WordPress is a free, open source website creation tool.
WordPress, which can also be described as a content management system (CMS), is based on PHP and MySQL.
First released in 2003 by founders Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little, WordPress has gone on to become the most popular blogging system on the web, boasting over 60 million websites.
Installed on a web server, WordPress can either be used as part of an Internet Hosting Service via WordPress.com, for example, or as a network host itself whereby a computer runs the software package WordPress.org.
How many plugins are available on WordPress?
Users can build a website through the web template system available on WordPress. Users have a choice of many themes, paid and free, with themes differing in terms of functionality and appearance.
Themes can be loaded directly using the Appearance admin tool, or themes can be uploaded via FTP. The code found in themes – PHP, HTML, CSS – can be edited and changed to allow for additional features.
WordPress also has a plugin architecture which allows users to extend features and functionality of their website. With over 40,000 plugins available, users can customise their site with widgets, client portals, SEO and navigation bars.
