Guides
Every guide starts from a question people actually search — and answers it completely, whether or not you install anything.
See what WordPress sent, what failed, and why.
WordPress SMTP settings: send your site's email through a real mail server
Password resets and form emails go missing because WordPress sends them unauthenticated. The WordPress SMTP settings you need, and how to read a failed send.
how to check if wordpress sent an emailHow to check if WordPress sent an email (and why it failed)
How to check if WordPress sent an email: log every send, read Sent, Failed and Unconfirmed, and find the exact error when a password reset goes missing.
email log plugin alternativeMoving from the Email Log plugin: bring your history with you
Looking for an Email Log plugin alternative? Copy its history into Adminkeep with one button or one WP-CLI command, see what comes across, then deactivate it.
wordpress default emails htmlHow to send WordPress default emails as HTML
WordPress default emails are plain text. Which 25 emails that means, why the one-line content-type fix breaks them, and how to send them as HTML with a layout.
woocommerce email logWooCommerce email log: what Woo records, and what it misses
Where the WooCommerce email log lives since 10.9, what each entry holds, what it leaves out, and how to log the rest of your site's email with the message kept.
wordpress password reset email not sendingWordPress password reset email not sending? Check the log first
WordPress password reset email not sending? Check the log to see whether the site sent it, then fix the real cause: transport, spam, a plugin, a stale address.
wordpress contact form turnstile without a form pluginWordPress contact form with Cloudflare Turnstile, no form plugin
A WordPress contact form with Cloudflare Turnstile, without a form plugin: get the keys, place the block, and see each message in Email Log.
Custom CSS and code
Styles and snippets that survive a theme switch.
Why WordPress custom CSS disappears when you switch themes
Additional CSS belongs to the theme, so it disappears when you switch. Where WordPress keeps custom CSS, why it vanishes, and how to keep styles theme-proof.
wordpress additional css not workingWordPress Additional CSS not working? Six causes, in order
WordPress Additional CSS not working is usually a cache, a losing selector or CSS saved to another theme. Six checks, 30 seconds each, and a theme-proof fix.
add google tag manager to wordpressHow to add Google Tag Manager to WordPress (both snippets)
Add Google Tag Manager to WordPress the right way: which box each GTM snippet goes in, how to check it is live, and the no-plugin functions.php route.
Hardening
Close the doors WordPress leaves open, without a security suite.
How to disable comments in WordPress, completely
Settings → Discussion only stops new comments. How to disable comments in WordPress completely — existing posts, leftover UI, bots, and a deletion trap.
stop wordpress plugin auto updateHow to really stop a WordPress plugin auto update
The "Disable auto-updates" link only stops automatic runs; a manual click still updates. How to stop a WordPress plugin auto update for good, and what it costs.
disable plugin installation wordpressHow to disable plugin installation in WordPress
DISALLOW_FILE_MODS blocks plugin installs for everyone, you included, and needs file access to undo. A safer way to disable plugin installation in WordPress.
wordpress spam user registrationHow to stop spam user registrations in WordPress
Stop WordPress spam user registration: untick "Anyone can register" first. Why WooCommerce and plugins still add accounts, and the filter that guards admins.
disable xmlrpc wordpressShould you disable XML-RPC in WordPress?
Should you disable XML-RPC in WordPress? Most sites never use it, but Jetpack and some publishing tools do — the honest, both-ways answer.
hide wordpress usernameHow to hide your WordPress username from visitors
WordPress leaks usernames via ?author=1, the REST API and sitemaps. How to hide your WordPress username: close every leak without breaking the admin.
disallow_file_mods vs disallow_file_editDISALLOW_FILE_MODS vs DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT: what each one blocks
DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT removes the theme and plugin file editors. DISALLOW_FILE_MODS also stops installs and updates. What each blocks, and which one to use.
wordpress hacked admin users addedWordPress hacked: admin users added you didn't create
WordPress hacked and admin users added: what the account means, the cleanup order that closes the hole, and what a registration guard can and cannot do.
wordpress two-factor authentication emailWordPress two-factor authentication by email, without an app
WordPress two-factor authentication by email: a six-digit code after the password, no authenticator app. The trade-off, and how not to get locked out.
Content tools
Duplicate, rewrite and republish, reorder, replace media.
How to duplicate a page in WordPress
How to duplicate a page in WordPress by hand, what that loses, and what a real duplicate has to copy: content, meta, featured image, template and taxonomy.
edit published page without unpublishingHow to edit a published WordPress page without taking it offline
WordPress has no staging for a single page. How to edit a published page without unpublishing it: draft copies, rewrite and republish, and what to check.
reorder wordpress postsHow to reorder WordPress posts and pages by drag and drop
WordPress sorts by date, not by hand. How to reorder WordPress posts and pages with menu_order — the manual method, its two pains, and the taxonomy gap.
replace image wordpress same urlHow to replace an image in WordPress at the same URL
Re-uploading gives a new URL every time. How to replace an image in WordPress at the same URL with FTP, and the cache and thumbnail fights that starts.
change wordpress permalink redirectChange a WordPress permalink: the redirect is built in
Change a WordPress permalink and core redirects the old URL, no plugin needed. How it works, and the real gaps: pages, moves, media, permalink structure.
wordpress user registration dateHow to show the user registration date in WordPress
WordPress stores the date every account was created but never shows it. How to show the user registration date in a sortable column, and what it can tell you.
WP-CLI
The same jobs from the command line.