What is WordPress

WordPress is an open-source content management system originally designed for blogging and online publishers. WordPress was originally created on May 17, 2003, by Automattic, Inc. WordPress is a fully downloadable software that is installable on a web server that runs PHP. The content management aspect of WordPress was originally designed to make publishing online blog posts easier for the everyday blogger. As of today, WordPress powers over 800 million websites on the internet, which is, as of today, over 40% of all websites and over 62% of all websites that implement a content management system.

WordPress includes the WordPress repository, which currently hosts over 60,000 free and open-source WordPress plugins, including WordPress form builder plugins, page builder plugins, theme add-ons, etc. The WordPress repository is a search engine and hosting environment that gives WordPress developers a way to distribute their free software openly to the market. While each plugin is maintained by its authors, WordPress hosts and manages automatic software updates through a subversion (SVN). Each plugin includes a free public support forum for authors to communicate and support their users.

A default WordPress install includes over 350,000 lines of code, which includes PHP, JavaScript, CSS, and a MySQL database. WordPress publishes online documentation articles through the WordPress Codex, which serves as an online resource designed to teach web developers how to implement functions and best practices, as well as shortcuts known as actions and hooks. The WordPress Codex is a free and an invaluable resource offered to the WordPress community by the developers of WordPress.

Due to its popularity and size of community, WordPress has given birth to several multi-billion dollar third-party companies. The most notable are WP Engine, Elementor, and Envato. Third party companies offer WordPress users the ability to choose between different web hosting providers, plugins, and themes. While WordPress is in fact open-source software (free), third party companies charge for offering support and their services.

WordPress is a graphical interface that allows online publishers, bloggers, and web developers the ability to build and customize websites without coding knowledge. Pre-built into WordPress are common features such as default blogging themes, a user-login and registration system, website meta settings, and a builder known as Gutenburg. When creating new web pages or posts, the Gutenburg editor uses what are called blocks. Blocks are used to construct structured HTML web documents, as well as acting as a visual page builder.

Automattic, Inc. owns both WordPress.org and WordPress.com. WordPress.com is not a self-hosted solution, instead WordPress hosts its own content management system and offers its hosting services for a fee. WordPress.org is the open-source version where WordPress can be downloaded and installed on your own web server for free. When hosting with a third-party provider, WordPress will come pre-installed when purchasing a WordPress hosting plan.

While WordPress may be open-source and allow contributors to share insights and knowledge, WordPress Core is developed and maintained by a team of in-house developers. The core team keeps WordPress a well-maintained content management system and pushes major updates regularly throughout the year. Updates or release candidates occur for various reasons, such as maintenance, security vulnerabilities, and bug fixes. In addition to major releases, WordPress also releases beta versions, which are designed primarily for testing to identify potential bugs before an official stable version is released.

In conclusion, WordPress is the World’s largest website builder, with an active and growing community of plugins, themes, hosting providers, and developers. Though originally designed for the personal blogger, it has become the most popular content management system in the World.