Are you looking for a way to hide certain WordPress blocks from a user role?
The WordPress content editor offers a lot of flexibility in creating content using blocks. However, you may want to disable some blocks for different user roles. This is helpful if you run a multi-author website or don’t want others to access specific blocks.
In this article, we’ll show you how to hide blocks from specific users in the WordPress content editor.
Why Hide Blocks from Specific Users in the Content Editor?
WordPress blocks are content elements you add to your blog post or page. You can add blocks for images, videos, paragraphs, galleries, and more. Many WordPress plugins also add blocks to the content editor.
Since each block lets you edit your article or landing page, it is a good idea to hide or disable some of the blocks based on WordPress user roles. This way, your website content will remain consistent and won’t have unwanted blocks and layouts.
Let’s say you have a multi-author website. You can hide the tables block in the WordPress content editor for author and contributor user roles. This helps streamline your editorial workflow.
Similarly, you can also prevent different user roles from using blocks added by different plugins.
For instance, WPForms lets you embed forms in the content editor using the WPForms block. Stopping other users from accessing the block can help you stay in control and only display forms where you think is necessary.
That said, let’s see how to hide or disable blocks for specific users in WordPress.
Hiding Blocks for Specific Users in WordPress Editor
The best way to hide blocks based on user roles is by using the PublishPress Blocks plugin. It gives you more control over the WordPress block editor and adds more blocks like an image slider, search bar, pricing table, and more.
First, you’ll need to install and activate the PublishPress Blocks plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Upon activation, you can head to the Blocks item in your WordPress dashboard and click on the ‘License’ tab.
Next, you can enter your license key and click the ‘Activate License’ button. You can find the license key in your PublishPress account area.
After that, head to the ‘Block Access’ tab in the plugin. Here, you can choose a user profile from the dropdown menu at the top.
To hide any WordPress block from the selected user role, simply click the toggle to disable it.
For example, in the image below, we’ll disable the ‘table’ and ‘quote’ blocks for any user iwth the Author role.
Don’t forget to click the ‘Save Block Access’ button when you’re done.
That’s it! You’ve successfully disabled the WordPress block for a user role on your website. Now, you can repeat this to hide blocks for other user roles.
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Do you want to create a custom homepage for your WordPress site?
By default, the WordPress homepage displays your blog posts, but you can edit it to show something different. For example, your homepage could be a landing page that highlights your products and services.
In this article, we’ll show you how to easily edit and customize your WordPress homepage.
What Is the WordPress Homepage?
Your homepage is the ‘front page’ of your WordPress website. It’s the first page that shows up when a user visits your domain name.
For instance, if you type in www.wpbeginner.com into your browser, the page you land on is our website’s homepage, where you can see our latest blog posts:
Why Edit the WordPress Homepage?
If you’ve decided to create a blog, then it makes perfect sense to just show your blog posts on the homepage.
But what if you’re using WordPress to build a small business website or even to run an online store? In those cases, you may prefer to highlight your products or promotions on your homepage.
Here’s a business website homepage example from OptinMonster, the best WordPress popup plugin out there. Their site has a great blog, but that isn’t the focus of their homepage. Instead, they’ve got a really clear call to action.
If that’s the case, then you’re in the right place.
We’re going to take you step by step through setting up a homepage and customizing it to match your needs. That way, you can make a great first impression and encourage your visitors to take the actions that are most important to your site’s mission.
Some of the best WordPress themes will create a homepage design for you, and provide options so you can easily edit it.
You can find these options by visiting Appearance » Customize on the admin sidebar. This will launch the WordPress theme customizer with a live preview of your theme.
The Theme Customizer will have different options for different themes. Your preview and the available options may look different depending on the theme you are using. We’re using the free Hestia theme in this example.
To edit any part of the homepage, simply click the blue pencil icon next to it. Here, we’re editing the image, text, and button at the top of the homepage.
Note: As soon as you make edits, they’ll be shown in the preview of your site. Those changes won’t be live on your site until you publish them.
If you want to remove a section from the homepage, then you just need to click the blue eye icon in the top left corner of that section.
You can also remove sections and add them back in using the ‘Frontpage Sections’ tab.
Once you’re happy with your homepage, you need to click the ‘Publish’ button to make it live.
Here’s how our homepage looks, live on the website:
Using your theme’s built-in options is the quickest way to set up your homepage. However, some themes may not have many options, or you may not be satisfied with how your homepage looks.
Don’t worry, there are plenty of other ways for you to edit your homepage and give it the look you want.
Editing Your Homepage With the Block Editor
The WordPress block editor is a simple way to create a custom homepage, although it’s limited by your theme’s design.
To use the block editor, simply go to the Pages » All Pages screen and edit the ‘Home’ page that you created earlier.
Now you can start creating the content for your page.
In this part of the tutorial, we’ll be using a few simple blocks to create a basic homepage.
First, we’ll add a welcome message to the page. You can do this by simply clicking on the page to start typing. WordPress will automatically create a paragraph block for you.
If you want to make the text larger, then it’s easy to do that in the block settings on the right hand side. Just click on one of the preset sizes, or you can click on the ‘Set custom size’ icon and type any size you like.
You can also change the color of your text, using the ‘Color’ options for the text or background.
Next, we’ll add an image to the page. You can do this by clicking the (+) symbol and then selecting the Image block.
You’ll find it in the Media section, or you can search for it using the search bar.
You can pick an image from your media library or upload a new one.
Next, we’ve added another paragraph block, with the text ‘Check out our latest posts here’.
We’ve then added a ‘Latest Posts’ block, which we’ve set to show the post excerpt and featured images, as well as the post titles. You can find out more about the Latest Posts block in our tutorial on displaying recent posts in WordPress.
You can add as many blocks as you want to your homepage. You may also want to use a ‘full width’ or ‘no sidebars’ template for your page if your theme has one.
For example, when using the Astra theme, you can customize the layout of the page from the Astra Settings pane. Other themes may provide a section in the Document settings pane.
Once you’re happy with your homepage, you should click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button on the top right of the screen to push your changes live.
Here’s how our finished homepage looks:
What if you want to go further with your homepage? One option is to try some of these best block plugins for WordPress to add new functionality, such as a contact form, testimonials, reviews, and more.
The easiest way to edit your homepage is by using SeedProd. It’s the best WordPress theme builder plugin and can create beautiful website layouts and custom templates without writing any code.
You can use SeedProd to create a fully custom WordPress theme, including a custom homepage template.
Note: There is a free version of SeedProd, but you will need the Pro version to access the theme builder and edit the homepage template.
Upon activation, you need to enter your license key. You can find this information under your account on the SeedProd website.
After that, you can use SeedProd to easily create a WordPress theme, including a completely custom homepage from scratch.
Creating a Custom WordPress Theme
You can create a new theme in SeedProd by navigating to the SeedProd » Theme Builder page. Here, you’ll use one of SeedProd’s ready-made themes as a starting point. This will replace your existing WordPress theme with a new, custom design.
You can do that by clicking the ‘Themes’ button.
You will be shown a list of professionally designed themes that are designed for different types of websites. For example, there are templates called ‘Modern Business’, ‘Marketing Agency’, and ‘Mortgage Broker Theme’.
Take a look through the options and select one that best matches your needs by clicking the checkmark icon. For this tutorial, we’ll choose the ‘Digital Strategy’ theme.
Once you have chosen a theme, SeedProd will generate all the theme templates you need. It will include a template for your static homepage, as well as one for your blog’s index page.
Editing the Homepage Template
SeedProd makes it easy to edit any of these templates using a drag and drop page builder.
Simply click the ‘Edit Design’ link found under the ‘Homepage’ template. This will open the template in SeedProd’s visual editor.
This simple drag and drop builder will show a live preview of your page to the right and a toolbar on the left. You can add new blocks by dragging them onto the page, rearrange them by dragging them up and down with your mouse, and customize any block by clicking on it.
Notice that the template has already provided an attractive layout and added plenty of relevant content on the page. Now you just have to edit it to suit the purpose of your website.
When you hover your mouse over a block, a toolbar will appear.
If you click on the block, then you can adjust its settings in the left pane.
For example, when you click on the headline, you can edit the text, change the alignment, alter the font size, and more.
When you change a setting, you can immediately see it in the preview on the right.
For example, we’ll change the text to ‘All About WordPress’.
Once you’ve done this, you can click the ‘Blocks’ icon near the top of the settings page. This will return you to the Blocks view.
Next, we’ll edit the button text. You can click on the button labeled ‘What we do’ and edit the text to say ‘See the courses’.
Now we’ll scroll down our homepage until we come to the list of bullet points about the products and services you offer.
You can edit these in the same way, by clicking on a block and editing the text.
Your homepage should now look something like the screenshot below.
If you need to add more detail, then you can add another row of bullet points by clicking the blue ‘+’ icon at the bottom.
The SeedProd template may have included more sections than you can use. You can easily delete any blocks or sections you don’t need by simply clicking the trash icon.
For example, you can hover your mouse over the ‘Trusted By’ section of the homepage. Once the toolbar appears, you can click on the Trash icon to delete that section.
Near the bottom of the homepage there is a FAQ section. This was created using an Accordion block, which makes it simple to customize the questions and answers you want to include on your homepage.
When you click on the block, you are able to edit the text for each question and answer.
Once you have finished customizing your homepage, make sure you click the ‘Save’ button at the top of the screen. Then you can return to the list of templates by clicking the ‘X’ icon.
As you can see, SeedProd’s templates, drag and drop interface, and useful blocks make it ideal for editing your website’s homepage. For even more ideas, take a look at our guide on how to create a landing page with WordPress.
Using Method 2, you should scroll down to the section on customizing your blog page. Here you’ll learn how to add new blocks using drag and drop, and how to change the settings for each block on the page.
We’ll show you how to edit the Posts block to list your posts in multiple columns and display or hide the featured image for your posts.
There are settings for how many posts to display, and whether to show a post excerpt. You can also filter the index by post type, category, tag, or author, and change the sort order.
Enabling the SeedProd Theme
Once you have finished customizing the theme templates, you will need to publish the new custom theme. Simply toggle the ‘Enable SeedProd Theme’ setting to the ‘YES’ position.
If you haven’t already changed your WordPress Home and Blog page settings, then you’ll see a notification message. When you click the ‘OK’ button these settings will be changed for you.
You can now visit your website to view your new home page.
Editing Your Homepage With a Page Builder Plugin
Divi is a popular WordPress page builder plugin. It comes with a WordPress theme and a page builder plugin with dozens of gorgeous templates.
You can use the Divi page builder with any theme. For this tutorial, we’re going to use it with the Divi theme.
First, you’ll need to download, install, and activate the Divi theme from Elegant Themes. This includes the Divi builder, so you don’t need to install it separately. You will need to enter your username and API key under Divi » Theme Options » Updates in order to access the layout packs.
Once you’ve got the Divi theme and page builder up and running, you can set up your homepage. First, go to the Pages menu in your WordPress dashboard and then edit the homepage we created earlier.
Before you start editing your homepage, it’s a good idea to switch to the ‘Blank Page’ template under the ‘Template’ panel on the right. That way, your homepage won’t have a sidebar, title, menu, or any other default elements.
Next, you can click the ‘Use The Divi Builder’ button at the top of the screen.
Now, you’ll need to click the ‘Edit With The Divi Builder’ button in the center of the screen.
You should now see the Divi Welcome Screen. It includes a video tutorial on how to use Divi, a brief description of how to get started, and buttons to either start building your page or take a tour of Divi’s features.
We’ll click the ‘Start Building’ button at the bottom of the page.
Next, you’ll see a range of options you can use to create your page. We suggest using a premade layout as the basis for your homepage. This makes it really quick and easy to get your homepage set up.
Divi has an impressive range of different layouts to choose from. There are hundreds of different layout packs, and each of these has several different page layouts including homepages.
You can search through these by typing in a search term, or you can check the boxes to view only layouts that fit certain categories.
We’re going to use the ‘Travel Blog’ layout pack to create our homepage.
First, click on the pack that you want to use:
Next, you’ll see a description of the layout pack, plus the different page layouts that are available. You’ll probably want to use the ‘Home’ page or ‘Landing’ page for your homepage. We’re going to pick the ‘Home’ option.
Once you’ve chosen your layout, click the ‘Use This Layout’ button at the bottom of the page.
Divi will automatically import the layout for you. You’ll then see it live on your page, exactly as it’ll appear on your site. To edit any part of it, simply click on it.
Divi uses a system of rows (split into columns) and modules to create your page. With text modules, you can click on the text and type in whatever you want straight onto the screen.
Here, we’ve changed the header and the text below it:
With other modules, you can bring your mouse cursor over them and click the ‘Module Settings’ icon to edit them.
Here, we’re editing one of the number counters:
You can delete modules and rows in the same way, using the trash can icon.
You’ll likely want to use your own images on your homepage. You can change these by editing the module settings.
Note that the image at the top is set as the Background for a Fullwidth Header Module, so you’ll need to change it under Content » Background for that module:
Once you’re happy with the changes you’ve made to your page, you can click ‘Save’ at the bottom of the screen.
Sometimes the bottom row of buttons will be hidden.
If you can’t see them, then you’ll need to click the purple “…” button to open them up.
Here’s how our page looks live on the website:
Setting Your Homepage in WordPress
By default, WordPress displays your blog posts on the homepage.
That means that after creating and customizing your homepage, you’ll need to tell your WordPress site to display that page when someone visits your domain.
Let’s take a look at how to set a separate homepage and blog page in WordPress.
Pro Tip: Do you already have visitors to your site? Then you might want to put your site into maintenance mode while you’re setting up your homepage. Alternatively, you could set up a staging site where you can create your homepage before publishing it live.
First, simply go to Pages » Add New and name your new page Blog. After that, you can go ahead and publish the blank page.
Once your homepage and blog page are ready, you need to tell WordPress to start using these pages.
You can do this by going to Settings » Reading page in your WordPress admin area. You need to select ‘A static page’ option under the ‘Your homepage displays’ section. After that, go ahead and select your home and blog pages.
Don’t forget to click on the ‘Save Changes’ button to store your settings.
That’s it! You’ve created a great looking homepage in WordPress and set it up successfully.
We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to edit a WordPress homepage. You might also want to take a look at our guide on the must have WordPress plugins and our tips on how to improve WordPress SEO.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Do you want to sell your Microsoft Excel or Google spreadsheets online?
By selling your spreadsheets as downloadable files, you can easily make money without having to pay for shipping or printing. Through WordPress, you can quickly and securely deliver your products to your customers.
In this article, we will show you how to easily sell your Excel or Google spreadsheets online using WordPress.
Which Platform Should You Use to Sell Excel or Google Spreadsheets
First, you’ll need to choose an eCommerce platform that you’ll use to sell your Excel or Google spreadsheets.
Because these spreadsheets are digital files that users can download to their computers after making a purchase, you should pick an eCommerce platform specifically designed for selling digital downloads.
Such a platform would have the proper features, licensing, and subscriptions built in which will make it easier for you to set up your store.
That’s why we recommend using WordPress and Easy Digital Downloads for selling your Excel and Google spreadsheets.
WordPress is the best website builder on the market that is used by over 43% of all the websites on the internet. It is an ideal choice as WordPress gives you full control over your website and allows you to create a user-friendly eCommerce store.
Easy Digital Downloads is the best WordPress plugin to sell digital products. We use EDD ourselves to sell many of our premium WordPress plugins.
With WordPress and Easy Digital Downloads, you can sell as many Microsoft Excel or Google spreadsheets as you want without having to pay high transaction fees.
With that being said, let’s dig in to see how easy it is to create a WordPress site with Easy Digital Downloads, so you can start selling your spreadsheets online.
Step 1. Setting Up Your WordPress Site
Before you start building your site, it’s important to know that there are two types of WordPress software: WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
We will be using WordPress.org as it gives you complete control over your website.
We recommend using SiteGround for your website. It is a popular hosting provider that offers managed WordPress hosting for Easy Digital Downloads. It comes with a free SSL certificate, pre-installed and optimized EDD, and a huge 73% off.
Basically, you can create a website for less than $5 per month.
If you don’t want to use SiteGround for. some reason, then we recommend checking out Bluehost, Hostinger, and WPEngine to see if they meet your needs.
Step 2. Setting Up Easy Digital Downloads
The free version of Easy Digital Downloads allows you to create an amazing online store. However, if you want to use add-ons such as Content Restriction, Recommended Products, or Recurring Payments, you will need the Pro version.
For this tutorial, we will use the free version. To begin, just you just need to install and activate the plugin. If you need any help, you can check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Once it is installed and activated, go to Downloads » Settings page in your WordPress admin area. First, you need to set your store’s location so the plugin can calculate sales tax and auto-fill some fields.
To do this, scroll until you see the ‘Store Location’ section. In the ‘Bunsiness Country’ dropdown menu, choose the location where your business is based.
After that, you need to fill in the ‘Business Region’ field.
Here you can open the dropdown and choose the state or region your store operates from.
Once you’ve entered the information, click on the ‘Save Changes’ button.
Step 3. Setting Up Your Payment Gateway
When selling Excel or Google spreadsheets online, you’ll need a way to accept credit payments from your customers.
Easy Digital Downloads supports popular payment gateways including Stripe, PayPal, and Amazon Payments. If you want to add more payment gateways, then you may want to take a look at Easy Digital Downloads extensions.
To choose your payment gateway, simply click on the ‘Payments’ tab. Then make sure the ‘General’ tab is selected.
In the ‘Payment Gateways’ section, check the box for all the payment gateways that you want to add to your online store.
If you select more than one payment method, then you’ll also need to choose a default gateway.
You can choose any one you want, but we recommend selecting Stripe as your default gateway because Stripe accepts credit cards as well as Google Pay and Apple pay.
After selecting a default gateway, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on ‘Save Changes.’
Once the page reloads, you will now see some new tabs where you can configure each of your separate payment gateways.
The process of configuring the payment gateway will be slightly different depending which you use. We will be using Stripe as an example.
To start, simply click on the ‘Stripe’ tab. Then, click on the ‘Connect With Stripe’ button.
This launches a setup wizard which will walk you through a step-by-step process of configuring Stripe as your payment gateway. If you use multiple gateways, you’ll just need to repeat these steps for each one.
Also, by default, Easy Digital Downloads shows all your prices in U.S dollars. If you want to show your prices in any other currency, simply click on the ‘Currency’ tab and choose the one you want to use from the dropdown.
Just be aware that some payment gateways may not accept every currency. If you’re unsure, then it is always a good idea to check your chosen payment gateway’s website.
Once you’re done with the currency settings, simply click on the ‘Save Changes’ button at the bottom of the page.
Step 4. Turn Your Spreadsheets Into a Downloadable Product
Now that your WordPress site is set up with Easy Digital Downloads, you’re ready to start selling spreadsheets online.
How to Sell a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet
To upload your first Excel spreadsheet for sale, simply go to Downloads » Add New in your admin panel.
Once you’re in the content editor, add a name for your Excel spreadsheet in the ‘Enter Download Name Here’ field.
This name will be shown on the product’s page, so be sure to use one that describes exactly what your spreadsheet does.
Next, type in the description that will appear on the product’s page.
Many online stores use product categories and tags, too. These can help shoppers find the products they’re looking for.
You can create tags and categories for your spreadsheets using the ‘Add New Download Tag’ and ‘Add New Download Category’ options.
After that, scroll to the ‘Download Prices’ section.
Then simply enter the price they’ll pay to download the spreadsheet.
Next, you have to attach a ‘Download Image’ to the spreadsheet. This will appear as a featured image on the product page. You can easily create a product image using free design tools such as Canva.
Scroll down to the ‘Download Image’ section in the sidebar and just click on ‘Download Image.’ Then, simply upload any image you want.
After that, you can upload your spreadsheet. Simply scroll down to the ‘Download files’ section and add a suitable name in the ‘File Name’ field.
Then click on the link button in the ‘File URL’ field.
This will launch the WordPress media library.
From here, you can simply upload the Excel spreadsheet from the computer.
Once you’ve uploaded the Excel spreadsheet, simply click on the ‘Publish’ button. Now your product is on sale on your site.
Setting Up Google Sheets For Sale By Placing Link in File URL
Selling Google Sheets on WordPress is a slightly different process. Since Google Sheets only run in a web browser, you cannot sell a downloadable Google Sheets file. All you get is a link.
To sell Google Sheets, you need to create a ‘copy link’ for the spreadsheet that you plan on selling. This copy link allows you to share a copy of your spreadsheet with the customers upon purchase.
To create this link, simply go to the Google spreadsheet that you plan on selling and click the ‘Share’ button.
Once you’ve clicked on the ‘Share’ button, a popup will appear.
Now simply click on ‘Anyone with the link’ option in the ‘General Access’ section.
Next, select the ‘Editor’ option from the dropdown menu on the right in the ‘General Access’ section.
After that, simply click on the ‘Copy Link’ button.
After you’ve copied the link, go to the ‘Download Files’ section in Easy Digital Downloads.
Then just paste the link in the ‘File URL’ field.
After pasting the link, remove the edit?usp=sharing section from your link.
You will need to add copy in its place.
Now that you’ve added your Google Sheet’s copy URL, simply click on the ‘Publish’ button.
That’s it! Your spreadsheet will immediately be for sale to customers.
Setting Up Google Sheets For Sale Using Certificate of Download
Another easy way to sell Google Sheets is by creating a certificate of download.
All you have to do is create a Word document and paste the Google Sheet ‘copy link’ into the document.
After pasting the link, remove the edit?usp=sharing section from your link and simply add copy it in its place. Be sure to enable the URL as a hyperlink so that it is clickable.
Now, as you can see in the image above, the copy link looks a bit ugly. To make your certificate of download look more professional, you can use a link-cloaker like Pretty Links.
With this plugin, you can make your links look professional and can also track the number of clicks the links in your certificates get.
Next, simply save the document. We recommend saving it as a PDF.
After that, just head back to the ‘Download Files’ section in EDD and upload the certificate file. Then, simply click on the ‘Publish’ button.
With this method, customers will download the certificate after the purchase. They can then click the link provided in the purchase certificate to access the Google spreadsheet they just bought.
Step 5. Customizing Your Digital Download Emails
Every time someone buys a spreadsheet from your website, Easy Digital Downloads will send an email to that person.
This email will have a link that the customer can use to download the Excel or Google spreadsheet they just purchased.
You may want to customize this email by adding your own text and branding.
To do this, go to Downloads»Settings and click on the ‘Email’ tab. Then, make sure that the ‘General’ tab is selected.
You might want to start by adding a logo to your purchase receipt emails.
This logo will appear right at the top of the email and will help customers identify who the email is from.
Simply click on the ‘Upload File’ button and upload an image or choose one from the WordPress media library.
Additionally, you create more personalized emails, you can use dynamic text in your emails as well.
You can find the list of these variables at the bottom of the tab, and you can paste them into your emails to customize them to your individual customers.
When you’re happy with your purchase email receipts, simply scroll down and click on the ‘Save Changes’ button.
Bonus Tools to Sell More Excel and Google Spreadsheets
Now that you’ve successfully added Google and Excel spreadsheets to your website, your next step is to convince the visitors to buy your downloads.
Here are some of our top picks for plugins that can help you sell more Excel and Google spreadsheets.
MonsterInsights is the best analytics solution for WordPress. It helps you see where your visitors are coming from and what they do on your website. You can optimize your business strategy based on real data.
OptinMonster is the conversion optimization software on the market. You can use it to create optin forms to grow your email list and convert visitors into paying customers. It can also reduce shopping cart abandonment.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Do you want to embed posts from a Facebook group on your WordPress website?
Promoting your Facebook group on your WordPress site is a great way to get more engagement and grow your followers. The content from your group can also help keep your site fresh, even for regular visitors.
In this article, we’ll show you how to easily add a Facebook group feed in WordPress.
Why Add Facebook Group Content to Your WordPress Site?
Facebook groups can help you build a community, create a sense of loyalty, and build a positive relationship with your users. After they join your group, you can promote blog posts, company updates, or even WooCommerce products to these people without having to spend any money on online ads.
Our WPBeginner Engage Facebook group has over 89 thousand active users and is growing at an incredible pace.
After creating your Facebook group, you’ll want to promote that group and drive people to it. The best way to grow your Facebook group is by embedding the group feed on your WordPress website.
In this way, the people who visit your site can see all the great content you’re posting on Facebook. This will encourage them to check out your group, engage with your content, and maybe even click on the ‘Join’ button.
After embedding the group feed on your site, new posts will appear on your website automatically. This makes it an easy way to keep your site fresh, even for regular visitors.
With that in mind, let’s see how to embed a Facebook group feed in WordPress.
This plugin lets you embed Facebook albums, comments, reviews, community posts, and more on your WordPress website.
If you embed videos in WordPress, then Smash Balloon lets users watch that media without having to visit Facebook, by opening a lightbox popup directly on your website.
In this guide, we’ll be using the pro version of Smash Balloon as it allows you to show Facebook albums, videos, and photos on your WordPress website. However, there’s also a free version that allows you to easily embed Facebook status posts in WordPress, no matter what your budget.
The first thing you need to do is install and activate the Smash Balloon Custom Facebook Feed plugin. For more details, see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Upon activation, you’ll need to go to Facebook Feed » Settings and enter your license key into the ‘License Key’ field.
You’ll find this information under your account on the Smash Balloon website.
After entering the key, click on the ‘Activate’ button.
How to add the Smash Balloon App to Your Facebook Group
After that, you’ll need to add Smash Balloon’s Facebook app to the Facebook group that you want to show on your WordPress website.
Note: Due to how the Facebook API is set up, Smash Balloon can only show posts that were made after you added the app to your Facebook group.
With that in mind, let’s go ahead and install the app before we do anything else. In a new tab, log into Facebook and go to your Facebook group.
Then, in the left-hand menu click on ‘Group settings.’
After that, scroll to the ‘Manage advanced settings’ section.
Here, click on the pencil icon next to ‘Apps.’
This opens a popup showing all the apps you’ve already added to this group.
Since we want to install the Smash Balloon app, click on ‘Add Apps.’
In the search bar, type in ‘Smash Balloon WordPress.’
When the right app shows up, give it a click.
A popup will now appear showing all the information the app can access and any actions it can perform.
If you’re happy to go ahead and install the app, then click on ‘Add.’
After a few moments, you should see a message saying that you’ve successfully added the Smash Balloon app to your Facebook group.
Connect Smash Balloon to Your Facebook Group
Now, it’s time to connect your Facebook page WordPress, by going to Facebook Feed » All Feeds and clicking on ‘Add New.’
Smash Balloon lets you show photos, events, videos, albums, and more.
Since we want to embed our Facebook group feed, click on ‘Timeline’ and then select ‘Next.’
After that, you’ll need to select the Facebook group where you’ll get the timeline from.
To get started, click on ‘Add New.’
On the next screen, select the radio button next to ‘Group.’
After that, just click on ‘Connect to Facebook.’
This opens a popup where you can log into your Facebook account and choose the group that you want to use.
After checking the box next to one or more groups, simply click ‘Next.’
You should now see a popup asking you to install the Smash Balloon WordPress app.
Since we already installed this app, you can go ahead and click on ‘Done.’
How to Create a Facebook Group Feed in WordPress
Now you’ve added your Facebook group to Smash Balloon, it’ll show up as an option. Simply click to select the group and then click ‘Next.’
On this screen, you can choose the template you’ll use as the starting point for your Facebook group feed.
All of these templates are fully customizable so you can fine-tune the design depending on how you want to show the status updates, videos, and photos from your Facebook group.
We’re using the ‘Simple Masonry’ template, but you can choose any template you want.
Smash Balloon will now go ahead and create the feed based on your Facebook group and the template you’ve chosen.
This is a good start, but Smash Balloon has lots of settings you can use to customize how this group feed looks on your WordPress blog.
How to Customize Your Facebook Group Feed
The Smash Balloon plugin gives you lots of ways to customize how the feed appears on your website. With that in mind, it’s worth seeing what changes you can make.
On the Facebook Feed » All Feeds screen, find your group feed and then click on its ‘Edit’ button, which looks like a small pencil.
This opens the Smash Balloon feed editor, which shows a preview of your Facebook group feed to the right.
On the left-hand side, you’ll see all the different settings you can use to customize how the posts appear on your site. Most of these settings are self-explanatory, but we’ll quickly cover some key areas.
If you want to change the template you’re using, just click on ‘Template.’
Then, select the ‘Change’ button.
To start, you can change how your group posts are displayed by clicking on ‘Feed Layout.’
On this screen, you can switch between masonry and list layouts, and change the feed height. As you make changes, the preview will update automatically so you can try different settings to see what looks the best for your Facebook group.
By default, the Facebook group feed will show a different number of posts on desktop computers and mobile devices.
You can preview how your feed will look on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones using the row of buttons in the upper-right corner.
To make this change, simply find the ‘Number of Posts’ section and type a different number into the ‘Mobile’ field.
You may also want to show fewer columns on smartphones and tablets by changing the ‘Columns’ settings.
For example, in the following image, we’re splitting the content into 3 columns on desktop, 2 columns on tablets, and 1 column on mobile devices.
When you’re happy with the layout, click on the ‘Customize’ link.
This will take you back to the main Smash Balloon editor, ready for you to move onto the next settings screen, which is ‘Color Scheme.’
By default, Smash Balloon uses the same color scheme as your WordPress theme, but on this screen, you can switch to a ‘Light’ or ‘Dark’ color scheme.
You can add a header above your group feed, which can include content such as your group’s profile picture and name. This can help visitors understand the content they’re seeing, and how they can find your group on Facebook.
To add a header section, click on ‘Header’ in the left-hand menu.
On this screen, click on the ‘Enable’ slider to turn it from grey to blue.
After adding a header section, you can use the controls to change the size of the header and its color, hide or show your Facebook profile picture, and more.
If you want to remove the header at any point, then simply click to turn off the ‘Enable’ toggle.
After that, you can change how the individual posts look inside your group feed by selecting ‘Post Style’ from the left-hand menu.
After that, click on ‘Post Style’ again.
On this screen, you can choose between a regular and boxed layout.
If you select ‘Boxed’ then you can create a colored background for each post. You can also make the border-radius larger to create curved corners, and add a border shadow.
If you choose ‘Regular’ then you can change the thickness and color of the line that separates your different social media posts.
In the following image, we’ve added a thicker line to the group feed and changed its color.
You can also customize the individual parts within each post by going back to the main settings screen.
Once again, select ‘Post Style’ but this time choose ‘Edit Individual Elements’ instead.
You’ll now see all the different content that Smash Balloon includes in each post, such as the post author, date, shared link box, and more.
To remove a piece of content from your posts, just click to uncheck its box.
You can also customize how each type of content looks by clicking on it.
For example, in the following image, you can see settings to change the size and color of the ‘post action’ links, such as like, share, and comment.
You can also change the ‘View on Facebook’ text by typing into the ‘Customize Text’ field.
By default, Smash Balloon doesn’t add a Facebook ‘like’ button to your feed. This button makes it easier for visitors to join your group, so you may want to add it to your feed by selecting the ‘Like Box’ settings.
Then, simply click on ‘Enable’ so that the toggle turns blue.
You can now use the ‘Position’ dropdown to add the like box below or above the group feed.
You can also use these settings to change the box’s width, or add the group’s cover photo.
To encourage more people to join your group, you may want to show the total number of followers by clicking on the ‘Show fans’ switch.
When you’re happy with how the ‘like’ button is set up, you can move on to the ‘Load More Button’ settings.
The ‘Load More’ button gives visitors an easy way to scroll through more of your feed. If they enjoy this content, then they might decide to join your Facebook group.
With that in mind, you may want to make this button stand out by changing its background color, hover state, and text color.
This button shows ‘Load More’ by default but you can add a custom message by typing into the ‘Text’ field.
Smash Balloon has a lightbox feature that allows visitors to watch your group’s videos and take a closer look at your photos without leaving WordPress.
Visitors can simply click on any video or photo thumbnail to open the lightbox popup.
They can then scroll through the rest of the images and videos in the feed using the arrows.
To customize the default lightbox, simply select ‘Lightbox’ from the left-hand menu.
Here, you can change the color of the lightbox’s text, links, and background colors.
The lightbox popup makes it easy for visitors to explore your feed, but it also allows people to scroll through your photos and videos without visiting your Facebook group.
If you want to get more visitors to your Facebook group then you may want to disable the lightbox feature. To do this, simply click on the ‘Enable’ toggle so it turns from blue to grey.
Now, if a visitor clicks on any photo or video in the group feed, they’ll be taken to your Facebook group in a new tab.
When you’re happy with how the Facebook group feed looks, don’t forget to click on ‘Save’ to store your changes.
You’re now ready to add this feed to your WordPress website.
How to Embed Your Facebook Group Feed in WordPress
You can add your Facebook group feed to WordPress using a block, widget, or shortcode.
If you’ve created more than one feed using Smash Balloon, then you’ll need to know the feed’s code if you’re going to use a block or widget.
To get this information, go to Facebook Feed »All Feeds and then look at the feed="" part of the shortcode. You’ll need to add this code to the block or widget, so make a note of it.
In the following image, we’ll need to use feed="1".
If you want to embed your Facebook group feed in a page or post, then you can use the ‘Custom Facebook Feed’ block.
Simply open the page or post where you want to embed the Facebook feed. Then, click on the ‘+’ icon to add a new block and start typing ‘Custom Facebook Feed.’
When the Facebook block appears, click to add it to your page or post.
The block will show one of your Smash Balloon feeds by default. If this isn’t your Facebook group feed, then find the ‘Shortcode Settings’ section in the right-hand menu.
You can now go ahead and add the feed="" code, then click on ‘Apply Changes.’
After that, just publish or update the page to make the group feed live on your website.
Another option is to add the feed to any widget-ready area, such as the sidebar or similar section. This allows visitors to see your group feed no matter where they are on your website.
To get started, simply go to Appearance » Widgets in the WordPress dashboard and then click on the blue ‘+’ button.
Once you’ve done that, start typing ‘Custom Facebook Feed’ into the search bar.
When the right widget appears, drag it to where you want to show the feed.
The widget will show one of the feeds you created using Smash Balloon.
If this isn’t your Facebook group feed, then type the feed’s code into the ‘Shortcode Settings’ box. Then, click on ‘Apply Changes.’
You can now click on the ‘Update’ button to make the widget live. For more information, see our complete guide on how to add and use widgets in WordPress.
Finally, you can embed the Facebook group feed on any page, post, or widget-ready area using shortcode.
Simply go to Facebook Feed »All Feeds and copy all the code in the ‘Shortcode’ column. You can now add this code to any shortcode block.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Do you want to create a thank you page for your WordPress website?
Showing a customized thank you page can help you build a strong relationship with your audience. You can keep people engaged, bring them back to your site, and boost sales.
In this article, we will show you how to create a thank you page in WordPress, step by step. Plus, we’ll also show you when to display your thank you page such as after someone submits a form, makes a purchase on your site, and more.
Why Create a Thank You Page in WordPress?
A thank you page is a web page you can show to your users when they perform an action or complete a task on your WordPress website.
For example, you can show a custom thank you page on your online store after a customer purchases a product. This allows you to cross-sell and upsell your best products and offer exclusive discounts on subsequent purchases.
Similarly, a thank you page can help build an email list and grow your social audience. You can show social sharing buttons to promote your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media channels.
Another situation where a thank you page is helpful is when a user submits a form or leaves a comment on your site. You can show your most popular posts on the thank you page and drive more traffic to your important blog posts.
That said, let’s look at how you can easily create a thank you page in WordPress and how to trigger it in different situations.
Simply click the links below to jump ahead to your preferred section:
The best way to create a thank you page in WordPress is by using SeedProd. It is the best website builder and landing page builder plugin for WordPress.
The plugin offers drag-and-drop functionality and lots of customization options. Plus, you get to choose from pre-built templates to edit the thank you page according to your liking.
For this tutorial, we will use the SeedProd Pro version because it offers pre-built templates, email integrations, WooCommerce blocks, and more. You can also use the SeedProd Lite version for free.
First, you’ll need to install and activate the SeedProd plugin. If you need help, then please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.
Upon activation, you can go to SeedProd » Settings from your WordPress admin panel. From here, enter the license key and click the ‘Verify key’ button.
You can find the license key in your SeedProd account area.
After the verification, you’ll need to head to SeedProd » Landing Pages from the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Create New Landing Page’ button.
Next, SeedProd will show you different page templates.
You can filter them from the top to view thank you page templates. From here, simply hover over a design you’d like to use and click the orange tick button.
A popup window will now open. Go ahead and enter a name and URL for your thank you page.
Once that’s done, you can click the ‘Save and Start Editing the Page’ button.
This will launch the SeedProd drag-and-drop page builder.
You can now customize your thank you page by adding new blocks from the menu on the left or rearranging the existing blocks.
For instance, there are blocks for images, text, headlines, videos, contact forms, social profiles, and more.
If you click on a block in the template, then you’ll see more options for customization.
For example, you can edit the text, changing its font, size, spacing, color, and more.
When you’ve made the changes, don’t forget to click the ‘Save’ button at the top.
Next, you can click the ‘Connect’ tab and integrate email marketing services. This is useful if you’ve added a contact form to your thank you and would like to collect leads from customers.
After that, you’ll need to head to the ‘Page Settings’ tab at the top.
Here, click the Page Status toggle to change it from ‘Draft’ to ‘Publish.’
Don’t forget to click the ‘Save’ button at the top when you’re done.
You can now visit your website to see the thank you page in action.
Now, let’s look at different situations when you can trigger the thank you page so that your visitors see it.
Show a Thank You Page After Form Submission in WordPress
After creating a custom thank you page, you can display it when a user submits a form.
For example, you can show social media icons when a visitor signs up for an email newsletter using a form. This way, they can also follow you on different social platforms and help grow your followers.
Similarly, if a user fills out a feedback form, then you can show useful guides, videos, or promote your best content on the thank you page.
With WPForms, you can easily create all types of forms on your website and show a custom thank you page. It is the best WordPress contact form plugin that offers pre-built templates and lots of customization options.
To display your custom thank you page, go ahead and edit a form in WPForms. When you’re in the form builder, simply go to the Settings » Confirmations tab.
Under the Confirmation Type dropdown menu, simply select the ‘Go to URL (Redirect)’ option.
After that, enter the URL for your thank you page in the ‘Confirmation Redirect URL’ field.
Whenever a user fills out and submits a form on your website, they’ll see the custom thank you page you created.
Show a Thank You Page Upon Product Purchase in WooCommerce
If you have a WooCommerce store, then you can show your custom thank you page when a customer purchases your product.
WooCommerce has a default thank you page, but it’s not optimized for conversions. However, you can replace it with your own to get more sales.
For example, you can upsell products on a thank you page, offer exclusive discounts, display the latest promotional campaigns, and more.
Show a Custom Thank You Page on Your Membership Site
You can also display your thank you page on a membership website when someone purchases a subscription to access exclusive content or enrolls in an online course.
With MemberPress, you can easily set up a membership site. It is the best WordPress membership plugin, and you can use it to sell premium content, subscriptions, digital downloads, and more.
Once you’ve set up memberships, all you have to do is head to MemberPress » Settings from your WordPress dashboard and select the ‘Pages’ tab.
From here, you can click the ‘MemberPress Thank You Page’ dropdown menu and select the custom thank you page.
This way, customers will be redirected to your thank you page whenever they complete the registration or subscription process.
Show a Thank You Page After Comment Submission
Another situation where displaying a custom thank you page is beneficial is after comment submission.
When a visitor submits a comment on your WordPress blog, you can take this opportunity to show your most popular articles or evergreen content through a thank you page.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Do you want to use WordPress recovery mode to fix an error on your website?
The recovery mode feature was introduced in WordPress 5.2, and it allows you to easily to fix fatal errors on your site that can make WordPress’s backend or frontend inaccessible.
In this article, we will show you how to use recovery mode in WordPress.
What is WordPress Recovery Mode
If you’re encountering a WordPress error that’s preventing you from logging into your website, then WordPress will automatically shift into recovery mode.
Recovery mode allows you to access your WordPress admin dashboard by sending a link to your administration email. This email contains details about the error that’s preventing users from accessing their WordPress website.
You can use the link to access your admin dashboard and fix the issue.
For example, your WordPress site may show you a critical error and blocks you from logging into your dashboard.
This is when you can use the WordPress recovery mode feature to regain access. Let’s see how you can use the WordPress recovery mode.
Note: Keep in mind to always back up your WordPress site before attempting to enter recovery mode. If you cannot access your admin area, then check out our guide on how to create a WordPress database backup manually.
Method 1. Using Recovery Mode Through The Email Link
If a WordPress plugin or theme causes an error, then recovery mode can be used to fix it.
You might see a plain white screen when trying to access your account. Sometimes, a message is also shown on the screen.
If that is the case, immediately log in to your administrator email account. Keep in mind to check the inbox of the email address that you provided as the administrator email address to WordPress.
You will receive an email to your WordPress email address that will inform you about the specific error on your website. If WordPress can determine the cause of the outage, this email will have that information.
For example, if there is a file corrupted in your theme directory or a plugin incompatibility, WordPress may be able to tell.
The email will also give you a link to access your WordPress admin dashboard.
Simply click the provided link, and you will be taken to the WordPress admin area. Here, you will see a banner telling you that Recover Mode has been initalized.
You can then log in as normal.
Once in your admin panel, you can deactivate the theme or plugin that’s causing the issue.
Simply go to Plugins » All Plugins and then click the ‘Deactivate’ link under the right one.
If the email sent by WordPress did not specify the plugin or theme that’s causing the error, then you should deactivate all the plugins. After that, try logging into your account.
You can figure out the faulty plugin by then activating the plugins one by one. Once you find the faulty plugin that’s causing the issue, you can find an alternative plugin for it or get support from the plugin developers.
If for some reason your website is showing a plain white screen but you haven’t received any email from WordPress, then you can try method 2 to use recovery mode.
Method 2. Using Recovery Mode Without Email Link
You can use this method to access recovery mode without any email link. You can simply create a WordPress recovery mode link by following the link below to access recovery mode.
All you have to do is replace example.com with your own site’s domain name.
This URL will take you to your WordPress admin area where you’ll be asked to log in.
Here you will see an alert that you are logging into Recovery Mode.
Now you can fix any error on your site.
Keep in mind that if you use this method to manually access the Recovery Mode login page, WordPress won’t locate the plugin or theme that’s causing the error itself. You will need to do some work to figure that out on your own.
You can start by simply changing your theme or deactivating all your plugins. This should fix whatever error was occurring and you will be able to access your WordPress website.
From there, you can reactivate plugins one by one to find the issue, or you can even roll back your theme or WordPress version to an earlier one that wasn’t incompatible.
Bonus: Additional Recovery Mode Options
If you’re not clear about the error on your website that’s preventing you from logging in, then you can also try these two options in recovery mode to solve your problem:
Once you activate this plugin, it will perform a number of checks on your WordPress site and will detect common errors that may be causing the fluctuation.
Sometimes, malware on your website may be causing the error. You can use recovery mode to scan your website for malicious code and create a completely secure website. For help, you can check out our ultimate WordPress security guide.
You can also ask your WordPress hosting provider for support. If you’re using a top WordPress hosting company like Hostinger, Bluehost, WPEngine, and SiteGround, then their support team will be able to help you resolve the issue.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Headline Analyzer Studio is a free plugin that helps you write better headlines for your WordPress content. Learn how to use it in this step-by-step tutorial.
Pointing domains… nameservers… figuring out DNS… it can all feel daunting! Fortunately, WPMU DEV makes it easy, whether you’re working with a domain purchased from us or from another provider. We break it all down in this article.
Keep reading to learn how to easily connect your domain to our hosting service.
With our new domain service recently rolled out, you can directly purchase domains and register them through WPMU DEV – in which case we automatically do the DNS hookup (i.e., the pointing part) for you.
If you purchased your domain through another DNS provider and are hosting with us, the tutorial below will show you exactly what you need to do and explain why this is also a great choice.
Prepping for a Change in Domain Nameservers
Nameservers are often referred to as the phone book of the internet, sending you to the correct domain when you type in a web address.
There are two primary components to making your website accessible to the public:
Your domain name (purchased from a registrar)
Nameservers (provided through a host)
The first must point to the second to connect the two.
The registrar you purchased your domain from also has its own nameservers (if it offers hosting), however if you want them managed elsewhere you must change the DNS records.
Doing it all from a single location is ideal, as it cuts out the middle agent and puts the same quality that powers your sites behind your DNS.
DNS propagation is the term for your site’s nameservers and other records (e.g., A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, etc) updating across the web. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple days to finalize.
If your site was already live, it might become briefly inaccessible to visitors during the nameserver change. You could create a temporary page with info regarding the approximate downtime, then publish it just prior to the server change. (Remember to change it back once the process is complete).
It’s also helpful to handle nameserver changes during a period when traffic volume is typically on the low end.
Importing Your Domain Records to WPMU DEV
Alright, we’re ready to start our edits. The first thing we’re going to do is navigate to The Hub on WPMU DEV.
Click on Domains from the top menu bar, then Connected Domains from the submenu, then the Connect Existing Domain button.
Connecting domains in WPMU DEV’s The Hub.
The Add New Domain modal will pop up. Here you will enter your domain name in the text field – making sure to include the extension (e.g. .com, .net, .xyz) – then click the blue button.
Step 1 of 2 in WPMU DEV’s Add New Domain modal.
The Hub DNS Manager will run a scan for common DNS records, then automatically import and list them for your verification.
Verifying the scanned records to import into a WPMU DEV DNS configuration.
Here you’ll see the summary of record information, which will include:
Type – A, CNAME, MX, TXT
Hostname – @ for root; www for www. subdomain
Value – if record is an alias, directs, or returns
TTL (seconds) – Time To Live is how long the DNS query caches before expiring and needing a new one. (The lower this number, the better/faster.)
You can remove any records, if you want to exclude them from being imported, by clicking on the Trashcan icon.
You can also manually add any records that are missing. See Add or Edit DNS Records for details.
If you’re in any doubt as to whether records should be added or deleted, just reach out to support (any time, day or night) and they’ll happily walk you through it.
Once you’re satisfied with the populated DNS records, click the blue button once more.
After the ellipsis bounce, the page will load with the imported information specific to your domain.
WPMU DEV nameservers are listed towards the top of this page, where you’ll see there are three of them.
WPMU DEV’s trio of nameservers, ready to copy/paste into your domain registry records.
Keep your Hub page open, as we’ll be copying & pasting the nameservers in the next step. (Or, do what I do, and just copy the first one, then replace the “1†with “2†then “3†as you paste each, since these ordinal numbers are the only difference.)
Putting WPMU DEV Nameservers in Your Domain Registry Records
Now that we’ve imported your domain details into WPMU DEV, the next step is to overwrite the nameserver records of your registrars with ours.
There are a lot of registrars, so how your domain details are kept and displayed will vary, but they should all have the same key elements. We cover more than a dozen of the most popular ones here.
In the case of registrars that serve as hosts, what they permit when it comes to allowable changes in nameservers can vary. For example, pointing nameservers to another host is not permissible for a Wix-purchased domain. However, you can transfer your domain away from them (although it involves a different process).
Assuming your domain registrar allows for pointing nameservers away from them, or that you’ve taken any necessary prior steps in preparation, login to their website and locate the records for your domain.
Changing nameservers through the Registrar; in this case, Namecheap.
Popping back over to the Hub, copy that first nameserver, then head back to your domain registrar details page, pasting it in the appropriate text field. Do this for all three nameservers, then save your input.
Depending on your registrar, you’ll probably get a confirmation message with time estimates on how long it will take the DNS hosting server to update.
As with any significant edit, verifying everything is working as it should is an important last step.
Some registrars will send you an email notifying you that the propagation is complete. With others, you might need to revisit the site and continue checking.
Either way, we can verify things through The Hub. Let’s head there, and navigate to Domains > Connected Domains.
For the domain name in question, if you see the green check marked Propagated correctly under Nameservers Status – you’re good to go. If it says Pending, click on the vertical ellipsis icon to the right, and select Manage DNS from the dropdown.
Managing DNS through WPMU DEV’s The Hub is effortless.
If everything was done properly and the process has completed, you’ll see a row of green highlighted text, confirming Your nameservers are propagated correctly. If that message isn’t displayed, click on the Check nameservers button.
Success! Nameservers have been propagated to WPMU DEV.
You’re all set! Your nameservers are successfully pointing to WPMU DEV as your acting DNS provider.
As an additional option, you can use this DNS propagation checker to verify the current IP address and DNS record information for your domain name(s).
The Benefits of Pointing Domains to WPMU DEV Nameservers
Nameservers are essential in directing internet traffic as they locate and translate hostnames into IP addresses.
If you host your own or your client sites with WPMU DEV, pointing your domains to our nameservers has definite advantages.
For starters, subpar nameservers will experience difficulties more often, and your visitors could get “DNS server not responding†messages. Quality nameservers, like ours, can limit or avoid that altogether.
Additionally, pointing your domains to our nameservers allows you to keep the settings with your current email client as is, eliminating the hassle of making a bunch of changes in that regard. (Just make sure existing MX records are imported during the DNS record setup.)
Finally, with the ability to purchase domains now directly through WPMU DEV, managing client sites becomes even more centralized, as your hosting provider and domain provider will be one in the same.
This gives you all of your domains in one place/one dashboard, with auto renewal, free protection, and a built-in grace period; priced incredibly low for Agency members.
Pointing domains… nameservers… figuring out DNS… it can all feel daunting! Fortunately, WPMU DEV makes it easy, whether you’re working with a domain purchased from us or from another provider. We break it all down in this article.
Keep reading to learn how to easily connect your domain to our hosting service.
With our new domain service recently rolled out, you can directly purchase domains and register them through WPMU DEV – in which case we automatically do the DNS hookup (i.e., the pointing part) for you.
If you purchased your domain through another DNS provider and are hosting with us, the tutorial below will show you exactly what you need to do and explain why this is also a great choice.
Prepping for a Change in Domain Nameservers
Nameservers are often referred to as the phone book of the internet, sending you to the correct domain when you type in a web address.
There are two primary components to making your website accessible to the public:
Your domain name (purchased from a registrar)
Nameservers (provided through a host)
The first must point to the second to connect the two.
The registrar you purchased your domain from also has its own nameservers (if it offers hosting), however if you want them managed elsewhere you must change the DNS records.
Doing it all from a single location is ideal, as it cuts out the middle agent and puts the same quality that powers your sites behind your DNS.
DNS propagation is the term for your site’s nameservers and other records (e.g., A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, etc) updating across the web. This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a couple days to finalize.
If your site was already live, it might become briefly inaccessible to visitors during the nameserver change. You could create a temporary page with info regarding the approximate downtime, then publish it just prior to the server change. (Remember to change it back once the process is complete).
It’s also helpful to handle nameserver changes during a period when traffic volume is typically on the low end.
Importing Your Domain Records to WPMU DEV
Alright, we’re ready to start our edits. The first thing we’re going to do is navigate to The Hub on WPMU DEV.
Click on Domains from the top menu bar, then Connected Domains from the submenu, then the Connect Existing Domain button.
Connecting domains in WPMU DEV’s The Hub.
The Add New Domain modal will pop up. Here you will enter your domain name in the text field – making sure to include the extension (e.g. .com, .net, .xyz) – then click the blue button.
Step 1 of 2 in WPMU DEV’s Add New Domain modal.
The Hub DNS Manager will run a scan for common DNS records, then automatically import and list them for your verification.
Verifying the scanned records to import into a WPMU DEV DNS configuration.
Here you’ll see the summary of record information, which will include:
Type – A, CNAME, MX, TXT
Hostname – @ for root; www for www. subdomain
Value – if record is an alias, directs, or returns
TTL (seconds) – Time To Live is how long the DNS query caches before expiring and needing a new one. (The lower this number, the better/faster.)
You can remove any records, if you want to exclude them from being imported, by clicking on the Trashcan icon.
You can also manually add any records that are missing. See Add or Edit DNS Records for details.
If you’re in any doubt as to whether records should be added or deleted, just reach out to support (any time, day or night) and they’ll happily walk you through it.
Once you’re satisfied with the populated DNS records, click the blue button once more.
After the ellipsis bounce, the page will load with the imported information specific to your domain.
WPMU DEV nameservers are listed towards the top of this page, where you’ll see there are three of them.
WPMU DEV’s trio of nameservers, ready to copy/paste into your domain registry records.
Keep your Hub page open, as we’ll be copying & pasting the nameservers in the next step. (Or, do what I do, and just copy the first one, then replace the “1†with “2†then “3†as you paste each, since these ordinal numbers are the only difference.)
Putting WPMU DEV Nameservers in Your Domain Registry Records
Now that we’ve imported your domain details into WPMU DEV, the next step is to overwrite the nameserver records of your registrars with ours.
There are a lot of registrars, so how your domain details are kept and displayed will vary, but they should all have the same key elements. We cover more than a dozen of the most popular ones here.
In the case of registrars that serve as hosts, what they permit when it comes to allowable changes in nameservers can vary. For example, pointing nameservers to another host is not permissible for a Wix-purchased domain. However, you can transfer your domain away from them (although it involves a different process).
Assuming your domain registrar allows for pointing nameservers away from them, or that you’ve taken any necessary prior steps in preparation, login to their website and locate the records for your domain.
Changing nameservers through the Registrar; in this case, Namecheap.
Popping back over to the Hub, copy that first nameserver, then head back to your domain registrar details page, pasting it in the appropriate text field. Do this for all three nameservers, then save your input.
Depending on your registrar, you’ll probably get a confirmation message with time estimates on how long it will take the DNS hosting server to update.
As with any significant edit, verifying everything is working as it should is an important last step.
Some registrars will send you an email notifying you that the propagation is complete. With others, you might need to revisit the site and continue checking.
Either way, we can verify things through The Hub. Let’s head there, and navigate to Domains > Connected Domains.
For the domain name in question, if you see the green check marked Propagated correctly under Nameservers Status – you’re good to go. If it says Pending, click on the vertical ellipsis icon to the right, and select Manage DNS from the dropdown.
Managing DNS through WPMU DEV’s The Hub is effortless.
If everything was done properly and the process has completed, you’ll see a row of green highlighted text, confirming Your nameservers are propagated correctly. If that message isn’t displayed, click on the Check nameservers button.
Success! Nameservers have been propagated to WPMU DEV.
You’re all set! Your nameservers are successfully pointing to WPMU DEV as your acting DNS provider.
As an additional option, you can use this DNS propagation checker to verify the current IP address and DNS record information for your domain name(s).
The Benefits of Pointing Domains to WPMU DEV Nameservers
Nameservers are essential in directing internet traffic as they locate and translate hostnames into IP addresses.
If you host your own or your client sites with WPMU DEV, pointing your domains to our nameservers has definite advantages.
For starters, subpar nameservers will experience difficulties more often, and your visitors could get “DNS server not responding†messages. Quality nameservers, like ours, can limit or avoid that altogether.
Additionally, pointing your domains to our nameservers allows you to keep the settings with your current email client as is, eliminating the hassle of making a bunch of changes in that regard. (Just make sure existing MX records are imported during the DNS record setup.)
Finally, with the ability to purchase domains now directly through WPMU DEV, managing client sites becomes even more centralized, as your hosting provider and domain provider will be one in the same.
This gives you all of your domains in one place/one dashboard, with auto renewal, free protection, and a built-in grace period; priced incredibly low for Agency members.
