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GPLWP Guides

Right. How do I actually do that?

Step-by-step guides for the jobs WordPress makes harder than they should be — and the tools that do them for you when you would rather not.

Guides
423
Steps written
2,499
Tools compared
467
Topics
21

Latest guides

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How to rename media files in WordPress

WordPress does not include a built-in control for renaming an uploaded media file. For one file, rename it on your computer, upload the replacement, u…

1 tool
How to clean and optimize a WordPress database

Back up your site first, then remove revisions, spam, expired transients and abandoned plugin data. Check autoloaded options carefully before optimisi…

1 tool
How to add dark mode to a WordPress website

You can add automatic dark mode with CSS using the prefers-color-scheme media query, but a visitor-controlled toggle needs JavaScript or a plugin. For…

1 tool
How to create a creative portfolio website

You can create a simple creative portfolio in WordPress without a plugin by using a block theme, project pages, the Gallery block and a clear navigati…

1 tool
How to build a medical website with Elementor

You can build a medical website with Elementor using a compatible WordPress theme, structured service pages, clear contact calls to action and respons…

1 tool
How to create a yacht rental booking website

You can create a basic yacht rental website with WordPress pages and a booking request form. For live availability, deposits, automatic confirmation a…

1 tool
How to build a horror gaming website with WordPress

You can build a horror gaming website without a plugin by using a block theme, the Site Editor and standard WordPress blocks. Create a dark homepage,…

1 tool
How to build an esports gaming website with WordPress

You can design an esports site with WordPress blocks, pages, posts and a suitable theme, but tournaments, teams, players and match data need a dedicat…

1 tool
How to create a wedding planner website

Create the site in WordPress with a clear home page, service packages, galleries, testimonials, an about page and a contact form. You can build it man…

1 tool
How to create a charity website in WordPress

Create the pages first, choose a charity-appropriate theme, then build a focused homepage with your mission, impact, campaigns and a clear Donate butt…

1 tool
How to build a digital marketplace with WooCommerce

WooCommerce can sell digital products by itself, but it cannot manage multiple independent sellers, vendor dashboards, commissions and payouts without…

1 tool
How to create a real estate property website

You can build a small property website with WordPress pages, images and contact details. If visitors must search by price, location, property type or…

1 tool

What’s in every guide

  1. The short answerWhat the answer actually is, before any steps. If the honest answer is “you need a plugin”, it says so up top.
  2. What you needThe prerequisites, so you find out about them now rather than four steps in.
  3. The stepsIncluding the manual route where one exists, with the parts that make it annoying left in.
  4. Tools that do this jobEvery product we have covered that solves this task — a list that grows as we cover more.
  5. SourcesThe documentation each step was checked against, so you can verify it yourself.

By topic

How this works

01

The job comes first, not the product

A guide is about a task you are trying to finish. Whether a product is involved is a detail, and sometimes the answer is that you do not need one.

02

The manual route stays in

Where a job can be done without installing anything, we show you how — including why it is irritating. A tutorial that opens with “install this plugin” is an advert.

03

Guides get better with age

Several products usually do the same job. Rather than publish a page for each, we keep one guide and add each tool as we cover it. The comparison at the bottom keeps growing.