WordPress Starter Checklist: 25 Things to Do After Installing WordPress

Post-Installation Checklist

Settings (Do First)

1. Set site title and tagline — Settings → General
2. Set timezone — Asia/Kolkata for Indian sites
3. Configure permalink structure — Settings → Permalinks → "Post name"
4. Disable pingbacks — Settings → Discussion → Uncheck pingbacks
5. Set homepage — Settings → Reading → Static page

Security

1. Delete default "admin" user — create a new admin with unique username
2. Install security plugin — Wordfence or Sucuri
3. Enable two-factor authentication
4. Limit login attempts
5. Change database prefix if still wp_

Performance

1. Install caching plugin — WP Super Cache or LiteSpeed Cache
2. Enable GZIP compression
3. Optimize images — install ShortPixel or Smush
4. Minimize plugins — every plugin adds overhead
5. Choose a fast theme — GeneratePress, Astra, or Kadence

SEO

1. Install Yoast SEO or Rank Math
2. Submit sitemap to Google Search Console
3. Set up Google Analytics 4
4. Create robots.txt — optimize crawl budget
5. Add schema markup — organization, breadcrumbs

Content

1. Delete sample content — remove "Hello World" post and sample page
2. Create essential pages — Home, About, Contact, Privacy Policy
3. Set up contact form — WPForms or Contact Form 7
4. Create a 404 page — helpful, branded error page

Maintenance

1. Set up automated backups — UpdraftPlus to cloud storage

Bonus Tips

• Update everything before going live
• Test on mobile — 70%+ traffic is mobile
• Set up staging — test changes before deploying
• Document your setup — plugins, themes, customizations

Conclusion

Spending 30 minutes on this checklist saves hours of troubleshooting later. A well-configured WordPress site is faster, more secure, and easier to maintain.