the title tags, meta descriptions, and heading structures of your content are intact.
• Redirects: If using your existing domain, visitors will be automatically directed to your new site and its pages when following a link or entering a URL. If you’ve changed the URLs of any content, create 301 redirects for them to preserve SEO and prevent broken links. Use this free online tool to check that the redirects are working.
• Error pages and broken links: Use Google Search Console to identify and fix 404 errors or missing pages.
• Backlinks and internal links: Refer to your SEO audit from Step 4 and verify that high-value backlinks and internal links still point to the correct pages.
• Sitemaps and robots.txt: Use Google Search Console to check that your site’s XML sitemaps are up to date and accessible, and that your site’s robots.txt file isn’t causing any issues.

• Compare performance: Rerun site speed tests using the same tools to confirm your site performs as well as or better than before.
• Make your website public: Make sure the “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” option isn’t checked.

• Monitor: Track site analytics, including Jetpack Stats and Google Search Console for any traffic or ranking changes.
• Cancel old hosting: Once everything is stable, decommission your site’s previous hosting environment.

Testing, checking redirects, and monitoring your site are the final steps in a successful migration.

Tip: If you’re moving to the WordPress.com Business or Commerce plan, you can use the Site Monitoring tool to detect and resolve many of these issues.

Move your WordPress site with confidence 

This checklist walks you through every step of migrating a WordPress site to a new host.

If you’re moving to WordPress.com, you can use either the migration plugin or — on Business and Commerce plans — our free migration service to handle the process for you.

WordPress.com also gives you strong performance, reliable uptime, built-in security, and access to plugins on all paid plans. 

With the right preparation and a clear plan, your site will migrate smoothly, keep its SEO intact, and stay accessible to your audience throughout the transition.

In short, shared hosting is the budget-friendly option where multiple websites share the same server, while managed WordPress hosting offers better speed, security, and automatic maintenance.

This guide breaks down how each option works, what you get with managed WordPress hosting, and how to choose the best fit for your needs.

TL;DR: Managed WordPress hosting vs. shared hosting

Managed WordPress hosting takes care of hosting, advanced security, automatic updates, and ongoing maintenance for your WordPress site. Shared WordPress hosting, on the other hand, provides hosting and basic server-level security, but leaves most site-specific maintenance and performance tasks to you.

Here’s a quick summary:

Tip: Not all “managed WordPress hosting” is truly managed — some providers simply bundle shared hosting with basic tools. With WordPress.com, you get expert support, advanced security, global infrastructure, and a 99.999% uptime guarantee.

Managed WordPress hosting vs. shared hosting: what’s the user experience like?

The main differences between managed WordPress hosting and shared hosting include cost, speed, maintenance, customization, and support. 

These factors affect your site’s performance, budget, and time investment.

Speed

The main difference in speed between managed and shared hosting is stability — managed hosting keeps your site fast and responsive even under heavy traffic, while shared hosting performance drops as more websites compete for the same resources.

Managed WordPress hosting: Your website loads in milliseconds, powered by global CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) that deliver content from the nearest location.

On WordPress.com, for example, your website is powered by our Global Edge Caching with 28+ data centers to deliver your site content from servers closest to each visitor.  

During one of the latest AWS outages, many websites went offline — but WordPress.com stayed up. 

Since all WordPress.com websites run on our own global infrastructure — we don’t rely on AWS or other third-party clouds — your site always remains online, no matter what issue arises on the web. 

Shared hosting: Websites on shared servers run more slowly because multiple sites compete for the same resources. 

Upgrading to a higher-tier plan can help by adding SSD storage and improving read/write speeds (how fast the server accesses your files and databases).

Still, even premium shared plans can’t guarantee consistent speed — resource limits eventually cap performance. 

You shouldn’t be penalized for growth. Upgrade to a managed hosting plan on WordPress.com from $4/month (annual billing) for unlimited traffic, unmatched speed, and 99.999% uptime.

Maintenance 

The key difference in maintenance between managed and shared hosting is the level of responsibility — managed hosting covers all backups, updates, and security patches, while shared hosting requires you to troubleshoot on your own.

Managed WordPress hosting: Your managed WordPress hosts handle all technical maintenance, like:

• Automatic core updates so your website runs on the latest and most secure version of WordPress.
• Regular backups, where you can easily restore your website in a few clicks if anything breaks. 
• Real-time security monitoring to keep your WordPress site secure 24/7. 

This lightens your technical workload, saving you several hours weekly to reinvest in your site and business.

Shared hosting: Shared web hosts usually offer basic backups, updates, and security — the scope of site maintenance will ultimately depend on your provider and hosting plan. With shared hosts, expect more work to maintain your website.

Flexibility

The main difference in flexibility between managed and shared hosting lies in control — shared hosting gives you more freedom to install anything, while managed WordPress hosting prioritizes stability and security by including trusted features out of the box.

Managed WordPress hosting: Hosts may limit certain plugins or themes to maintain top performance and security across their infrastructure.

However, because your host handles all technical tasks for you, you rarely need extra plugins to achieve the same results.

If you’re using WordPress.com, most key features related to security, analytics, SEO, etc., are already built into the platform:

Shared hosting: Some hosting providers may limit themes and plugins to optimize performance for all websites on the same server, while others offer more flexibility. 

Even though the latter may seem like an attractive perk, it risks you installing unsuitable plugins that compromise your site speed and security.

Support

The key difference in support is expertise — managed WordPress hosting gives you access to WordPress specialists, while shared hosting relies on general support teams that handle many platforms.

Managed WordPress hosting: Managed hosts provide high-quality, specialized support. Since these specialists work only with WordPress, they possess years of in-depth knowledge. 

Whether it’s a plugin conflict or a faulty media button, they’ve likely encountered and solved all these common issues within minutes.

Shared hosting: You might experience inconsistent support from generalists. 

Because shared hosting providers cater to customers using different web platforms, the level of expertise may vary.

Cost

The key difference in cost comes down to what you’re paying for — shared hosting is cheaper but limited, while managed WordPress hosting might cost more because it includes speed, security, scalability, and hands-off maintenance.

Managed WordPress hosting: Prices range from $10 to $2,000+ (for enterprises) per month, depending on your server type.

This is mainly because managed hosting delivers premium performance, advanced security, and full technical management.

Tip: WordPress.com gives you more flexibility when budgeting for hosting. You can start with the Personal plan ($4/month on annual billing) and upgrade to Business ($25/month) or higher as your needs grow. All plans include unlimited bandwidth and visits.

Shared hosting: Typically costs $2-$15/month and suits small or starter sites.

However, you share resources with many other websites, which slows performance as traffic increases.

For growing or ecommerce sites, these trade-offs often outweigh the savings — a fast, managed plan quickly pays for itself.

What do you get with managed WordPress hosting?

You get all the technical staples in managed WordPress hosting, including automatic backups, quality WordPress support, speed, and enterprise-grade security. Here’s a deeper look.

Bandwidth and traffic-based pricing 

Managed WordPress hosting is designed to handle traffic spikes smoothly, but some providers still charge based on bandwidth or monthly visits. 

When your traffic grows, your costs can rise — or performance can dip — depending on their limits.

For example, if your site doubles from 65,000 to 125,000 monthly visits, your plan might increase from about $50 to $90 per month, adding roughly $480 annually.

Fortunately, WordPress.com is different: every plan includes unlimited bandwidth and visits for a fixed monthly price. Your site stays fast and accessible during viral spikes — with no surprise fees.

Site backups

Managed WordPress hosting typically includes automated daily backups with 14-30 days of storage, allowing quick one-click recovery if something goes wrong.

Most providers also let you create on-demand backups for major updates or changes.

WordPress.com provides enhanced protection through real-time cloud backups powered by Jetpack VaultPress Backup. On eligible plans, you can restore backups from your archive (typically up to 30 days, or longer on select plans).

Improved speed

Managed WordPress hosts speed up your website through a WordPress-optimized infrastructure with multiple CDNs across the world. 

This ensures your site remains fast no matter where visitors are located.

At WordPress.com, two core features keep your website consistently fast:

• Site Accelerator CDN: Reduces server load by offloading your image and static files.
• Global Edge Caching: Routes content from data centers closest to your visitors.

Security

Managed WordPress hosts protect your website through SSL certificates, advanced brute-force defense, automated malware scanning, and continuous monitoring to keep you safe from cyber attacks.

Many providers, including WordPress.com, offer free domain privacy (where available), which hides your domain contact information, like your address and phone number, from the public. 

To further boost your site security, you can use plugins like Akismet to block spam and Jetpack Scan to detect security threats and vulnerabilities.

Reliability

Managed WordPress hosting is built for maximum uptime and stability, keeping your website online even during unexpected network issues.

Most leading hosts promise 99.9% uptime, which still allows for about 43 minutes of downtime per month.

WordPress.com goes a step further with infrastructure engineered for 99.999% uptime. This makes downtime extremely rare compared to other hosts.

Automatic updates

Managed WordPress hosts also handle all technical maintenance automatically, including the WordPress core, theme, and plugin updates — freeing you up hours to focus on your website, passion, and business.

Similarly, WordPress.com manages all technical updates automatically. 

Our team keeps your site running on the latest, most secure version of WordPress — so you don’t have to worry about manual updates or constant monitoring.

Staging sites

Managed WordPress hosts provide a staging environment to safely test themes, plugins, design changes, and updates without risking your actual website’s functionality. 

You can usually clone your site with just one click.

Then, make your updates, check that everything works as expected, and publish the changes to your live site when you’re ready.

On WordPress.com, you can access this feature on the Business and Commerce plans.

Migration services

Managed WordPress hosting typically offers free migration services with no downtime, either through one-click plugins or manual services — both options axe all technical headaches when moving to a new hosting company. 

On WordPress.com, you can use the Migrate to WordPress.com plugin or request a free expert migration (available for Business and Commerce plans). Your live site stays online during the process, and most migrations finish within 2-3 business days.

Specialized customer support

Managed WordPress hosts have teams that know WordPress inside and out. 

They can spot and fix tricky issues — whether it’s a plugin conflict, a broken layout, or something slowing down your site — typically faster than general hosting providers.

On WordPress.com, free plan users can get help through our active community forums, while paid plan users get access to our Happiness Engineers — a global team spread across 18 time zones, ready to help whenever you need it.

How do you know if managed WordPress hosting is the right choice?

Managed WordPress hosting is the right choice if you want to solve technical issues before they impact your website, protect it 24/7, and reclaim hours while specialists handle ongoing maintenance.

Still undecided?

Ask yourself these questions to see if managed WordPress hosting is the right fit for your website:

• Are you planning to grow your website traffic or functionality in the future?
• Do you prefer experts to handle your WordPress core, plugin, and theme updates — and save yourself from technical headaches?
• Can you benefit from redirecting the hours spent on technical maintenance toward your website’s growth?
• Would downtime or a security breach harm your business or brand?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you can’t go wrong with managed WordPress hosting.

Launch your website on WordPress.com today

The kind of hosting you choose shapes how much time you spend managing your site versus growing it.

While shared hosting can work for smaller or temporary projects, managed WordPress hosting gives you the freedom to grow without worrying about updates, backups, or downtime.

On WordPress.com, you get that extra layer of care. 

Our team handles updates, security, and performance in the background, so you can stay focused on creating and running your site.

Our beginnings and our purpose

On June 20, 2005, WordPress project co-founder Matt Mullenweg hired Donncha Ó Caoimh (a software developer and WordPress contributor) and Automattic was born. Their mission: create a hosted version of WordPress that anyone could use.

After beta testing in August 2005, WordPress.com launched publicly on November 21, 2005. Here’s what the homepage looked like:

We’ve come a long way from these humble beginnings, but our purpose hasn’t changed much: democratizing publishing and ecommerce.

A place for every website

Today, WordPress.com powers all kinds of websites. People all around the world use our platform to build:

• Professional portfolios where creatives showcase their work and attract new clients, like standup comedian Aparna Nancherla, film director Mike Flanagan, and visual artist Ana Teresa Fernández.
• Membership communities that bring together people with shared interests, like the Bedfordshire Bird Club.
• Cutting-edge educational websites from institutions like the UC Berkeley Center for Psychedelics.
• Popular blogs like the experimental art project PostSecret, sci-fi author John Scalzi’s Whatever, and food blogger Vegan Bunny Elle.

This is just a small handful of examples. From simple sites to online stores, no matter what you want to create and share on the web, WordPress.com gives you the tools to make it happen.

What are you creating with WordPress.com?

The WordPress.com story isn’t just ours. It also belongs to everyone who has chosen our platform to create and share on the web.

From our first homepage to the millions of sites hosted on our platform today, every WordPress.com website represents someone who decided to put their ideas into the world. We’re honored to be part of that journey.

Tell us your story. How did you find WordPress.com? What have you built? Drop a comment below! After 20 years, we still love seeing what you’re creating.

This matters because your website is a long-term asset. The platform you choose establishes the foundation for everything you do with it, now and in the future.

To help you make the right choice, in this guide, I’ll break down what “open source” means and why it sets WordPress apart from other site builders.

What does “open source” actually mean?

Open source refers to software (like WordPress) whose source code is open for anyone to view, use, and change. 

It’s built under licenses that encourage people to contribute, share ideas, fix bugs, and make improvements together — so the tools they build can be publicly available, most often for free.

For example, WordPress uses the GNU General Public License (GPL), which allows anyone to freely use, modify, and share the software under the same open terms:

This is very different from closed-source or commercial software, where the code is private and only the company that owns it can make changes.

Other main distinctions include:

• Ownership and control: Open source projects are often built and maintained by communities of volunteers. Closed-source products belong to one company.

• Cost and use: Most open source tools are free to use and customize, while closed-source tools usually cost money and come with restrictions on what you can do with them.

Open source has been quite the success story, with some big names falling under its umbrella:

• Android holds over 70% of the mobile OS market
• Linux powers 63.1% of servers and 100% of all supercomputers
• PHP is found on over 73% of all websites
• VLC Media Player recently crossed six billion downloads

Why WordPress defines open source success

WordPress is the most widely used open source CMS in the world — powering over 43% of all websites (along with other impressive statistics).

This dominance highlights just how far open source platforms have come in comparison to proprietary site builders:

Long story short: WordPress gives users full freedom to modify, host, and distribute their sites however they choose.

This open model is what makes the platform fundamentally different from proprietary site builders. 

Instead of locking users into one ecosystem, it lets them own and control their entire web presence. That distinction becomes even clearer when you look at it in more detail.

Open source platforms vs. proprietary site builders

With an open source solution like WordPress, you’re in control of your website’s code, content, and future. You can fully choose how you set up and manage your site.

Here’s a quick overview:

Why choose open source for your website? A deeper dive

Choosing WordPress and open source lets you build any kind of website you want — and truly make it your own, all at a great price point.

It means your site will run on a system that’s secure, proven, and well-maintained, with a great support infrastructure, and no ecosystem lock-in. 

Let’s look at some of these benefits in detail.

1. Full website ownership

WordPress allows you to own every part of your website. 

That includes its files, content, and all other data. You can download, back up, or migrate your site at any time.

You can even run it locally using WordPress Studio, which creates a virtual server environment on your computer — perfect for practicing your skills and testing new ideas safely.

With a website built on a proprietary platform, you don’t have these freedoms. Access to files is usually limited or non-existent, your site is bound to the vendor, and they make it hard to move off their platform. If you want to take your website elsewhere, you often have to rebuild it and copy content over by hand.

This is not the case with WordPress. You always have the option to move your site, just the way it is, with the same design, features, and content. 

That includes websites hosted on WordPress.com. You can export your content or entire website as well as import content from another site or migrate your self-hosted site to WordPress.com. In fact, WordPress.com will do the migration for you — for free!

2. Customization options: themes, plugins, and more

WordPress gives you full creative control and offers the tools, parts, and flexibility to build anything you might need, from a small business site or a food blog to a personal or enterprise site.

First, choose from thousands of free and premium themes designed for multiple purposes — from blogs and portfolios to stores and business sites. 

They let you change your entire site design with just a few clicks.

From here, you can customize your site in any way you want and adapt site-wide settings like colors and fonts directly in the drag-and-drop block editor.

Patterns — reusable design elements — help you put together entire layouts quickly.

Then, extend your site’s functionality even further with plugins to add features for SEO, eCommerce, contact forms, analytics, and more (check out the most popular plugins on WordPress.com).

Finally, developers and advanced users can also use custom code or connect external services and APIs (with no limits on the Business plan and higher on WordPress.com).

Tip: WordPress.com users can also generate and customize their websites using simple text prompts with our AI website builder:

In short, unlike closed platforms, WordPress doesn’t lock you into a fixed design or feature set. 

You have the freedom to integrate, expand, and grow your website exactly how you want.

3. Platform maturity and security

WordPress is powered by a global community of developers, researchers, and companies who keep the software secure and up to date.

WordPress.com is part of that community — and through its parent company, Automattic, it provides the largest share of core contributors.

The community maintains a predictable update cycle that regularly introduces new features, security improvements, and performance upgrades to WordPress.

The upcoming WordPress 6.9 release is a great example. Check out the video below for more information:

The result: a secure, well-tested platform that’s proven itself across thousands of different environments.

Besides, the sheer number of people contributing to WordPress — and the platform’s open, public codebase — means vulnerabilities and other issues are quickly spotted and fixed.

Its decentralized structure empowers anyone to contribute improvements, rather than relying on a single central entity to do so.

Yet while the core software is mature and secure, overall site safety also depends on following best practices and using a reliable hosting environment. That’s why WordPress.com includes automatic updates, backups, SSL certificates, and DDoS protection with every plan. The Business and Commerce plans also include Jetpack’s built-in spam filtering, activity logs, and downtime monitoring.

4. Community support and shared knowledge

Support and learning are where WordPress’s open source roots really shine.

The sheer size of its community means you’ll find endless tutorials and advice for every skill level.

On WordPress.com alone, support options include detailed guides, courses, support forums, and expert help via live chat.

As a WordPress user, you’ll find that nearly every problem you might face has already been solved — and documented — by someone in the community.

You’ll never be without help, and you’re never locked into a single vendor or support channel.

Tip: Another highlight is in-person meetings like WordCamps, where you can connect with other WordPress users, listen to informative presentations, and learn from each other.

6. Growth and innovation

Because WordPress is open source and powered by a global community, it keeps improving and growing faster than most commercial platforms ever could.

Developers constantly build improvements, extensions, and tools that make the software more useful and user-friendly.

One of the best examples of this is the thousands of themes and plugins created by the community. 

Some of these extensions become so successful that they eventually become default features of WordPress itself — like the Block Editor, WordPress REST API, and auto-embeds. 

Besides, WordPress has multiple tools that make life easier for the developers themselves. 

For example, WordPress Studio is a free, open source app from WordPress.com. It lets you spin up local WordPress sites, sync changes with the live site, and share preview links with clients.

Another great example is Telex — an experimental AI tool from Automattic that lets you describe your idea in plain language and generates a fully functional WordPress block you can install on your site.

Why choose WordPress.com to host open source WordPress?

WordPress.com gives you a managed WordPress experience — everything is set up, optimized, and maintained for you. 

You don’t have to handle installation, hosting, security, performance, or software updates. WordPress.com takes care of it automatically, so your site runs reliably without extra effort.

Protection and performance features you get include:

• Servers specifically optimized for WordPress
• Automatic backups and malware scanning
• Free SSL certificates and spam protection
• A web application firewall (WAF) and DDoS protection
• Real-time backups, one-click restore, and uptime monitoring on Business and Commerce plans

Expert support is also available whenever you need it. Every plan includes unlimited pages, users, bandwidth, and traffic — plus a free domain for your first year on paid plans.

Opt for WordPress and open source for long-term growth

Open source isn’t just a technical choice, but a decision for flexibility, freedom, and future-proofing your online presence. 

When you build your website on WordPress, you’re choosing a platform that grows with you, adapts to your needs, and never holds your content hostage.

With WordPress.com, you get the best of both worlds: the power and flexibility of open source combined with the ease and reliability of managed hosting.

Games can be a fun extra or even a central part of your website experience. Whether used as digital easter eggs or interactive content, they’re a creative way to surprise visitors and keep them engaged.

In this guide, we’ll cover some WordPress-compatible games and explain how to add them to your site.

1. The Google Chrome Dinosaur Game

In the Google Chrome Dinosaur Game, players control a T. rex that runs across the screen.

As the T. rex approaches various obstacles, players must click the space bar or up arrow to jump over barriers and the down arrow to crouch. 

As the game progresses, the dinosaur runs faster and faces more obstacles. A player’s score is based on how far they run before hitting an obstacle.  

Most Google users have probably played the dinosaur game before, so it doesn’t require much explanation. Its placement is particularly flexible because the game rarely lasts more than a few minutes. 

In addition to using it as a fun reprieve amidst long posts or dense text, you can follow Google’s lead and use it on a custom 404 “not found” page.

How to add the Dinosaur Game to your WordPress site

You can add the Dinosaur Game to your WordPress site with the Dinosaur Game plugin. 

Once you’ve downloaded and activated the plugin, you can add the game to different pages with a shortcode. 

Simply add a Shortcode block to the page where you want the game to appear and type in the code [dinosaur-game]. 

2. Snake

Based on a ‘70s arcade game called Blockade, Snake challenges players to use the arrow keys to control a snake as it slithers around the gameboard. The goal is to grow your snake by eating “food” on the gameboard. 

However, you must dodge obstacles on the board and avoid running into your own snake’s tail. As the snake grows longer, it becomes increasingly difficult to move around the board. 

With simple controls and fast gameplay, Snake has been both an arcade hit and a Nokia phone game. Now, you can also add it to WordPress for a bit of nostalgic fun. 

How to add Snake to your WordPress site

Snake can be installed with the plugin Snake Retro Game Shortcode by Eskim. Simply install and activate the plugin through the Plugin Marketplace to get started.

To place the game on the page, add a Shortcode block and type in the game’s shortcode, [snake_game]. 

To customize the game’s colors, size, and speed, you can use additional shortcode parameters located on the Plugin’s description page. 

We’ll dig in more on how to install and activate plugins at the end of this post. 

3. DOOM

DOOM, the “father of first-person shooter games,” came out in the early ’90s and inspired an ongoing video-game franchise. 

Players control an expelled space marine who must fight through radioactive waste facilities on Mars and kill enemies in hell to return to Earth.

Part of the interest and lore of the original DOOM is that it used a series of clever programming tricks to make it playable on slow, old computers, which makes it flexible and easy to run. 

DOOM for WordPress was created by Rhyse Wynne, a DOOM lover and developer. Wynne built WP Doom as a custom plugin that wraps the 1993 DOOM shareware inside a JavaScript DOS emulator. 

How to add DOOM to your WordPress site 

This classic shooter isn’t available as a one‑click plugin because the WP Doom plugin wraps the shareware version of the game (and therefore isn’t listed in the plugin directory).

Wynne solved this by setting up a WordPress Playground blueprint that installs the plugin and spins up a demo page. 

You can’t embed the game directly into your WordPress.com site, but you can link to Wynne’s demo.

When readers click the link, it launches a new browser tab where DOOM runs inside WordPress Playground.

4. WP Sudoku Plus

Sudoku is a number puzzle game that requires players to complete a 9×9 square of numbers. 

Using number clues, players must place the remaining missing numbers into the empty squares, ensuring that every row, column, and small box on the puzzle contains the numbers 1-9 exactly once. 

Since Sudoku requires some focus, it could be used to celebrate finishing a long blog post or on an FAQ page for added interest. You could also use it alongside short-form audio content, like a song or podcast clip, to keep users engaged while they listen. 

How to add Sudoku Plus to your WordPress site  

WP Sudoku Plus is another plugin available through the WordPress Plugin Marketplace.  

Once installed, you can add a puzzle to a page by using a Shortcode block with the shortcode [sudoku]. 

Sixteen is the default puzzle size, but you can adjust it to be bigger (up to 32) or smaller (as small as eight) on the page. 

To change the size, expand the short code to [sudoku size=”(number between 8-32)”].

5. Minesweeper

Minesweeper is a classic internet puzzle game from the 1990s. To win, players must click on all the free squares on the board without setting off a landmine.

Numbers next to landmine squares indicate how many mines touch that square on all sides. Using the numbers, you need to figure out which squares are safe to click.

While the rules are relatively straightforward, Minesweeper puzzles range from beginner to expert to suit a variety of player levels. 

A casual player is expected to complete a beginner grid in around 3 minutes, which means that adding Minesweeper to your site could more than double the average time visitors spend on your site.

Similar to Sudoku, Minesweeper is a medium-engagement game: it requires users to think deeply, but it doesn’t demand uninterrupted focus. This makes it a good choice to use alongside audio content or as a fun breather between long content sections.

How to add Minesweeper to WordPress with Telex

Telex AI is an Automattic experiment that generates interactive WordPress blocks from natural‑language prompts. You can find an AI-coded block that allows you to add Minesweeper to your site here. 

Simply download the code using the Download button in the upper-right corner.

Then, visit your website’s dashboard and click on Plugins on the left side to install the plugin. Then, click the “Upload” button.

Because Telex blocks run inside WordPress itself, the Minesweeper game can then be embedded on a page just like any other block. 

You can build other simple games in Telex, which we’ll dig into at the end of this article. 

 6. Cybersoldier

Live out your 8 Mile fantasies with Cybersoldier, a virtual rap battle. 

With Cybersoldier, users can create accounts on your site, design a custom rapper Avatar, and battle with other registered players. Players will be alerted via email when someone starts a battle with them. 

If you run a music site or a community of creative readers or writers, Cybersoldier can strengthen relationships between site visitors. 

Since users need to return to your site to respond to battles, Cybersoldier also encourages repeat visits and ongoing engagement. 

How to add Cybersoldier to your WordPress site 

Cybersoldier is another plugin-enabled game that you can install directly from the WordPress Plugin Marketplace. 

Once activated, you’ll see a Cybersoldier settings page in your WordPress admin dashboard. 

From the settings page, you can set some of the main rules around your battles, including how long each battle lasts and how long each diss can be. 

The page also contains directions for adding necessary shortcodes to your site, including one for adding a player’s page and a running Battle List.

7. Personal Dictionary

With Personal Dictionary, students can create digital flashcards, and educators can monitor student progress in real-time. 

This plugin allows website users to create and organize personal vocabulary lists right on your site. Once a user has created a dictionary of at least four words, they can practice the words using the tool’s built-in games.

The first game, “Find the Word,” gives the word’s definition or translation with four word options. Users must select the correct word out of the four provided words.

Students can also play “Find the Definition,” “Matching Word,” and “Write the Translation.”

Teachers, tutors, schools, and other learning professionals who have administrative access to WordPress can utilize this tool. On the backend, you can monitor students’ Personal Dictionary usage, including how many words have been saved, view student progress on games, and track leaderboards.

How to add Personal Dictionary to your WordPress site 

Personal Dictionary is available for installation in the WordPress Plugin Marketplace. 

Once activated, you can add the plugin’s shortcode [ayspd_userpage] to a Shortcode block on any page. This will embed the tool into your site.

8. Scratch & Win 

Scratch and Win is a digital giveaway game that helps you capture visitor information and referrals. 

With the plugin, you can set up your own giveaways, which will show up to users as a pop-up after they complete specific actions, such as scrolling down the page or clicking on a link. 

Users can scratch to win in exchange for their email address, and can get additional scratch cards by referring friends or returning to the site on another day. 

Scratch and Win is best for sites looking to ramp up their marketing and lead-building efforts through email advertising. If you sell custom merch through a WooCommerce store or have branded partnership opportunities that involve product giveaways, Scratch and Win can help you build engagement and brand loyalty. 

How to add Scratch and Win to your WordPress site

Scratch and Win is available as a Free Plugin via the WordPress Plugin Marketplace. 

Once activated, you will see a Scratch and Win page in your Admin Dashboard where you can configure key settings. 

However, to launch and manage the plugin, you will need to create an account with the plugin’s creator brand, Appsmav, which has its own dashboard for scratch and win lead management.  

How to add games to WordPress

There are several ways to install games on WordPress. Below, we’ll dig into a few ways to get started.  

Install a plugin 

The easiest way to install a game is by using a plugin. 

You can find and install plugins from the WordPress Plugin Marketplace or by downloading a developer’s code file and installing it on the Plugin page with the Upload button.

Game installation and activation can vary, so be sure to read the installation information provided by the publisher. 

Embed an external game 

Some games aren’t available as plugins, but can be embedded into your site from an external site. 

If the game provides a link from a supported WordPress provider, paste it into an Embed block, and WordPress will automatically convert it. 

If the game offers an <iframe> or <script> embed, you need to paste that code into a Custom HTML block. Custom HTML blocks are available on WordPress.com’s Business plan and above.  

Build a game with Telex

If you’re adventurous, you can try Automattic’s new tool Telex to build a custom game plugin using natural language instructions. 

Once you’ve created and tested your game on Telex, you can download the plugin and install it on your site. You can also share a Telex preview link. 

Link to a game

If there’s no way to embed a particular game on your site, you can still encourage people to check it out on another website. 

Simply use a link or a button to direct visitors to the game in another tab.

Level up your website with games

One of WordPress’s greatest assets is its flexibility and huge variety of developer-created plugins. 

WordPress game plugins make it possible to turn a static webpage into a unique, engaging experience. 

If you’re interested in adding games to your site, there’s more to explore. Check out the full WordPress games plugin library or cook up something new with Telex. 

These misconceptions spread relentlessly like the viral Labubu dolls.

To debunk the most common WordPress myths, I’ll share real success stories backed by my decade of experience working with this platform.

By the end of this post, you’ll learn more about our platform’s actual capabilities and determine if it fits your needs.

TL;DR: 11 Common myths about WordPress, debunked

Now that we’ve got the TL;DR out of the way, let’s debunk each myth in detail. 

Myth #1: WordPress is only for blogging

Reality: WordPress powers ecommerce stores, corporate websites, portfolios, magazines, government agencies, and more.

Originally known as a blogging platform, WordPress now runs over 43% of the web, including Fortune 500, government agencies, ecommerce experiences, and national media sites. 

With robust design tools, AI features, and thousands of themes and plugins, you can create virtually any type of website.

For example, using the WordPress.com AI website builder, I generated a full business coaching site in minutes — complete with an aesthetic header image, clear copy, and a professional layout:

Bigger companies also benefit from using WordPress, as our features span beyond web building and hosting.  

In a notable success story, Endoh Collaborative partnered with WordPress.com to access our agency services, like client management tools and a partner directory referral program. 

WordPress.com supports your needs at every stage, with features for whatever website you want to create — be it an ecommerce store, small business, or corporate initiative. All paid plans offer unlimited bandwidth, expert support, managed hosting, and access to plugins and themes.

Myth #2: WordPress is not secure

Reality: Most cyber attacks are caused by weak passwords or outdated plugins. WordPress’s core is audited by thousands of developers, keeping you one step ahead of attacks. For peace of mind, use a managed WordPress host like WordPress.com — site updates, backups, and security patches are handled automatically.

Because WordPress is open source, some folks assume it’s vulnerable to security threats. 

As a WordPress user for 10+ years, my websites have remained secure through intentional security practices. For example, WordPress.com updates my site to the latest, most secure version and takes care of plugin safety and performance, so I don’t need to monitor it constantly.

The reality is: even the most robust CMS becomes vulnerable when burdened with inefficient plugins, according to experienced developers. 

Note the Reddit comments below where they talk about how poorly coded plugins slow down sites and create security gaps:

Safeguard your website on WordPress.com today. Our managed hosting plans offer complete security through SSL certificates, advanced firewalls, brute force prevention, encryption, and DDoS protection.

Myth #3: WordPress is low quality because it’s free

Reality: WordPress is free for a reason — not because it’s low quality, but because it’s open-source software.

WordPress is built and maintained by thousands of developers and designers around the world who contribute their expertise to keep improving it.

This community-driven model is what makes WordPress so powerful. 

Every update, feature, and security enhancement is peer-reviewed and tested before release. 

WordPress.com adds managed hosting, security, and performance features to the mix, making it easier to run a fast, reliable site without extra effort.

Plus, our community runs hundreds of WordPress events worldwide. 

For example, WordPress.com sponsored WordCamp US, a popular WordPress conference, this year. At WordCamp, thousands of WordPress beginners and experts come together to exchange knowledge on the open source software.

This collaborative culture moves WordPress further. It never stagnates. 

Myth #4: WordPress.com is expensive

Reality: The WordPress software itself is free, but building and running a professional website always involves essential costs like hosting, a custom domain, and maintenance.

With WordPress.com, those costs are bundled into simple, transparent plans that include managed hosting, security, backups, and expert support. 

You also get access to features like the AI website builder, premium themes, plugins, and 24/7 support.

The best part? It’s also possible to start for free and upgrade when you’re ready to launch your website.

Compared to juggling separate services on self-hosted setups, WordPress.com often ends up being both affordable and easy to manage.

Myth #5: WordPress sites are always slow

Reality: WordPress sites can be fast. Your site speed depends on your hosting, theme, and plugin quality. 

WordPress sites load quickly when configured correctly.

On WordPress.com, websites include built-in caching to reduce server load. Combined with our optimized WordPress.com themes, your site stays fast without extra setup.

For example, when LUBUS migrated a client’s site to WordPress.com, it observed a 60% to 70% improvement in TTFB (Time to First Byte), indicating faster page loads and reduced visitor bounce rates. 

Tip: TTFB measures how long it takes a visitor’s browser to receive the first byte of data from the server. A low TTFB score indicates faster page loads and better user experience. According to Google, a good TTFB score is 0.8 seconds or less.    

We credit our full-stack infrastructure for LUBUS’s massive TTFB improvements. 

WordPress.com’s Global Edge Caching uses 28+ data centers across six continents, routing your site content from servers closest to each visitor. This ensures your site loads fast, no matter where they’re located. 

Our infrastructure also automatically resizes images via our Site Accelerator CDN (Content Delivery Network). This helps pages load quickly, even during traffic spikes.

Myth #6: All WordPress sites look the same

Reality: You can create unique websites and customize them using the WordPress.com AI website builder, Site Editor, and thousands of plugins and themes. You can also code or upload custom themes if you’re on the Business and higher plans.

Whether you want to pick from 1,000+ professionally designed WordPress themes, enhance your site with plugins, or create something from scratch using AI prompts — customization is simple.

For example, when I built a dog shelter site with the AI website builder, I started by giving it a short brief: the organization’s name, goal, and address. 

The tool generated the first draft in seconds — a clean scarlet-red design with a Beagle in the hero image, which fit the “senior dogs” mission of my website perfectly.

From there, I customized. 

I asked the AI to swap the Beagle for a pack of six dogs playing in a garden to shift the mood to something warmer and more energetic. 

I also had it rewrite the homepage copy in a friendly, second-person tone to nudge visitors to get involved.

In a few minutes, I went from a solid AI draft to a site that felt uniquely mine.

Myth #7: WordPress isn’t scalable

Reality: WordPress powers everything from personal blogs to enterprise-level sites, supported by infrastructure that handles high traffic with ease. On WordPress.com, you also get robust managed hosting that scales automatically, so your site stays fast and reliable as it grows.

WordPress’s performance architecture makes it easy to scale without downtime — especially when you’re using a managed platform like WordPress.com.

For example, after Jelly Pixel Studio moved its client sites to WordPress.com, the agency saw improved stability and faster load times. Even during traffic spikes, uptime remained at 100%. 

As the founder put it, WordPress.com’s infrastructure felt “literally magic,” saving him from countless emergency calls about performance issues.

Two core features help keep WordPress.com sites consistently fast and stable:

• Global Edge Caching: Delivers content from data centers closest to your visitors.
• Site Accelerator CDN: Offloads your image and static files to reduce server load and improve overall performance.

Myth #8: You can’t use third-party themes or plugins on WordPress.com

Reality: You can use third-party plugins on all plugin-enabled plans. Business, Commerce, and Enterprise plans also let you upload and use third-party themes for full design flexibility.

You can extend your site with any plugin from the WordPress ecosystem, whether you’re adding advanced SEO tools, contact forms, or custom integrations. 

Since the core platform includes essentials like security, backups, and performance optimization, you can safely experiment without worrying about maintenance or compatibility issues.

In short, WordPress.com gives you full creative freedom — with the added benefits of managed hosting, automatic updates, and expert support.

Myth #9: WordPress is complicated 

Reality: WordPress can feel unfamiliar at first, but anyone can learn how to use it. The platform has a learning curve — like any powerful tool — yet there’s a huge library of tutorials, courses, and community support to help you get comfortable quickly. AI tools like the AI website builder also speed up the process.

You don’t need to be a designer or developer to build a professional website with WordPress. 

Once you learn the basics, the Site Editor lets you add and move elements — like headings, buttons, payment blocks, or images — with just a few clicks.

If you prefer extra help, the AI website builder can generate your first site draft in minutes. 

For example, remember the dog shelter website I built?

All I needed to do was use text prompts to create the drafts and add visual changes.

With a bit of practice — and access to a supportive community — most WordPress users quickly go from overwhelmed to confident site owners.

Tip: If you need help, tap into our courses, guides, AI assistant, or expert support (for paid plan users of WordPress.com). Our forums, actively supported by WordPress.com staff and experienced users, are also available for all users.

Myth #10: WordPress.com only suits beginners

Reality: While WordPress.com is beginner-friendly, it also offers advanced tools for experienced users.

Many users see WordPress.com as a “lite” version of WordPress and assume it offers limited customization.

Some even claim that WordPress.com locks you into set templates with no plugin access. 

The reality is more nuanced:

• WordPress.com’s plugin-enabled plans allow third-party plugins, helping you expand your website’s capabilities in various ways.
• Business, Commerce, and Enterprise plans support fully custom plugins and themes for deeper control.
• Premium plans and above include custom CSS, so you can adjust layout, typography, spacing, interactions, and more.
• Business, Commerce, and Enterprise add developer tools like SFTP/SSH, WP-CLI, Git commands, and GitHub deployments for streamlined, professional workflows.

Tip: All WordPress.com paid plans include automatic updates, security, analytics, and plugins (e.g., Jetpack Social for social sharing, Akismet for spam protection).

Myth #11: WordPress.com owns your content and locks you in permanently

Reality: Only you control your WordPress content, whether it’s your posts, pages, media, or followers. 

You own all content published on your WordPress site. Automattic doesn’t own your data. 

In fact, we explicitly mention this in our Terms of Service: “We don’t own your content, and you retain all ownership rights you have in the content you post to your website.”

You can manage your content however you want: delete it, monetize it, sell premium content using the Paid Content block, accept tips through the Donations Form block — or migrate to another host at any time. 

These WordPress myths are just that…myths

Now that this post has debunked the myths, you can confidently use WordPress for your website.

Hosting it on WordPress.com is also the best option if you want unlimited bandwidth and “done for you” technical maintenance.

Our pricing scales with your growth. Start free, then upgrade when you need a professional site with advanced features.

All paid plans offer unlimited bandwidth and visits — there’s no traffic slowdown or surprise fees in high-traffic events. Plus, you get a free domain for one year, fast support, 50,000+ plugins, and more.