Introduction to WordPress.com
Contents
- What is a blog?
- What is WordPress.com?
- How much does WordPress.com cost?
- How do I sign up for a blog?
- What is a Dashboard?
- How do I find the Dashboard for my blog?
- How do I write something on my blog?
- Can I have more than one blog?
- I signed up for just a username. Can I get a blog now?
- How do other people find my blog?
- What kind of content can I post on my WordPress.com blog?
- I forgot my password. How do I recover it?
- Resources for Blogging Beginners
Related
- Accessibility
- Admin Bar
- Browser Issues
- Dashboard
- Delete Site
- Empty Site
- FAQ for MLB.com Bloggers
- FTP Access
- Getting Help in the Forums
- Getting Started
- Lexicon
- Making a Government Website
- Making a screenshot
- My Blogs
- Notifications
- PayPal
- Preview Problems and Third Party Cookies
- Register a Blog
- Retrieving a Paypal Transaction ID
- Security
- Support Options
- Tips for contacting support
- Wedding Website
- WordPress Logos
- WordPress Status
- WordPress.com and WordPress.org
- WordPress.com Home Page
Welcome to WordPress.com! If you haven’t signed up for an account yet, check out the Getting Started support page first.
What is a blog?
A blog is a collection of commentary posted on the internet. There are all different types of blogs including personal, corporate, political, podcasts, photographic, and more. Blog posts are typically displayed in reverse-chronological order with the latest posts at the top. Many blogs allow readers to comment on the blogger’s post, which can create a sense of community and encourage discussion.
What is WordPress.com?
WordPress.com lets you easily create your own blog and write about the things that interest you. It is a blogging community managed by makers of the open source WordPress software. WordPress.com blogs are free with the option of adding upgrades such as personalized domain names, custom CSS, video storage, and more. In comparison, a self-hosted WordPress.org blog does not have upgrades and must be installed on a web hosting account separately. See WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org to learn more about the differences.
How much does WordPress.com cost?
WordPress.com blogs are free, gratis. There are some paid upgrades available but they are entirely optional (and very reasonably priced!). If you choose not to upgrade your blog, we won’t charge you or your readers a cent. We won’t ask for your credit card details. There is no free trial period because our blogs are just plain free.
How do I sign up for a blog?
Visit the Sign Up page. See the Getting Started page for some tips.
What is a Dashboard?
The Dashboard is where to manage your blog. You can change settings, select themes, write or manage content, add or remove users, add images, buy upgrades, and more through the Dashboard. See the Dashboard support page for more details.
How do I find the Dashboard for my blog?
Log in at WordPress.com if you haven’t already. On the front page of WordPress.com, you’ll see the login form in the gray bar at the top left and once you login you’ll see a “My Blogs” tab with a link to your blog’s Dashboard. Also see documentation about the Dashboard.
How do I write something on my blog?
View the documentation about Posts or Pages.
Can I have more than one blog?
Yes! Log in first and then visit the Sign Up page to add additional blogs.
I signed up for just a username. Can I get a blog now?
Yes. You might have signed up for a username without a blog in order to post comments or contribute articles to someone else’s blog. If you already have a username and would like to create a blog, just log in and then visit the Sign Up page.
How do other people find my blog?
You can send your family and friends a direct link to your blog by copying the blog URL from the web address bar in your browser and sending it to them in an email. Participating in the WordPress.com community by using categories and tags on your posts, commenting on other blogs, and frequenting forums will also help you. See Getting More Views and Traffic for more tips. Also note that you can change your visibility to the public through Privacy Settings.
What kind of content can I post on my WordPress.com blog?
We permit most types of legal content on WordPress.com, with the following exceptions: advertising, scraper, SEO, affiliate, warez, and automated blogs. VIPs are the only exception. See the Types of Blogs page for more detailed information. Material that is not suitable for children is permitted, but will be excluded from the global lists of top blogs and tags on WordPress.com. Blogs that publish material that is illegal or that violates our Terms Of Service will be removed. It’s your responsibility to make sure you comply with our TOS.
I forgot my password. How do I recover it?
View our documentation about Passwords.
Resources for Blogging Beginners
It might look like there is a lot to learn and understand, but take things slowly and you’ll be fine. Here are some more useful links to get you going:
- For a summary of the many things you can do here, check out our features page.
- Learn how to take your blog from zero to hero with Learn WordPress.com
- See what subjects people are blogging about on our Tags page
- Read up on discussions and issues in the forums
- Look at the hot posts and top blogs at Blogs of the Day
- Check out today’s featured blog posts on Freshly Pressed
- Wish that more of WordPress was in your language? We would love your help! All translations are made available to every WordPress user anywhere.
- Need additional help? Don’t hesitate to contact our friendly Support team.
Still confused?
Help us improve:
We're always looking to improve our documentation. If this page didn't answer your question or left you wanting more, let us know! We love hearing your feedback. For support, please use the forums or contact support form. Thanks!
