How To Configure General Settings In WordPress

Introduction

The WordPress General Settings page is the command center for your website’s foundational information. Let’s dive into the crucial settings that shape your site’s identity and behavior.

In this guide, we’ll cover:
Site Title and Tagline
WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL)
Admin Email Address
Membership Settings
Language and Timezone
Date and Time Formats

By understanding and effectively configuring these settings, you’ll lay a solid groundwork for your WordPress website.

Getting Started

Log into your WordPress Admin Dashboard. You can do this by accessing your domain followed by “/wp-admin”. After you have logged in navigate to Settings > General.

Configuring General Settings

“Site Title”: This is the primary name of your website, often displayed in browser tabs and page headers. Depending on theme your site title may appear differently or more often.

“Tagline”: A brief description or slogan that accompanies your site title. Theme selection also will dictate placement of your site title.



“WordPress Address (URL)”: This specifies the location of your WordPress core files, including plugins, themes, and the WordPress admin area.

“Site Address (URL)”: This is the public-facing address of your website, the one visitors will type into their browser.
Typically, these two URLs are identical. However, understanding the distinction is essential when making changes.
Cautionary Notes Changing these settings can have significant consequences. Incorrect changes might break your website. Always back up your website before making changes. Consider using a staging environment for testing changes.



The “Administration Email Address” is a critical setting in WordPress. It’s the primary contact point for various notifications, password resets, and crucial updates. Ensuring it’s accurate and accessible is paramount for website management.



WordPress offers a robust system for managing users and their permissions through roles. These roles determine what actions a user can perform on your website.
“Membership” refers to the concept of providing exclusive content or features to registered users. You can create different membership levels with varying privileges.
“New User Default Role” is the role automatically assigned to new users who register on your website.



The “Site Language” setting in WordPress determines the default language for your website’s backend (dashboard) and frontend (content displayed to visitors).

“Timezone” Select your location: Choose the timezone that corresponds to your geographic location. This ensures accurate timestamps for your content.

“Date Format” Customize display: WordPress offers various date formats. Choose the format that best suits your audience (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY, DD/MM/YYYY).

“Time Format” 24-hour or 12-hour clock: Select the time format that aligns with your preferences and target audience.

“Week Starts On” Choose the first day of the week: Determine whether your week begins on Monday or Sunday. This affects calendar and scheduling features.

Accurate time and date settings are crucial for a WordPress website to function correctly. These settings influence: Post and page timestamps Comment timestamps Scheduled posts and events User experience

Once finished, review your configurations and click “Save Changes”

Note that use of most SEO plugins and some Themes will override how some of these settings display.