WordPress

WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) used to create and manage websites. It is built on PHP and MySQL and features a plugin architecture and a template system, allowing users to customize websites easily without extensive coding knowledge.

Overview

WordPress powers millions of websites globally and is known for its flexibility, ease of use, and large community of developers and contributors. It is available in two primary forms:

• **WordPress.org** — the self-hosted, open-source software that can be installed on any web server.
• **WordPress.com** — a hosted service managed by Automattic that provides managed WordPress sites.

Features

• Visual content editor and block-based design (Gutenberg editor)
• Custom themes and templates
• Plugin support for functionality extensions
• User roles and permissions management
• SEO-friendly structure with customizable URLs
• Built-in media library for images, videos, and documents
• Multilingual and accessibility support
• REST API for developers

Plugins and themes

WordPress supports thousands of plugins and themes that extend its functionality. Popular plugin categories include SEO, e-commerce, security, performance optimization, and marketing automation. Examples:

• WooCommerce — e-commerce plugin for online stores
• ActiveWoo — integrates WooCommerce with ActiveCampaign
• Yoast SEO — search engine optimization
• Jetpack — site analytics and security tools

Use cases

WordPress is used to create various types of websites, including:

• Blogs and portfolios
• Business websites and landing pages
• Online stores
• Membership and community sites
• News and magazine portals

Development

Developers can customize WordPress using themes, plugins, and hooks (actions and filters). The WordPress REST API allows integration with external applications. WordPress core development is led by a global community, coordinated through the WordPress Foundation and Automattic.

History

WordPress was launched in **2003** by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little as a fork of the blogging software b2/cafelog. It has since evolved into a full-featured CMS that powers over 40% of websites on the internet. Major milestones include the introduction of the Gutenberg block editor (2018) and the continued shift toward full site editing.

See also

• Automattic
• WooCommerce
• ActiveCampaign
• ActiveWoo

References

• Official website — wordpress.org
• WordPress.com — wordpress.com
• WordPress Documentation — developer.wordpress.org
• WordPress GitHub repository — github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop

External links

• Official website
• Hosted service
• Developer resources
• Community & contributor hub