WordPress

WordPress was originally developed as a "weblog publishing system" ("blog system") to enable quick and easy blogging (writing online diary entries). However, WordPress can also be used to produce "static" websites. With WordPress, static pages are all pages that are not blog entries, i.e. where there is no daily reference.

WordPress has therefore become a simple CMS alternative that is increasingly being used by companies. eWerkzeug.info (this website) is also managed with WordPress.

Features and characteristics

• High user-friendliness
• Quick and easy installation
• Simple extension of functionality (plugins)
• Numerous different themes and designs available
• Own layout can be implemented relatively quickly
• High search engine friendliness achievable with extensions

Prerequisites / requirements for WordPress

If you have chosen a good hosting provider, you don't have to worry about the technical specifications. But maybe there is a problem, so you want to know whether your hosting space has enough power.

The official data are meager, so here is a somewhat more detailed list:

• Linux or BSD server with Apache
• Apache modules
  • mod_rewrite for rewriting the original URLs into readable URLs
  • mod_gzip for compressing files for accelerated delivery
  • mod_expires to reduce unnecessary access to files
  • mod_headers for storing long-lived files in the browser's local cache
• PHP version PHP 7+ (such as 7.4 or - better - already 8). More about this at WordPress itself.
• MySQL version 5.7 or higher, or MariaDB or InnoDB
• PHP parameters
  • safe_mode off
  • memory_limit 256MB or more
  • upload_max_filesize 8 MB or larger (for uploading larger images or videos)
  • post_max_size 8 MB or larger (for uploading larger images or videos)
  • The PHP function mb_strtolower must be activated
• ImageMagick & GD Library (for image processing on the server)
• Outgoing HTTP connections from the server should be possible
• When using Suhosin for server security and more WordPress sites:
  suhosin.post.max_vars = 5000
suhosin.request.max_vars = 5000

Reading tips and recommended links

WordPress guide - about Themes, Page Builder, Templates and Gutenberg

WordPress (German) - the German-language WordPress site

Recommended WordPress plugins (extensions)

WordPress 5.9 and the Twenty Twenty-Two block theme

Practical course WordPress Basic in Austria