How to Create a WordPress Website in 2026: An 8-Step Guide

Anyone can build a website with WordPress. Coding and design skills help, but they aren’t required. Still, creating a WordPress website can feel overwhelming, especially for beginners.

This guide shows you how to create a WordPress website in eight steps, what you’ll need, and how much it costs.

There are many ways to build a WordPress website. Flexibility is one of this content management system’s greatest strengths, but it can also make getting started harder for beginners. Unlike simpler tools such as website builders, which handle much of the setup for you, WordPress requires you to take a more hands-on approach.

With a little patience, beginners can learn to use WordPress. Before we walk through the steps, here are a few basics you should know:

The first step is choosing the right hosting provider for your WordPress website.

Web hosting provides storage space on a server for your website’s data and content.

There are several types of hosting to choose from:

There are also specialized managed WordPress hosts that often tailor their services to WordPress websites. They simplify setup and management, making them the best choice for beginners.

We reviewed 14 WordPress hosting services to help you choose. Here are a few of our favorites:

Hostinger* is a Lithuanian web host that offers managed WordPress hosting alongside web hosting, VPS, and email services. Its WordPress plans cover everything from small websites to larger projects with multiple WordPress installations. Hostinger brings site management, domains, email, security, and performance features together in its hPanel dashboard:

Hostinger offers a strong all-around package. It takes first place in our comparison thanks to solid scores across every review category, a wide range of technical features, and affordable pricing.

Extensive caching features keep load times short. Even the lower-tier plans let you host plenty of websites. That makes Hostinger a great choice if you want more WordPress hosting for your money.

Our top value pick, Bluehost*, isn’t the fastest or most flexible hosting option, but it delivers above-average performance at an attractive price.

Even Bluehost’s cheapest plans give you more room to grow than many competitors, without cutting key WordPress features. You get plenty of tools, simple management, and enough resources for multiple projects. For budget-conscious users with several websites, Bluehost is one of the best options we reviewed.

Web hosting alone isn’t enough. You also need your own domain, a unique name and web address visitors use to reach your site.

Many hosting plans include a free domain for the first year. You usually register it when you sign up.

With Hostinger and similar providers, you first enter your preferred domain in the search field to check its availability. You then register it along with your chosen hosting plan.

Once you have hosting and a domain, you can start setting up your WordPress website. First, you’ll need to install WordPress, the free, open-source content management system (CMS), on your hosting provider’s server.

Managed WordPress hosts make this process easy. Many even offer one-click installation. In practice, it usually takes a few more clicks, but you can often finish installing WordPress in just a few minutes.

The exact installation steps vary by provider. Most hosts walk new customers through the process, leaving little room for error.

For example, with Kinsta, you start the installation by clicking “Create site” in the dashboard. Then follow the prompts to enter your site title, admin username, and password, and choose a server location. Kinsta handles the rest of the setup.

Once installation is complete, check a few basic settings in your hosting provider’s control panel.

Key settings to check include:

A good hosting provider should set up almost everything for you and flag any missing or misconfigured essentials, such as an SSL certificate. Still, even if you’re new to WordPress, take some time to get familiar with the settings in your hosting dashboard.

Once you’ve configured the key server settings, you can start designing your WordPress website. Your WordPress theme provides the foundation for your site’s design.

Think of a WordPress theme as a design toolkit. It includes ready-made layouts, elements, and tools you can use to customize your website’s appearance. Your theme also controls design details such as color schemes and typography.

There are thousands of WordPress themes to choose from. Some are free, but most cost money. Some themes are designed for specific industries or uses, such as online stores or restaurant websites, while others work for a wide range of sites.

You can access thousands of themes directly from your WordPress dashboard. Here’s how:

Step 1: open your WordPress dashboard. Your hosting provider’s control panel should have a link that logs you directly into WordPress.

Step 2: in the menu, go to Appearance > Themes to see your installed themes.

Step 3: click “Add theme” at the top to open the theme library.

Step 4: browse the WordPress theme library and filter themes by features, industries, and layouts. If a theme catches your eye, click it to see a live preview and a short description.

Step 5: once you’ve chosen a theme, click “Install.”

Step 6: after installation, you’ll find the theme under Appearance > Themes. You now have two options: click “Activate” right away or open the live preview to see how your website looks with the new theme. From the preview, click “Activate and publish.”

Our detailed guide also explains how to install themes from outside the WordPress theme directory:

After installing your theme, make a few key adjustments. The easiest way is through the Customizer, where you can edit your theme’s settings. To open it, go to Appearance > Customize.

The Customizer’s left-hand menu offers several options. Click “Global” to adjust colors, typography, or buttons across your entire website. Under “Site identity,” you can change your website’s title and logo.

WordPress’s huge selection of plugins is one of its biggest strengths. If a feature is missing from your starter kit or the core WordPress software, there’s a 90% chance a plugin already offers it.

If you’re new to WordPress, these plugin types and examples are worth a look:

WordPress offers a wide selection of plugins, and most take only a few minutes to install. Some are free, while others require payment.

You can usually install plugins directly from your WordPress dashboard.

Step 1: go to “Plugins” in your WordPress dashboard and click “Add new.”

Step 2: search the WordPress plugin directory or browse by category. Once you find a plugin you want, click “Install now.”

Step 3: the “Install now” button has changed to “Activate.” Click it to activate the plugin.

Step 4: the plugin is now active and ready to use. You’ll find it in the plugins section of your WordPress dashboard or under its own entry in the navigation menu. From there, you can adjust its settings.

Keep your plugins up to date. The plugins section usually shows you right away when a new version is available.

It’s time to add content to your WordPress website. WordPress offers two main content types: pages and posts.

You can create and edit both pages and posts with Gutenberg, WordPress’s built-in block editor. It lets you design and arrange content visually using blocks and other tools, with no coding required.

Start by creating your website’s pages.

Step 1: go to “Pages” in your WordPress dashboard and click “Add new” to create a page.

Step 2: you’ll now see the Gutenberg editor. It can look complicated at first, so take some time to explore its features. If you’ve used website builders before, you should pick up the basics quickly.

Step 3: start by entering a name for your page in the title field.

Step 4: your page’s content is organized into blocks. Click the plus icon to add a new block. The icon within the editor opens a small selection of common blocks. To browse all available blocks, click the plus icon in the toolbar at the top left.

Step 5: drag your chosen block into the editor to customize it. Each block type has its own editing options. For images, you can crop, apply filters, add links and captions, and more. You can also arrange blocks in columns to display different types of content side by side, such as a photo and a paragraph of text.

Step 6: open the page settings from the toolbar at the top right. Here, you can change the URL, featured image, comment settings, and more.

Step 7: once you’re happy with your page, click “Publish” to make it live. You can also save it as a draft or preview it first.

You also create posts with the Gutenberg editor, so you have the same tools and formatting options. To create a new post, go to the WordPress dashboard and click Posts > Add new.

If your website doesn’t have a blog and you don’t need to publish time-sensitive articles, you may not need posts at all.

Once you’ve created your pages, you’ll need a menu. You can set one up in just a few clicks:

Step 1: go to Appearance > Menus.

Step 2: name your menu and choose where it should appear in your theme. If this will be the main menu visitors use to navigate your website, select “Primary menu.”

Step 3: to add existing pages to your menu, open “Pages” under “Add menu items,” select the pages you want to include, and click “Add to menu.”

Step 4: your pages now appear in the menu structure. Drag and drop them to change their order and hierarchy. Drag an item to the right to make it a subitem of the menu item above it. You can nest submenus several levels deep, but keep it simple so visitors can find their way around.

Step 5: once you’re happy with your menu, click “Save menu” in the bottom-right corner.

Your WordPress website now has all the basics: hosting, a suitable domain name, a theme for its design, plugins for added features, content, and a main menu.

Now it’s time to refine your content and design, ask friends and colleagues for feedback, and make adjustments. Here are a few tips:

WordPress lets beginners build a website without design or coding skills. Creating a good site still takes a lot of work: you need to handle technical tasks like hosting and learn how to use WordPress’s tools.

For beginners, professional WordPress hosting is often the best starting point. Once you’ve set up your site with your hosting provider, you can use the full WordPress toolkit, including themes, plugins, and the Gutenberg editor, to design it the way you want.

For more guides, tips, and best practices, visit our WordPress section.