How to Start a Blog with WordPress on Your Own Domain

Applies to: WordPress 7.1.2 (menu names, defaults and permalinks tested on a fresh 7.1.2 install) on cPanel web hosting

To start a blog on your own domain: choose a name, register the domain, get web hosting, install WordPress, change a few settings and publish your first posts. Doing it in this order means you don’t have to redo anything later.

1. Choose a topic and a name

Pick a subject you can write about regularly, and a name that is short, easy to spell and not already used by a well-known brand. Then check whether the domain is free with a domain search. Unsure which ending to take? See what a TLD is and how to choose one.

2. Get hosting and connect the domain

1. For a new blog, shared cPanel hosting is enough. Ucartz web hosting includes cPanel, a free SSL certificate and email.
2. If the domain is registered elsewhere, point it to your hosting by changing its nameservers: what a nameserver is and how to change it.
3. Wait until the domain opens your hosting account and the SSL certificate is issued, so your blog starts on https://.

3. Install WordPress

In cPanel, use the Softaculous installer: install WordPress with Softaculous. If it asks for a protocol, choose https://. Keep the admin username and password somewhere safe, then log in at https://yourdomain/wp-admin (replace yourdomain with your domain).

4. Change these settings first

1. Settings > General: set the Site Title and Tagline.
2. Settings > Permalinks: choose Post name. In our test a post called “My first post” then got the address /my-first-post/, which is easier to read and share than the plain ?p=4 style. Set this before you publish, so links don’t change later.
3. Settings > Reading: under Search engine visibility, make sure Discourage search engines from indexing this site is not ticked once you are ready for visitors.
4. Delete the sample content. A new WordPress 7.1.2 site contains a Hello world! post, a Sample Page and a draft Privacy Policy page. Edit the privacy page to match your blog and publish it; Settings > Privacy lets you choose which page it is.

5. Pick a theme

WordPress 7.1.2 comes with the Twenty Twenty-Five theme (version 1.5 in our test), which is fine for a blog. To try others, go to Appearance > Themes > Add Theme. Choose a theme that is updated regularly, and preview it on a phone as well.

6. Add only the plugins you need

Each plugin is extra code to update. Install them from Plugins > Add Plugin. A new site already contains two inactive plugins: Akismet (5.7.2 in our test), a spam filter for comments that asks for an Akismet.com API key once activated, and Hello Dolly, a demo you can delete. For most new blogs a backup plugin and an SEO plugin are enough to start with.

7. Write and publish

1. Create a few categories under Posts > Categories (Add Category).
2. Go to Posts > Add Post, write the title and text, choose a category and select Publish. Step by step: write and publish your first blog post.
3. Create an About page and a contact page under Pages > Add Page.
4. Publish on a regular schedule you can keep, even if that is once a week.

8. Keep it safe

• Update WordPress, the theme and plugins when updates appear under Dashboard > Updates.
• Keep backups, and download a copy now and then.
• Use a strong, unique password for the admin account and for cPanel.

If the blog ever shows a blank page or “critical error”, see WordPress white screen or critical error.