I have been using AI tools since ChatGPT first launched. And like many content marketers, I wanted to improve my skills for the AI era. This means I frequently test a wide range of AI tools as part of my actual content marketing workflow.

This regular testing has helped me move past the noise and identify which tools genuinely save time and improve content quality for other bloggers and marketers.

My goal was to find what helps drive traffic and engagement, not just add another subscription to the list.

In this guide, I’ll share that clarity with you. Here are my recommendations for the best AI tools for content marketers, based on my daily use and the results I got from them.

Quick Comparison – My AI Toolkit for Content Marketing

If you are in a hurry, here is a quick list of all the AI tools I use in my daily workflow as a content marketer:

Next, I’ll show how I tested each tool and why you can trust my picks.

How I Tested & Reviewed These AI Content Tools

The AI industry is exploding with innovation, making it harder to separate hype from reality, and choosing the wrong tool can waste time and money.

I aim to cut through the noise with real-world usage to save time and money.

Here’s a breakdown of my testing process:

• I used them for real-world tasks. I used these tools for actual content marketing at WPBeginner: brainstorming articles with ChatGPT, creating social media posts with AIOSEO, and designing graphics with Canva’s AI. This process shows how they perform in a real business, not just a demo.
• I analyzed what truly matters. Each tool was judged on the quality of its output, ease of use for non-experts, practical time-saving features, and overall value for money.
• I tested with a variety of prompts. I didn’t just accept the first result. Instead, I experimented with different tones, styles, and complex commands to check the flexibility and control of the AI’s output.
• I categorized them for specific needs. A blogger’s needs are different from a landing page designer’s. That’s why I’ve categorized each tool by its best use case, helping you find the right solution for your specific task.

1. ChatGPT

ChatGPT is one of the most versatile AI tools I’ve used. It works well for quick idea generation, long-form articles, and even creative media like images.

As one of the most advanced AI companies, OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT) is spending huge resources on research and innovation. This means more capable and faster models are released quite frequently.

ChatGPT allows you to switch between search, chat, deep research, and agent modes so you can perform different types of tasks from the same window.

How I use ChatGPT:

ChatGPT is my primary AI for a variety of tasks. I use it daily for updating existing articles, brainstorming blog post ideas, writing new articles, and more.

I learned that using Projects and ChatGPT’s memory feature allows the AI to learn my preferred tone, structure, and formatting rules. This saves me a lot of time in the long run.

I also use it to create illustrations for articles and general blog images. It sometimes misspells words in images, but I can easily correct those using Photoshop or Canva.

Key Features & Where It Excels:

• Handles multiple content formats: blog posts, scripts, captions, and social copy.
• Excellent image generation model included.
• Powerful memory system to personalize results to your brand voice.
• Integrates with ChatGPT plugins for WordPress and automation tools like Uncanny Automator and Zapier to create powerful workflows. However, you’ll need an API key for integrations, which has a separate pay-as-you-go pricing not included in the monthly ChatGPT subscription.

Practical Tips for Marketers:

• Use the project feature to group related tasks and save time switching between contexts.
• For recurring formats (like newsletters), train the memory feature with examples so that ChatGPT automatically matches your style.
• Learn to improve your prompts for better outputs. You can see my collection of AI prompts for marketers for practical examples.

Pricing

A free plan is available with limited model access. Paid plan starts at $20/month, GPT-5, memory features, faster responses, and priority access during peak times.

2. Gemini

While ChatGPT is my go-to for creative tasks, Gemini is my trusted research assistant.

Its biggest advantage is its direct, real-time integration with the Google search index, which means the information it provides is current and often comes with source links.

This makes it incredibly reliable for tasks where accuracy is critical. I’ve found its ability to understand and explain complex, technical subjects is second to none.

It’s also excellent at generating structured data like tables and comparing information from multiple sources.

Plus, Google is continually updating Gemini with its latest AI models and connecting it with its ecosystem of Google Workspace apps like Google Docs, Sheets, and Gmail. These integrations make it a powerful productivity hub.

How I use Gemini:

I turn to Gemini whenever I need to write content that requires up-to-date information or fact-checking.

For instance, when writing a review of a new software release, I’ll ask Gemini to summarize the latest features, find recent user reviews, and compare its pricing to competitors.

I also use it to simplify technical topics.

When working on an article about website security, I can ask Gemini to explain “what is a DDoS attack” in a simple analogy that a non-technical reader can understand. Its ability to provide sourced information saves me a significant amount of research time.

Key Features & Where It Excels:

• Connects directly to Google Search for real-time, sourced answers.
• Excellent at summarizing articles, research papers, and web pages via a link.
• Generates multiple “drafts” of a response so you can choose the best one.
• Integrates directly with Google Workspace apps (Docs, Sheets, Gmail) for a seamless workflow (with Gemini for Workspace).

Practical Tips for Marketers:

• Use the “Double-check response” feature (the Google icon) to have Gemini highlight statements it’s confident about and find sources for ones it’s less sure of.
• When researching, ask it to “act as a research assistant” and request information in a specific format, like a table comparing three products on features and price.
• For complex topics, ask it to “explain this to me like I’m a beginner” to get clear, easy-to-understand copy.

Pricing

The standard Gemini model is free to use. To access the most powerful models (like Gemini 2.5 Pro) and larger context windows, you can subscribe to Google AI Pro, which starts at $19.99/month as part of the Google One AI Pro plan.

3. All in One SEO – AI Content Generator

All in One SEO’s AI Content Generator is built right into your WordPress dashboard, making it incredibly easy to create ranking-ready content without switching between tools.

You can instantly generate:

• SEO titles & meta descriptions
• FAQs with schema
• TL;DR summaries to improve GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
• Social media posts for LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook
• Marketing copy for your email newsletter

Because it’s part of the AIOSEO plugin, all the AI-generated content can be inserted into your post or page with a single click. This helps you save time and ensure everything is properly optimized for search engines and engagement.

How I use AIOSEO AI Content Generator:

I use AIOSEO’s AI content generator when I need to speed up the optimization process for new and updated articles.

For example, after writing a post, I’ll use the AI Content Generator to create a compelling meta description, add FAQ blocks for featured snippets, and generate a TL;DR section to improve readability.

It’s also my go-to for creating platform-specific social media captions. I can generate tailored copy for Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X (Twitter) in seconds, which saves me from rewriting the same message multiple times.

Plus, I love its Marketing Email feature, which allows you to instantly generate an email based on the content of your article.

Key Features & Where It Excels:

• Works inside WordPress and uses your article content for context, which significantly improves the quality of output.
• Generate SEO titles and meta descriptions that improve click-through rate (CTR).
• Create FAQ blocks with built-in schema markup for better rankings and AI Overviews.
• Produce “Key Points” summaries to boost readability and capture featured snippets.
• Instantly write platform-specific social media posts for multiple networks.
• Generate and publish an llms.txt file to get discovered and cited by AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Gemini.

Practical Tips for Marketers:

• Use FAQ and Key Points in every post to target featured snippets and AI Overviews.
• Leverage the social media post generator to maintain consistent branding across platforms.
• Enable the llms.txt file feature to help AI chatbots find and cite your best content.

Pricing

Available for both Lite and Pro users. Lite users get 100 free credits, with additional credits available for purchase. Pro users get generous credits included with their license. All users can buy extra credits at any time.

4. SeedProd AI Writing & Image Generator

SeedProd is one of the most popular WordPress website and landing page builders. Alongside its drag-and-drop builder, it comes with built-in AI tools for text and image creation.

It integrates with ChatGPT for copywriting and DALL·E for generating images, so you can create a complete, custom landing page without ever leaving the editor.

The AI assistant is available inside many SeedProd blocks, letting you generate text or rework existing copy with just a click.

You can also instantly translate your page content into 50+ languages and fine-tune tone and style with over 30 options, from professional to playful.

Plus, you can even use SeedProd to create an entire website from scratch. For details, see our guide on how to create a WordPress website with AI.

How I use SeedProd’s AI features:

I use SeedProd’s AI writing assistant when I’m building landing pages or product pages and need polished copy fast.

Instead of starting from scratch, I can select a block, click “Generate AI Text,” and have a strong starting draft instantly.

For visual content, I use the AI image generator to create custom illustrations or hero images that match the page’s theme. If I don’t like the first result, then I can create multiple variations until I find the perfect fit.

Key Features & Where It Excels:

• AI-powered text generation and editing directly inside the SeedProd builder.
• 30+ tone of voice options to match your brand style.
• One-click text transformations: simplify, shorten, lengthen, or translate into 50+ languages.
• DALL·E-powered AI image creation with variation support for consistent design themes.
• 300+ templates, full WordPress theme builder, and easy WooCommerce integration.

Practical Tips for Marketers:

• Use tone options to match the style of each landing page — formal for B2B, casual for lifestyle brands.
• Leverage AI translations to localize pages for international audiences without hiring translators.
• Create multiple image variations to maintain a consistent visual style across your campaign.

Pricing

SeedProd offers a free plan for its page builder. AI writing and image generation are available on premium plans as a paid add-on. Pricing starts at $39.50/year for the base builder, with AI features included in higher tiers.

5. Canva Magic Studio

Canva is already one of the easiest tools for creating designs, but its Magic Studio AI features take it to another level with AI-powered image editing and media generation.

It’s perfect for marketers who need professional visuals without advanced design skills.

From background removal to text-to-image, text-to-video generation, Canva’s AI tools save time while expanding creative possibilities.

Canva’s Magic Studio is powered by a mix of its own AI technology and models from leading partners like Google. This allows it to offer powerful image and video generation tools right inside the Canva editor as an all-in-one design solution.

How I use Canva Magic Studio:

I use Canva for creating and editing blog images, social media graphics, and quick promotional materials.

The Magic Eraser is a huge time-saver when I need to remove unwanted elements from a photo, and the Expand tool is perfect for adjusting aspect ratios.

I often tweak AI-generated visuals with Canva’s design tools for a polished final product. In particular, I use it to edit images generated with ChatGPT or Gemini because those platforms don’t have the same image editing capabilities as Canva.

Key Features & Where It Excels:

• Magic Eraser for removing unwanted objects in seconds.
• Easily expand to resize and reframe images without cropping important content.
• Text-to-image AI generation for new AI artwork.
• AI resize tool for instantly adapting designs to multiple social media formats.
• Background remover and object eraser for clean, professional images.
• Hundreds of templates and drag-and-drop editing for non-designers.

Practical Tips for Marketers:

• Use Magic Resize to instantly create platform-specific versions of your designs for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more.
• Pair text-to-image generation with your brand colors and fonts for on-brand custom visuals.
• Combine Magic Eraser and background remover to repurpose stock images for unique content.

Pricing

Free plan available with limited AI features. The Pro plan starts at $4.58 /month and includes Magic Studio AI tools, brand kits, premium templates, and unlimited background removal.

6. Runway

Runway is one of the most innovative AI tools for marketers who need professional-quality video without a production crew.

It offers text-to-video generation, background replacement, and advanced editing features, all inside a simple browser interface.

I am not a video editor, but as part of a marketing team, I sometimes need quick videos.

Runway is a great option for creating product promos, social media clips, and creative visuals that stand out in your campaigns. You can even start from an image or video clip and transform it entirely with AI.

How I use Runway:

I’ve used Runway to try out quick video clips and fun personal projects.

I thoroughly tested Runway Aleph against Google’s Veo-3 (limited preview available in Gemini). Runway performed quite well and, in some areas, exceeded Veo.

I also liked Runway’s ease-of-use, storyboard, and remix features. As someone with limited video editing experience, I found Runway to be much easier to use than Veo.

Key Features & Where It Excels:

• Text-to-video generation from prompts or images.
• Green screen and background removal without a studio setup.
• Wide range of visual styles and camera movement controls.
• Fast rendering compared to traditional video software.

Practical Tips for Marketers:

• Use reference images to guide the AI’s style and accuracy.
• Pair Runway videos with Canva or AIOSEO for complete campaign materials.
• Batch create multiple clips in one session to save time.

Pricing

Free plan available with limited exports and watermarks. Paid plans start at $12/month, offering higher-quality output, faster rendering, and commercial usage rights.

7. ElevenLabs

I discovered ElevenLabs when our WPBeginner YouTube team was trying it out for their videos and shorts. It is one of the most advanced AI voice generation platforms I’ve tested.

Its voices sound remarkably realistic, with natural pacing, emotional nuance, and subtle inflections that make them almost indistinguishable from real human narrators.

With support for over 70 languages (in the upcoming Eleven V3 model) and a library of 120+ pre-built voices, it’s a flexible tool for any marketer looking to add professional-quality audio to their content.

You can also fine-tune voices with precision controls to match your brand tone or creative style.

How I use ElevenLabs:

I first used ElevenLabs for a quick AI video experiment. It was a fun non-work project, but I was hooked.

I am not a podcaster or video editor, and don’t have any professional audio equipment. ElevenLabs came as a blessing to easily add quick narrations to short videos.

For example, I can paste a pre-written script for a video, choose a voice that fits the tone, then adjust stability and style sliders for a polished delivery. I then use Audacity to edit audio for my videos to add pauses and music.

I’ve also used its multi-language support to quickly generate audio for a personal project. The new Eleven V3 model surprised me. It was able to distinguish Urdu from Hindi (two almost identical South Asian languages), and the pronunciation was surprisingly good.

Key Features & Where It Excels:

• Ultra-realistic voice generation with natural pacing and emotion.
• Large voice library (120+ voices) plus the ability to fine-tune delivery.
• The Eleven V3 model supports 70+ languages, making it great for multi-lingual audiences.
• Fast rendering, even for longer scripts.
• Ability to clone voices (paid feature) for brand consistency.

Practical Tips for Marketers:

• Match your voice choice to your target audience — formal tones for B2B, friendly tones for casual content.
• Use precision controls to tweak pacing and emotion for maximum authenticity.
• For social media videos, keep scripts short to stay within free-tier character limits.
• Combine with editing tools like Descript or Audacity to add music, sound effects, or clean up audio.

Pricing

Free plan includes 10,000 characters/month. Paid plans start at $5/month with higher character limits, faster generation, and access to voice cloning. For daily content creation, the $22/month plan is the most practical choice.

How to Choose the Best AI Tool for Your Marketing Needs

AI moves fast. New features arrive every month, and “best” depends on your workflow, budget, and goals.

Use these quick checks to pick tools that fit how you work today while staying flexible for tomorrow.

Smart Selection Tips

• Start with a free plan or trial. Test on one real task before you commit.
• Audit what you already have. Many tools you use (SEO, design, CMS) now include AI features. For instance, I use WPCode in WordPress, which has a built-in AI code snippet generator.
• Match the tool to the task. That means you should pick writing tools for long-form, image models for visuals, and voice tools for narration.
• Check ease of use. A clear UI saves more time than a complex feature set. For instance, I prefer to use Runway, which is easier than the more powerful Veo available in Gemini.
• Look for solid integrations. Useful integrations include WordPress, email marketing platforms, and automated workflows with tools like Uncanny Automator or Zapier.
• Evaluate pricing at scale. Credits can add up if you publish often. If you are using APIs for integrations, make sure to calculate the costs and set a cut-off budget.
• Review data and privacy settings. Know how prompts and outputs are stored and used. You don’t want your trade secrets to be used by AI models for training.
• Confirm export options. Make sure you can move drafts, images, and audio into your stack.

Honorable Mentions: Other AI Tools I Use

I have shared the tools that I use daily and are part of my workflows as a content marketer. Here are some more tools that I use quite frequently.

Frequently Asked Questions About AI Tools for Content Marketing

The following are some of the most common questions that I hear from WPBeginner users on Reddit and LinkedIn.

Which AI tool is best for beginners?

If you’re starting out, I recommend ChatGPT. It’s versatile, easy to learn, and has a free plan so you can practice without spending money.

Do I need to pay for AI tools to get good results?

Not always. Many AI tools, like ChatGPT and Canva, have free tiers that work well for smaller projects. Paid plans usually offer faster responses, higher quality outputs, and more advanced features.

Can AI tools replace human writers and designers?

AI tools are great for speeding up tasks and sparking ideas, but they can’t fully replace human creativity and judgment. I still review and edit everything to make sure it fits my style and is factually correct.

How do I know if an AI tool is right for me?

Check if the tool solves a problem you face often, offers a free trial, and integrates with your existing workflow. If it saves you time or improves quality without adding complexity, then it’s worth keeping.

Will AI tools keep getting better?

Yes. The AI industry is evolving fast. Expect new features, better accuracy, and more integrations over the next few years. That’s why I suggest testing tools regularly to see if better options appear.

Conclusion

These AI tools help me plan, write, design, and publish faster while keeping quality high. You can start with the free plans, test on one real task, and keep the tools that save you time without adding extra steps.

Just make sure to keep human editing and fact-checking in the loop so your content stays accurate and on brand.

You may also like to see these articles related to AI:

• How AI is Reshaping SEO: 30+ Trends to Watch
• How to Use AI for Customer Service (Tips for Small Businesses)
• Is AI Content Bad for WordPress SEO? (Expert Insights & Tips)
• A Small Business Owners’ Guide to Artificial Intelligence
• WordPress Plugins Using Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

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.

The post I Tested 7 AI Tools for Content Marketing: Here’s What I Found first appeared on WPBeginner.

I’ve been running WordPress blogs for years, and one thing that used to frustrate me was seeing my visitors get stuck on archive pages. They’d land on a category or date archive, scroll for a bit, and then leave without finding what they needed.

I realized the real issue wasn’t the archives themselves, but how visitors were using them. People wanted a faster way to narrow down my blog posts instead of scrolling through everything.

That’s when I started testing different solutions and discovered that using a plugin like SearchWP made a huge difference. It powers a smarter search experience and lets you place a search bar right where your readers will use it.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to set it up step by step so your readers can find the right content faster and stay engaged with your blog longer. ⚡

Why Do You Need a Search Function on Your Blog Archives Page?

A search bar on your blog archives page makes it much easier for visitors to find exactly what they’re looking for. Instead of endlessly scrolling through older content, they can simply type a keyword and instantly see relevant results.

In WordPress, archive pages are automatically generated pages that group your content by type, such as:

• Your main blog page
• Category pages
• Tag pages
• Date-based archives

Adding a search bar on any of these archive pages can keep visitors engaged and make older content easier to discover.

A search bar can also nudge visitors to explore more pages on your blog, whether it’s a recent post or something from years ago.

On the flip side, without a search option, archive pages can feel cluttered or overwhelming. And your best content may get buried and overlooked.

Plus, if your blog has more than a few dozen posts or covers a variety of topics, adding a search bar isn’t just helpful. It’s essential for delivering a great user experience.

This is especially helpful for WordPress blogs with growing content libraries. For example:

• 📚 Educational blogs filled with tutorials and guides
• 🥘 Food blogs with hundreds of recipes organized by category or date
• 🌍 Lifestyle and travel sites sharing personal stories or destination reviews
• 🌐 Tech blogs publishing updates, reviews, and evergreen advice
• 🗞 Magazine-style or news sites with a steady publishing schedule

With that said, I’ll walk you through how to add WordPress search to the blog archives page.

Here’s a quick overview of all the steps I’ll cover in this guide:

Step 1: Install and Activate SearchWP

If you’d rather not install a plugin, then you can skip ahead to step 4, where I show you how to add a Search block to your archive pages. This will work with WordPress’s built-in search.

Just keep in mind that the default WordPress search is pretty limited. It only looks at basic post content and often shows results that aren’t very helpful.

That’s why I recommend using SearchWP instead, which is the best WordPress search plugin on the market.

This plugin lets you improve your WordPress search algorithm in multiple ways. For example, you can add all types of content to the results, including custom post types, WooCommerce products, and even PDF content.

We use SearchWP on some of our business websites, and we’ve found that it works great. You can find out everything about it in our detailed SearchWP review.

To get started, you’ll need a SearchWP plan. You can head over to the SearchWP website and click ‘Get SearchWP Now’ to purchase the plan that best fits your needs.

After you sign up, you’ll get a user account. Simply log in to your new SearchWP account, download the plugin’s .zip file, and locate your license key.

You can find it in your SearchWP account under the ‘Downloads’ section. At this point, you need to copy your license key or leave the browser tab open so you can access it easily later.

Next, let’s navigate to Plugins » Add New Plugin from your WordPress dashboard. From there, click the ‘Upload Plugin’ button at the top of the page.

On the next screen, click ‘Choose File’ and select the SearchWP .zip file you downloaded earlier.

Click ‘Install Now’ then ‘Activate’ once the button appears.

If you need help, you can check out our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once the plugin is activated, you’ll need to go to SearchWP » Settings » General.

Then, go ahead and paste your license into the ‘License Key’ box.

Step 2: Customize your Search Algorithm

Once SearchWP is activated, the next step is to fine-tune your website’s unique search engine settings for your blog archive pages.

To do that, go to SearchWP » Algorithm in your WordPress admin dashboard and click ‘Add New.’

At the top, you’ll see the ‘Sources & Settings’ button. Go ahead and click on it.

This is where you choose which content types SearchWP should include in your search results.

You’ll see options for posts, pages, media, and more.

By default, WordPress displays blog posts on archive pages. To make sure all your articles are searchable, you’ll definitely want to check the ‘Posts’ box.

You may also be considering what additional elements are important to include.

If your site has a lot of valuable information on ‘Pages’ or ‘Comments,’ consider adding those too.

On the other hand, I recommend skipping sources like ‘Tags’ that could clutter results.

You might notice some options grayed out — this is normal for the ‘Default engine.’ They’ll be available if you create a new engine.

You can then close the popup by clicking ‘Done.’

Step 3: Tell SearchWP What Content Is Most Important

After selecting your content sources, you can customize how SearchWP ranks the content in your search results. This helps show the most relevant results based on what your visitors are likely to look for.

On the SearchWP » Algorithm screen, you can click ‘Add/Remove Attributes.’

In the popup, you’ll choose which parts of your content you want SearchWP to consider.

They include sources such as:

• Title – Prioritize results that match the post or page title.
• Content – Index the main body text of your posts or pages.
• Slug – Include the post’s URL-friendly name (useful for SEO keywords).
• Excerpt – Search within manually written or auto-generated summaries.
• Author – Allow visitors to find content written by a specific author.

I recommend picking the ones that make searches more relevant and skipping unrelated sections.

For example, if your visitors rarely search by “Author,” leaving it out can help keep results clean and focused.

You can include extra content stored in custom fields. Additionally, you can let users find posts grouped under specific topics or labels in the ‘Taxonomies’ field.

Once you’ve added the attributes, you’ll see a set of sliders for each content source.

Think of these sliders as a scoring system that tells SearchWP which content is most important. By giving an attribute a higher ‘relevance weight,’ you’re telling the search plugin to give it more points.

For example, if you slide ‘Title’ far to the right, a post where the search term appears in the title will get a huge point boost.

This makes it much more likely to show up at the top of the results. So, this is a great way to ensure the most relevant content surfaces first.

For most users, the default weights are a great starting point. You can always come back and fine-tune it later based on your site’s needs.

When you’re happy with the settings, click the ‘Save’ button in the top-right corner.

SearchWP will now start rebuilding the index automatically.

This might take a few minutes, depending on the amount of content on your site and the performance of your WordPress hosting server.

Once you see ‘Index Status: 100%’, it means all your content has been successfully indexed and your settings are ready to go.

Step 4: Add the Improved Search to the Archives Page

SearchWP is now powering your site’s search behind the scenes. The final step is to add a search bar directly to your archive pages so visitors can use it.

There are two easy ways to do this: using the Full Site Editor (FSE) or the WordPress search widget.

Which method you choose will depend on whether you’re using a block theme (option 1) or a classic theme (option 2). Keep scrolling to find the right choice for you.

Option 1: Add the Search Bar to the Archives Page Using FSE

If your theme supports Full Site Editing (FSE), like Twenty Twenty-Four, you can go to Appearance » Editor in your WordPress dashboard to get started.

In the Site Editor, click ‘Templates’ from the left-hand menu.

Next, you’ll need to find the template that controls your blog archives.

The name of this template can vary depending on your theme. It can be ‘Archive,’ ‘Blog,’ ‘Home,’ or ‘Index,’ among others.

The key is to select the one that your theme uses for the main blog listing. A good way to be sure is to click on one and see if you have the look for the Query Loop block (that’s what WordPress uses to display your list of posts).

Now that you’ve found the right blog archives page and opened the template, you’ll need to add the search bar to it.

Simply click the ‘+’ button wherever you want, and look for the ‘Search’ block. Click on it to insert it in your template.

After you add the search block, you can go to the ‘Block’ tab in the right-hand panel to customize its style.

Here, you can adjust the block’s color, typography, position, to border to match your site’s design.

This is a great chance to add a touch of personality.

For instance, instead of the default ‘Search’, you could use something more engaging like ‘Find a recipe…’, ‘Search our tutorials…’, or ‘Looking for something specific?’ to guide your visitors.

When you’re happy with how everything looks, go ahead and click ‘Save’ in the top-right corner to apply your changes.

Now, if you visit your blog archive page, you can see your custom search bar in action.

Option 2: Add the Search Bar to the Archives Page with a Classic Theme

Adding the search bar to a widget area like a sidebar is the quickest and easiest method for most classic themes.

To get started, navigate to Appearance » Widgets.

On the next screen, you can choose where you’ll add a widget. The best part is that SearchWP automatically improves any default search bar. Whether it’s in the sidebar or somewhere else, the plugin enhances it behind the scenes.

For this tutorial, I’m going to add it to my site’s sidebar.

You can go ahead and click the ‘+’ button and look for the ‘Search’ widget.

From here, you can update the label or placeholder to something more specific. For example, you can edit it to “Search blog posts…” or “Looking for a tutorial?”

Feel free to get creative and choose wording that best fits your content.

Once everything looks good, simply click ‘Update’ to save and apply the search bar to your site.

Now, if you visit your blog archive page, you can see your custom search bar in action.

Step 5: Test and Optimize Your Archive Search Functionality

Now that your custom search bar is live on the blog archive page, it’s important to make sure everything is working smoothly across devices and browsers.

You can start by opening your website in incognito or private mode. This lets you view it as a new visitor would, without cached data affecting the results.

From here, you can test different search terms to make sure the right results appear. If anything seems missing or irrelevant, you can go back to SearchWP » Algorithm to adjust your content sources or attribute relevance settings.

If this doesn’t resolve the issues, you can try these quick fixes:

• Clear your cache – Cached JavaScript files can prevent SearchWP from loading correctly. Use a plugin like WP Rocket to clear the cache and optimize performance.
• Deactivate conflicting plugins – Temporarily disable other plugins one by one to see if one of them is causing issues.
• Rebuild the index – To force a fresh search data rebuild, you can go to SearchWP » Settings » General and click the ‘Rebuild Index’ button.

For more troubleshooting tips, you can refer to our guide on how to fix WordPress search not working.

Once visitors start using your new search bar, you’ll want to know what they’re looking for.

This is where the SearchWP Metrics extension is incredibly powerful. It shows you exactly what terms people are searching for, which searches get no results, and more.

For details, you can check out our guide on how to see search analytics in WordPress.

Bonus Tip: Add Search by Category in WordPress Blogs

Want to make your blog’s search even more useful? One easy way is to let visitors filter results by category.

Categories help organize your content and make it easier for readers to browse related posts. But when combined with search, they become even more powerful. This allows users to narrow down results and find exactly what they need.

Here are a few ways this can come in handy:

• Lifestyle or personal WordPress blogs: Let visitors search posts only within categories like Travel, Recipes, or Wellness.
• Tutorial or knowledge base sites: Allow users to search by topic, such as WordPress, SEO, or eCommerce.
• News sites: Help visitors focus on sections like Business, Sports, or Tech.
• WooCommerce stores: Let shoppers search by product category to find what they need faster and boost conversions.

With SearchWP, you can create a custom search form that limits results to a selected category. You can do this either through a dropdown filter or pre-defined settings.

For step-by-step instructions, check out our full guide on how to search by category in WordPress.

FAQs About Adding WordPress Search to Blog Archives Page

Still have questions? Let’s quickly go over some of the most common things WordPress users ask when setting up search on their blog archive pages.

How do I add a search bar to my WordPress blog archive page?

You can do this by editing your archive template. Just go to Appearance » Editor, find your blog archive template, and insert the Search block. You can also customize how the search form looks by adjusting the placeholder text, button style, margins, and more.

If you’re using a classic theme, you can add the search form to a widget-ready area like the sidebar.

What is the best search plugin for WordPress blog archives?

I recommend SearchWP because it’s the best WordPress search plugin on the market. It works seamlessly with archive pages and is much more accurate than the default WordPress search. Plus, it gives you full control over what content gets searched, how results are ranked, and even what custom fields or post types to include.

Can I make my old blog posts searchable in WordPress?

Absolutely. As long as your old posts are published and included in your search engine settings (like in SearchWP’s ‘Sources & Settings’ panel), they’ll show up in the results.

Can I limit archive search results to just blog posts or certain categories?

Yes, you can. For example, with SearchWP, you can customize your search engine to include only certain post types, like blog posts. You can even fine-tune it further by limiting searches to specific categories or tags using search filters or custom search forms.

How do I improve the search functionality on my WordPress site?

You can start by replacing the default WordPress search with a powerful plugin like SearchWP. It lets you include more content types, adjust relevance settings, and deliver better results overall. You can also improve the experience by customizing the search results page, using smart suggestions, or adding filters to narrow down results.

Additional Resources: More Guides to Improve WordPress Search 

I hope this guide has helped you learn how to add WordPress search to your WordPress blog archives.

If you want to take your WordPress search to the next level, you may find these guides helpful:

• How to Add Live AJAX Search to Your WordPress Site
• How to Add Fuzzy Search in WordPress
• How to Make Blog Comments Searchable in WordPress
• How to Add PDF Indexing and Searching in WordPress
• How to Create a Searchable Member Directory in WordPress
• How to Create an Advanced Search Form in WordPress for Custom Post Types

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.

The post How to Add WordPress Search to Blog Archives Page (The Easy Way) first appeared on WPBeginner.

The phrase “Would you like fries with that?” is more than just a famous question. It’s a clever sales move that has added billions to a single company’s revenue.

And that same idea can help grow your own WooCommerce store, too. It’s all about making simple, helpful suggestions your customers will actually appreciate.

The key is to make these added offers feel like a natural part of the shopping experience. You want to enhance a customer’s purchase, not interrupt it.

I’ve spent time testing different options to see which plugins actually do this well. Some were clunky or too aggressive, but others blended seamlessly into the checkout process and genuinely helped increase sales.

In this guide, I’ll share the best upsell and cross-sell plugins I found for WooCommerce. Each one is designed to boost your profits without extra effort, and without annoying your customers.

Overview of the Best Upsell and Cross-Sell Plugins for WooCommerce

Here are my top picks for the best upsell and cross-sell plugins for WooCommerce at a glance:

Here’s a quick look at the topics I will cover in this article:

What Are Upsell and Cross-Sell Plugins?

Upsell and cross-sell plugins are tools that help you sell more in WooCommerce by showing smart product suggestions to your customers. In summary, upsells help customers upgrade, while cross-sells help them complete the experience.

It’s also worth noting that upsells and cross-sells can happen at different points in the shopping journey. Some plugins show offers directly on the product page, others use a popup before checkout, and a few even let you add a special deal after the order is complete.

When you use the right plugin, WooCommerce can handle this automatically. That means happier customers, bigger orders, and more revenue for your store without extra work on your end.

🧪 How I Tested And Reviewed Upsell and Cross-Sell Plugins for WooCommerce

Before I recommend any plugin, I make sure to test it myself. I don’t just go by the feature list or what the developers claim. Instead, I install each plugin on a real WooCommerce demo store to see how it actually performs.

Here’s a quick look at how I tested upsell and cross-sell plugins:

• ✅ Real Store Setup: I used a fully functioning WooCommerce test site with sample products, categories, and customer journeys to mimic how an actual store would work.
• 🛠️ Plugin Compatibility: I checked whether the plugin works well with popular themes and other essential plugins like payment gateways and caching tools.
• ⚡ Speed & Performance: I checked to see if the plugin slows down the store or causes any issues with essential features. Since performance is important, I don’t recommend plugins that negatively impact your site.
• 📈 Effectiveness: I simulated common buying scenarios to see if the upsell and cross-sell offers show up in the right places and whether they help increase conversions.
• 🎯 Ease of Use: I only recommended tools that are beginner-friendly, with clean interfaces and simple setup steps. No complex configurations or coding required.
• 💬 Support & Updates: I looked into how frequently the plugin is updated, and I even tested the support by submitting a few questions to see how responsive the team is.

By the time a plugin makes it onto my list, you can trust that it’s been tested for real-world use. That being said, let’s look at the best upsell and cross-sell plugins for WooCommerce.

Keep reading to see my in-depth reviews of the best upsell and cross-sell plugins for WooCommerce!

1. Merchant by aThemes – Best All-in-One Toolkit with Upsell & Cross-Sell Features

Merchant by aThemes is the ideal all-in-one toolkit for store owners who want to add a wide range of conversion features, including upsells and cross-sells, without installing multiple plugins.

It combines over 40 different modules into a single, performance-optimized package.

My Experience

I tested Merchant on several websites, and it consistently delivered strong results across different types of WooCommerce stores.

I really liked that I didn’t have to install three or four separate WooCommerce plugins to get upsells, cross-sells, and cart boosts working together because everything just connected smoothly.

What I love most is how seamlessly it blends these sales tactics into the shopping experience without overwhelming you with complicated settings.

It’s flexible, modular, and designed with real store owners in mind.

One feature that I found to be very practical was the Frequently Bought Together module.

It lets you recommend smart product bundles right on the product page, either manually or based on what customers typically buy together.

Alongside that, Buy X, Get Y promotions are incredibly easy to set up with Merchant. I’ve used this approach to offer “Buy 2, Get 1 Free” and similar deals right on the cart and checkout pages.

The Complementary Products feature is another one of my favorites. It displays addons or related products in the perfect spots, nudging customers to consider extras.

There’s also a Recently Viewed Products option that reminds visitors of items they checked earlier, which helps recover interest and boost conversions.

To top it off, Merchant’s Stock Scarcity module adds real urgency by showing when a product is almost out of stock. That little nudge can be all it takes to convert a hesitant shopper.

All in all, Merchant is a toolkit built for WooCommerce users who want to grow smarter and faster.

✅ Pros of Merchant

• It comes with a pre-order feature, allowing you to include upcoming products in your upsell and cross-sell offers while collecting orders in advance.
• The plugin lets users join a waitlist if an upsell or cross-sell item is out of stock.
• Merchant includes a free shipping bar that motivates customers to add more items to their cart to reach the threshold.
• The plugin supports product videos and audio, which helps you make upsell products more engaging.
• The built-in trust badges and reasons-to-buy lists can give your product pages more credibility, especially for upsell offers.
• It also adds a cookie banner and terms checkbox without needing extra plugins.

❌ Cons of Merchant

• Some of the features aren’t available in Merchant’s free plan.

Why I recommend Merchant: If you want an all-in-one conversion toolkit for your WooCommerce store, then Merchant is a great pick. It replaces the need for multiple plugins by offering features like scarcity timers, free shipping bars, and upsells — all in one lightweight, modular plugin.

2. FunnelKit – Best for Sales Funnels & Post-Purchase Upsells

FunnelKit is the best choice for businesses that want to create high-converting sales funnels with single-click, post-purchase upsells.

Its specialty is optimizing the entire checkout and the post-checkout process, helping you maximize revenue from every single customer.

My Experience

While trying out FunnelKit, I really liked its post-purchase upsell funnels, which allow you to show targeted one-click upsell offers immediately after checkout. These don’t interrupt the buyer’s experience and help boost average order value effortlessly.

When creating this funnel, I could see exactly how the upsells would look in the flow, which made it easier to tweak designs.

We go into more detail in our full FunnelKit review if you’d like a deeper look.

Other than that, it includes product-specific workflows that trigger targeted upsell or cross-sell recommendations based on purchase behavior.

Customer win-back campaigns can be used to re-engage past buyers by promoting complementary items or special bundle deals.

You can also use FunnelKit Cart to add powerful upselling, cross-selling, and reward features to a sliding shopping cart.

This way, you can recommend related products every time a customer adds an item to their cart.

For more information, see our tutorial on how to upsell products in WooCommerce.

✅ Pros of FunnelKit

• FunnelKit offers dynamic coupons, allowing personalized discounts in upsell campaigns.
• With smart delay timers and conditional logic, users can control the timing and flow of each automation to ensure the right offer is shown at the right moment.
• You can also add upsell offers in emails.
• It lets you recover lost sales by setting up automated email and SMS campaigns with personalized product recommendations.
• You can track how your upsell and cross-sell automations are performing with detailed metrics on opens, clicks, and sales.

❌ Cons of FunnelKit

• While powerful, FunnelKit’s automation builder can be overwhelming for beginners.
• Running many complex automations on a high-traffic store might impact performance, so it works best on well-optimized hosting.

Why I recommend FunnelKit: It’s the best option for adding one-click upsells after purchase to boost order value. If you want to build multi-step funnels with order bumps, post-purchase offers, and custom checkouts, then FunnelKit makes the process easy and automated.

3. SeedProd – Best Page Builder for Upsells and Cross-Sells

SeedProd is the best plugin for creating custom, high-converting product and checkout pages with upsell offers built right in.

As a drag-and-drop page builder, its main strength is giving you complete design control over every part of the customer journey without touching any code.

My Experience

During my evaluation, the Upsells block stood out the most.

I was able to customize the messaging, design, and even the timing of the upsell so it felt natural and non-intrusive.

Several of WPBeginner’s partner brands also use SeedProd on their eCommerce stores, and their customers have really responded to the clean, modern look.

We’ve also tested the plugin ourselves while preparing our complete SeedProd review.

Whether I wanted to promote a higher-tier product, a bundle, or a limited-time upgrade, SeedProd gave me full control without needing custom code.

Its drag-and-drop page builder comes with 24+ powerful WooCommerce blocks that you can use to display products that your customers may be interested in.

For example, some blocks can show recent, on-sale, best-selling, featured, and top-rated products.

Plus, I love its Products Related block that allows you to cross-sell related items that the customer may be interested in adding to their current purchase.

Once you add the block to a product, landing, or checkout page, you can customize how it looks. You may want to show multiple products and sort them with the highest-rated products offered first.

💥 Related Post: Looking for more information? Check out our beginner’s guide on how to customize a WooCommerce product page using SeedProd.

You can also use SeedProd to easily create a custom Thank You page where you can upsell products in your WooCommerce store.

Here, you can recommend valuable items, offer a discount coupon, and increase your sales.

For step-by-step instructions, please see our guide on how to create a custom WooCommerce Thank You page.

✅ Pros of SeedProd

• I really love SeedProd’s AI Builder. You just need to add a prompt, and it will create the entire store for you.
• The plugin has a countdown timer block that can create a sense of urgency and increase your sales.
• You can use dynamic content to personalize upsell messages with the shopper’s name or cart contents.
• I love that it creates SEO-friendly product pages.
• After a customer accepts an upsell, you can easily redirect them to the checkout page.
• It has built-in support for email marketing tools like ActiveCampaign. This means you can also promote products in your emails.

❌ Cons of SeedProd

• It has a free plan, but some of the features will be locked in it.
• Not built specifically for eCommerce — it’s a general-purpose page builder.

Why I recommend SeedProd: It’s the best choice if you want full design control over your sales pages. With drag-and-drop WooCommerce blocks, you can easily add upsells and related products anywhere. This helps you guide customers toward a higher average order value.

4. OptinMonster – Best for Popups with Upsells & Cross-Sells

OptinMonster is the best WooCommerce plugin for creating targeted popups and floating bars with upsell and cross-sell offers.

What really makes the tool stand out is its ability to display in-cart upsell popups. Instead of showing generic deals, you can trigger highly targeted offers on the cart page, with page-level targeting and Smart Tags.

This ensures that shoppers see personalized recommendations based on what’s in their cart.

My Experience

I really liked how flexible OptinMonster was when setting up campaigns. I could create a popup in minutes, customize it to match my site, and target it to promote specific products.

At WPBeginner, OptinMonster is our preferred tool for popups, slide-ins, banners, and more. We’ve used it many times when promoting our online resources and professional services.

To learn more about our experiences with the tool, see our detailed OptinMonster review.

One feature I really appreciate is the lightbox popup, which works perfectly for upselling.

For example, you can use it on the cart page to offer a discount on a related item or a limited-time upgrade.

Combined with page-level targeting, the lightbox ensures shoppers see offers that make sense based on what they’re already planning to buy.

I love that you can also create the Yes/No Campaigns. These are perfect for creating simple upsell flows.

For instance, you can ask users something like “Want to add a matching accessory?” with one-click responses.

OptinMonster also has an InactivitySensor. So, if a shopper pauses for too long on the cart or checkout page, you can show them a targeted cross-sell offer to re-engage them.

The plugin also has premade templates that make it super easy to launch a campaign.

For more details, see our guide on how to create a WooCommerce popup to increase sales.

✅ Pros of OptinMonster

• You can also create slide-ins and floating bars.
• OptinMonster lets you show different cross-sell offers based on what a user viewed earlier.
• OptinMonster has a geolocation targeting feature. This means you can show different upsell offers based on a customer’s location.
• The scroll trigger feature allows you to show an upsell offer popup once a visitor has scrolled 50% or more through a product page.
• You can also schedule your campaigns to run limited-time upsell deals or flash cross-sell offers.

❌ Cons of OptinMonster

• No built-in way to offer true 1-click upsells
• Requires integration with WooCommerce

Why I recommend OptinMonster: It’s an excellent choice for using targeted popups to increase average order value. If you’re looking to reduce cart abandonment and show upsell offers right before a visitor leaves, OptinMonster is built for that.

5. Advanced Coupons – Best for Smart Coupon Upsells & Cross-Sells

Advanced Coupons is the best upsell and cross-sell plugin for store owners who want to increase sales using smart coupon rules and promotions.

In my opinion, it stands out because you can use it to create highly specific deals, like Buy One Get One (BOGO) offers, or automatically adding a free product to the cart when a coupon is used.

This method of cross-selling can encourage your customers to purchase more. For example, you can give away a free bag once they buy over $200 worth of items.

My Experience

When testing the tool for its upsell and cross-sell features, I found it to be super beginner-friendly.

Plus, the WPBeginner team as a whole has tested it extensively over the years, as it’s one of our favorite coupon plugins. For more information, see our complete Advanced Coupons review.

When testing this tool again, I was impressed by how it allows you to set up powerful cart conditions, including minimum cart amount, specific products, and product categories.

Customers whose carts meet these conditions will automatically receive your coupon discount for their entire cart or the products that you decide.

For more details, please see our guide on how to auto-apply coupons in WooCommerce.

✅ Pros of Advanced Coupons

• The interface is beginner-friendly and easy to navigate.
• You can set up Buy One, Get One deals to encourage customers to add items to their cart.
• The cart conditions feature lets you trigger specific offers based on cart contents, user roles, or total value.
• URL coupons let you share clickable links that automatically apply discounts and add items to the cart.
• The built-in loyalty program helps increase repeat purchases and overall order value.
• Coupons can be scheduled to start and end automatically, making it easy to run time-sensitive upsell campaigns.

❌ Cons of Advanced Coupons

• The free plan has limited features.

Why I recommend Advanced Coupons: It’s perfect for stores that rely on promotions and discounts to drive sales. If you want to use coupons as a key upselling tool, this plugin gives you the flexibility to create smarter, more targeted offers.

6. YITH WooCommerce Frequently Bought Together – Best for Amazon-Style Suggestions

YITH WooCommerce Frequently Bought Together is the best upsell and cross-sell plugin for adding an Amazon-style ‘Frequently Bought Together’ section to your product pages.

It’s designed to do one thing very well: bundle related items together to encourage your customers to add more to their cart in a single click.

My Experience

During my testing, I loved how you can use this tool to bundle less popular products with best-sellers, helping you increase their visibility and sales.

For example, you can encourage buyers to add relevant accessories to their cart so that you can earn more from the purchase.

You can easily show a ‘Frequently Bought Together’ section on individual product pages, showcasing related or complementary products that customers often purchase together.

Plus, the plugin allows you to customize the title, text, and colors of the ‘Add to Cart’ button within the ‘Frequently Bought Together’ section to match your store’s branding.

Other than that, you can manually select products to display or enable automatic suggestions based on product tags, categories, or existing upsell and cross-sell configurations.

For details, see our tutorial on how to show frequently bought together products in WooCommerce.

✅ Pros of YITH WooCommerce Frequently Bought Together

• You can offer fixed or percentage-based discounts when customers purchase multiple suggested products together.
• It allows customers to select variations (such as size or color) of variable products directly within the ‘Frequently Bought Together’ section.
• The plugin enables you to select the position of the ‘Frequently Bought Together’ section within the product page.
• YITH offers multilingual and multi-currency settings.
• You can redirect users to the checkout page immediately after adding suggested products to their cart.
• It is compatible with the best WordPress theme builders.

❌ Cons of YITH WooCommerce Frequently Bought Together

• There is limited functionality in the free plan.
• Some user reviews mention occasional issues with shortcodes not working as expected, which could require troubleshooting.

Why I recommend YITH WooCommerce Frequently Bought Together: It’s my top recommendation for store owners who want to replicate Amazon-style product bundling. If your goal is to boost order size by showing related products, this plugin offers a simple and effective way to do it.

7. PushEngage – Best for WooCommerce Push Notifications

PushEngage is the best web push notification tool for upselling and cross-selling to customers after they leave your website.

It allows you to send targeted, clickable messages directly to a user’s browser, making it a powerful way to re-engage past visitors with new offers.

Cross-selling with push notifications works especially well since you’re marketing to existing customers. Plus, research shows you’re much more likely to sell to someone who has already purchased.

My Experience

Many of our brands are already using PushEngage on their websites, which you can read more about in our complete PushEngage review.

When I tested it out for this review, I found that you don’t need coding skills to get started.

You can easily create audience segments based on customer behavior — like product categories or past purchases — and then trigger automated notifications that promote complementary products.

For example, if someone buys a hoodie, you can automatically send them a push notification the next day, suggesting matching joggers or accessories.

These notifications can even include discounts, urgency timers, or rich media to boost conversions.

You can learn more in our guide on how to set up automated drip notifications in WordPress.

✅ Pros of PushEngage

• You can automatically send reminders to customers who have left items in their WooCommerce cart without completing the purchase.
• It lets you divide your audience based on behavior or purchase history to send highly targeted notifications.
• You can target visitors who viewed products but didn’t add them to their cart.
• PushEngage lets you schedule your notifications so you can send them out to your customers at optimal times.
• The tool includes built-in A/B Testing to experiment with different messages to see what works best.

❌ Cons of PushEngage

• The free version has limited features, and more advanced tools require a paid plan.
• Not ideal for upsells during purchase or post-checkout offers — it works better for follow-ups after the user has left your site.
• Limited customization compared to on-site popups or embedded offers.

Why I recommend PushEngage: It’s a smart way to bring customers back to your store. You can use it to send instant messages for cart abandonment, flash sales, and personalized cross-sell offers — helping you stay connected even after visitors leave.

8. Booster For WooCommerce – Best eCommerce Toolkit with Upsells

Booster for WooCommerce is a massive toolkit designed for store owners who need a wide range of features beyond just upsells and cross-sells.

It also includes features like PDF invoicing, custom payment gateways, and bulk price editing.

My Experience

One of my favorite modules is the ‘Frequently Bought Together’ tool. It automatically suggests related products on the product page, just like Amazon does.

This encourages customers to add more items to their cart without feeling pressured. It’s a simple tweak that can seriously boost your average order value.

Booster also makes it easy to create custom product recommendations at various stages of the shopping journey.

Whether you want to show related items in the cart or create targeted offers after checkout, there’s a module for that.

What I like most is that you don’t need a separate plugin just for upselling. It packs it into one dashboard along with tons of other features like PDF invoicing and custom pricing.

Overall, it’s a great option if you want more eCommerce features without juggling multiple tools.

✅ Pros of Booster for WooCommerce

• The plugin can create and send custom email notifications for various order statuses and events.
• It also has customizable email templates for your WooCommerce store.
• It allows customers to save products to a wishlist for future purchases, encouraging return visits.
• You can also send automated reminders to customers who leave items in their cart without completing the purchase.
• The plugin also allows you to customize the checkout form fields.

❌ Cons of Booster for WooCommerce

• When reading reviews, I found that it may conflict with some plugins or themes.
• Booster for WooCommerce includes 110 modules. This may feel excessive if you’re just looking for a few specific features like upsells or custom pricing.

Why I recommend Booster for WooCommerce: It’s a powerful all-in-one plugin for handling everything from marketing to store management. If you want tools for pricing, shipping, invoicing, and upselling in one place, and don’t mind a feature-rich interface, Booster is a great pick.

What Is the Best WooCommerce Upsell and Cross-sell Plugin?

In my opinion, Merchant by aThemes is the best upsell and cross-sell plugin for WooCommerce if you’re looking for a complete toolkit. It gives you everything from frequently bought together recommendations to complementary product displays, scarcity timers, and post-purchase offers.

My second choice is FunnelKit. It lets you add sliding side carts with built-in upsell offers, making it easier for customers to discover add-ons as they shop. Plus, it lets you make relevant offers after a customer completes their purchase.

On the other hand, SeedProd has an upsell block that’s great if you want to create custom product or checkout pages with targeted product suggestions.

Finally, OptinMonster lets you create upsell and cross-sell popups based on user behavior, cart value, and exit intent. This can give you a slightly more sophisticated edge when upselling and cross-selling.

Frequently Asked Questions About Upselling and Cross-Selling in WooCommerce

Here are some questions we are often asked about the best ways to upsell and cross-sell in WooCommerce.

What’s the difference between upselling and cross-selling?

Upselling is when you encourage customers to buy a higher-priced version of the product they’re considering — something with more features or better value. On the other hand, cross-selling is when you recommend related products that complement what the customer is already buying, like accessories or add-ons.

What are the best products for upselling or cross-selling?

When upselling or cross-selling, it’s best to show your customers relevant products that will solve a problem. These items should ideally provide more value to your customers because they are of higher quality or include more features.

For example, if a customer adds hiking shoes to their cart, then you might upsell higher-quality hiking shoes that are more comfortable, durable, and versatile. Or you can cross-sell Merino wool socks or other hiking gear.

Can I use more than one upsell or cross-sell plugin at the same time?

In most cases, it’s best to stick with one upsell or cross-sell plugin to avoid overlapping offers and a cluttered shopping experience. Using multiple plugins that serve the same purpose can confuse customers and make your store harder to manage.

However, some plugins focus on different parts of the funnel, so combining them carefully can work.

For example, you could use Merchant for on-page ‘Frequently Bought Together’ recommendations alongside OptinMonster to show an exit-intent popup with a special bundle offer. Since they target different moments in the customer journey, this would still provide an excellent user experience while maximizing your sales.

Related Guides for Improving Your WooCommerce Store

Looking to improve your WooCommerce store even more?

Here are some guides packed with practical tips and tools to help you boost sales, improve user experience, and grow your business:

• How to Create a Buy One Get One Free Offer in WooCommerce
• How to Send Automated Birthday & Anniversary Emails in WooCommerce
• Best WooCommerce Plugins for Your Store (Most are FREE)
• How to Setup WordPress Email Logs (and WooCommerce Email Logs)
• How to Optimize the Customer Journey for WooCommerce Stores
• Ways to Increase WooCommerce Sales (Actionable Tips)
• Best WooCommerce Automations to Increase Sales

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.

The post I Tested 8 Best Upsell and Cross-Sell Plugins for WooCommerce first appeared on WPBeginner.

If you’ve been part of the WordPress community for a while, then you’ve almost certainly heard of OceanWP. Launched as a free theme with premium-level features, it quickly became a staple for freelancers, agencies, and DIY site owners.

The creator, Nicolas Lecocq, stepped away from WordPress after selling the theme, only to return years later with a whole new approach to building products. This time, he’s creating faster and thinking differently about performance, user experience, and the role AI can play in development.

Under his new company, DigiHold, Nicolas has launched six WordPress products in less than one year — work he says would have taken him years before.

In this interview, Nicolas shares what’s possible when experience meets new AI tools and when you prioritize creating products that truly help customers.

“A product works when it solves a real problem… that’s what I focus on now.”

Nicolas Lecocq – Creator of OceanWP & Founder of DigiHold

Keep reading to get insider advice and tips from the creator of one of the most successful themes in WordPress history.

📹 Video Interview with Nicolas Lecocq

If you’d like to check out our complete video interview with Nicolas Lecocq, then you can watch it below:

Or you can use the links below to see what we covered in the interview (and more):

🚀 Meet Nicolas Lecocq: From Sports Blogger to Self-Taught Developer

Nicolas’s journey with WordPress started in 2012, not with a business plan, but with a personal hobby.

His first blog focused on MMA sports, and although it didn’t last long, it introduced Nicolas to the flexibility of WordPress.

“I wanted to create a blog and I searched on Google ‘the best way to create a blog,’ and it was obviously WordPress.”

Nicolas Lecocq

Soon, he was tinkering with themes and experimenting with code. At the time, learning resources were far more limited than they are today.

Nicolas relied on a mix of YouTube tutorials, online forums, and something many seasoned developers still swear by: studying the code of other themes to see how they were built.

“I was watching YouTube videos, but there was not a lot of information like now… I learned really myself and little by little by editing themes.”

Nicolas Lecocq

His early freelance work involved making client websites responsive, back before mobile-friendly designs were the standard.

That process revealed an insight that would later define his career: every project seemed to require learning an entirely new theme.

Nicolas began imagining a single, versatile solution.

One theme that could handle any type of website — from eCommerce to real estate — while keeping a consistent workflow for developers and site owners alike.

That idea became OceanWP.

📈 The OceanWP Phenomenon: When Free Beats Premium

OceanWP started as a way to streamline Nicolas’s client work.

Instead of adapting to a new theme for every project, he built one that could handle anything, and he knew it inside and out.

“When you have one theme to create anything, it’s easier for you when you know how to use it.”

Nicolas Lecocq

Originally, Nicolas planned to sell OceanWP as a premium theme.

But when his first attempt at a paid theme on ThemeForest didn’t gain traction, he decided to take a different approach.

He released OceanWP for free, but paired it with a companion plugin, Ocean Extra.

This allowed users to unlock the full potential of the theme without breaking WordPress.org guidelines.

They could access an unusually generous set of features for free at a time when most powerful themes were locked behind paywalls.

“I put so many free features… it was like a premium theme made for free. So everyone loved it.”

Nicolas Lecocq

Alongside these tools, Nicolas also launched premium OceanWP add-ons for paid features.

Growth was slow in the first six months, fueled mainly through word of mouth. But once it caught on, it grew very quickly.

Within a year, OceanWP went from a side project to one of the most popular themes on the market. With thousands of installs, Nicolas saw his OceanWP income jump from around $2–3K per month to $15K per month.

The combination of flexibility, rich features, and a free entry point made OceanWP a favorite for freelancers, WordPress agencies, and DIY site builders alike.

We can also vouch for the OceanWP theme. We’ve recommended it tons of times over the years for its versatility and complete feature set.

In fact, we often include it among our top choices for free themes in multiple categories. It even comes in at #4 on our list of the best free WordPress business themes.

🎯 Learning From Success and Setbacks

Building OceanWP gave Nicolas a crash course in what it takes to grow and sustain a popular WordPress product. Alongside the wins came valuable lessons.

One of the biggest? Performance matters.

“I added so much features I didn’t really think about performance… now performance is the first thing to think about.”

Nicolas Lecocq

Early versions of OceanWP packed in a huge list of capabilities, but Nicolas admits that some of those features slowed down websites.

💥 Related Post: Interested in learning more about WordPress website performance? Check out our ultimate guide to boost WordPress speed and performance.

Over time, user feedback helped shape improvements. This was feedback that came in through contact forms, WordPress.org forums, support emails, and even GitHub.

For Nicolas, those conversations weren’t just bug reports or feature requests. Instead, they were a roadmap for making the product better.

“It is your creation, but it’s their product. So you always need to listen to them.”

Nicolas Lecocq

After three to four years, he decided to sell OceanWP.

The experience had been formative, but he wanted to explore new ideas and address personal priorities.

His next project, Olympus, aimed to be faster and more focused than OceanWP. But just after launch, personal circumstances and partnership issues forced him to step away.

The setback reshaped how he approaches collaboration.

“I will not make my mistake with Olympus to do bad partnerships now. I’m very selective about who works with me.”

Nicolas Lecocq

From those experiences, Nicolas carried forward several important lessons: prioritize performance, build for user needs, and choose collaborators with care.

🤖 The AI-Powered Comeback: Building 6 Products in Under a Year

In 2024, Nicolas returned to WordPress development with a familiar starting point: freelancing and building websites for clients.

But he noticed something that would define his next chapter. Nearly every client wanted to sell something, whether it was services, eBooks, or eLearning content.

That observation became the foundation for his new company, DigiHold.

DigiHold is designed to cover eCommerce needs with the following products:

• DigiCommerce – A platform for selling digital goods, services, and online courses
• DigiBlocks – A collection of Gutenberg blocks for building high-performance sites
• DigiFusion – A minimalist WordPress theme with Pro features for full customization

Each product also has a Pro version, making a total of six releases, all built in under a year.

The difference this time? A performance-first approach paired with the power of AI.

“You cannot do coding without AI. It’s so much faster… it’s a game changer.”

Nicolas Lecocq

Nicolas leaned heavily on Claude AI, which he prefers over ChatGPT for development tasks.

His workflow involves training the AI on his codebase, asking it to help implement features, and then carefully reviewing every suggestion for performance, security, and user experience.

He was quick to emphasize that AI doesn’t replace the need to know how to code, but it amplifies it.

“Sometimes it tells me very bad things. And I know it’s not good, so I don’t do it,” Nicolas said.

🔮 Why AI Integration Matters: Building for Tomorrow’s Web

For Nicolas, AI isn’t just a behind-the-scenes development tool. It’s also something he’s actively building into his products.

DigiFusion Pro now includes integrations with ChatGPT and Claude, allowing users to generate content for blog posts and pages without leaving WordPress.

It’s part of his larger belief that website owners should be equipped to use AI in their own workflows, not just developers.

This focus on AI integration comes from a forward-looking view that the way people search the web is changing.

“You need to know how to implement SEO for AI because it’s the future… it’s happening.”

Nicolas Lecocq

Nicolas predicts that AI-driven search tools like ChatGPT will replace many traditional Google searches.

For developers and site owners, that means thinking about how to optimize content for AI. This is a shift he believes will become critical in the coming years.

“I think it will be easier to search on the web with ChatGPT, so people will use it more and more,” he said.

If you want to learn more about it, check out our beginner’s guide to generative AI optimization for WordPress.

By designing products with AI capabilities from the start, Nicolas is positioning DigiHold to be ready for that transition and helping his customers do the same.

💡 Product Philosophy & Developer Advice

If there’s one common feature with all of Nicolas’s products, it’s that they’re born from real-world needs, not trends.

DigiCommerce, DigiBlocks, and DigiFusion each came from solving specific problems his clients faced.

“A product works when it solves a real problem… if you just create it to earn money, I believe it will not really work.”

Nicolas Lecocq

That mindset shapes everything from his feature decisions to how he manages performance.

Although he believes strongly in the importance of user feedback, he’s not afraid to turn down requests that would slow down a site.

Instead, he prefers to offer workarounds via child themes or custom code.

“Performance and user experience have to be in mind when you build WordPress products now.”

Nicolas Lecocq

His development workflow is also lean and intentional.

He uses:

• Visual Studio Code for coding
• Local for staging environments
• Photoshop for design work
• ClickUp for organizing features, feedback, and ideas
• Claude AI as a coding assistant, but never as a replacement for core skills

For new developers, his advice is clear: master the fundamentals before relying on AI.

“You really need to learn code first, and then AI helps with your code.”

Nicolas Lecocq

That means starting with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, understanding how things work, and then using AI to speed up and refine what you already know how to do.

💥 Related Post: Looking for more advice from founders? Check out our interview with Ionut Neagu, co-founder of Themeisle.

💭 Final Thoughts

Nicolas Lecocq’s story comes full circle, from teaching himself WordPress by editing themes to building one of the most popular free themes in the world.

Now, he’s returning years later with a new mindset and a powerful new toolset.

His journey is a mix of resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning. The setbacks he faced didn’t end his career. Instead, they reshaped how he works, how he chooses collaborators, and how he builds products.

Now, with AI as part of his daily workflow, he’s able to move faster than ever while keeping performance and user experience front and center.

But his advice to other developers is to see AI as an accelerator, not a replacement.

“For my six products, I believe I could have done them in some years manually. I did it in less than a year with AI.”

Nicolas Lecocq

For developers and entrepreneurs, Nicolas proves that strong skills, user feedback, and fresh tools can unlock new paths.

To learn more about what Nicolas is working on today, check out the DigiHold website.

📚 Bonus: Expert Resources for WordPress Developers

Looking to follow in Nicolas’s footsteps and build your own WordPress products?

These WPBeginner guides can help you get started:

• How to Learn WordPress for Free (Step by Step)
• Best WordPress Developer Job Sites (+ Example Job Template)
• Ultimate WordPress SEO Guide for Beginners
• WordPress Career Options – How to Make a Living With WordPress
• How Zac McDonald Grew Into the Top-Rated WordPress Freelancer on Upwork
• Blogger Turned WordPress VIP Partner: How WordPress Continues to Inspire Rahul Bansal
• How Ben Rojas Rose From a Developer to the President of AIOSEO
• The LearnDash Story: How Justin Ferriman Grew a Multi-Million Dollar LMS

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.

The post The OceanWP Creator Is Back: How Nicolas Lecocq Built 6 New WordPress Products With AI first appeared on WPBeginner.

Recently, I found over 18,000 spam entries had flooded one of my lead generation forms overnight.

And more kept coming, which meant trouble. If I emailed all those fake addresses, it would have increased my email bounce rate – the percentage of emails that don’t get delivered to recipients’ inboxes.

A higher bounce rate damages my sender reputation with email providers, meaning even my emails to legitimate subscribers could end up in spam folders.

So, I immediately looked into what was happening. I had created this lead form a few years ago, but never updated it. This mistake was now threatening my entire email marketing operation.

Fortunately, I was able to stop the attack within about 10 minutes.

Here’s exactly what I did.

My 10-Minute Hack to Fix Lead Spam Issue!

How can you protect a lead generation form in just 10 minutes… without making it harder for real people to sign up?

Most people use CAPTCHA to block spam. But when it comes to lead generation forms, the problem is that CAPTCHA can annoy visitors and stop them from joining your email list.

I didn’t want that.

I needed a way to keep our signup form easy for real users, but hard for spammers. So, I looked for a better way to STOP fake signups… one that worked in the background and didn’t bother our real readers.

Fortunately, this is where WPForms‘ spam protection features came in really handy and saved the day.

Here’s what I did to fix the problem while still getting real leads.

Step 1: Turn On Modern Anti-Spam Protection

The first thing I did was enable the modern anti-spam protection setting.

This tool quietly works in the background to spot and block spam bots, so real users don’t even notice it’s there.

Plus, they don’t have to do anything extra.

It’s the easiest first step you can take.

To turn it on, you need to edit your form in the WPForms builder.

Go to Settings » Spam Protection and Security.

Next, just click the toggle to enable the ‘modern anti-spam protection’ option. It’s that simple.

This one change immediately blocked a huge number of automated POST requests.

Step 2: Add Rate Limiting & Block

After enabling modern anti-spam, I wanted to add an extra layer of protection for even more security.

Spammers are always finding new ways to target forms, often by sending repeated submissions from the same IP address or email domains. Their aim is to flood your site with as many fake entries as possible, as quickly as they can.

If you let that happen, you could end up with hundreds or even thousands of fake submissions in a matter of hours.

Rate limiting stops this kind of abuse in its tracks. By capping the number of entries allowed from a single IP or email address, you can block these repetitive spam attempts without touching legitimate users.

To switch it on, you need to go to Settings » Form Locker in the WPForms form builder.

Then, toggle the switch next to the ‘Enable User Entry Limit’ option located under Entry Limits & Restrictions.

You can limit by email, IP address, or both. Then, you can choose how many entries you want to allow from each IP address and what message to show them if they exceed this limit.

However, some advanced spam bots can get around simple protections by using many different email addresses and IPs. This makes it much harder to block them with basic rate limiting alone.

To catch these smarter tactics, I needed a more flexible way to spot unusual patterns and stop suspicious entries in real time.

That’s when I turned to the conditional logic feature in WPForms.

Step 3: Use Conditional Logic to Protect Your CRM

It’s important to keep these tricky spam entries out of your CRM and email marketing lists. Not only are bad leads frustrating, but they can also mess up your data, lead to more spam complaints, and damage your email deliverability.

The good news is that WPForms allows you to apply conditional logic with your marketing integrations. This means you can create specific rules so only real, high-quality leads make it into your CRM.

For example, I set up a rule that filtered out any entries containing common spam patterns, such as suspicious keywords or links. If a form submission looked suspicious, it was automatically kept out of my CRM.

To do the same in your form, just go to Marketing » [Your CRM Name].

Then, enable ‘Conditional Logic’ and add a rule.

For example, you could add ‘Don’t Process this connection if the email field ends with .ru’.

This was the final nail in the coffin for the spammers who attacked my form.

And overall, it took me about 10 minutes to implement all of these changes.

My Final Thoughts on Form Spam

Dealing with this wave of spam was definitely stressful, but it also highlighted how important it is to protect your forms. Security isn’t just a nice feature anymore. It’s a must-have for any business that relies on quality leads.

If you value high-quality leads, then you can’t afford to let spam get in the way.

I’m incredibly proud of the work the WPForms team is doing. I get to use the tools we build every day to power our businesses, and this week, WPForms really saved the day.

Here are some of the cool features they recently added:

• Form Entry Automation – Set automated schedules to export and delete form entries.
• Google Drive Integration – Automatically send form submissions to Google Drive and organize files in folders with team access.
• AI-Powered Calculations – This allows you to create complex calculations by describing them in plain English. It can build dynamic formulas based on user inputs and validate them in real-time to ensure accuracy.

For more details, see our full WPForms review.

I hope my story helps you protect your own website. Taking a few minutes to check your forms today can save you a huge headache later.

Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress Form Spam (FAQ)

After I posted this on LinkedIn, some of my followers reached out with a few follow-up questions.

Here are my answers to those questions.

Do I need all these WPForms features to stop spam?

Often, just enabling the modern anti-spam protection is enough for most websites. However, if you are under a heavy attack like I was, then using layers of protection, like rate limiting, is very effective.

Will these anti-spam features slow down my website?

No. All of these features are built to be lightweight. They add security without negatively impacting your site speed or the user experience.

Is adding a CAPTCHA a good idea?

A CAPTCHA can be effective, but it adds friction for your users and can lower your form conversion rate. I always recommend using it as a last resort after trying invisible methods first.

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.

The post How I Blocked 18,000 Spam Lead Attacks in My WordPress Form first appeared on WPBeginner.

Unexpected shipping costs are one of the biggest reasons customers abandon their carts. If your WooCommerce store charges too much or the pricing feels confusing, then you could be losing sales without realizing it.

That’s why it’s so important to offer clear, fair shipping rates. And one of the simplest ways to do that is with weight-based shipping.

With this method, shipping costs are calculated based on the total weight of the cart. Lighter orders get lower rates, while heavier ones are charged more accurately, helping you cover your costs without turning customers away.

After testing WooCommerce’s built-in features and the most reliable third-party plugins, I’ve found the best ways to set this up.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to add weight-based shipping to your store. Plus, I will share some practical tips to avoid common pitfalls and keep your checkout process smooth. 🚚

Why Offer Weight-Based Shipping in WooCommerce?

Weight-based shipping ensures fair and accurate delivery costs by calculating rates based on the actual weight of the order.

Unlike flat rate shipping, which charges the same fee for every purchase, this method prevents overcharging for lightweight items and losing money on heavy ones.

By switching to weight-based shipping in your WooCommerce store, you get more control and flexibility. It removes guesswork, avoids surprises at checkout, and keeps costs transparent.

It’s especially useful for stores that sell heavy items, bundles, or a mix of lightweight and bulky products.

Whether you’re shipping furniture, books, or gym equipment, this helps you stay profitable while keeping shipping costs transparent for your customers.

Having said that, let’s take a look at how to easily add weight-based shipping in WooCommerce. I will cover two different methods in this tutorial. You can use the links below to jump to the method of your choice:

Method 1: Add Weight Based Shipping Using the Default Settings (Basic Settings)

If you want to set up weight-based shipping in WooCommerce without using any extra WooCommerce plugins or extensions, then this method is for you.

WooCommerce doesn’t come with a built-in weight-based shipping option, but there’s a simple workaround you can use.

Instead of a direct weight-based setting, you can use shipping classes to group products by their weight. Then, you can create different flat rates for each class within your shipping zones.

This way, heavier items can have higher shipping costs, and lighter ones can ship for less, all using the default WooCommerce settings.

To get started, visit the WooCommerce » Settings » Shipping » Classes page from the WordPress dashboard and click the ‘Add shipping class’ button.

In the pop-up that appears, add a name for your shipping class. I recommend choosing something clear that helps you quickly recognize the type of products it’s for.

For example, if you’re creating a class for all the items under 5 kg, then you might name it ‘Under 5kg.’

Then, you’ll need to add a slug for the class. You can also leave this blank, and WooCommerce will generate one based on the name you enter.

But if you want more control, you can enter your own.

Next, add a short note explaining what the shipping class is for. It’s mainly for your own reference or for other admins working on the site.

Then, go ahead and click the ‘Create’ button.

You can now repeat the process to add as many weight based shipping classes as you want.

Once you are done, it will look something like this:

Next, go to the ‘Shipping Zones’ tab. Here, you’ll see a list of all the shipping zones you’ve set up for your store. These zones represent the countries or regions where you offer shipping.

If you haven’t added a shipping zone yet, simply click the ‘Add zone’ button.

This will take you to a new screen where you can add a name. I recommend naming the zone after the region or country you’re offering shipping to, as this can help prevent any confusion.

After that, simply type the name of the region or country in the ‘Zone regions’ field. When the option appears, click on it to add it to your zone. You can add as many regions as you want.

Once you’re done, click the ‘Add shipping method’ button to proceed.

A new popup will now appear on your screen.

From here, select the ‘Flat rate’ option and click ‘Continue.’

In the next step, you’ll need to give your shipping method a name. This is important because your customers will see it at checkout.

A name like ‘Shipping Cost Based on Product Weight’ is clear and descriptive.

Next, add a cost for shipping in the ‘Cost’ field. This will be the default shipping cost that customers will pay when purchasing an item.

This is the base shipping cost for any product without a shipping class. Keep in mind, this cost can also be added to other shipping fees, which I’ll explain in a moment.

Next, scroll down to the ‘Shipping class costs’ section. Here, you can set a cost for each weight-based shipping class you’ve created.

For example, you might charge $10 for items in the 11–15 kg class and $20 for those in the 16–20 kg class.

⚠️ Important Note: WooCommerce adds the shipping class cost on top of the default flat rate. For example, if your default cost is $5 and the class cost is $10, then the total shipping fee for the customer will be $15.

To avoid this and use only the shipping class cost, you must set the main ‘Cost’ field for the flat rate to $0.

Just below the cost fields, you’ll also see a setting called ‘Calculation type’. This controls how WooCommerce calculates shipping when a cart contains items from multiple classes.

Here is how each option works:

• Per Class: WooCommerce will add the cost for each individual shipping class in the order. For example, if a customer has an item from the 11–15 kg class ($10 fee) and another from the 16–20 kg class ($20 fee), then the total added shipping cost will be $30.
• Per Order: WooCommerce will only apply the cost from the most expensive shipping class in the order. Using the same example, only the $20 fee would be added to the shipping rate.

For most stores that use weight-based shipping, the ‘Per class’ option gives you more accurate and fair pricing. This is especially helpful when orders often include products of varying weights.

Once you have chosen your ‘Calculation Type’, click the ‘Save’ button to store your settings.

Now, head over to the ‘Products’ page and open your preferred item in the WooCommerce editor. Scroll down to the ‘Product Data’ section and switch to the ‘Shipping’ tab.

First, you need to enter the product’s weight in the ‘Weight’ field. After that, you’ll need to select the correct shipping class from the ‘Shipping class’ dropdown menu.

For example, if your product weighs 0.45 kg, you would select the ‘Under 5kg’ class you created earlier.

After that, click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to save your changes.

Now visit your WooCommerce store to see the shipping price based on your product’s weight.

While this method works well for simple setups, managing many different weight classes can become complicated.

So, if you have many products or need more flexible shipping rules, then using a dedicated plugin is a much easier solution.

Method 2: Add Weight Based Shipping Using a Plugin (Recommended)

For more powerful and flexible shipping rules, using a dedicated plugin is your best option.

I recommend the free WooCommerce Weight Based Shipping plugin because it allows you to create as many shipping rules as you want based on product weight. You can also set different rates for different countries and offer free shipping when a customer’s order reaches a certain total.

First, you need to install and activate the WooCommerce Weight Based Shipping plugin. For details, see our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, head over to the WooCommerce » Settings » Shipping » Weight Based Shipping page from the WordPress admin sidebar.

Here, click the ‘Set Up Global Shipping Rules’ button.

This will take you to a new screen where you can define weight-based shipping rules for your products. You’ll notice that the plugin comes with a few default rules already set up, but you can easily edit or delete them as needed.

You can start by adding a title for each rule. Choose names that help you quickly identify the weight range, such as ‘Under 5kg’ or ‘5-10kg’.

In the ‘Destination’ column, you can leave the setting as ‘Any’. This means the weight shipping rule will apply to all countries you ship to.

However, if you want to charge different shipping rates for specific regions, you can do that by selecting a country from the ‘Destination’ dropdown menu. This allows you to apply your weight-based shipping rule only to that location.

For example, let’s say your store is based in Europe. You might want to charge $5 for orders under 5kg going to France because it’s relatively close, and shipping is cheaper.

But for the same weight range being shipped to the USA, you could charge $10 or more to cover the higher shipping cost due to the longer distance.

After that, set the ‘From’ and ‘Up To’ weight values for each rule in the Weight column. For example, for the ‘Under 5kg’ rule, you can enter From: 0 and Up To: 5.

Once you’ve entered the numbers, click the ‘OK’ button to save the range.

Next, take a look at the ‘Value’ column. This is where you define when the shipping rule applies, usually based on the total order amount.

Let’s say you want to offer free shipping for small packages under 5kg, but only if the customer spends $100 or more. In that case, you can set the weight range from 0 to 5, and in the ‘Value’ column, enter 100.00+. Then, set the shipping cost to ‘Free.’

This means if someone orders products weighing under 5kg and their cart total is $100 or more, they won’t have to pay anything for shipping.

Now, you might also want to add another rule for customers who order less than $100 worth of items.

For that, create the same weight range—0 to 5kg—but in the ‘Value’ column, enter 0.00 – 99.99 and set the shipping cost to something like $10.

This means if the cart is under 5kg and the order total is below $100, then they’ll be charged $10 for shipping.

Now, it’s time to actually set the shipping cost based on weight. For this, expand the ‘Shipping’ tab for each rule. You can select the ‘Free’ option to offer free shipping.

Or, choose the ‘Flat’ option and add the shipping price based on weight.

You can also choose the ‘Flat + Progressive’ option, which is helpful if you sell heavier items that go beyond your defined weight rules.

For example, let’s say your rules go up to 30 kg. You can set a Flat rate of $20 for orders up to 30 kg. Then, in the Progressive field, you can add a cost of $2 per 1 kg.

Now, if a customer places an order that weighs 32 kg, they’ll be charged the initial $20 (for the first 30 kg) plus $4 (for the extra 2 kg), for a total shipping cost of $24.

This setup ensures you’re still covering your shipping costs fairly, even for heavier orders.

Next, add a note for each weight rule. This note is just for you and your team, and it helps keep things organized by explaining what each rule is for.

For example, you can write something like “Free shipping for small orders over $100” or “Extra charges for items over 30kg.”

Once you’ve added the notes, click the ‘Save’ icon to store your settings.

Next, you need to add the shipping method you created to one of your shipping zones.

From the ‘Shipping’ tab, click on a zone where you want to offer weight-based shipping. Then, click the ‘Add shipping method’ button.

This will open a popup on the screen, where you have to choose ‘Weight Based Shipping’ as the shipping method.

Next, click the ‘Continue’ button.

Then, head to the ‘Products’ page and open an item in the editor.

From here, scroll down to the ‘Product Data’ section and switch to the ‘Shipping’ tab. Now, you have to add the weight for the product to apply the shipping rules to it.

After that, simply click the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button to store your settings.

Now, you can visit your WooCommerce store and add a product to your cart.

You should be able to see the delivery charges based on the products’ weight on the screen.

🎁 Bonus: Offer a Shipping Discount in WooCommerce

Offering weight-based shipping is great for making sure that your customers are paying a fair price. But if you’re also looking to increase your sales, then I recommend providing shipping discounts.

Many customers expect some kind of deal when it comes to shipping, especially for larger orders. Even a small discount can make a difference in conversions and customer satisfaction.

That’s why offering a shipping discount is a great way to reduce cart abandonment and increase your average order value.

To easily add shipping discounts to your WooCommerce store, I recommend using the Advanced Coupons plugin.

It’s beginner-friendly and gives you the power to easily create shipping discount rules.

For example, you can offer free shipping when a customer’s cart reaches a certain total, apply percentage-based discounts on shipping costs, or automatically trigger special shipping deals based on specific cart conditions.

Plus, you can combine these offers with your weight-based shipping rules for maximum flexibility.

To get started, see our tutorial on how to offer a shipping discount in WooCommerce.

FAQs: Weight Based Shipping in WooCommerce

Here are the answers to some common questions we get about setting up weight-based shipping in WooCommerce.

Do I have to add a weight to every single WooCommerce product?

Yes, for weight-based shipping to work correctly, you must enter a weight for each physical product in your store.

If a product doesn’t have a weight assigned, WooCommerce won’t be able to calculate the shipping cost for it accurately, and it may fall back to a default flat rate or show no shipping options at all.

What happens if a customer has both physical and digital products in their cart?

WooCommerce automatically handles this. Shipping costs will only be calculated based on the weight of the physical items in the cart. Digital products, since they don’t require shipping, have no weight and will not affect the shipping calculation.

Can I offer free shipping for certain WooCommerce orders?

Absolutely. With the default method, you can create a shipping class for a specific weight range and set its cost to $0.

With the plugin method, you can create a rule that offers free shipping when an order reaches a certain weight or cart value, giving you more flexibility.

My products have a very wide range of weights. What is the best way to handle this?

The best approach is to create several shipping rules to cover all your products. For very heavy items that might exceed your heaviest rule, the plugin method is ideal.

You can use its ‘Flat + Progressive’ option to set a base rate plus an extra charge per kg/lb, ensuring you always cover your costs for oversized orders.

I hope this article helped you learn how to easily add weight based shipping in WooCommerce. You may also want to see our beginner’s guide on how to add a free shipping bar in WooCommerce and our tutorial on how to prevent fraud and fake orders in WooCommerce.

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.

The post How to Add Weight Based Shipping in WooCommerce first appeared on WPBeginner.

When visitors can’t find what they’re looking for, they don’t stick around—they click away, often for good.

The default WordPress search doesn’t make it easy. It’s slow, clunky, and outdated: type a keyword, hit Enter, wait for a full page reload… only to get results that might not even be relevant.

Now imagine the opposite… search results that appear instantly, the moment a visitor starts typing. That’s the magic of live autocomplete search (also known as Ajax search). It feels modern, effortless, and keeps people engaged on your site.

In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to add live autocomplete search to WordPress, so you can deliver lightning-fast results, improve user experience, and keep visitors browsing longer.

Why Add Live Autocomplete Search in WordPress?

Live autocomplete search helps visitors find what they’re looking for on your website faster, without reloading the page. As users type in the search bar, results appear instantly in a dropdown, so they can click and go straight to the content they need.

This kind of fast, helpful experience keeps people on your WordPress website longer. They don’t have to guess the right keyword or wait for a slow results page. And they’re less likely to hit a dead end.

Unfortunately, WordPress search is pretty limited by default. It doesn’t always search through things like product details or custom post types, and it struggles with exact matches.

Sometimes it even shows a “no results found” page, even when the content is there.

That’s where live search can be really helpful. It’s especially useful for blogs, news sites, and online stores, where visitors want to find something specific, fast.

If you want to make it easier for people to discover your best content, adding live search is a simple and effective way to do that.

How to Add Live Autocomplete Search in WordPress

The easiest way to add live autocomplete (Ajax) search to your site is by using a plugin. In this tutorial, I’ll use the free SearchWP Live Ajax Search plugin, which is one of the best WordPress search plugins.

It works out of the box by automatically upgrading any existing search forms on your site, such as the one in your theme’s header or sidebar. This means you can get live search suggestions instantly without needing to code or change any settings.

Now, I’ll walk you through how to create a live autocomplete search in WordPress.

Here’s a quick overview of all the things I’ll cover:

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Install and Activate SearchWP Live Ajax Search

First, you need to install and activate the SearchWP Live Ajax Search plugin.

You can find this plugin directly in your WordPress dashboard by going to Plugins » Add New and searching for “SearchWP Live Ajax Search.”

Once you find the plugin in the search results, click the ‘Install Now’ button. After installation completes, click ‘Activate’ to enable the plugin on your site.

For detailed installation instructions, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

The plugin is completely free and developed by the same team behind the premium SearchWP plugin. It works independently, so you don’t need to purchase anything to get started with live search functionality.

Upon activation, a new ‘SearchWP’ menu item will appear in your WordPress admin area. You’ll use this to configure your settings in the next step.

Step 2: Configure Basic Search Settings

Now that the plugin is installed, you need to enable the live search functionality.

Head over to SearchWP » Settings in your WordPress dashboard.

On the settings page, you’ll see a few different options for configuring your search.

Make sure that you’re in the ‘Live Search’ tab and look for the ‘Enable Live Search’ toggle near the top of the page.

Simply click the toggle to turn it on, and then make sure to click the ‘Save’ button to store your settings.

Once enabled, the live Ajax search will automatically start working with your existing search forms across your WordPress site.

The plugin uses smart defaults that work well for different types of websites right out of the box. By default, it will search your post titles and content to provide relevant results.

Step 3: Add the Live Search Bar to Your Site (Optional)

The SearchWP Live Ajax Search plugin automatically enables live search on any existing search forms in your WordPress theme.

However, you may also want to add a search bar to a new location, like your sidebar, footer, or a custom landing page. This step will show you how to do that.

Add Live Autocomplete Search to Widget-Ready Areas

To add a search box to widget areas like your sidebar or footer, you need to go to Appearance » Widgets in your WordPress dashboard.

Click the ‘+’ button in the widget area, such as the sidebar or footer. Then, look for the Search widget.

Once added, you can customize the placeholder text.

For example, if you run a news site, you might customize the widget title with something like “Search Latest Stories” or “Find News Articles.”

Or you can simply leave it as “Search.”

Don’t forget to click the ‘Update’ button to save your changes. The live search box will now appear in your widget area.

Here’s what it looks like on my demo site:

Add Live Autocomplete Search Using Full Site Editor (FSE)

If you’re using a block-based theme that supports the Full Site Editor, then you can add search boxes to different parts of your website, like the header, sidebar, and more.

First, go to Appearance » Editor from your WordPress dashboard.

This will launch the Full Site Editor.

Then, you need to open the ‘Templates’ tab.

From here, click on the template you want to edit, such as your Header or a Page template.

The exact options will depend on the theme you’re using, but I recommend picking a Header template or the navigation menu so that the search bar will appear across your website.

Once you click on the template, you’ll see a visual editor with blocks.

Go ahead and click the ‘+’ button to add a new block, then look for ‘Search’ in the block inserter.

You can move the Search block up and down to your desired location within the template.

From here, you can customize the search block’s appearance using the block settings panel.

For example, you can adjust the placeholder text.

If you run a WordPress blog, then you may want to use something like “Search the blog” or “Find helpful articles.” Or you can also simply leave it as “Search.”

You can also customize the search bar style and layout options to match your site’s design.

Once you are happy with how it looks, click the ‘Update’ button to save your changes.

Step 4: Test and Troubleshoot Your Live Search

Now it’s time to test your new live search feature to make sure it’s working correctly.

I recommend opening your website in an incognito window and typing a few characters into the search box.

If everything’s working, you’ll see results appear instantly in a dropdown. That means Ajax is working correctly.

It’s a good idea to test your live search on different devices, including phone and tablet, to make sure it’s mobile-friendly. Try it in multiple browsers too, such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, to make sure live results appear consistently.

If the live search isn’t showing up or working as expected, then the most common culprits are caching issues and plugin conflicts.

Your browser or caching plugin might be storing an old version of your site’s files (a ‘cached’ version) to speed up loading times. Sometimes, this can prevent the new live search script from running correctly.

Clearing your WordPress cache and browser cache ensures that your site loads the latest version of its files, which often fixes the issue.

A good plugin for this is WP Rocket. It’s beginner-friendly and lets you clear cache, optimize scripts, and control how files are loaded for better performance.

For details, you can see our guide on how to clear the WordPress cache.

If that doesn’t solve the issue, try deactivating other plugins one by one to check for conflicts. This can help you identify if another plugin is interfering with your live search.

For more troubleshooting tips, please see our guide on how to fix WordPress search not working.

Bonus Tip: Upgrade for Even Smarter Search (Fuzzy Matching)

Your new live search offers a much better user experience to your visitors. But what happens if someone makes a typo? By default, WordPress might return no results for “wordpres” instead of “wordpress.”

This is where fuzzy search comes in, and it’s a powerful feature available in the premium SearchWP plugin.

Fuzzy search helps your website understand what your users are trying to find, even if they misspell or use partial words.

For example, if someone searches for “vntage furniture,” a site with fuzzy search will still show them relevant results for “vintage furniture.”

This prevents users from hitting a no results dead end and helps them find content, improving user experience and keeping them on your site.

For step-by-step instructions, you can see our guide on how to add fuzzy search in WordPress.

FAQs for Adding Live Autocomplete Search in WordPress

I get a lot of questions from our readers about WordPress search functionality, so I’ve put together answers to the most common ones.

What’s the best WordPress search plugin?

For live search functionality, I recommend SearchWP Live Ajax Search because it’s free and works great right out of the box.

If you need more advanced features like custom field searching or detailed analytics, then the premium SearchWP plugin is excellent.

How can I add autocomplete to address fields in WordPress?

Address autocomplete is different from content search. It uses services like Google Places API to suggest real addresses as users type.

You’ll need a form plugin like WPForms or Gravity Forms that includes address autocomplete features. This connects to mapping services to provide street address suggestions, which is separate from searching your site’s content.

Can I create a form that lets users search within a specific category?

If you want to add a dropdown menu so users can search by category, then you’ll need the SearchWP Pro plugin.

The free SearchWP Live Ajax Search plugin (the one we cover in this guide) will show category names in the live results, but it doesn’t let you create a full search form with category filters.

To get that feature, you’ll need to upgrade to the full SearchWP plugin and follow our tutorial on how to search by category in WordPress.

How do I add a search feature to my WordPress site?

Most WordPress themes include a built-in search widget that you can add to your menu, sidebar, header, or footer.

For details, see our guide on how to add a search bar to your WordPress menu.

More Guides to Improve WordPress Search

I hope this guide helped you add live autocomplete search to your WordPress site.

You may also want to check out our other related guides to improve your site’s search:

• How to Search By Category in WordPress
• How to Add PDF Indexing and Searching in WordPress
• How to Make Your Blog Comments Searchable in WordPress
• How to Include Custom Post Types in WordPress Search Results
• How to Exclude Specific Pages, Authors, and More from WordPress Search
• How to Add a Search Toggle Effect in WordPress
• How to See Search Analytics in WordPress (Easy Ways)

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.

The post How to Create a Live Autocomplete Search in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

I’ll be honest: there was a time when privacy compliance felt overwhelming.

Between GDPR, CCPA, VCDPA, and other regulations, it seemed like I needed a law degree just to run a simple WordPress site.

But after spending a lot of time helping website owners figure this out, I’ve learned that compliance doesn’t have to be complicated. In most cases, just a few simple changes can protect your website and show visitors that you take their privacy seriously.

That’s why I created this ultimate guide to WordPress privacy compliance. I’ve researched dozens of laws, tested different tools, and seen firsthand what works (and what causes problems) across different WordPress websites.

Why Does Privacy Compliance Matter for Your WordPress Website?

Online privacy laws are designed to give people more control over how websites, businesses, and online stores collect and use their personal information.

“Personal information” can mean more than you think. It includes names and email addresses—but also things like browsing history, preferences, location, and even biometric data.

That’s why most WordPress websites are affected by privacy laws, even if they only collect basic data like form submissions or cookies.

Following these laws is important for two reasons:

• Avoiding legal trouble: Some laws, like the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), can issue fines of up to $7,500 per violation. Other laws impose even higher penalties, sometimes reaching millions.
• Building trust with your audience: When visitors see that you respect their privacy, they’re more likely to engage with your site, join your email list, and make purchases.

In other words: privacy compliance isn’t just a legal requirement. It’s a smart move for long-term success.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through 12 key tips for WordPress privacy compliance. After that, I’ll break down the most important privacy laws that might affect your site.

Keep reading for the ultimate checklist to comply with international data privacy laws.

12 Tips for Achieving WordPress Privacy Compliance

No single guide can guarantee full compliance with every privacy law. But these tips will give you a strong foundation. You can think of this section as your privacy checklist for WordPress.

After reading through these best practices, I recommend scrolling down to the legal section to see which laws may apply to your site.

1. Perform a Data Audit

Before you can follow any privacy law, you need to know what personal data your website collects and how it’s used.

Start by reviewing all the tools and plugins on your site that interact with visitors. These often include:

• Analytics tools (like Google Analytics)
• Contact or quote forms
• SEO and marketing plugins

Once you’ve identified those tools, take a closer look at what they do.

For each one, ask yourself:

• What data does this tool collect?
• Why do I need this data?
• Where is the data stored?
• How long is it kept?
• Is it shared with anyone else?

Be sure to document your answers. This record helps you stay organized and gives you a way to prove your compliance if you’re ever audited or asked by one of your users.

2. Collect Less Data

One of the easiest ways to improve privacy on your WordPress site is to collect less data in the first place.

Most privacy laws require you to collect only personal data that’s relevant and necessary for a specific task. This principle is known as data minimization.

Take a look at the forms, plugins, and tools you use. For each one, you should ask yourself:

• What personal information am I asking for?
• Do I truly need this data?
• Could I achieve the same result with fewer form fields or information?

If the answer is “no” or “not sure,” it’s a good idea to stop collecting that data.

This approach not only reduces your legal risk. It also makes your site feel safer and more respectful to visitors, which can improve trust and conversions.

3. Create a Privacy Policy

A privacy policy tells visitors what data your website collects, how it’s used, and whether it’s shared with anyone.

Most privacy laws require you to have a policy like this. It helps users understand how their personal data is handled, which many laws refer to as the “Right to Know.”

Thankfully, WordPress has a built-in tool to help you create a privacy policy. To access this tool, simply go to Settings » Privacy in the WordPress dashboard. 

Want more detailed instructions? We also have a complete, step-by-step guide on how to add a privacy policy in WordPress.

4. Add a Cookie Popup

Some privacy laws require you to get consent before placing cookies on a visitor’s device. This includes laws like the GDPR.

A cookie popup makes this easy. It gives visitors a clear message about the types of cookies your site uses, what data is being collected, and why. It should also give them a simple way to opt out.

And this is easy to set up with a privacy compliance plugin like WPConsent.

For example, we use WPConsent to display cookie banners and manage user choices on WPBeginner.

For step-by-step instructions, check out our full guide on how to add a cookie popup in WordPress.

5. Write a Separate Cookie Policy 

A cookie popup is important, but it’s also a good idea to create a dedicated cookie policy page. This gives visitors a place to learn more about how cookies work on your site.

Your cookie policy should include:

• The types of cookies your site uses (such as essential, analytics, or marketing)
• What each cookie does
• What personal data it collects (like IP addresses or browsing history)

To build trust, try to keep your cookie policy easy to understand. This means you should avoid technical terms or legal words that are hard to follow. 

Luckily, a tool like WPConsent can create this policy for you. After installing and activating the plugin, go to WPConsent » Settings. 

In the plugin’s settings, choose the page where you want to display the cookie policy, and add the shortcode provided by the plugin.

WPConsent will then add this policy to your chosen page. 

If you’re using WPConsent to display a cookie popup, then visitors can now access this policy directly by clicking on the dropdown.

This will reveal a link that takes them straight to your policy page.

6. Block Third-Party Scripts

Many privacy laws also apply to third-party tools like analytics, advertising pixels, and social media trackers. If you use services such as Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel, then you’re responsible for how those tools collect data.

That means you should only allow scripts from these tools to run after the user gives permission.

The good news is that WPConsent includes a built-in script blocker that helps with this. It can detect common tracking tools and stop them from loading until the visitor agrees.

Once consent is given, the script runs automatically without needing to reload the page.

This is one of the easiest ways to improve compliance with laws like the GDPR and CCPA.

7. Track and Log Visitor Consent

There’s always a chance your data handling could be questioned, especially if you’re ever audited or someone asks about their rights.

That’s why it’s a good idea to keep a clear record of user consent. It helps show that your site takes privacy seriously.

The good news is, WPConsent creates this log for you automatically.

You can check it any time by going to WPConsent » Consent Logs in your WordPress dashboard.

If someone asks for proof, just head to the ‘Export’ tab, choose a date range, and download the log as a CSV file.

You can now share it directly with the user. Additionally, having this kind of record can give you peace of mind and help protect your business if questions ever come up.

8. Provide an Easy Opt-Out for Data Sales

Some privacy laws, including the CCPA and VCDPA, require you to give users a way to opt out of having their personal data sold or shared with third-party tools.

It’s also important to know that under laws like the CCPA, ‘selling’ can also mean sharing personal data with third-party advertising or analytics partners in exchange for their services, not just for money.

The easiest way to allow users to opt out in WordPress is by adding a clear, dedicated opt-out page.

WPConsent includes a Do Not Track add-on that makes this simple.

It enables you to generate a form where users can submit their opt-out request.

Once the page is live, visitors can use the form to stop their data from being sold or shared, all without needing to contact you directly.

This creates a smoother experience for your audience and helps you stay compliant with important data laws.

For full setup instructions, see our step-by-step guide on how to create a Do Not Sell My Info page in WordPress.

9. Export and Erase Personal Data in WordPress

Privacy laws like the GDPR give users the right to access their personal data, and the right to ask for that data to be deleted.

One of the easiest ways to support these rights is by adding data request and deletion forms to your WordPress site.

This is where WPForms comes in. It’s a user-friendly form builder that lets you create all kinds of forms using a simple drag-and-drop editor.

WPForms even has a ready-made Right to Erasure Request Form template.

What if visitors want to see their data instead? WPForms also has a Data Request template.

These templates are a fantastic starting point for accepting data erasure and data access requests on your site.

For a step-by-step guide to getting started with WPForms, check out our post on how to create a contact form in WordPress. 

After adding these forms to your site, WPForms will automatically log and display all submissions in your WordPress dashboard. This makes it easy to see new requests as they come in.

You can then act on these requests using WordPress’ built-in Export Personal Data and Erase Personal Data tools.

For step-by-step instructions on how to use these powerful tools, see our detailed guide on how to export and erase personal data in WordPress.

10. Create Compliant Forms

Contact forms, quote forms, and surveys often collect personal information. That means that they also need to comply with privacy laws.

If you’re using WPForms, there’s a built-in GDPR Agreement field that helps you with this. You can add it to any form and get a user’s explicit consent to store their personal information before collecting it.

Simply drag this field into any form using the visual builder.

It will add a checkbox and consent message so that visitors can agree to how their data will be used.

Apart from the GDPR, this field helps you stay compliant with other laws that require clear consent before collecting or storing personal data.

Want a complete walkthrough? Just see our guide on how to create GDPR compliant forms in WordPress. 

11. Use Data Privacy Compliance Plugins

If you’ve been following along with this guide so far, then you already have a solid foundation for privacy compliance. But the tools you install on your website matter too.

The WordPress plugins you choose can either make compliance harder or give you built-in features that simplify the process.

Let’s look at one common example.

Tracking your visitors with analytics helps you improve your site and understand how people interact with your content. This might include tracking page views, link clicks, purchases, or time spent on each page.

But depending on your setup, analytics tools can also collect personal data—like IP addresses, geographic location, and behavioral profiles. That’s where things get tricky.

At WPBeginner, we use MonsterInsights to handle this responsibly. It includes settings to anonymize user data or disable user tracking when consent hasn’t been given.

These options help reduce your legal risk while still giving you the insights you need to grow your site.

Of course, analytics are just one part of the puzzle. Plugins like WPConsent and WPForms also help you manage cookie banners, collect data responsibly, and process requests like opt-outs and deletions.

You’ll find more options in our expert roundup of the best WordPress GDPR plugins.

12. Add a Comment Privacy Opt-in Checkbox

When someone leaves a comment on your WordPress site, they usually need to enter their name, email address, and possibly a website URL. That’s personal data, so it’s covered by privacy laws.

WordPress includes a privacy checkbox for comments by default. This gives users a chance to agree to the storage of their information before submitting a comment.

However, some themes use a custom comment form that might not include this checkbox by default.

If you don’t see the checkbox on your site, then it’s a good idea to add it manually. You can use a plugin like Thrive Comments or add some custom code to your website.

For step-by-step instructions, check out our guide on how to add a GDPR comment privacy opt-in checkbox.

Key Regulations Impacting WordPress Sites

WordPress privacy compliance often depends on which laws apply to your website, and that’s not always easy to figure out.

Some laws apply to specific locations. Others apply only if you collect a certain amount of data or meet a business-size threshold.

In this section, I’ll walk you through the most common privacy laws that affect WordPress site owners.

You don’t need to become a legal expert, but it’s helpful to know which rules you may need to consider so that you can take the right steps.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union (EU) law designed to give EU citizens more control over their personal data.

Simply put, you must get explicit, specific, and clear permission before collecting personal data from anyone living in the European Union.

You must also clearly tell EU residents where, why, and how you’ll process and store their data.

Under the GDPR, individuals also have the right to download their personal data and the “right to be forgotten.” This means they can ask you to delete their data at any time. 

For more information, our ultimate guide to WordPress and GDPR compliance is a must-read resource.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

The CCPA is a privacy law that gives California residents more control over their personal information. It allows them to see what data is collected, how it’s used, and who it’s shared with.

This law applies to for-profit businesses that meet at least one of these criteria:

• Have annual gross revenue over $25 million.
• Buy, sell, or share personal data from 100,000 or more California residents per year.
• Make at least 50% of their revenue from selling or sharing personal data.

It doesn’t matter where your business is located. If your WordPress site serves people in California and meets one of these thresholds, then the CCPA may apply.

The law also requires you to provide an opt-out for data sharing and to respond to requests to view or delete personal information.

You can learn more in our ultimate guide to CCPA compliance for WordPress.

The Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) – Saudi Arabia

Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) is a privacy law that sets clear rules for how businesses can collect, use, and store the personal data of Saudi residents.

Ignoring the PDPL carries substantial risks. Fines can reach up to SAR 5 million (about $1.3 million USD) per violation, and this amount can double for repeat offenses. 

If any of your customers or users live in Saudi Arabia, then you should check out our beginner’s guide to PDPL compliance. It shows you how to navigate this important law and avoid those steep fines.

The Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA)

The Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA) is designed to protect the personal information of Utah residents. 

Like some other privacy regulations, the UCPA’s reach extends beyond Utah’s borders. If your site targets users in Utah—for example, through marketing or services—then the law might apply, even if you’re located elsewhere.

However, don’t worry if you’re a smaller blog or website. Just like the CCPA, the UCPA is mainly aimed at larger businesses.

First, your business needs to operate in Utah or offer products or services targeting Utah residents. Next, your business must have an annual revenue of $25 million or more.

You’ll also need to meet at least one of these data thresholds: 

• Control or process the personal data of 100,000 or more Utah consumers annually.
• Get over 50% of your gross revenue from selling personal data and control or process data from 25,000 or more Utah consumers.

For more information, I recommend checking out our ultimate beginner’s guide to UCPA compliance in WordPress.

The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA)

The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) is a state-level privacy law. 

However, the VCDPA doesn’t apply to every single website. It’s another law that mainly targets big businesses.

In fact, you typically only need to comply with the VCDPA if your business meets one of these conditions: 

• You control or process the personal data of 100,000 or more Virginia consumers in a year.
• You control or process the personal data of at least 25,000 Virginia consumers and get more than 50% of your total income from selling personal data.

Our beginner’s guide to VCDPA compliance covers a lot of different tips on how you can comply with this law.

WordPress Privacy Compliance: Frequently Asked Questions

I know this is a lot to take in, especially if you’re just getting started with WordPress privacy compliance. So before we wrap up, I want to quickly answer some of the most common questions I hear from beginners.

These answers aren’t meant to replace legal advice, but they’ll help you understand what matters most when it comes to running a privacy-friendly WordPress site.

Do I need a privacy policy if my site doesn’t collect data? 

Yes, even if your site doesn’t seem to collect user data directly, it’s still a good idea to have a privacy policy.

That’s because your site may be collecting information in ways that aren’t immediately obvious. For example, your hosting provider might log visitor IP addresses, or third-party scripts could be tracking behavior in the background.

In those cases, having a privacy policy helps keep you on the safe side of the law.

It also shows your visitors that you’re being transparent, which can go a long way toward building trust.

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

Privacy laws can carry serious penalties if you don’t follow them.

Some regulations include fines of thousands or even millions of dollars. You may also be charged per violation.

For example, under the CCPA, penalties range from $2,500 to $7,500 for each affected user. That can add up fast if the issue affects a large number of people.

But money isn’t the only concern. If users find out their data wasn’t protected, they may lose trust in your site. That kind of damage is hard to repair and can lead to fewer visits, lower engagement, and lost sales.

How often should I review my website’s compliance?

It’s a good idea to review your website’s compliance at least once a year.

You’ll also want to check whenever a privacy law changes or a new one goes into effect. Staying proactive can help you catch small issues early and avoid bigger problems later.

I hope this ultimate guide to WordPress privacy compliance has helped you take the first steps towards creating a compliant site. Next, you may want to see our expert picks for the best security plugins to protect your site or our guide on how to know if your site uses cookies.

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.

The post The Ultimate Guide to WordPress Privacy Compliance first appeared on WPBeginner.

If you regularly collect form submissions in WordPress, then exporting that data manually can quickly become a chore. Whether you’re tracking leads, orders, or feedback, downloading all those entries one by one takes time, and it’s easy to miss something important.

Unfortunately, WordPress doesn’t offer a built-in way to auto export form entries. But with WPForms, I discovered that I could automate the entire process using their export tool—no need to install extra plugins or mess with custom code.

Instead of manually downloading CSV files or copying data from the dashboard, WPForms saves entries in clean, structured files on a schedule you can control.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to set up automatic form exports in WPForms so that your submissions stay organized without any extra effort.

Why Auto Export WordPress Form Entries?

Automatically exporting WordPress form entries lets you save and organize data from those form submissions without any manual effort.

Instead of logging in to download submissions every time someone fills out a form, you can automatically send the data to your email, cloud storage account, or another connected app.

It’s a simple way to keep everything sorted, backed up, and accessible, without having to think about it.

Most WordPress website owners rely on forms to collect leads, orders, feedback, or bookings. But once submissions start adding up, manually managing them takes more and more time. That’s where auto export becomes really useful.

With automatic exports, you can:

• Back up form entries to a location you control.
• Cut down on repetitive admin work.
• Keep your data organized and easy to access.
• Avoid missing or overlooking submissions.
• Simplify your reporting and follow-up process.

Once it’s running, auto export takes care of everything in the background, so you can focus on the work that actually moves your site forward.

Now, I’ll show you how to auto export form entries using WPForms:

How to Auto Export WordPress Form Entries

The best way to auto export WordPress form entries is by using WPForms, which is the best contact form plugin for WordPress.

It comes with a powerful Entry Automation addon designed exactly for this purpose.

Whether you want to email reports regularly, back up submissions to Google Drive, or automatically delete entries after they’re processed, this addon quietly handles everything in the background—no manual steps required.

At WPBeginner, we use WPForms ourselves to create all kinds of forms, from simple contact forms to our annual reader survey.

We’ve also tested all its features thoroughly and included them in our detailed WPForms review.

It’s one of those tools that just works and saves us time behind the scenes, which is why I confidently recommend it to beginners and pros alike.

Plus, getting started with it is quick and easy.

Step 1: Install and Activate the WPForms Plugin

First, you need to install and activate the WPForms plugin.

If you’re not sure how to do this, then we have a step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin to help you out.

Upon plugin activation, you have to activate your license key. To do this, go to the WPForms » Settings page in your WordPress dashboard and add your license key.

You can get this information from your account area on the WPForms website. This will unlock all the features available in your plan, including access to premium addons like Entry Automation.

Now that your license is active, head over to the WPForms » Addons page from your WordPress admin sidebar.

Here, look for the ‘Entry Automation Addon’ in the list. Once you find it, click the ‘Install Addon’ button to activate it on your website.

Step 2: Set Up the Form You’ll Use for Automatic Exports

Now that WPForms and the Entry Automation addon are active, it’s time to create the form with the entries you want to export automatically.

To get started, visit the WPForms » Add New page in your WordPress dashboard and a name for your form.

Then, you can either choose a premade template like a contact form, registration form, or feedback form—or build one from scratch using the drag-and-drop builder.

If you want to speed things up even more, WPForms includes an AI Form Builder that can generate a complete form for you in seconds.

All you have to do is type in a short prompt, like ‘a simple customer feedback form,’ and the AI will instantly create a form with the right fields, layout, and structure. I’ve tested this feature myself, and it works really well.

Now, you will be taken to the visual builder where you can easily customize your form by dragging fields from the left panel into your form layout on the right.

You can add fields like Name, Email, Dropdowns, Checkboxes, File Upload, and more based on the type of information you need to collect.

If you’d like more help building the right form, I’ve got you covered. At WPBeginner, we’ve written step-by-step tutorials to walk you through different form types:

• How to Create a Contact Form in WordPress (Step by Step)
• How to Create a User Registration Form in WordPress
• Beginner’s Guide to Creating an Online Order Form in WordPress
• Ways to Use Conditional Logic in WordPress Forms (Use Cases)
• How to Create a WordPress Form with Payment Options (Easy Way)

Once your form looks good, you can configure its confirmation email settings. Then, click the ‘Save’ button at the top to store your changes.

Step 3: Set Up Automatic Export for Your Form Submissions

Now that your form is ready, it’s time to automate your exports so that you don’t have to manually download form entries ever again.

To do this, switch to the Settings » Entry Automation tab in the WPForms builder. This is where you’ll manage everything related to automatic exporting and deleting entries.

To begin, click the ‘Add New Task’ button.

Once you do that, a prompt will open up, where you have to give a name to your task. I recommend choosing something clear like ‘Weekly Contact Form Export to Email’ so it’s easy to remember later.

This task will be like setting up a small workflow for your form. You can even create multiple tasks for one form, such as one task to send weekly email reports and another to back up entries to Google Drive.

After entering the name, click the ‘OK’ button to move forward.

Next, you’ll be asked to choose a task type.

WPForms gives you two options: Export Entries and Delete Entries. For now, you need to select the ‘Export Entries’ option.

You can always come back later and set up a deletion task if needed. For example, to automatically remove old submissions after 30 days.

After choosing to export entries, you’ll see a few settings related to how your export file should be named. You can type a name manually, but I recommend using Smart Tags.

These tags can automatically pull in things like the form name or the date, which helps keep your files organized without any extra work on your part.

Just click the Smart Tag icon to see your options and insert the ones that make sense for you.

Next, let’s talk about how your form entries will be exported and where they’ll end up. I recommend choosing your file format first — this determines how your data will be organized when it’s sent out.

WPForms gives you several file types to pick from, and each one has its own advantages:

• CSV – The default option, perfect for spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
• Excel (XLSX) – This format preserves basic styling and structure, making reports look cleaner and more professional right out of the box. I recommend this option if you plan to share the file directly with clients or non-techy people who use Microsoft Excel.
• PDF – Great for clean, printable summaries. I like this option when I want something polished to share in a meeting.
• JSON – Best suited for developers or users integrating the data into other systems or apps.

Once that is done, it’s time to decide where the exported file should go.

WPForms lets you automate this too, so you don’t have to manually send or upload anything. Here are your destination options:

• Email – Send the export to one or more email addresses.
• Google Drive – Save a copy of the export directly to your Google Drive account.
• Dropbox – Store the file in your Dropbox folder for easy sharing and access.
• FTP – Upload the export to a server using FTP. This option is designed for more advanced users or developers who need to send data to a custom application or a separate server.

Once you select your destination, WPForms will walk you through the connection steps.

For example, if you choose ‘Email’, then you will need to add the email address where the entries would be sent. On the other hand, if you choose Dropbox, then you will have to integrate it with WPForms.

However, you don’t need to worry, since the plugin makes the process super beginner-friendly. Just follow the steps on the screen.

Step 4: Choose Form Fields and Apply Entry Filters Before Exporting

After setting your export format and destination, scroll down to configure what data should be included in the export and whether you want to filter the entries.

First, you’ll see the ‘Entry Information’ section. This area is neatly divided into two parts: Form Fields and Additional Information, giving you full control over what gets shared.

Under ‘Form Fields’, you’ll see the actual fields from your form—like Name, Email, and Comment or Message. Just check the boxes for the fields you want to include.

If you’re exporting a longer form with multiple inputs, you can use the ‘Select All’ option to save time.

Then there’s the ‘Additional Information’ section. This includes extra details that WPForms tracks automatically, like Entry ID, Entry Date, Entry Notes, and Type.

You can select any combination of these fields to customize your export. I’ve found this especially useful if you only need a few key pieces of information for a weekly report or want to hide internal notes before sharing a file externally.

Below that is the ‘Filter’ section. This is where you can narrow down your export to include only the entries that meet certain conditions—for example, submissions from a certain date range or entries that include specific responses.

By default, WPForms sets the filter to ‘Any Field contains’, but you can customize this to narrow down entries based on specific form fields and values.

For example, if your contact form includes a dropdown like ‘Reason for Contact’, you could filter to only export entries where the reason is ‘Support Request’ or ‘Business Inquiry’.

This helps keep your exports focused on the types of messages you care about most.

You can also filter based on the status of the entry. WPForms lets you choose whether to include entries that are Published, Abandoned, or marked as Spam.

I recommend this filter if you want clean, finalized submissions in your export, or if you want to analyze incomplete or flagged messages separately.

Additionally, you can choose to export all contact form entries or just the new submissions since your last export. This is a useful option for automating reports without duplicating data.

Once you’ve chosen which fields and filters to apply, WPForms will tailor the export exactly to your needs.

Step 5: Schedule WordPress Form Entries Export

Once your export settings and filters are in place, the final step is to schedule when you want WPForms to run the export automatically.

For this, scroll down to the ‘Schedule’ section.

You can start by choosing how often the export should happen. You can set it to run daily, weekly, or monthly, depending on how often you need updates.

Next, pick the specific day(s) you want the export to run—like every Monday or the 1st of each month. You also need to add a start date and, optionally, an end date if you’re only exporting for a limited time.

WPForms will run the export at midnight by default, but you can customize the time of day to fit your team’s workflow or reporting schedule.

Once that’s done, the plugin takes care of the rest—automatically generating and sending the export file exactly as you configured.

Step 6: Add a Task to Delete Form Entries After Export (Optional)

Once your form is live and the automation is running, you can go one step further by setting up a separate task to delete the entries after they’ve been exported.

WPForms doesn’t bundle this into the export task itself. Instead, you’ll need to create a new task with the ‘Delete Entries’ option and configure it to run after the export.

Don’t forget to toggle the ‘Run After Previous Task’ switch to make sure the tasks run in sequence.

You can even drag to reorder the tasks, so deletion only happens once the data has been safely exported.

This is a great way to keep your WordPress database lean and prevent data bloat. A smaller database helps your site run smoothly and makes your website backups smaller and faster to complete.

It’s also a good data privacy practice. 

By not storing user data on your website longer than necessary, you reduce risk and can more easily comply with privacy regulations like GDPR.

Step 7: Monitor Everything from the Automation Dashboard

If you’re managing multiple forms or scheduling regular exports, then having a clear overview of all your automated tasks is a game-changer.

The Automation Dashboard in WPForms makes this easy by showing all active tasks in one place.

I found this incredibly helpful when testing the feature because it gave me instant visibility into what was running, when, and whether everything was working as expected.

You can access it by going to the WPForms » Tools » Entry Automation page, where you’ll be able to:

• View all forms with automation tasks configured.
• Review task types, schedules, and current status.
• Confirm whether export or delete tasks have run successfully.

It’s the simplest way to stay organized and ensure everything is running exactly as planned.

🔄 Bonus: Take Automation Even Further with Uncanny Automator

Automatically exporting data from your WordPress forms is just one way you can save time. I also recommend setting up more automated workflows with Uncanny Automator.

It is the best WordPress automation plugin and comes with built-in integration for WPForms, so you can trigger powerful workflows the moment someone submits a form.

While WPForms’ Entry Automation is perfect for managing the entries themselves (like exporting or deleting them), Uncanny Automator lets you use a form submission as a trigger to perform actions in other plugins or apps.

For example, you can automatically send a notification to Slack, create a new user account, enroll someone in a course, or even generate a WooCommerce coupon when someone fills out a form.

This can save you tons of time and streamline tasks that used to take hours. It’s a great way to level up your site’s automation without writing any code.

To get started, just see our tutorial on how to create automated workflows in WordPress with Uncanny Automator.

Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress Form Entries

Here are some questions that are frequently asked by our readers about auto exporting WordPress form entries:

What are the limitations of using email to auto export form data?

The main limitation is that the data isn’t stored in a central dashboard. Instead, it lives in your email inbox. That means you’ll need to manually sort, organize, or back up the data if you want to keep records long-term.

There’s also a higher risk of missing something important if your inbox gets cluttered.

In my experience, this setup works well for smaller sites or solo business owners who just want a quick way to check form entries without logging into WordPress.

But as your site grows, you might need something more scalable.

When that time comes, WPForms makes it easy to switch to cloud storage options like Dropbox or Google Drive, so your entries are always backed up and easy to manage.

Is there a way to stop form spam from being exported?

Yes. WPForms includes built-in spam protection tools like Google reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha, and its own smart honeypot feature that help block junk submissions before they ever reach your inbox.

On top of that, WPForms also has a form entry filter that ignores abandoned or partial form submissions. That means your exports only include complete and legitimate entries, which saves time and keeps your records clean.

For details, see our guide on how to block contact form spam in WordPress.

Can exporting form entries reduce database bloat?

Yes, this helps keep your database clean and optimized. When you export entries and then delete them from WordPress, you avoid unnecessary data buildup. This makes backups faster and your admin area more responsive.

Will auto-exporting form entries slow down my WordPress site?

No, auto-exporting form entries won’t affect your site’s speed if set up correctly.

The export process happens in the background, so visitors won’t notice any slowdown when submitting a form. Think of it like a scheduled task on your computer—it runs quietly at a set time without interrupting what you’re doing. 

I didn’t experience any performance issues during testing, even on a site with multiple forms running.

I hope this article helped you learn how to auto export WordPress form entries. You may also be interested in our beginner’s guide on how to create GDPR compliant forms in WordPress and our list of best practices for contact form page design.

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.

The post How to Auto Export WordPress Form Entries (The Easy Way) first appeared on WPBeginner.

A few years ago, I got my first data deletion request from a user. I’ll admit, I panicked a little. I knew I needed to respect their privacy rights, but I had no idea how to actually remove their data from my WordPress site without breaking anything.

That experience led me to discover something helpful: WordPress has built-in tools made for exactly this situation. Once you know where to find them, they make handling data requests surprisingly easy.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to use Export and Erase Personal Data tools in WordPress.

Whether you’re preparing for GDPR, building trust with your users, or just want to be ready for future requests, this tutorial will help you do it with confidence.

What is Personal Data?

Personal data is any information that can be used to identify a person, either directly or indirectly.

On a WordPress site, this includes obvious details like names, usernames, and email addresses.

These are often collected when someone creates an account on your website, submits a contact form, subscribes to your email newsletter using a plugin like WPForms, or leaves a comment on a blog post.

It also includes technical data like IP addresses, which can reveal a visitor’s general location. Analytics tools, comment systems, and security plugins often collect this by default.

Personal data can also include behavioral information, such as page views, session activity, or form responses that show user preferences. Even metadata—like the time someone submitted a comment or logged in—counts as personal data under most privacy laws.

All of this information can help build a profile of your users, which is why it’s important to manage it carefully.

Ready to learn how to export and erase user data in WordPress? Simply use the quick links below to jump to the section you want to read first:

How to Accept Data Export and Deletion Requests

If someone wants to access or delete their personal data, then you’ll need a simple way for them to send that request.

The easiest method is to add a form to your WordPress site that collects their name, email address, and any extra details you need to identify them.

I recommend using WPForms for this. It’s beginner-friendly and includes ready-made templates like ‘Right to Erasure Request Form’ and ‘Data Request Form’, so you don’t need to start from scratch.

WPForms includes drag-and-drop templates that make it easy to build your form without starting from scratch. You can customize the fields and publish the form in just a few clicks.

There is a WPForms Lite version that is 100% free to use. However, we’ll be using WPForms Pro in this guide because it comes with the ‘Right to Erasure Request Form’ and ‘Data Request’ templates.

First, you’ll need to install and activate WPForms Pro. If you need help, please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once the plugin has been activated, head over to WPForms » Settings in your WordPress dashboard.

From here, the first thing you have to do is enter your license key into the ‘License Key’ field. You can find this information in your WPForms account.

That done, head over to WPForms » Add New.

Here, type a name for your form into the ‘Name Your Form’ field.

Your site visitors won’t see the name, so it’s just for your reference.

Now, you’ll need to select the template you want to use.

In the search field, start typing in either ‘Right to Erasure Request Form’ or ‘Data Request’, depending on the kind of form you want to create.

When you find the template you want to use, simply click its ‘Use Template’ button.

This will launch WPForms’ drag-and-drop form builder.

Here, you’ll see a live preview on the right and form fields in the left-hand menu.

To customize any of the template’s built-in fields, simply click to select that field. The left-hand menu will then show all the settings you can use to customize it.

Want to add more fields to your form?

Just find the field you want on the left side of your screen and drag and drop it right into your form’s live preview.

For more detailed instructions, see our tutorial on how to create a contact form in WordPress.

Once you’re happy with your form, simply click the ‘Save’ button at the top to close the form builder.

Next, open the page or post where you want to add the form that you just created.

From here, click the add block ‘+’ button.

In the popup that appears, start typing in ‘WPForms.’

When the right block appears, simply click to add it to the page or post.

Once you’ve done that, you need to open the block’s dropdown menu and select the form you just created.

You can now publish or update this page as normal to make the form live on your site.

Now, simply repeat this process to create separate forms for data access requests and data erasure requests.

How to Monitor Data Access and Erasure Requests

Once your forms are live, you’ll need a way to track incoming data request submissions from your users.

Fortunately, WPForms makes this easy by storing every form entry in your WordPress dashboard.

To find these requests, just go to WPForms » Entries.

Simply click on the form you want to review.

You’ll now see a list of submissions, including any data access or erasure requests users have sent.

To stay compliant with privacy laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it’s important to review and respond to these requests promptly.

Now, I’ll show you how to export and erase personal data in WordPress.

How to Export Personal Data in WordPress

When someone requests a copy of their personal data, WordPress has a built-in tool that lets you export that information and send them a link to download it.

This step is required under privacy laws like the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL). It’s also a good way to build trust with your users by showing them exactly what data you’ve collected from them.

To begin, you need to go to Tools » Export Personal Data in your WordPress dashboard.

From here, you’ll enter the user’s email address or username and choose how to handle the request.

At this point, you have two options: you can either create the request directly in your WordPress dashboard, or you can send the user an email asking them to confirm that they want to export their data.

Let’s explore both options.

Option 1: Request Confirmation via Email

If you want to make sure the request is genuine, WordPress lets you send a confirmation email first. This is a good option when you’re unsure about the user’s identity.

To do this, check the box next to ‘Send personal data export confirmation email.’ Then click on ‘Send request.’

The user will receive an email with a confirmation link.

They simply need to click on it.

Then, they’ll see the following message:

“The site administrator has been notified. You will receive a link to download your export via email when they fulfil your request.”

WordPress will now notify you via email.

This email includes some basic information about the user who made the request.

You can click the link in this email to go straight to the Tools » Export Personal Data screen.

Here, you’ll see the user’s request is now marked as ‘Confirmed.’

To go ahead and process this request, click on ‘Send export link.’

With that done, the user will receive an email containing a link to download their data as a ZIP file.

Now, WordPress will mark the request as ‘Completed’ in your dashboard. The request will also appear in a separate ‘Completed’ tab, along with all your other completed data export requests. 

In this way, WordPress creates a complete record of all your completed requests. This means you can prove your compliance if you’re ever audited or someone questions your privacy practices. 

With that in mind, I recommend keeping a complete log. 

However, if you want to remove a completed request at any point, just click its ‘Remove Request’ link.

Option 2: Export the Data Immediately

Alternatively, you can create a data request directly in your WordPress dashboard without sending a confirmation email first.

This is helpful if you need to process the data request immediately or if you’re confident that the person making the request is genuine.

For example, they might use an email address that’s already linked to their account or contact you through a support channel where you’ve verified their identity.

In these cases, make sure to uncheck the box next to ‘Send personal data export confirmation email.’

Then, go ahead and click ‘Send request.’ 

This creates the request in your WordPress dashboard, with the status ‘Confirmed.’

To send this person an email with a link to download their data, just click ‘Send export link.’

You can see an example of how this email looks in the previous section.

As I mentioned before, WordPress will now mark this request as ‘Completed’ in your dashboard. Once again, this is proof that you acted on the visitor’s request, which will be invaluable if you ever need to prove your compliance. 

How to Erase Personal Data in WordPress

If someone asks you to delete their personal data, then WordPress has a built-in tool that helps you do that safely.

This step is required under privacy laws like the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), and it’s a key part of staying compliant with GDPR, PDPL, and other international regulations.

The process is similar to exporting data: you create a request, optionally confirm it by email, and then erase the data from your WordPress dashboard.

To begin, go to Tools » Erase Personal Data in your WordPress admin area.

In the ‘Username or email address’ field, just type in the email address or username of the person who has asked you to delete their personal data. 

At this point, you can either send a confirmation email to the user or go ahead and create the request in your WordPress dashboard.

Option 1: Send a Confirmation Email

To start, you can ask the user to confirm that they truly want to delete all their personal data.

Erasing a user’s data is a big step, so I suggest sending this email even if the request seems genuine because it gives the user a chance to change their mind.

To request confirmation, check the box next to ‘Send personal data erasure confirmation email.’

You can then click the ‘Send request’ button.

The user will now get an email about the data deletion request with a link to confirm that they want to delete their data.

If they click this link, they’ll see a screen with this message:

“The site administrator has been notified. You will receive an email confirmation when they erase your data.”

You will now get an email confirming that the user wants to erase their data.

To fulfil this request, either click the URL in the email or head back to the Tools » Erase Personal Data screen in your WordPress dashboard. 

On this screen, you’ll see the user’s name with a ‘Confirmed’ status.

To go ahead and delete this person’s data, click on ‘Erase personal data.’

As soon as that’s done, WordPress will send the user an email confirming that you’ve removed their data.

This email also includes a link to your privacy policy, so the person can get more information if they want. 

In your WordPress dashboard, this request will now be marked as ‘Completed.’

As I’ve already mentioned, having a record of these requests will be helpful if you’re ever audited. 

Option 2: Delete the Data Immediately

Alternatively, you can create an erasure request directly in the WordPress dashboard without sending a confirmation email first. 

This is useful if you need to act on a request straight away. It can also be handy when you’re confident that the request is genuine and the user definitely wants to delete all their personal data.

For example, you might get the request through a secure, verified login area on your membership site, which confirms the user’s identity.

In that case, make sure you uncheck the box next to ‘Send personal data erasure confirmation email.’ You can then go ahead and click on ‘Send Request.’

WordPress will now create this request in your dashboard and mark it as ‘Confirmed.’

To go ahead and process this request, click on ‘Erase personal data.’

Now, WordPress will send the person an email confirming that you’ve deleted their data.

As with data exports, WordPress will mark this request as ‘Completed.’

Ensure Your Site is Fully GDPR Compliant

Exporting and erasing personal data is an important step, but it’s not the only thing you need to do to make your WordPress compliant with different privacy laws.

To fully meet privacy standards like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you’ll also want to:

• Use GDPR-friendly plugins. You need to make sure the plugins you install handle personal data responsibly. You can start with our list of the best GDPR plugins for WordPress.
• Install a privacy compliance plugin. With a plugin like WPConsent, you can display cookie consent popups, record and manage user consent, and automatically block tracking scripts before users give their consent.
• Display a detailed privacy policy and cookie policy on your website. For details, see our guide on how to add a privacy policy in WordPress.

To see all our tips, you can read our complete guide to GDPR compliance in WordPress.

Bonus Tip: Create a Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Info Page

If your website gets visitors from California or other places with strict privacy laws, then you may have extra legal responsibilities. One of those is giving users a way to opt out of having their personal information sold or shared.

The easiest way to do this is by creating a “Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Info” page. This gives users a clear place to make opt-out requests and helps your site stay compliant with laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

Your opt-out page should include a short explanation of your data practices and a simple form where visitors can submit their request. And fortunately, it’s easy to create this page with WPConsent.

WPConsent also lets you log these requests for your records and include consent options in your cookie popup, making it a great all-in-one solution.

To see step-by-step instructions, check out our full guide: How to Create a Do Not Sell My Info Page in WordPress.

FAQs About Personal Data Management in WordPress

Knowing how to manage personal data isn’t just about legal compliance—it also helps build trust with your audience.

To make things easier, I’ve answered some of the most common questions WordPress users have about handling personal information.

I hope this guide has helped you learn how to export and erase personal data in WordPress. Next, you may want to see our expert picks of the best GDPR plugins to improve compliance, or our guide on how to keep personally identifiable info out of Google Analytics.

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.

The post How to Export and Erase Personal Data in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

July was a big month for WordPress, with major updates across AI, automation, and community initiatives. Several plugins rolled out real AI features right inside the dashboard, making content creation and SEO faster and easier.

On the community side, we saw exciting momentum. WordPress.org launched a new internship program for university students, WooCommerce introduced key accessibility improvements, and multilingual support expanded across popular tools.

In this edition of WPBeginner Spotlight, we’ll walk you through the biggest news, updates, and tools that stood out.

AIOSEO Launches Built-in AI Content Generator to Boost Content Creation 🪄

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) has launched a powerful AI Content Generator inside the WordPress editor. It’s designed to help you write faster, optimize your content, and overcome writer’s block.

The tool is integrated into the AIOSEO sidebar of the block editor, so you don’t need to switch between apps or tabs while writing.

You can use the AI generator to write optimized SEO titles and meta descriptions that improve click-through rates. It can also generate content sections like FAQs with schema or article summaries.

AIOSEO’s tool also helps with content promotion by generating tailored posts for Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. You can even rewrite specific sentences or entire paragraphs to better match your tone or target audience.

Additionally, the update includes support for llms.txt file, which is a new file that guides AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini to your most useful content. This can help them understand your site better and link back to it in their answers.

WPForms Launches Entry Automation—Your Form Data Now Manages Itself

WPForms has introduced Entry Automation, a new feature that lets you create automated, scheduled workflows for your form entries.

You no longer have to manage form data by hand. With Entry Automation, you can export or delete entries automatically based on your own rules.

You can create a custom schedule for each form and set actions to run daily, weekly, or monthly—even down to the exact day and time.

When exporting entries, you can use smart filters to choose exactly which data to include, based on form fields or status. The CSV file is then emailed to you automatically, so you never miss an important lead.

Entry Automation is a big time-saver if you manage leads, registrations, or surveys. It also keeps your database clean by removing old or unnecessary entries on a schedule you control.

Overall, Entry Automation is a powerful upgrade for anyone who relies on form data. It reduces manual work and keeps your submissions organized and consistent.

WordPress AI Building Blocks Introduced—MCP, SDKs, and Smart APIs for the Future of Publishing

The WordPress project has officially unveiled its plan for integrating AI directly into the platform. This new initiative introduces several “Building Blocks” that aim to create a unified, ethical AI framework across the WordPress ecosystem.

For developers, the AI team is releasing new AI Software Development Kits (SDKs). These toolkits will make it much easier to build powerful AI features into plugins and themes, while keeping the user experience consistent.

At the center of the framework are Smart APIs, which let WordPress connect to different AI services. This gives users the freedom to choose the models they want instead of being locked into one provider.

A key part of this is the Abilities API. It creates a shared language that helps AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude understand what your site can do—and even perform tasks like creating content or managing media for you.

The overall goal is to democratize AI for website owners by making powerful tools accessible to everyone while maintaining user control and open-source principles. These building blocks lay the foundation for what’s next, including AI-powered editing tools and smarter media management.

WPBeginner Turns 16 Years Old

This month, WPBeginner celebrated our 16th birthday. Since our website was founded in 2009 by Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner has grown into the largest free WordPress resource for beginners.

Over the years, the mission has stayed the same: make it easy for anyone to create a website with WordPress, regardless of their technical skill level.

To celebrate, WPBeginner hosted our biggest giveaway yet—offering over $20,000 in prizes. A total of 87 winners received premium WordPress plugins and tools to help grow their websites.

We’re deeply grateful 🙏 for the community support that’s helped WPBeginner grow and thrive. We look forward to sharing helpful tutorials, guides, and resources for many years to come.

Free Recurring Payments Now Available on WP Simple Pay —No Upgrade Needed

WP Simple Pay has made recurring payments available to all users by adding the feature to its free Lite version. This feature was previously limited to Pro users, but now anyone can create and manage subscriptions without upgrading.

This is a big update for small businesses, creators, and nonprofits that rely on recurring revenue but don’t need a full eCommerce setup. You can now accept donations, membership fees, or payments for ongoing services right from your WordPress site.

Setup is still simple. You can create a Stripe subscription plan with preset weekly, monthly, or yearly billing, then link it to a payment form on your site in minutes.

The update also adds new form templates and improved security, powered by Stripe’s Unified Payment Element (UPE). By unlocking this key feature, WP Simple Pay helps more users build sustainable revenue directly on WordPress.

WordPress Credits Program Brings University Students Into Open Source

WordPress.org has launched the WordPress Credits program, a new initiative designed to bring university students into the world of open-source development. It works like a structured internship, connecting students with experienced mentors to work on real WordPress projects.

Through this program, students from all fields of study can contribute to WordPress core, themes, plugins, and community teams while earning academic credit from their universities. This provides a clear pathway for young developers, designers, and writers to gain valuable real-world experience.

The pilot program was developed in partnership with the University of Pisa and has already attracted significant interest. Now, the WordPress Foundation is inviting more universities and educational institutions to join the initiative.

The program helps bring new talent into the open-source community. By building a steady pipeline of contributors, WordPress is investing in the project’s long-term growth and innovation.

Charitable Unlocks Square Donations and Donor Trust to Add Social Proof to Your Fundraising Campaigns

Charitable has rolled out two major updates to improve fundraising in WordPress. The plugin now includes a direct, built-in integration with Square, which offers another major payment gateway option for collecting donations.

It’s available to both Lite and Pro users and supports credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Because it’s part of the core plugin, there’s no need for a separate add-on, and performance is smoother, too.

The second new feature is DonorTrust, a tool designed to increase conversions using social proof. It displays small, real-time notifications on your site whenever someone makes a donation.

These non-intrusive popups are fully customizable and can be configured to show donor names, locations, and donation amounts. Seeing other people donate builds trust and adds urgency, making visitors more likely to give to your cause.

BuddyBoss App Now Supports 20+ Languages With Multilingual App Interface

BuddyBoss has made its mobile app more accessible to global communities by adding full multilingual support. App users can now switch the entire interface to their preferred language from profile settings, creating a more inclusive experience

The app automatically detects a user’s device language on first launch and includes built-in translations for over 20 languages, including Spanish, French, German, and Japanese. This covers all core interface elements, including buttons and navigation menus.

For community owners, this is a big step forward for international SEO. It’s especially helpful in regulated markets like the EU and Canada, where native-language support is often required. The feature is available to all BuddyBoss App users at no extra cost.

While the app interface is automatically translated, community owners can use WPML’s AI-powered services to translate custom content like pages and posts. This creates a fully localized experience and helps you connect with members around the world.

WPCode Just Made Custom Snippets Smarter—38 Tags and a New Import Tool

WPCode has enhanced its popular code snippets plugin with powerful new smart tags and a migration tool. The latest version adds 38 smart tags that let you insert dynamic information into your snippets.

These tags work like dynamic placeholders, helping you create personalized, context-aware content without writing complex PHP. That means your snippets are easier to reuse and adapt across your site.

The smart tags can pull data from popular plugins like WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, MemberPress, and All in One SEO. For example, you could automatically insert a product’s price or a post’s SEO title into a custom script.

The update also includes a new import tool specifically designed for users of the old Post Snippets plugin, which is no longer maintained. It helps you safely migrate your existing snippets to WPCode in just a few clicks.

SearchWP Adds Multiple Results Templates, Compatibility with Site Builders, and Promoted Search Ads

SearchWP has released a major update that gives site owners significantly more control over their website’s search results.

You can now create multiple search results templates to display different layouts for different types of content.

For example, you could show a grid layout for WooCommerce products, a list view for blog posts, and a unique design for documentation pages, all from the same search bar. This helps create a more intuitive experience for your visitors.

SearchWP has also improved compatibility with popular site builders like Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder, and Bricks. You can now use dedicated blocks for adding search forms and results pages directly within your favorite WordPress page builder, without needing to mess with shortcodes.

The update also adds Promoted Search Ads—a way to feature specific content at the top of search results for certain keywords. It’s like an internal ad system, great for highlighting products, cornerstone content, or special offers.

In Other News

• WPConsent now includes one-click geolocation-based consent settings with built-in templates for GDPR, CCPA, and more. It also lets you block custom scripts and iframes before consent, helping your site stay compliant across regions.
• Easy Digital Downloads Pro now includes built-in EU VAT handling, making compliance much easier for digital product sellers in the EU and UK. The update adds automatic tax rates, real-time VAT number validation at checkout, and integrated reporting tools.
• Tickets are still available for WordCamp US 2025 (August 26–29 in Portland, Oregon). Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn, network, and connect with WordPress professionals from around the world.
• Wholesale Suite now supports automatic invoicing and payment charging, which streamlines the checkout process for wholesale customers using Net 30/60/90 terms. It’s a big time-saver for managing recurring B2B payments.
• WooCommerce 10.0 was released on July 14 with major upgrades. These include WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility compliance, shareable checkout links, improved cart performance, and an experimental new Add to Cart block powered by the Interactivity API.
• WordPress 6.9 is on the proposed roadmap for release in December 2025. It will continue the focus on collaboration tools and design improvements introduced in earlier 6.x versions. Stay tuned for feature previews in the coming months.
• Formidable Forms now lets you embed dynamic graphs in emails and PDF reports—no JavaScript required. This new feature automatically converts interactive charts into images so that you can share visual data summaries easily.

New Plugins & Tools

• Envira Gallery CDN – A new service that automatically delivers your WordPress images through a Content Delivery Network (CDN). This makes your photo galleries load faster for visitors around the world.
• WPConsent (🔥trending) – The fastest growing WordPress cookie popup and compliance plugin. It allows you to easily manage cookie consent and privacy compliance on your WordPress website.
• User Comment Delete – Allows logged-in users to delete their own comments using a link next to their comment.

That’s a wrap for this month’s WPBeginner Spotlight! We hope you enjoyed catching up on the latest news and updates from the WordPress ecosystem.

Got a product launch, feature update, or cool project you think we should cover? Send us a message, and we might feature it in our next edition.

We’ll see you again next month with another round of WordPress news. Thanks for reading and being part of the WPBeginner family.

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.

The post WPBeginner Spotlight 14: From Entry Automation to AI Building Blocks – The Future of WordPress is Here first appeared on WPBeginner.

When I first learned about the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), I’ll admit I felt a bit overwhelmed.

As someone who’s managed WordPress sites for many years, the idea of learning yet another privacy law felt like a lot. But when I dug into it, I realized it’s more straightforward than it looks.

Still, I’ve seen plenty of site owners make compliance harder than it needs to be—either by overcomplicating the process or missing simple steps.

That’s why I created this guide. I’ll walk you through the VCDPA’s core requirements step by step and share the tools I use to improve WordPress compliance without getting overwhelmed by legal jargon.

What is the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA)?

The Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) is a state privacy law that gives Virginia residents more control over their personal data. This includes information that can identify someone directly or indirectly—like names, email addresses, IP addresses, or data collected through website forms or tracking tools.

Even if your business isn’t based in Virginia, the VCDPA might still apply to your WordPress site. What matters is whether you collect personal data from Virginia residents.

That said, the law doesn’t apply to every site. It’s mainly aimed at larger businesses and organizations.

Generally, you need to comply with the VCDPA if you:

• Control or process the personal data of 100,000 or more Virginia consumers in a calendar year, or
• Control or process the personal data of at least 25,000 Virginia consumers and get over 50% of your total revenue from selling personal data.

Keep in mind that the law also only applies to businesses or organizations operating for commercial purposes.

If your site fits one of those categories, then it’s essential to understand how the VCDPA works and what steps you need to take to stay compliant.

Why Should WordPress Users Care About VCDPA Compliance?

If your WordPress site falls under the VCDPA, then staying compliant helps you avoid potential penalties. The Virginia Attorney General enforces the VCDPA, and violations can lead to fines of up to $7,500 per incident.

Fortunately, you’ll usually receive a 30-day warning and a chance to fix the issue before any penalties are applied.

It’s also worth noting that consumers can’t directly sue you under this law. Only the Attorney General can take action, which adds a layer of protection, but doesn’t mean you should ignore compliance.

More importantly, showing that you care about user privacy helps build trust with your audience.

When visitors know you’re being transparent and responsible with their data, they’re more likely to stick around, sign up for your email newsletter, or make a purchase from your online store.

Simply put, staying compliant is not just a legal duty. It’s also a key part of building trust and achieving long-term success.

How VCDPA Affects Your WordPress Site

If your site is covered by the VCDPA, then you’re required to support several privacy rights for your visitors. That means making it easy for Virginia residents to control how their personal data is collected, used, and deleted.

As a WordPress site owner, here are the main rights you need to understand and support:

• The Right to Know: Visitors can ask what personal data you’ve collected about them.
• The Right to Correction: They can request that you fix any incorrect or outdated information.
• The Right to Opt-Out: Users can ask you not to sell or share their personal data with other companies.
• The Right to Data Portability: They can request a copy of their personal data in a format they can use elsewhere, like a ZIP file.
• The Right to Delete: Users can ask you to permanently delete the data you’ve collected about them.

Throughout this guide, I’ll show you how to support each of these rights using WordPress tools and beginner-friendly strategies.

How to Improve Your VCDPA Compliance in WordPress

VCDPA compliance may sound technical. But at its core, it’s about being transparent with your visitors and giving them control over their personal data.

As a WordPress site owner, there are practical steps you can take to meet these requirements. These include limiting how much data you collect, creating clear policies, and making it easy for users to opt out or request changes.

In this article, I will walk you through each part of the process. You can follow them step-by-step or jump to the parts that apply to your site using the links below:

Perform a Data Audit

The first step to VCDPA compliance is understanding how your website collects and stores personal data. That means reviewing the tools, plugins, and services you use—and documenting the information they gather.

To start, I recommend making a list of every WordPress plugin on your site, along with any third-party tools that interact with user data. This could include analytics platforms, form builders, or SEO tools.

Once you have that list, check what kind of personal information each tool collects. For example, if you’ve added a quote request form, you’ll want to record whether it asks for names, company details, or job titles.

To guide your audit, ask yourself:

• What personal data do I collect? This includes names, email addresses, IP addresses, payment details, and any other data submitted through forms or comments.
• Where is this data stored? Is it saved on your own server or sent to an outside service?
• Why am I collecting this information? The VCDPA says data must be “adequate, relevant, and reasonably necessary” for your stated purpose.
• How long do I keep it? You should only store personal data as long as it’s needed for its original purpose.
• Do I share this data with anyone? This includes service providers, third-party tools, or advertising networks. Be sure to note whether any of this data is used for targeted ads.

Once you’ve completed your audit, you’ll have a clear picture of what data you collect, where it’s stored, and what you need to adjust to meet VCDPA requirements.

Create a Data Compliance Record

After completing your data audit, the next step is to keep a written record of what you found. This document should explain the actions you’ve already taken to follow the VCDPA, along with any updates or fixes you made during your audit.

By creating this record, you’ll have clear proof that you take privacy seriously. That can be helpful if you’re ever audited or if someone asks about your compliance practices.

As you’ll see throughout this guide, it’s not enough to follow the VCDPA behind the scenes. You also need to be able to show that you’re doing things the right way.

Every business website is different, but I recommend running a new data audit and updating your records at least once per year.

You should also update your records any time you change how your site collects or uses personal data. For example, after installing a new plugin that collects user info, or when the law itself changes, it’s a good time to revisit your audit and notes.

Keeping this record up to date doesn’t take much time, and it’ll make compliance much easier in the long run.

Collect Less Data

The VCDPA says you should only collect personal data that’s “adequate, relevant, and reasonably necessary” to meet a specific goal.

In other words: don’t collect anything you don’t truly need.

This idea is known as data minimization. It means reviewing what you currently collect and looking for ways to reduce it. If a piece of information isn’t essential for your site to function—or for the task at hand—it’s better to leave it out.

After completing your data audit, carefully review all the information you collect. Ask yourself: “Do I truly need every single piece of information I’m asking for?”

If something isn’t necessary, remove it. The less data you collect, the easier it is to stay compliant, and the less you’ll have to manage when users make requests.

This approach also builds trust. By avoiding unnecessary questions, you show that you respect your visitors’ privacy and value their time.

Create a Privacy Policy

A privacy policy is a page on your website that clearly explains what personal data you collect, how you use it, and who you share it with.

Having a clear, up-to-date privacy policy is essential for VCDPA compliance. It helps visitors understand how their information is handled and directly supports the VCDPA’s Right to Know requirement.

To make things easier, WordPress includes a built-in tool for creating a privacy policy. You can find it by going to Settings » Privacy in your WordPress dashboard. 

Alternatively, you can use our own WPBeginner privacy policy page as a starting point. 

Just remember to change all mentions of ‘WPBeginner’ to your specific business or website name. 

Want more detailed instructions? We also have a complete, step-by-step guide on how to add a privacy policy in WordPress.

If your site already has a privacy policy, that’s great, but you’ll still need to review and update it to reflect the VCDPA.

In particular, make sure it covers the key rights your visitors have:

• Right to Know
• Right to Delete
• Right to Correction
• Right to Opt Out

You’ll also need to explain how users can act on those rights. For example, you might link to a contact form where visitors can request access to their data, or provide steps for updating their profile information.

Finally, don’t forget to keep your privacy policy up to date. This ensures it always reflects your current data practices and any changes to the VCDPA.

Add a Cookie Popup

Many websites use cookies to track user behavior, display ads, or measure analytics. If your site does this, the VCDPA expects you to inform users and give them a way to opt out.

Unlike the GDPR, which requires visitors to actively agree before data is collected, the VCDPA follows an opt-out model. That means you can often collect data by default—as long as users are told what’s being collected and can say no if they want to.

One of the simplest ways to meet this requirement is by adding a cookie popup. A good popup should explain what types of cookies your site uses, what data is being collected, and how that information is used. It should also give users a clear way to opt out.

I recommend using WPConsent for this. It’s the same plugin we use on WPBeginner to manage cookie banners and user consent.

It works well for WordPress beginners and is actively updated to follow privacy laws like the VCDPA, GDPR, and CCPA.

You can also find a free version of WPConsent in the WordPress plugin directory.

To get started, simply install and activate the plugin.

After you activate it, WPConsent will automatically scan your site for active cookies. It will then record all the cookies it finds. 

Next, WPConsent’s setup wizard will help you change how your cookie popup looks. You can adjust the layout, the text size, button styles, colors, and even add your own custom logo. 

As you make changes, WPConsent will show a live preview. This lets you see exactly how the banner will look on your WordPress website. 

When you’re happy with how everything is set up, just save your changes. The cookie banner will then appear on your WordPress website, helping you comply with the VCDPA.

For more detailed instructions, see our full guide on how to add a cookie popup in WordPress.

Write a Separate Cookie Policy 

A cookie popup is a good starting point, but it’s also smart to create a dedicated cookie policy.

This separate page gives visitors more detail about how your site uses cookies. That way, they can better understand what personal information you collect and how it’s used.

In your cookie policy, you should list all the different types of cookies you use on your site. For example, you might use essential cookies (required for your site to work), analytics cookies (to measure website traffic), or marketing cookies (for advertising).

You should also explain what each type of cookie does. For example, some cookies might track user behavior or deliver targeted ads.

It’s also a good idea to describe what kinds of personal data each cookie collects. This might include a visitor’s IP address, device type, or browsing activity.

To build trust, keep your cookie policy easy to understand. This means you should avoid technical terms or legal words that are hard to follow. Instead, use clear and direct language that anyone can read.

Once your cookie policy is written, make sure it’s easy to find. I recommend linking to it from your footer and your cookie popup, as well as your main privacy policy.

Luckily, a tool like WPConsent can do much of this for you. 

As you saw earlier, when you first install WPConsent, it automatically scans your site and identifies any active cookies.

To do this, go to WPConsent » Settings. 

In the plugin’s settings, choose the page where you want to display the cookie policy.

WPConsent will then add this policy to your chosen page. It’s that simple. 

If you’re using WPConsent to display a cookie popup, then visitors can now access this policy directly from the popup itself.

They just need to select the ‘Preferences’ button. 

From there, they can click the ‘Cookie Policy’ link. 

WPConsent will then take them straight to the correct page.

Block Third-Party Scripts

One of the most challenging things about VCDPA compliance is that it also covers external tracking tools. These include popular services like Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel.

The reason for this is simple: these tracking tools often collect visitor data. Under the VCDPA, you’re responsible for managing how these third-party tools collect, store, and use that personal information.

You also need to give visitors a way to stop these tools from tracking them if they choose.

So, how do you control tracking scripts from other companies? There’s an easy answer: automatic script blocking.

The VCDPA generally allows the use of tracking tools unless a visitor opts out, especially when used for targeted advertising. But a best practice for building user trust is to block tracking scripts until the visitor opts in.

This approach goes beyond VCDPA requirements and also helps you comply with stricter laws like GDPR. With this feature, scripts won’t load until the visitor explicitly agrees.

It also provides visitors with the information they need to understand what they’re agreeing to before you collect any data. This helps you meet the VCDPA’s Right to Know rule.

Plus, you’re getting a head start on complying with other privacy laws like Europe’s GDPR, which does require opt-in consent. It’s a great way to make your website’s privacy practices strong all around. 

Fortunately, WPConsent has an automatic script blocking feature that works out of the box.

Simply activate the plugin, and it will find and block common tracking scripts automatically. This includes tools like Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Facebook Pixel. Even better, WPConsent does this without breaking your site.

As soon as a visitor gives their consent, WPConsent will run the blocked script. This provides a very smooth user experience because the page does not need to reload.

Track and Log Visitor Consent

Even if you follow all the VCDPA rules, regulators might still question how you handle data or even audit your site.

If this happens, you’ll need to prove that you’re respecting your audience’s choices. That’s why it’s important to keep a detailed record of user consent.

WPConsent makes this easy by automatically logging each user’s consent. It saves all the important details, including the user’s IP address, their consent choices, and the exact date and time they made those choices.

You can see this information at any time by going to WPConsent » Consent Logs in your WordPress dashboard.

Need to share this information with an auditor or team member? You can export it from your WordPress dashboard in just a few clicks.

To do this, just click the ‘Export’ tab. Then, enter the ‘From Date’ and ‘To Date’ for the export. This creates a CSV file, ready for you to share with auditors, customers, and anyone else who needs access.

Provide an Easy Opt-Out for Data Sales

Under the VCDPA, if your site sells or shares personal data, then you must give visitors a way to opt out.

The easiest way to do this in WordPress is with WPConsent’s Do Not Track add-on. Despite its name, it gives you exactly what you need to meet the VCDPA’s opt-out of sale requirement.

To get started, go to WPConsent » Do Not Track » Configuration inside your WordPress dashboard. 

WPConsent will then guide you through the steps to install this add-on and create a ‘Do Not Track’ form. 

Once it’s active, visitors can fill out a simple form to opt out of the sale or sharing of their data.

Even better, WPConsent stores all opt-out requests directly on your website in a secure table. That way, you keep full control over sensitive data instead of depending on external services.

It also logs each request automatically, giving you built-in proof of compliance in case of an audit.

Support the ‘Right to Delete’

As I mentioned earlier, the VCDPA gives users the right to ask you to delete their personal data.

There are different ways to handle these requests, but the easiest is to add a ‘data erasure’ form to your site.

This is where WPForms can help. It’s a user-friendly form builder that lets you create all kinds of forms using a drag-and-drop editor.

When it comes to fulfilling the VCDPA’s ‘Right to Delete’, WPForms comes with a ready-made Right to Erasure Request Form template.

This provides a strong starting point, so you can add this important form to your site quickly and easily. 

After installing WPForms, you can customize the Right to Erasure Request Form template in a user-friendly editor. This makes it easy to add, remove, and change the default fields.

When you’re happy with how the form is set up, you can add it to your site using either a shortcode or the WPForms block. 

Finally, you’ll want to make sure visitors can find this form easily. I recommend linking to it from your privacy policy or even embedding the form directly on your privacy policy page.

WPForms also includes an entry management system that lets you filter form submissions and act on new deletion requests right away.

To review your entries, go to WPForms » Entries in the WordPress dashboard. 

You’ll now see all the different forms you’ve created. Simply find the data erasure form and give it a click.

WPForms will now display all your ‘delete data’ requests.

To process these requests, you can use WordPress’s built-in ‘Erase Personal Data’ tool, which lets you delete user information with just a few clicks.

To begin, go to Tools » Erase Personal Data. 

In the ‘Username or email address’ field, type in the user’s name or email.

This tool also has a ‘Send personal data erasure confirmation email’ setting. You can use it to let the user know you’ve deleted their data.

For full VCDPA compliance, you’ll also need to delete this data from any other tools or services where it’s stored.

By creating this clear process, you are making it easy for users to exercise their ‘Right to Delete,’ which is a core part of VCDPA compliance.

Handle Data Access Requests Efficiently

Under the VCDPA, visitors have two related rights: the right to access their data and the Right to Data Portability. This means they can request a copy of their personal data in a format that’s easy to use.

The good news is you can handle these requests the same way you manage data deletion.

To start, you can add a data access form to your site using WPForms. It includes a ready-made Data Request template designed to collect all the information needed to identify the user in your records.

After adding this form to your site, WPForms will automatically record and show all access requests directly in your WordPress dashboard.

That way, you can view and respond to new requests as they arrive.

To review these requests, just go to WPForms » Entries. 

Here, select your data request form. WPForms will then show all the entries for this form.

WordPress also includes a built-in Export Personal Data tool. You can use this to get all known data for any user, conveniently packaged as a .zip file. 

To create this file, go to Tools » Export Personal Data in your WordPress dashboard.

You can then type in the person’s username or email address to find the correct record.

Then, simply share the .zip file with the person who made the request.

Support the ‘Right to Correction’

Under the VCDPA, people can ask you to correct or update their personal data if it’s wrong or incomplete. 

This might happen after a user requests and reviews a copy of their personal data. Or, some visitors may contact you directly if their information changes.

For example, they might move to a new address, get a new phone number, or want to update other details they previously shared with you.

As with the other user rights, the easiest way to comply with the VCDPA is by adding a form to your site. And once again, WPForms has a ready-made template designed for this exact task.

The Personal Information Form Template comes with a built-in ‘Update Existing Record’ checkbox. Users can check this box to show they’re sending information to update a profile you already have for them.

This means you’ll immediately know why the user submitted this form. 

This template comes with many essential fields already included, such as legal name, preferred nickname, email address, home phone, and cell phone.

However, every website stores different kinds of information, so you may need to customize the form to collect additional details.

In that case, you can simply open the template in the WPForms editor. Here, you can add more fields to the form using simple drag-and-drop.

You can then fine-tune these fields using the left-hand panel. Just repeat these steps until the form collects all the information your users might want to edit.

With that done, you can publish the form on your site as normal.

Don’t forget to make your correction form easy to find on your site. I recommend adding a link in important places, such as your website’s footer or privacy policy.

Remember that WPForms shows all form entries directly in your WordPress dashboard. This makes it easy to spot data correction requests as they come in.

How you update a user’s information will depend on the tools and software your site uses. For example, you might need to update a record inside your customer relationship management (CRM) app or email management software.

If the data is stored directly in WordPress, go to Users » All Users in your dashboard.

Here, find the user profile you need to update and click its ‘Edit’ link. 

You will now see all the essential information WordPress has stored for that user.

From here, you can make any necessary changes and then save the user’s updated profile.

FAQs About VCDPA Compliance in WordPress

VCDPA compliance can seem overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t have to be.

To help you out, here are some of the most common VCDPA questions we hear at WPBeginner.

These answers cover the key parts of VCDPA compliance, clear up common concerns, and show you how to stay on the right side of the law.

What Is VCDPA and How Does It Affect My WordPress Site?

The VCDPA is a privacy law that gives Virginia residents more control over their personal data.

If your WordPress site handles personal data of Virginia residents and meets certain thresholds (such as processing the data of 100,000 or more consumers), then you must follow the VCDPA in order to avoid penalties. 

How Does VCDPA Differ From GDPR?

Both the VCDPA and GDPR focus on protecting personal data. However, the VCDPA applies specifically to residents of Virginia. 

It also has some unique rules not found in GDPR. For example, VCDPA generally uses an ‘opt-out’ approach for most data collection. This means you can collect data unless a user specifically tells you not to. 

Meanwhile, the GDPR typically requires an opt-in, which means you need to get the user’s clear agreement before collecting their data. 

That’s why it’s important to understand which privacy laws apply to your site.

What Should I Do If I Receive a Data Request (Like a Right to Delete Request)?

If you get a request from a Virginia resident to access, delete, or correct their personal data, you must respond as soon as possible, but in all cases within 45 days.

This period may be extended once by another 45 days when reasonably necessary, as long as you inform the consumer within the first 45-day window.

This means confirming the request, providing the requested data, and taking the correct action, like deleting that data.

Since you’re on a deadline, it’s important to have a clear process for handling these requests.

How Do Small Websites Handle VCDPA Compliance?

Smaller websites may need to comply if they meet the VCDPA thresholds for processing Virginia consumer data. This means they:

• Process the personal data of 100,000 or more Virginia consumers in a year, OR
• Process data of at least 25,000 consumers and get over 50% of their total income from selling that data.

If your site qualifies, here’s how you can start working toward compliance:

• Setting up plugins to help with privacy management, such as cookie consent tools and form plugins for collecting data requests.
• Avoid collecting unnecessary data, and stick to data minimization.
• Ensure all data collection methods follow the VCDPA rules.
• Keep your privacy and cookie policies up to date so they reflect your current practices.

Even if you’re running a smaller site, having the right tools and processes in place can make VCDPA compliance much easier and help you build trust with your audience along the way.

Additional Resources for Privacy Compliance

Complying with privacy laws isn’t a one-time task. You’ll need to continue learning and working on your site to remain in line with the law.

With that said, here are some resources to help you on that journey:

• How to Add a Privacy Policy in WordPress – This guide shows you how to create a privacy policy that meets VCDPA standards. You’ll also find tools and templates that you can use to create a privacy policy that covers all legal requirements. 
• Best WordPress Security Plugins to Protect Your Site – Our top pick of the best plugins for keeping users and their personal information safe.
• Beginner’s Guide to PDPL Compliance – Do some of your visitors or users live in Saudi Arabia? If so, then you need to comply with another important privacy law: the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL).
• The Ultimate Guide to WordPress and CCPA Compliance – While the CCPA  shares some goals with VCDPA, it has different requirements for businesses and consumer rights. This guide has all the information you need to understand those differences.
• UCPA Compliance in WordPress: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide – This resource helps you understand the Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA) and how it differs from the VCDPA. 

I hope this beginner’s guide to VCDPA compliance for WordPress websites has helped you understand this important privacy law. Next, you may want to see our expert picks for the best GDPR plugins to improve compliance, or see our guide on how to keep personally identifiable info out of Google Analytics. 

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.

The post Beginner’s Guide to VCDPA Compliance in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

Last month, I noticed crawlers from companies like OpenAI and Google in my website analytics. My first reaction was concern: Was my content being scraped without my permission? I also worried that too many requests from AI or search crawlers might slow down my site for visitors.

But then I started thinking: What if I could actually turn this into an opportunity? What if I could guide AI tools—like ChatGPT—to the content I want them to see?

That’s when I discovered something called llms.txt. It’s a new file format designed to help large language models (LLMs) understand which pages on your site are most useful. This can improve how your content shows up in AI-generated answers and even help your site get mentioned as a source.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to create an llms.txt file using a plugin or a manual method. Whether you want more AI visibility or simply more control, this is a great way to start shaping how AI interacts with your content.

What Is an llms.txt File and Why Do You Need One?

An llms.txt file is a new proposed standard that gives AI tools like ChatGPT or Claude a structured list of the website content you want them to use when generating answers.

This file lets you point to your most helpful posts, tutorials, or landing pages—content that’s clear, trustworthy, and AI-friendly.

Think of it like a welcome mat for AI. You’re saying: “If you’re going to use my site in your answers, here’s what I recommend you look at first.”

The file itself lives at the root of your site (like example.com/llms.txt) and is written in plain Markdown. It can include links to your sitemap, cornerstone content, or anything else you’d want cited.

Including your sitemap ensures AI tools can find a complete index of your site—even if they don’t follow every link listed individually.

This is part of a broader approach called Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). You might also hear it called LLM seeding, AI content optimization or AI search visibility. The idea is to help AI models give better answers—and increase the chances of your site being linked as a source.

Just keep in mind that llms.txt is still an emerging format. Not all AI companies support it yet, but it’s a smart step if you’re looking to shape your content’s role in AI search results.

llms.txt vs. robots.txt: What’s the Difference?

You might be wondering how llms.txt compares to robots.txt, since both files deal with bots and visibility.

The key difference is this:

• robots.txt tells crawlers what they’re allowed to index and cache.
• llms.txt gives AI models a curated list of the content you want them to reference when generating AI-powered answers.

Here’s a side-by-side look:

For a complete AI strategy, you can use both files at the same time. You can use llms.txt to welcome the AI bots you want, while using robots.txt to block the ones you don’t.

My guide will show you how to use both files to manage your AI content strategy. You can use the quick links below to jump to the method that best fits your strategy:

Method 1: Create an llms.txt File Using AIOSEO (Recommended)

The easiest way to create an llms.txt file in WordPress is by using the All in One SEO plugin (AIOSEO). I recommend this method because it does all of the work for you.

It automatically creates a helpful llms.txt file that guides AI crawlers to your content, and it keeps the file updated as you add new posts and pages.

Step 1: Install and Activate AIOSEO

First, you’ll need to install and activate the AIOSEO plugin.

For a full walkthrough, you can see our step-by-step guide on how to properly set up All in One SEO.

The great news is that the llms.txt feature is enabled by default in all versions of AIOSEO, including the free version.

However, since we’re talking about taking full control of your content and SEO, it’s worth mentioning a few powerful features you get if you upgrade to the AIOSEO Pro license.

While you don’t need these for llms.txt, they are incredibly helpful for growing your website traffic:

• Advanced Rich Snippets (Schema): The Pro version gives you more schema types, which helps you get those eye-catching rich results in Google (like reviews, recipes, or FAQs). Adding schema markup can also help your content appear in AI search.
• Redirection Manager: This tool makes it easy to redirect bots or users from certain pages, fix broken links, and track 404 errors. It gives you more control over how both visitors and crawlers navigate your site.

So, while the llms.txt feature is free, upgrading gives you a much more powerful toolkit for managing and growing your website’s presence.

Step 2: Verify Your llms.txt File

Because this feature is turned on by default, there’s nothing you need to do to set it up. AIOSEO is already helping guide AI bots for you.

You can see the settings by navigating to All in One SEO » General Settings and clicking the ‘Advanced’ tab.

Here, the ‘Generate an LLMs.txt file’ toggle is on by default.

When you click the ‘Open LLMs.txt’ button, you’ll see that the file is a list of links to your content.

This is exactly what you want for GEO. It’s a clear signal to AI bots that you are welcoming them and have provided a helpful guide for them to follow.

Just keep in mind that llms.txt is not an enforceable rule—AI tools may or may not choose to follow it.

Method 2: Create an llms.txt File Manually

If you prefer not to use a plugin, then you can still create a helpful llms.txt file manually. This approach involves creating a text file with a list of links to your most important content.

Step 1. Create a New Text File

First, you need to open a plain text editor on your computer (like Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on Mac).

Create a new file and save it with the exact name llms.txt.

Step 2. Add Your Content Links

Next, you need to add links to the content you want AI bots to see. The goal is to create a simple, clear map of your site using markdown headings and lists.

While you can just list your most important URLs, a best practice is to organize them into sections. You should always include a link to your XML sitemap, as it’s the most efficient way to show bots all of your public content.

Then you can create separate sections to highlight your most important posts and pages.

Here is a more structured template you can copy and paste into your llms.txt file. Just be sure to replace the example URLs with your own:

# My Awesome Website

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://example.com/sitemap.xml)

## Key Pages

- [About Us](https://example.com/about-us/)
- [Contact Us](https://example.com/contact/)

## Key Posts

- [Important Guide](https://example.com/important-guide/)
- [Key Article](https://example.com/key-article/)

Step 3. Upload the File to Your Website

Once you’ve saved your file, you need to upload it to your website’s root directory. This is usually named public_html or www.

You can do this using an FTP client or the File Manager in your WordPress hosting dashboard. Simply upload the llms.txt file from your computer into this folder.

Step 4. Verify Your File Is Live

Finally, you can verify that your file is working correctly by visiting yourdomain.com/llms.txt in your browser.

You should see the list of links you just created.

Bonus: How to Block AI Bots Using Your robots.txt File

While using llms.txt to guide AI bots is great for GEO, you may decide you want to block them instead. If your goal is to prevent AI companies from using your content for training, then the official method is to add rules to your robots.txt file.

The robots.txt file is a powerful tool that gives instructions to web crawlers. For a complete overview, I recommend our full guide on how to optimize your WordPress robots.txt file.

Method 1: Edit robots.txt Using the AIOSEO Plugin (Recommended)

If you already use All in One SEO, this is the safest and easiest way to block AI bots. The plugin has a built-in robots.txt editor that prevents you from making mistakes.

First, navigate to All in One SEO » Tools in your WordPress dashboard. From there, find and click on the ‘Robots.txt Editor’ tab.

First, you need to click the toggle switch to enable custom robots.txt.

Then you will see an editor where you can add your custom rules. To block a specific AI bot, you need to add a new rule by clicking the ‘Add Rule’ button. Then you can fill in the fields for the User-agent (the bot’s name) and a Disallow rule.

For example, to block OpenAI’s bot, you would add:

User-agent: GPTBot
Disallow: /

You can add rules for as many bots as you like. I’ve included a list of common AI crawlers at the end of this section.

Once you’re done, just click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Method 2: Edit robots.txt Manually via FTP

If you don’t use a plugin, you can edit the file manually. This requires you to connect to your site’s root directory using an FTP client or the File Manager in your hosting account.

First, find your robots.txt file in your site’s root folder and download it. Do not delete it.

Next, open the file in a plain text editor. Add the blocking rules you want at the end of the file.

For example, to block Google’s AI crawler, you would add:

User-agent: Google-Extended
Disallow: /

After you save the file, upload it back to the same root directory, overwriting the old file.

Common AI Bots to Block

Here is a list of common AI user agents you might want to block:

• GPTBot (OpenAI)
• Google-Extended (Google AI)
• anthropic-ai (Anthropic / Claude)
• CCBot (Common Crawl)

You can add a separate block of rules for each one in your robots.txt file.

FAQs About llms.txt and robots.txt in WordPress

I often get questions about managing AI crawlers. Here are some of the most common ones.

1. Will adding an llms.txt file affect my website’s SEO?

No, creating an llms.txt file won’t affect your regular SEO rankings. Search engines like Google still rely on your robots.txt file and other SEO signals to decide what gets indexed and ranked.

llms.txt is different. It’s designed for AI tools, not search engines, and is used to support Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). While it may help AI models better understand and cite your content, it doesn’t influence how your site appears in traditional search results.

2. Will using an llms.txt file help me get more traffic from AI?

No, using an llms.txt file isn’t a guaranteed way to get more traffic from AI tools. It can help by pointing language models like ChatGPT to content you want them to see—but there’s no promise they’ll use it or link back to your site.

llms.txt is still new, and not all AI platforms support it. That said, it’s a smart step if you want more control over how your content might be used in AI-generated answers.

3. What is the difference between llms.txt and robots.txt?

An llms.txt file acts like a guide for AI models, pointing them to the content you want them to see—your most helpful posts, tutorials, or pages. It’s meant to improve your GEO strategy by highlighting what’s worth citing.

In contrast, a robots.txt file is used to block search crawlers and AI tools from accessing specific parts of your site. You use llms.txt to say “look here,” and robots.txt to say “don’t go there.”

Final Thoughts on Managing Your Content’s Future

The world of AI and Generative Engine Optimization is changing fast. So, I recommend checking in on your strategy every few months.

A bot you block today could be a major source of traffic tomorrow, so being ready to adapt is key. You can always switch from blocking to guiding (or vice-versa) as your business goals evolve.

I hope this guide has helped you make an informed decision about the future of your content in the world of AI. If you found it useful, you might also like our other guides on growing and protecting your site:

• Beginner’s Guide to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) for WordPress
• How to Optimize Your WordPress robots.txt for SEO
• Ultimate WordPress SEO Guide for Beginners (Step by Step)
• The Ultimate WordPress Security Guide (Step by Step)

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.

The post What Is llms.txt? How to Add llms.txt in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

Justin Ferriman didn’t set out to build one of the most successful WordPress plugins of all time. In fact, he didn’t even consider himself a developer.

But with a deep background in eLearning and a sharp eye for market opportunities, he turned a gap in the WordPress ecosystem into a multi-million-dollar business.

LearnDash, the popular learning management system (LMS) plugin for WordPress, wasn’t born in a startup environment. Instead, it came from a hotel room, a blog with a signup form, and a simple idea: “What if WordPress could power online courses?”

“I was more scrappy and I knew the industry better … I was an eLearning expert, so I was able to speak the language, be more pointed in my marketing, and then also move a little bit quicker… that was a big part of why we did so well.”

Justin Ferriman – Founder of LearnDash

In this interview, Justin shares how he went from blogging about eLearning in his spare time to building a global product used by course creators, universities, and Fortune 500 companies.

His story is a masterclass in market research, consistent marketing, and paying close attention to your customers. Keep reading to learn all about it!

Video Interview with Justin Ferriman

If you’d like to check out our full interview with Justin Ferriman, you can watch it below:

Otherwise, you can use the links below to read more:

🙋 Meet Justin Ferriman: From eLearning Consultant to WordPress Founder

Before founding LearnDash, Justin Ferriman didn’t work in tech, and he definitely didn’t consider himself a developer.

His career began in the corporate eLearning world, where he helped Fortune 500 companies and U.S. government agencies build online training programs.

He first started using WordPress in college to blog about politics and religion.

Later, he tinkered with themes and plugins to build simple websites for family members.

But it wasn’t until years later that those skills and interests would come together in a meaningful way and help him achieve his dream of leaving the corporate world.

💡 Early Days: A Corporate Consultant Finds a Market Gap

Due to his background in eLearning consulting, Justin had deep insight into how organizations think about LMS tools – and what they find frustrating.

One day, after a client meeting, he started wondering if WordPress could be used to build a more flexible LMS. He searched the plugin directory, but nothing came up.

“I kind of googled WordPress LMS. I went to the plugin repo, there was nothing.”

Justin Ferriman

Sensing an opportunity, Justin started a blog in 2012 to explore the idea of building an LMS on WordPress.

The blog was mostly about trends in online education and instructional design.

During his free time, often in hotel rooms while traveling for work, Justin covered eLearning topics that were cutting edge at the time, like gamification.

And he added one important detail, a call-to-action at the top that said: “Enter your email to be notified when WP LMS releases.”

“I didn’t know if I was going to create it, but I just put this up there, and I started getting people signing up.”

Justin Ferriman

Visitors started subscribing to learn more about a piece of software that didn’t even exist yet.

First a few, then dozens, and eventually over a thousand.

“After getting like 1,000 or 1,500 people, I was like, this is something serious.”

Justin Ferriman

At WPBeginner, we’ve seen many successful founders start this way: testing an idea through consistent content and building an audience before there’s even a product.

It’s one of the smartest ways to validate demand, because you’re growing in public.

So, for Justin, the feedback was clear. People wanted what he was imagining. Now, he just had to build the first WordPress LMS.

🚀 Betting on the Idea: A Midnight Launch and Early Momentum

Encouraged by the response, Justin began outlining how the product should work. He wasn’t a developer, so he created detailed specs and hired an agency to bring the vision to life.

In January 2013, LearnDash launched at midnight.

“I launched my product at like, midnight… I woke up to thousands of dollars.”

Justin Ferriman

Still, the early days weren’t all smooth sailing.

Justin watched sales go down after the initial launch buzz. But then, on an ordinary weekday, things shifted.

“One day in March, I made $690 with no promotion. That’s when I knew – if I can do that without giving it full-time attention, imagine what could happen if I did.”

Justin Ferriman

Four months after launch, Justin left his corporate job to fully dedicate his time to growing LearnDash.

📈 Scaling Smart: Letting Go and Leveling Up

At first, Justin handled everything: marketing, support, and strategy. That hands-on approach helped him deeply understand his customers.

It also gave him direct insight into the pain points that needed fixing, both in the product and the messaging. “It created a connection between me and the customer”, Justin told us.

But over time, that level of involvement became a bottleneck. So Justin did what many solo founders struggle with – he started to delegate.

“I tell people now, hire quicker than I did.”

Justin Ferriman

Letting go of support tasks allowed him to focus on big-picture strategy, like the release of LearnDash 3.0 in 2019.

With more space to focus, he led one of LearnDash’s biggest product updates: version 3.0. This release was about more than features. Instead, it reflected a deeper understanding of how people learn online.

He introduced “Focus Mode,” a clean, immersive experience that put the learner front and center. LearnDash also made it easier for course creators to deliver structured content more efficiently.

“I wanted to know what was working in online education – not just what was trendy in WordPress.”

Justin Ferriman

The result? Soon after, LearnDash 3.0 launched alongside a reasonable price increase, resulting in a 22% revenue jump.

🧠 Unfiltered Advice: What Every WordPress Founder Should Know

For Justin Ferriman, the success of LearnDash wasn’t about perfect code. In fact, he freely admits the early versions were rough under the hood.

But that didn’t matter. What did matter was clear messaging, consistency, and building trust with customers from day one.

“Code doesn’t matter 100%… the marketing did what it was supposed to do.”

Justin Ferriman

He didn’t have the technical skills to build the plugin himself, but he understood the problem better than anyone. And he knew how to communicate the solution in a way that resonated with the user base.

“It’s easier to learn to market than it is to code,” Justin explained.

That may sound controversial, especially to seasoned developers.

But if you’re a non-technical entrepreneur with a strong idea and a deep understanding of your audience, this should be empowering.

That said, taking this approach doesn’t mean your journey will be faster or easier.

Justin blogged for nearly a year before he ever launched LearnDash. He wrote every line of sales copy himself. He personally answered emails from early users.

And most importantly, he spoke their language – something no amount of clean code could replace.

“The thing that will sell somebody is not an AI conversation – it’s the human part.”

Justin Ferriman

That human-first approach wasn’t just smart – it helped LearnDash stand out in a growing crowd of LMS tools.

In fact, the products that stand out aren’t always the ones with the most features—they’re the ones built with clarity, purpose, and a human touch.

💥 Related Post: Looking for more inspirational founder stories? Check out our interview with Tobias Bäthge.

🚚 Selling LearnDash: Lessons Learned and Knowing When to Leave

In 2021, Justin sold LearnDash to Liquid Web. The plugin was still growing, but behind the scenes, he felt a shift.

“My heart was not in it… I dreaded doing the LearnDash thing.”

Justin Ferriman

He realized that continuing without passion wasn’t fair to his team or his customers.

So, he made the decision many founders struggle with – he decided to leave.

Looking back, Justin credits that move to intuition and timing. He exited during the post-COVID eLearning spike, just before tech acquisitions began to slow down.

“I exited at a great time… but more importantly, I knew the company deserved fresh energy.”

Justin Ferriman

After stepping away, Justin explored other ideas – including a software tool called Gap Scout. But he shut it down after realizing something was missing: joy.

“It still gets signups every day,” he shared, “but I didn’t really care about AI or the software. I wasn’t passionate about the problem.”

We then asked what he would do if he had to do it all again, and what advice he would give to others. In response, he said you should make sure to choose something you’re passionate about or deeply interested in.

For him, that was eLearning, and he still stays connected to the space today, through LinkedIn and industry research.

Apart from that, Justin also now works as a business coach, sharing his valuable experience with others. He’s also taken time to slow down and enjoy life a bit more.

“I’ve kind of gotten into, like, just mindfulness and things like that… it’s easy to always be thinking ahead as an entrepreneur. But it’s important to stop.”

Justin Ferriman

He’s not done building. But he’s more selective now and focused on ideas that align with his values, strengths, and sense of purpose.

This is a stage many founders reach. Walking away isn’t a loss—it’s often where clarity, creativity, and long-term impact really begin.

👉 Related Post: Wondering about LearnDash competitors today? Check out our list of the best WordPress LMS plugins.

💭 Final Thoughts: The Power of Consistency and Vision

Justin Ferriman didn’t grow LearnDash by chasing trends or copying competitors.

He grew it by doing something that often gets overlooked: he listened, he showed up consistently, and he solved a real problem for a specific audience he knew well.

Besides choosing something you’re genuinely passionate about, one of Justin’s biggest takeaways was the power of an engaged audience.

“If you build an audience, you can build anything.”

Justin Ferriman

He wasn’t the most technical founder. But he understood his market better than anyone, and he built a product and brand that reflected that empathy.

And even after a successful exit, Justin hasn’t stopped learning. He remains active in the eLearning space, sharing insights and observations about where the industry needs to evolve.

Today, you can find him on LinkedIn, where he regularly posts about online learning, product strategy, and the realities of founder life.

If you’re building something in WordPress – or just figuring out your next move – he’s a leader worth following.

📚 Bonus: WordPress Resources for Aspiring Founders

Are you ready to build your first WordPress business? Here are some beginner’s guides and inspirational articles to help you get started:

• How to Learn WordPress for Free (Step by Step)
• Best WordPress Developer Job Sites (+ Example Job Template)
• WordPress Career Options – How to Make a Living With WordPress
• How Ben Rojas Rose From a Developer to the President of AIOSEO
• Blogger Turned WordPress VIP Partner: How WordPress Continues to Inspire Rahul Bansal
• From Freelancer to Founder: Ionut Neagu’s Journey to Building a Successful WordPress Business

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.

The post The LearnDash Story: How Justin Ferriman Grew a Multi-Million Dollar LMS first appeared on WPBeginner.

When I first started building websites with WordPress, choosing hosting was nothing like it is today. There were fewer hosting providers, most of them slow, and almost all locked you into a long-term plan without much flexibility.

Now, things have changed for the better. You can choose between monthly or yearly hosting plans that actually fit your budget and goals, without sacrificing performance or support.

But that choice can still be confusing. Should you commit to a full year of hosting to save money? Or stay flexible with a monthly plan?

In this guide, I’ll break down the pros and cons of each option, share my personal experience, and help you decide which plan is right for your WordPress site.

Monthly vs Yearly WordPress Hosting: Quick Comparison Table

Don’t want to read the full article? Here is a quick comparison of monthly and yearly WordPress hosting plans:

Now, let’s dive into a more detailed comparison to help you choose between monthly vs yearly hosting plans.

Here is a list of topics I’ll cover in this article:

What Is Monthly Hosting?

Monthly hosting is a type of hosting plan where you pay every month instead of making a larger yearly payment. There’s no long-term contract—just a flexible, pay-as-you-go model.

This setup makes sense for certain situations. For example:

• Trying out a new business idea or niche site
• Building a client site with a short timeline
• Launching seasonal or event-based websites
• Testing a new hosting provider before committing
• Unsure if you’ll stick with the project long-term

With monthly hosting, you can cancel at any time, switch providers without penalty, or pause the project if your plans change. That level of flexibility can feel reassuring, especially if you’re worried about wasting money on something you might not stick with.

Monthly plans are also common for higher-tier options like VPS WordPress hosting, which is great if you need more control over costs on a monthly basis.

However, the convenience of monthly billing usually comes at a higher cost. Most providers charge more per month for this option and don’t include extras like a free domain name or priority support.

If you’re considering monthly hosting for short-term projects, you’ll also find many managed WordPress hosting providers offering monthly billing for added flexibility.

What Is Yearly Hosting?

Yearly hosting (also known as annual hosting) is a plan where you pay for 12 months (or more) in advance. Instead of getting billed monthly, you make a one-time payment that covers your entire hosting term.

Hosting companies typically reward this kind of commitment with a lower monthly price and added bonuses, such as a free domain name, SSL certificate, or automated backups.

I use yearly hosting for all of my serious websites. It’s more affordable, includes extra features, and saves me from monthly billing reminders or surprise price hikes.

Here are some situations where yearly hosting makes more sense:

• You’re building a business website or blog that you plan to grow long-term.
• You want to save money on your hosting with promotional coupons.
• You want the added security of bonus features (like backups and SSL).
• You don’t want to deal with monthly billing or service interruptions.
• You trust your hosting provider and are ready to commit.

In most cases, yearly hosting gives you more value for your money. The only downside is the larger upfront cost, but if you’re confident about your project, it often pays for itself within the first few months.

And if you’re nervous about committing, here’s some good news: most WordPress hosting companies offer generous 30-day or even 45-day money-back guarantees.

That means you can try the yearly plan risk-free—and still get a full refund if it’s not the right fit.

Pros and Cons of Monthly WordPress Hosting

Monthly hosting gives you flexibility without locking you into a long-term contract. I’ve used it when testing new projects or trying out a new hosting provider before going all-in.

But like most flexible options, it comes at a cost.

If you’re not ready to commit or just want to keep things flexible, then monthly hosting can be a smart way to start. Just keep an eye on the long-term costs, especially if your site begins to grow.

Some cloud WordPress hosting platforms also offer monthly plans, giving you scalable resources without locking you into a long-term commitment.

For a full list of recommendations, see our expert pick of the best monthly hosting for WordPress users.

Pros and Cons of Yearly WordPress Hosting

I prefer yearly hosting for any website I’m serious about. It saves me money, unlocks premium features, and gives me one less thing to worry about each month.

But like any commitment, it’s not for everyone.

For me, the peace of mind and value make yearly plans worth it. And thanks to money-back guarantees, you can still try them out without a big risk.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Payment Schedule

Whether you choose monthly or yearly hosting, it comes down to how you want to manage your budget, growth, and long-term goals.

Here are the key areas I always consider before choosing a plan:

• Cost and Savings – Monthly hosting offers a low entry point, but the costs add up quickly. If you’re paying $10 a month, then that’s $120 a year, while a yearly plan might only cost $60–$80 with a promo offer.
• Flexibility and Scalability – Monthly plans offer the ultimate flexibility to stop service at any time without a big financial loss, which is perfect for testing ideas. However, when it comes to scalability (upgrading your plan for more power), most hosts make it easy to upgrade at any time, whether you’re on a monthly or yearly plan. Just remember that upgrading an annual plan usually means paying the difference for the remainder of your term.
• Performance and Uptime – Performance doesn’t change much between monthly and yearly billing, at least not from a technical point of view. But from what I’ve seen, long-term customers often get better reliability, especially during high-traffic periods.
• Support and User Experience – Monthly plans usually come with standard support, which may involve longer wait times or basic responses. Yearly customers often get access to premium support channels, priority queues, or live chat.

Keeping these factors in mind, you can choose the payment schedule that would be the better option for your website project.

Featured Hosting Providers (With What You Need to Know)

I’ve personally used dozens of hosting companies while building websites for myself and others. These three consistently stand out for their performance, support, and beginner-friendly features.

Here’s how they compare on monthly vs. yearly pricing, features, and refund policies so you can make the right call.

Bluehost – Overall best value 🏆

I often recommend Bluehost for beginners launching their first website. Their dashboard is easy to use, and their yearly plans come packed with helpful extras like a free domain name and SSL certificate. Read my Bluehost review for more information.

• Monthly Plan: ❌ Not available — yearly only
• Yearly Plan: Starts at $1.99/month (billed annually)
• Free Domain: ✅ Free for the first year
• Money-Back Guarantee: ✅ 30-day refund window

👉 Start with Bluehost

DreamHost – Affordable monthly hosting plans

I have hosted personal sites with DreamHost for a long time and have found them to be highly dependable. Their monthly hosting plan is quite affordable and offers a balanced set of features and performance. See my Dreamhost review for more details.

• Monthly Plan: Available — Starting from $4.95/mo
• Yearly Plan: Starting from $2.59/month
• Free Domain: Yes, available with annual plans
• Money-Back Guarantee: ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee

👉 Start with DreamHost

Rocket.net – Premium managed WordPress hosting

If you need enterprise-grade performance without a yearly commitment, then Rocket.net is a great fit. Some of our partner brands use them, and they’re one of the fastest WordPress hosts on the market. For more details, see our Rocket.net review.

• Monthly Plan: ✅ Available — Starting from $30/mo
• Yearly Plan: Starts at $25/mo (billed annually)
• Free Domain: ❌ No
• Money-Back Guarantee: ✅ 30-day refund window with yearly plans

👉 Start with Rocket.net

Hostinger – High-performance WordPress hosting on a budget

If you’re looking for budget-friendly hosting without sacrificing speed, Hostinger is a strong choice. I’ve used them on personal and client sites, and their setup is surprisingly fast and smooth for the price. See my full Hostinger review for more details.

• Monthly Plan: ✅ Available — Starting from $9.99/mo
• Yearly Plan: Starts at $2.69/month (billed annually)
• Free Domain: ✅ Included with most yearly plans
• Money-Back Guarantee: ✅ 30-day refund window

👉 Start with Hostinger

For more hosting providers, take a look at our pick of the best WordPress hosting providers. Most of them offer both yearly and monthly hosting plans.

Tips to Maximize Hosting Value

• Start monthly, then switch to yearly. Many users try a monthly plan first, then upgrade once they feel confident about the host.
• Look for holiday deals. Hosting discounts are often the highest during Black Friday, the New Year, or the back-to-school season.
• Negotiate renewals. Hosts frequently give discounts if you reach out before renewing. Don’t be afraid to ask.
• Use all the included features. SSL, backups, and email—yearly plans often include these. Set them up to get the best value for your money.

Final Verdict: Which Payment Schedule Should You Choose?

If you’re serious about your website, then I recommend going with a yearly plan. The cost savings, added features, and peace of mind are worth it. It’s what I use on all my serious projects.

I recommend starting with Bluehost for yearly plans. They are offering WPBeginner users a massive discount and a free domain name (for a year).

But if you’re just testing the waters or building something short-term, then starting with a monthly plan makes sense. Just keep an eye on the costs and be ready to switch when you’re confident.

Whichever path you take, make sure your host is reliable, fast, and has great support, because that matters more than billing cycles.

FAQs About Monthly vs. Yearly Hosting

Readers often reach out to me with their questions about choosing the best WordPress hosting. Here are my answers to the most frequently asked questions.

Can I switch from monthly to yearly hosting later?

Yes. Most hosts allow you to upgrade at any time. It’s a smart move once you’re happy with the service.

Will I get a refund if I cancel my annual hosting plan early?

Yes, but almost always only within the initial trial period. Most hosts offer a 30 or 45-day money-back guarantee. If you cancel within that window, then you can get a full refund.

However, if you cancel a yearly plan after that period (for example, at 6 months), you typically will not receive a partial refund for the remaining time. That’s why you should always check the host’s refund policy before you buy.

Do yearly hosting plans come with better support?

Often, yes. Some hosts prioritize yearly users or offer bonus services like priority support or a dedicated account manager.

Is it risky to commit to a yearly hosting plan?

Only if you haven’t tested the host first. That’s why starting with a monthly plan is sometimes a good idea.

Additional WordPress Hosting Resources

Here are some additional resources that will help you learn more about WordPress hosting and choosing the best option for your websites:

• Best Cheap WordPress Hosting (Compared)
• Shared Hosting vs. Cloud Hosting vs. Managed WordPress – What’s the Difference?
• How to Choose the Best WooCommerce Hosting Company
• When Should You Change Your WordPress Web Hosting (Top 7 Key Indicators)
• How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime

I hope this guide helped you choose between a monthly or yearly WordPress hosting plan. The best part about WordPress is that it lets you control the cost of building your site, and you can always adjust it to meet your needs.

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.

The post WordPress Monthly Hosting vs Yearly Hosting – Which One Do I Recommend? first appeared on WPBeginner.

When I launched my first WordPress site, privacy laws were pretty straightforward. You added a privacy policy, maybe updated your terms of service, and moved on.

But things have changed in recent years. States like Utah have introduced strict privacy laws that apply to businesses worldwide, even if you’re not based in the U.S.

Under the Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA), you could face fines of up to $7,500 per violation. And most of the official guidance is written for lawyers, not for WordPress users just trying to stay compliant.

If you’ve been struggling to make sense of what’s required, you’re not alone. I created this guide to help everyday website owners understand how the UCPA works and what steps to take inside WordPress.

I’ve spent a lot of time researching the law, testing plugins, and finding the easiest tools. That way, you can stay focused on growing your business.

What is the Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA)?

The Utah Consumer Privacy Act (UCPA) is a privacy law designed to protect the personal information of Utah residents. It tells businesses how they should collect, use, and store personal data.

In this context, personal data means any information that can identify someone, such as names, email addresses, IP addresses, or even device IDs.

The UCPA can affect businesses in many locations, not just those based in Utah or even the United States. If your site handles data from people who live in Utah, then the UCPA may apply to you.

However, it’s important to note that the UCPA doesn’t apply to every WordPress blog or website. Instead, it’s aimed at larger businesses that meet a few specific conditions.

First, you must conduct business in Utah or offer products or services that target Utah residents.

Next, your business must have an annual revenue of $25 million or more.

You’ll also need to meet at least one of the following data processing thresholds:

• Control or process the personal data of 100,000 or more Utah consumers.
• Get more than 50% of your gross revenue from selling personal data and control or process the data of 25,000 or more Utah consumers.

These requirements are fairly specific, especially compared to some other privacy laws.

However, if your business meets these criteria, then it’s important to make sure you’re following the UCPA.

Why Should WordPress Users Care About UCPA Compliance?

Breaking the UCPA can result in serious fines. If your business violates this law, the Utah Attorney General will start by sending you a written notice. You’ll then have 30 days to fix the issue. This is known as a ‘cure period.’

If you don’t resolve the problem within that window, the Attorney General can begin issuing fines.

You could be fined up to $7,500 for each violation. And every misuse of personal data counts as a separate violation.

These penalties can add up quickly for qualifying businesses. For example, if you mishandle the data of 100 Utah residents, you could face up to $750,000 in penalties.

How UCPA Affects Your WordPress Site

As I’ve already mentioned, the UCPA is a state-level privacy law that gives consumers specific rights over their personal data.

Here are a few key consumer rights that may affect your WordPress website:

• The Right to Know: Users can ask for information on the personal data you collect about them. That means you’ll need to clearly explain your data collection practices.
• The Right to Correction: Users can request corrections to any inaccurate information.
• The Right to Delete: Users can ask you to remove their personal data.
• The Right to Data Portability: Users can request a copy of their data in a format that’s easy to access.
• The Right to Opt Out of Data Sales: Users can ask you not to sell their personal data.
• The Right to Opt Out of Targeted Advertising: Users can opt out of having their data used for personalized ads.

Next, I’ll show you how to meet these UCPA requirements using WordPress tools and best practices.

How to Improve Your UCPA Compliance in WordPress

Navigating UCPA compliance can feel overwhelming at first. But at its core, it’s really about being clear with your audience and giving them control over how you collect and use their personal data.

Let’s get started. You can use the links below to jump to any section:

Perform a Data Audit

When it comes to UCPA compliance, the first step is understanding your own data. That means reviewing and recording every piece of personal information your website collects, uses, or stores.

To get started, you should make a list of all the WordPress plugins and external tools that interact with user data. This includes everything from analytics and email marketing tools to form builders and SEO plugins.

Once you’ve built that list, take a closer look at how each one handles user information.

For example, if you’ve created a quote request form, then your form builder might collect personal details like the visitor’s name, company, or job title.

To dig even deeper, ask yourself these questions:

• What personal data do I collect? This might include names, email addresses, IP addresses, payment info, or anything else that could identify a user.
• Where is this data stored? Is it saved on your server or sent to a third-party tool?
• Why am I collecting it? Is it essential for your website to function, or just nice to have?
• How long do I keep this data? Do you have a clear retention policy in place?
• Am I sharing this data with anyone else? Are you passing it along to service providers, advertisers, or analytics platforms?

This kind of audit can quickly highlight any areas where you may need to update your data practices to stay compliant with the UCPA.

Create a Data Compliance Document 

After you complete your data audit, the next step is documenting your findings. This means writing down every action you’ve taken to follow the UCPA, as well as any updates you’ve made to fix issues you discovered.

Creating this document gives you clear proof that you’re committed to protecting your users’ privacy. It’s especially helpful if you’re ever audited or if someone questions your compliance.

As I’ll mention throughout this guide, it’s not enough to quietly follow the UCPA behind the scenes. You also need to show that you’re complying with it.

That’s why you should record all the personal information you’ve collected in your compliance document. For each type of data, make sure to include:

• Where the data comes from (for example, forms, plugins, or third-party tools)
• Why you’re collecting it (whether it’s essential or optional)
• How the data is used, shared, or sold
• How long you keep it
• Whether it falls under a special category (like sensitive or financial data)
• What security steps you’re taking to protect it
• Any third-party vendors or contracts involved

This kind of record shows regulators and your users that you’re taking privacy seriously.

As a general rule, it’s smart to do a full data audit at least once per year. It’s also a good idea to review your compliance if you install new plugins, change how you collect data, or make other major updates to your site.

Plus, since laws can change, it’s wise to re-check your compliance whenever the UCPA is updated.

Collect Less Data 

Unlike some other privacy laws, the UCPA allows you to collect non-essential personal data, as long as you provide a clear privacy notice and give users the option to opt out.

Still, it’s smart to follow the principle of data minimization. This means only collecting the information you actually need.

Data minimization makes UCPA compliance much easier because:

• You have less to search through if someone asks for a copy of their personal data.
• You have less to delete if a user requests to be forgotten.

To get started, review the forms and tools on your site. Ask yourself: “Do I really need every detail I’m asking for?”

If the answer is no, it’s best to stop collecting it.

Create a Privacy Policy 

A privacy policy is a page that clearly explains what personal data you collect, how you use it, and who you share it with.

Creating a detailed privacy policy is an important part of UCPA compliance because it helps visitors understand how you handle their information. Plus, it directly supports their Right to Know under the law.

Thankfully, WordPress includes a built-in privacy policy generator. You can find it by going to Settings » Privacy in your WordPress dashboard.

Feel free to use our own WPBeginner privacy policy page as a template.

Just make sure to replace every mention of ‘WPBeginner’ with your own site or business name.

If you need more guidance, we also have a complete step-by-step tutorial on how to add a privacy policy in WordPress.

Even if you already have a privacy policy, it’s a good idea to update it with information specific to the UCPA. This includes clearly explaining user rights, such as the Right to Know, Right to Delete, and Right to Correction.

Plus, your policy should tell visitors how they can exercise those rights.

For example, you might include a link to a contact form where users can request a copy of their data or ask you to delete it.

Finally, make it a habit to review and update your privacy policy regularly. This helps ensure it reflects your current practices and stays aligned with any future changes to the UCPA.

Add a Cookie Popup

Under the UCPA, cookie consent follows an opt-out model. This means you can use non-essential cookies without asking first, as long as you give users a clear way to opt out.

This is different from stricter laws like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), where you must get consent before setting non-essential cookies.

What counts as non-essential? These include cookies used for analytics, advertising, or user behavior tracking. Anything not required for your site to function is considered non-essential under the UCPA.

The good news is that a cookie popup can help you stay compliant with both types of laws.

A clear, user-friendly banner can let visitors know what types of cookies your site uses, what data they collect, and why. It should also offer a simple way to opt out.

While many plugins offer cookie banners, WPConsent is my top pick because it’s easy to use and supports multiple privacy laws, including the UCPA and the PDPL.

We actually use WPConsent on WPBeginner to manage cookie banners and track user consent, and we’ve had a great experience.

To get started, simply install and activate the plugin.

Once it’s active, WPConsent will automatically scan your website and detect all active cookies.

From there, the setup wizard helps you design your cookie banner. You can customize the layout, position, button styles, colors, and even add your logo.

As you make changes, WPConsent shows a live preview so you can see exactly how the banner will appear on your site.

When you’re happy with the design, just save your changes. The cookie banner will start appearing on your WordPress site right away.

For full instructions, check out our complete guide on how to add a cookie popup in WordPress.

Write a Separate Cookie Policy 

Adding a cookie popup is a great first step. But it’s also a good idea to create a dedicated cookie policy that explains how your site uses cookies in more detail.

This helps visitors better understand what kind of personal information your site collects and how it’s used.

In your cookie policy, make sure to:

• List all the types of cookies your site uses (such as essential, analytics, or marketing cookies).
• Explain what each cookie does—for example, some cookies track website visitors or show personalized ads.
• Describe the data each cookie collects, like IP addresses or browsing history.

To build trust, keep your language simple and easy to understand. Try to avoid technical terms or legal jargon whenever possible.

Once your policy is ready, make sure it’s easy to find. For example, you could link to it from your main privacy policy and also inside your cookie banner.

Fortunately, WPConsent can handle this entire process for you.

It can scan your site for cookies, then use that information to generate a cookie policy automatically.

To get started, go to WPConsent » Settings.

Inside the plugin settings, you need to choose the page where you want your cookie policy to appear.

WPConsent will then add the policy to that page automatically.

If you’re already using WPConsent to display a cookie banner, then your visitors can access the policy directly through the popup.

They just need to click the ‘Preferences’ button.

From there, they can select the ‘Cookie Policy’ link to visit the full page.

Here’s an example of what that looks like.

Block Third-Party Scripts 

One tricky part of the UCPA is that it also applies to third-party tracking tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel.

Even though third-party tools handle the tracking, you’re legally responsible for how they collect and use visitor data on your site. That means you also need to give users a way to opt out.

A simple way to handle this is by using automatic script blocking. This prevents tracking scripts from running until the visitor gives consent.

This also supports the UCPA’s Right to Know by ensuring users understand what data is being collected before it happens.

Even though the UCPA follows an opt-out model, script blocking goes a step beyond minimum compliance by turning third-party tracking into an opt-in process.

Fortunately, WPConsent makes this easy with a built-in automatic script blocking feature.

It detects and blocks common tools like Google Analytics, Google Ads, and Facebook Pixel, without breaking your site.

Then, as soon as a visitor gives consent, the plugin loads the script immediately without reloading the page.

Track and Log Visitor Consent

Your UCPA data practices might still be questioned. For example, regulators could request an audit, or a customer might ask how their data is being handled.

That’s why it’s important to track and log user consent. This gives you clear, time-stamped proof that you’re honoring each user’s preferences.

WPConsent handles this for you automatically. It logs key details like the user’s IP address, their consent settings, and the exact date and time when they gave consent.

You can view this data anytime by going to WPConsent » Consent Logs in your WordPress dashboard.

If you ever need to share this log with someone—like an auditor or legal advisor—you can export it directly from your site.

Just open the Export tab, choose the date range you need, and click the ‘Export’ button.

WPConsent will generate a CSV file with all the logged consent data, ready for you to share if needed.

Give Users a Way to Opt Out (Do Not Track Form)

The UCPA gives users the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of their personal data. You’re required to provide a clear and easy way for them to do that.

The simplest way to do this is by using WPConsent’s Do Not Track add-on. It lets you create a dedicated opt-out page with just a few clicks.

To get started, go to WPConsent » Do Not Track » Configuration in your WordPress dashboard.

WPConsent will walk you through the steps to install the add-on and create a Do Not Track form.

Once that’s done, visitors can fill out the form to opt out of data sales or sharing.

This gives users a clear, simple way to exercise their rights, and it also improves your site’s user experience.

Plus, WPConsent stores these requests locally in a custom database table on your own site. That means you stay in full control of this sensitive data, without needing to rely on an external platform.

It also records each request automatically, giving you clear proof of compliance if it’s ever needed.

Support the ‘Right to Delete’

The UCPA gives users the right to ask you to delete their personal data.

One of the simplest ways to support this is by adding a data erasure form to your WordPress site. That way, visitors can easily request deletion through a secure form.

This is where WPForms comes in. It’s a drag-and-drop form builder that includes a pre-built Right to Erasure form template.

The template name comes from GDPR, but don’t worry. Many compliance tools use GDPR-style naming, and this form works just as well for UCPA requests.

To use the template, go to WPForms » Add New.

Then, type “Right to Erasure” into the search box.

When the template appears, you need to click ‘Use Template’ to open it in the WPForms editor.

From here, you can customize the form to fit your needs. The left-hand panel shows the available fields, and the right-hand panel shows a live preview.

To update a field, just click on it in the preview. You can then change the label, instructions, or field type in the left-hand panel.

Once you’re happy with the form, click ‘Save’.

To add the form to a page or post, you need to open the editor, add a WPForms block, and choose your saved form from the dropdown list.

After that, go ahead and publish or update the page like you normally would.

Once your form is live, make sure it’s easy to find. I recommend linking to it from your privacy policy or embedding it directly on that page.

WPForms also includes an entry management system. You can use it to view and filter submissions, which makes it easy to track and respond to deletion requests.

To view entries, go to WPForms » Entries in your dashboard.

Simply find your data erasure form and click it. 

You’ll then see all the ‘delete data’ requests you’ve received.

Once someone requests deletion, WordPress has a built-in tool to help.

Just go to Tools » Erase Personal Data in your admin dashboard.

Enter the user’s email or username, and WordPress will handle the removal process.

You can also choose to send a confirmation email once the data has been erased.

Handle Data Access Requests Efficiently

Under the UCPA, visitors have the right to request a copy of all the personal data your website has collected about them.

The good news is that you can support this by adding a dedicated data access form to your site using WPForms.

WPForms includes a ready-made Data Request Form template. It’s designed to collect the information you need to identify users in your records and respond to their requests.

WPForms will automatically log each submission in your dashboard.

To review them, just go to WPForms » Entries.

You can now select your data request form to view all submissions.

Then, when you receive a request, you can export the user’s data using WordPress’s built-in tools.

Go to Tools » Export Personal Data in your admin dashboard.

You can then type in the person’s username or email address to find the correct record.

Then, simply share the .zip file with the person who made the request.

This helps you meet UCPA’s Right to Know requirement in a secure and user-friendly way.

Support the ‘Right to Correction’

Under the UCPA, people can ask you to correct or update their personal data if it’s wrong or incomplete.

This might happen after a user reviews a copy of their data. Or they may contact you directly if their personal details have changed, like a new phone number or address.

The simplest way to handle these requests is by adding a dedicated correction form to your site.

WPForms includes a Personal Information Form template that’s perfect for this. It even has an “Update Existing Record” checkbox to help you identify correction requests.

This template includes useful fields like legal name, nickname, email address, and phone number.

If you need more fields, then you can easily customize the form in WPForms’ drag-and-drop editor.

Once the form is published, make sure that users can find it easily.

I recommend linking to it from your privacy policy or adding it to your site footer.

As requests come in, you can process them manually depending on where the data is stored.

If the information is inside WordPress, you need to go to Users » All Users and click ‘Edit’ for the relevant profile.

Go ahead and update the necessary fields.

Then, scroll down and click ‘Update User’ to save the changes.

If you store data in a third-party tool—like a CRM or email marketing platform—then you just need to log into that tool to update the user’s profile.

UCPA Compliance in WordPress: FAQs

Understanding privacy laws can feel overwhelming at first. If you still have questions about how the UCPA affects your WordPress site, then you’re not alone.

At WPBeginner, we’re here to help you feel confident about compliance. So in this section, I’ll answer some of the most common questions we hear from our readers.

What happens if my WordPress site isn’t UCPA compliant?

If your WordPress site violates the UCPA, you could face fines of up to $7,500 per violation. You might also receive consumer complaints or trigger a regulatory investigation—both of which can damage your business and reputation.

How often should I review my site for UCPA compliance?  

Privacy laws can change over time. That’s why it’s a good idea to review your compliance at least once per year, or whenever you update how your site collects or uses data.

For the best results, you can make this part of your regular WordPress maintenance routine.

Can I use the same compliance tools for UCPA and GDPR?

Yes, a good compliance tool should address multiple privacy regulations. For example, WPConsent can help you comply with the UCPA, GDPR, the Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD), Australia’s Privacy Principles (AAP), and many more international laws. 

However, it’s worth noting that every tool is unique. Having said that, it’s important to do your research to ensure you’re meeting the specific rules of each regulation.

Additional Resources for UCPA Compliance

Taking a proactive approach and continuously learning is absolutely essential for maintaining UCPA compliance over the long term. Data privacy laws can evolve over time, and staying informed is crucial for protecting both your website and your audience.

That said, I’ve collected some helpful resources you can use to continue your learning journey and keep your WordPress site compliant:

• The Ultimate Guide to WordPress and CCPA Compliance. Find out how to make your site compliant with another important privacy law: the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). 
• Beginner’s Guide to PDPL Compliance for WordPress Websites: Is there a chance some of your visitors and users might live in Saudi Arabia? Then you may also need to comply with the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL)
• How to Make Google Fonts Privacy-Friendly
• How to Know if Your WordPress Website Uses Cookies
• How to Stop Storing IP Addresses in WordPress Comments
• The Ultimate WordPress Security Guide – Step by Step

I hope this ultimate beginner’s guide to WordPress UCPA compliance has helped you understand this important privacy law. Next, you may want to see our expert picks for the best WordPress security plugins or our guide on how to keep personally identifiable info out of Google Analytics.  

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.

The post UCPA Compliance in WordPress: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide first appeared on WPBeginner.

Is your organic traffic steadily declining?

There’s a clear reason why. AI tools like ChatGPT have transformed the way people search for information.

Instead of clicking through different sites, users are used to concisely getting answers from their favorite AI tools.

Google followed suit with AI Overviews to protect its search dominance.

The result? Zero-click searches are rising. Like most websites, you’re probably seeing high organic impressions but steadily declining click-through rates.

This isn’t just a temporary dip… it’s a fundamental shift in how search works.

SEO experts forecast that this trend is here to stay and will only get worse. The only question is: how quickly will you adapt to the new search reality?

In this article, I’m going to share 30+ AI trends and predictions in SEO to watch to help you prepare your WordPress site for what’s coming. You’ll discover which changes to expect, which ones to prioritize, and how to adapt your SEO strategy so you’re not left behind.

Here is a quick overview of the topics I’ll cover in this guide:

How Is AI Reshaping SEO?

In November 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT, which has significantly altered how people search online and consume content. Unlike traditional Google Search, AI tools gave users instant answers to their questions without needing to visit multiple websites.

Recognizing this shift in user behavior, Google quickly adapted by introducing Google AI Overviews in search results. Here’s an example of how itlooks:

These AI-generated summaries typically appear at the top of search pages.

In fact, Google considers AI Overviews as a success, as it has actually encouraged users to search more often:

“Instead of searching less, people who use AI Overviews are actually showing an increase in their total number of searches.”

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google

However, this has a big impact on websites. When people get the answer directly on Google, they have less reason to click on search results, which is causing a significant drop in organic traffic for many sites.

Preparing your WordPress website for this new reality is essential, so let’s dive into these AI search predictions and statistics so you know what to expect.

How Often Do AI Overviews Appear in Search?

AI Overviews (AIOs) are becoming a dominant feature, appearing in up to 47% of Google searches, according to a Botify study.

To put that in perspective, nearly half of all Google searches now show an AI-generated answer at the top. 

This is a sharp rise considering the fact that it was first introduced on May 14, 2024, in the United States, and was only expanded to other countries in October 2024.

How Fast Are AI Overviews Dominating?

Since the Google March Core Update in 2025, the appearance of AI Overviews in search results has grown by a staggering 115%, according to a study by Ahrefs.

This shows how serious Google is about this feature. A 115% jump in just a few months means they are quickly changing the search experience for everyone.

To see where this change is hitting hardest, here are the industries that have spiked the most in AI Overviews since the recent rollout:

To be clear, one reason for these huge spikes is that these industries had a lower baseline to begin with. They historically triggered AI Overviews far less than topics like healthcare and education.

What Triggers a Google AI Overview?

AIOs are triggered by informational intent. Nearly all (99.2%) keywords that generate an AI Overview are informational in nature, rather than commercial or transactional.

This is the most important trigger to understand. It means AIOs are designed to appear when people are looking for answers and explanations, like asking ‘how to start a blog‘ or ‘what are the symptoms of the flu’.

To increase your chances of being featured in Google’s AI Overviews, you should focus on creating high-quality, authoritative content that directly answers user queries concisely and comprehensively

You can find relevant questions for your core niche by using a tool like the Free WPBeginner Keyword Generator. Its “Questions” tab shows you what people are really searching for, so you can create content that perfectly matches their needs.

Does the Length of a Query Matter to AI?

The longer and more complex a question is, the more likely it is to receive an AI Overview. A query with eight or more words is 7 times more likely to get an AI-generated answer.

This isn’t a coincidence. It aligns perfectly with Google’s stated purpose for the feature.

In a May 2024 tweet, Google said the goal of AI Overviews is to “answer your most complex problems and help you get things done.”

Here’s a great example. Imagine you search for “3 day easy meal plan for a group”. You’ll see an AI Overview in the search results, like the one in the image below:

To create such a helpful and specific answer, the AI analyzes several key parts of your query at once:

• Duration: 3 days
• Complexity: Easy (e.g., simple recipes, minimal prep time)
• Audience: A group (e.g., recipes that are scalable or serve multiple people
• Outcome: A structured meal plan for the entire duration

The AI Overview then generates a complete, structured meal plan. It will often lay out suggestions for each day and meal, complete with images and links to the full recipes.

What makes this feature particularly powerful is its interactivity. If you don’t like a particular suggestion, then you can simply click the ‘Replace’ button underneath it.

This action pulls up a variety of alternative dishes that still match your original request, allowing you to tailor the plan perfectly to your group’s tastes.

By understanding and combining all these elements, the AI provides a comprehensive answer that would have previously required multiple searches.

This is also a huge time-saver because, as a user, you can find everything you need in one place, FAST.

Where Do Most AI Overviews Appear?

They are primarily a mobile feature. A massive 81% of queries that trigger an AI Overview are performed on mobile devices.

This means that if your website isn’t optimized for mobile users, you’re missing out on the biggest opportunity to appear in AI search.

How Does Keyword Competition and Monetization Affect AI Overviews?

AI Overviews show more for search keywords that have low or medium competition (80% and 60%), and they are far less common for the most highly competitive terms (10%).

But this isn’t a simple opportunity to get featured. It’s a strategic decision tied directly to Google’s revenue.

The reality is that AI Overviews are most common for searches that don’t make Google money. Over 71% of queries that get an AI answer have no advertising cost associated with them.

This is because high-competition keywords are often highly commercial and packed with valuable ads. It seems that Google is protecting its primary revenue stream by testing AI Overviews in lower-risk, informational areas first.

How Are AI Overviews Affecting Local Queries?

Local search is less affected for now. AIOs appear less frequently for local search queries compared to general informational searches.

For local businesses, this means traditional SEO is still your best friend.

Your main goal should be to rank high in the standard search results and in the Google Maps results. Our ultimate WordPress local SEO guide has all the steps you need to get there.

How Are Branded Queries Affected by AI Search?

Branded searches are far less likely to trigger an AI Overview, showing up in only 4.79% of cases.

More importantly, when an AI summary does appear for your brand, it comes with a surprising advantage.

Research from Amsive shows these queries receive an 18.68% boost in click-through rate (CTR). This is likely because the user’s existing trust and familiarity with your brand make them more eager to click.

How Are People Using AI Tools for Search?

More than 15 million adults in the U.S. now use generative AI as their main tool for searching online. That number is expected to jump to over 36 million in the next four years.

This shows that a new user habit is forming quickly.

Millions of people already prefer getting direct answers from an AI tool like ChatGPT instead of clicking through a list of websites, and that number is growing fast.

What Platforms Are People Actually Using to Search?

Despite the rise of AI, people are still overwhelmingly turning to Google for search. Google manages about 14 billion searches daily, capturing over 93% of the market.

On the other hand, ChatGPT sees an estimated 37.5 million search-like prompts per day, equaling just 0.25% of the market share.

That’s less than Microsoft Bing (4.10%), Yahoo (1.35%), and DuckDuckGo (0.73%).

Do Users Actually Read AI Overviews?

The majority of users (86%) “skim quickly” through AI Overviews, looking for key points rather than reading every word.

This behavior is nothing new. It’s exactly how people scan blog posts, hunting for specific answers.

This leads to a surprising advantage. While you might get fewer clicks overall, the ones you do receive from AI Overviews can be incredibly valuable.

Because these users are skimming for specific information, a click signals that they believe your site has the exact answer they need. This results in high-intent visitors who are more likely to convert compared to an average user from traditional search results.

If you want to get recommendations on how to improve the on-page SEO of your content, you can use TruSEO inside the All in One SEO plugin.

Its built-in TruSEO analysis checks your writing for things like sentence length and clarity, giving you real-time suggestions to make your content easier to understand.

There’s even a free version of All in One SEO that you can get started with.

Does Your Position Within the AI Overview Matter?

The top of the AI Overview is now the most valuable real estate in search. Not only does the feature itself take up nearly half the screen space on both desktop and mobile devices, but data also shows most users don’t look past the first third of the result.

In other words, they’re only reading about 30% of the information.

This means getting mentioned by the AI isn’t enough. Your brand must also be featured in the very first few sentences to have any real impact.

You can see a perfect example of this below, where WPForms is featured right at the top of the answer for “best contact form for wordpress.”

Do Users Trust Generative AI Results?

The relationship users have with generative AI is complicated. On one hand, adoption is happening fast, with 70% of consumers having at least some trust in generative AI results.

This shows that a majority of people already see it as a credible source for information.

However, a Growth Memo study found that for 38% of searches, users still felt the need to double-check the AI’s answer by opening an organic link “just to be sure,” especially for important topics like health or money.

This creates a clear split in user behavior. For simple questions, the AI answer is enough.

But for important topics, the habit of seeking a “second opinion” means that a click to your website is incredibly valuable. It signals that the user is actively looking for an authority to verify the facts.

Where are Users Clicking After an AI Overview?

When users want to verify an AI answer, they don’t just look for another article; they look for community proof.

Data from post-AI clicks shows that users are turning to platforms like Reddit (18% of clicks) and YouTube (10%) to see what real people are saying.

This behavior signals a significant shift. To succeed, you need to meet your audience where they are to build trust. Instead of just writing about your expertise, you need to prove it in public forums.

Here are some effective strategies that we’ve been using at WPBeginner and our sister sites:

• Become a Resource: Actively participate in relevant Reddit threads or Facebook groups. Answer user questions thoroughly to build a reputation as a trusted authority.
• Use Video: Create video content for YouTube that addresses common user problems or provides tutorials. Embedding these videos in your blog posts also adds a powerful layer of trust. To learn how, see our guide on how to easily embed videos in WordPress blog posts.
• Showcase Reviews on Your Site: Bring community proof onto your own turf. Prominently feature customer testimonials, user reviews, and case studies on your product and landing pages. See our tutorial on how to add a customer reviews page to your WordPress site.

By being active in these channels, you not only build brand trust but also create pathways to capture those valuable clicks from users seeking to verify AI-generated information.

How Does AI Search Affect Organic Traffic & Referral Traffic?

A powerful new traffic source is emerging for website owners. While traditional search traffic has dipped by 21%, AI referral traffic, which is clicks from chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot, has skyrocketed by 10x over the last year.

The key to capturing this growing stream of visitors is to think beyond traditional rankings and focus on becoming a trusted source for AI.

To do this, you must clearly signal your credibility through E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). AI models are programmed to look for these signals to ensure the information they provide is reliable.

An effective way to build these signals on your site is with All in One SEO. Its Author SEO features are designed to showcase expertise, allowing you to easily add author bio boxes with credentials.

Here’s an example of how it looks:

This sends clear proof to both users and AI models that a real expert is behind your content.

How Does Google’s AI Mode Affect Traffic?

Beyond the automatic AI Overviews, Google’s experimental AI Mode shows an even more dramatic impact on website traffic.

A recent iPullRank study found that while 24% of traditional Google Search sessions result in a click, that number drops to just 4.5% in AI Mode.

So, what is AI Mode? Unlike the automatic Overviews, it’s a separate, opt-in search experience that users must actively select. It functions more like a chatbot, providing comprehensive answers that reduce the need to visit external websites.

However, there’s a silver lining. When users in AI Mode click a website link, their engagement is nearly identical to traditional searchers, averaging 5.9 pageviews per session.

How Does AI Search Affect Clicks?

A recent study by Ahrefs analyzed 300,000 keywords and found that when Google showed an AI Overview, the top-ranking page saw a 34.5% drop in average click-through rate compared to similar results without AI.

This statistic highlights a major shift: the value of ranking #1 is changing.

Because the AI Overview often gives a direct answer, fewer people need to click on a link. This means the top spot is now less about getting the most traffic directly and more about being chosen as a trusted source for the AI’s answer itself.

Earning a mention inside the AI Overview has become the new prize, turning your top ranking into a signal of authority for Google’s AI.

Is AI Creating More Zero-Click Searches?

It’s undeniable: clicks are steadily declining from Google Search. In the last year alone, zero-click searches have risen from 24.4% to 27.2%.

A major reason for this is Google’s strategy with AI Overviews. Nearly 44% of all AI answers source Google’s own properties, creating a powerful loop that directs users back to its own services.

This is further proven by the fact that clicks to other Google sites like Maps and YouTube have also increased to 14.3%, compared to 12.1% a year ago.

This is where your conversion strategy becomes super important. Tools like OptinMonster are designed for this exact moment, allowing you to present targeted offers that convert these highly interested visitors into long-term subscribers and customers.

If you want more ideas, see our guide on advanced landing page tips to skyrocket WordPress conversions.

What Are the Top Ranking Factors for AI Search?

The three factors with the highest correlation to getting mentioned in an AI Overview are: Branded web mentions, branded anchor text, and branded search volume.

This is a huge change. Now, your brand’s reputation matters more than almost anything else to Google’s AI.

Think of it like this: research from Ahrefs shows that if your brand isn’t being talked about online, you’re basically invisible to AI.

New and small sites in their study averaged between zero and three mentions. At the same time, the most popular brands got a huge boost, receiving 10 times more features in AI Overviews than the next group down.

How Should You Structure Your Content for AI Search?

The “People Also Ask” feature appeared in 80.92% of all AI Overview query search results. Featured snippets, thumbnails, video previews, and discussions were also prominent in AIO search results.

This shows that future content will need to be structured as a series of “answer blocks.” Successful websites will break down their articles into clear, concise sections designed to answer one specific question at a time.

This makes it easy for Google to grab the text for a featured snippet, which in turn makes it a perfect source for an AI Overview.

You can make this strategy even more effective by adding schema markup, like FAQ schema for Q&As or How-to schema for tutorials.

We use the All in One SEO plugin on our own sites because it makes it easy to add different types of schema markup, without needing to touch any code.

This directly signals to Google what your content is about, increasing your chances of being featured.

On WPBeginner and our partner sites, using schema consistently has really helped us show up more in AI answers.

Do Organic Rankings Still Matter for AI Search?

Yes, they absolutely do. 75% of the websites cited in AI Overviews are also found ranking in the top 12, showing that the AI trusts and uses high-ranking pages for its information.

The data tells us that a high organic ranking is the first step. Without it, your chances of being featured by the AI are extremely low.

Key Takeaways: How Can Businesses Optimize for AI Search?

I’ve covered a lot of data, but it all comes down to a few key actions.

If you’re looking for a quick checklist on what to do next, here are the most important takeaways from these AI search predictions and statistics:

• ✅ Focus on Brand Mentions, Not Just Backlinks: Your brand’s presence and discussion across the web are now more influential than traditional link-building metrics.
• ✅ Create Content that Answers Informational Questions: Shift your content strategy to focus on answering specific, long-tail questions that users are asking.
• ✅ Structure Your Content as “Answer Blocks”: To get noticed, structure your articles with clear headings and concise answer blocks that can be easily pulled for both featured snippets and AI Overviews. Using FAQ or How-to schema makes this even more effective.
• ✅ Build Your Presence on Community and Video Platforms: Being active on these platforms provides the “community proof” that both users and AI systems are looking for.
• ✅ Don’t Abandon Traditional SEO, It’s Your Foundation: Ranking still matters. You need a strong organic ranking to even be considered by the AI, so don’t skip out on traditional WordPress SEO.
• ✅ Build a Brand People Search For Directly: Building a brand that users trust and search for by name is one of the most effective strategies for the future.

Sources: Ahrefs, Search Engine Land, Gartner, Growth Memo, Statista, SparkToro, Botify, DemandSphere, Semrush, SE Ranking, iPullRank

We hope this list of AI search statistics and predictions helps you adapt your website’s SEO strategy for the changes ahead.

Looking for more interesting statistics? Check out our other research articles below:

More Statistics, Trends, and Research Articles

• 60+ Surprising AI Statistics – Everything You Need to Know
• 120+ Mindblowing SEO Statistics and Trends (Ultimate List)
• 90+ Exciting Google Search Statistics and Data
• Blogging Statistics, Trends & Data – Ultimate List (UPDATED)
• Creator Economy Statistics That Will Blow You Away
• 80+ Social Media Statistics (Ultimate List for Bloggers)
• 60+ Internet Usage Statistics and Latest Trends

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.

The post How AI is Reshaping SEO: 30+ Trends to Watch in 2025 first appeared on WPBeginner.

I can’t tell you how many creators I’ve spoken with who feel trapped on Substack. It’s incredibly easy to get started, but that simplicity comes at a cost. As soon as you want to change a font, create a custom landing page, or add more advanced features, the platform’s limitations become frustrating fast.

And those limitations go beyond design. The deeper issue is control. On Substack, you don’t own your content, can’t control how you earn, and have limited access to your own subscribers.

That’s why so many creators are making the switch to WordPress. It gives you a lot more control over your design, monetization, and subscriber list.

After helping dozens of writers migrate from Substack to WordPress, I’ve developed a straightforward process that makes it manageable. The freedom and flexibility you’ll gain are well worth the effort.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process: moving your posts, importing your email list, setting up a powerful email system, and launching your new newsletter without losing momentum.

Why Should You Switch From Substack to WordPress?

Many creators switch from Substack to WordPress because it offers more control, flexibility, and monetization options. With WordPress, you can fully customize your site, own your email list, and add features like paid memberships, online courses, and digital product sales—all without platform fees.

Substack does a great job of marketing itself as the simple, all-in-one solution for newsletter creators. It lets you start publishing in minutes and handles the technical details for you.

But that initial convenience eventually becomes a major restriction. As your newsletter grows, you’ll reach the limits of what Substack can do.

The biggest issue is the lack of control, which means your newsletter ends up looking like everyone else’s. You can’t customize signup forms, build unique landing pages, or adjust the layout to match your brand.

Plus, there’s the challenge of monetization. Substack takes a 10% cut of every paid subscription, which adds up quickly.

You’re also locked into their subscription model, which means you can’t sell courses, digital products, or add other revenue streams directly to your site.

And ultimately, Substack controls your relationship with your audience. You can export your list, but the platform dictates how your content is delivered and what analytics you can access. With WordPress, you’re in the driver’s seat.

For full details, see our comparison of Substack vs. WordPress.

What to Expect When Migrating From Substack to WordPress

Migrating your newsletter might sound intimidating, but it’s easier than you think. I’ll break it down into clear, manageable steps.

Here’s a quick overview of what we’ll do together:

• Set Up Your WordPress Foundation: We’ll choose a reliable host, install WordPress, and create the new home for your newsletter.
• Export and Import Your Content: I’ll show you how to download your posts and subscriber data from Substack and move it safely into WordPress.
• Build Your New Email System: We’ll connect your site to a professional email marketing service, giving you full control over your campaigns and automations.
• Finalize the Migration: We’ll import your subscriber list, add redirects so you don’t lose traffic, and customize your site to match your brand.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a professional newsletter platform that you fully own and control.

Step 1: Set Up Your WordPress Website

The first step is to set up the WordPress website that will serve as the new destination for your content.

To do this, you’ll need two things: a domain name and WordPress hosting. While the WordPress software is free, hosting is where your website’s files are stored online.

I always recommend Bluehost to new users. They are an officially recommended WordPress host, their support is excellent, and they make setup incredibly simple. Plus, they offer WPBeginner readers a special deal that includes a free domain name for the first year.

To get started, head over to the Bluehost website and click the ‘Get Started Now’ button.

On the next screen, you’ll choose a hosting plan.

For most newsletter sites, the Basic plan has everything you need. You can always upgrade later if your needs grow.

After that, you’ll set up your domain name, and this part is important.

If you’re starting with a brand new domain, you can claim your free domain now by typing it into the ‘Create a new domain’ box.

But if you already have a custom domain connected to your Substack site (like mynewsletter.com), choose ‘I’ll create my domain later.’ This avoids any downtime while you complete the migration.

After you finish signing up, Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you.

Just log in to your Bluehost account, find your new site, and click the ‘Edit Site’ button. That will take you straight to your WordPress dashboard.

If you’re using a different host or want more guidance on this part, check out our full guide on how to install WordPress.

Step 2: Install the Necessary Importer Plugins

To import your posts from Substack, you’ll need to install two free plugins. The main one is the Substack Importer, but it relies on a core tool called the WordPress Importer to work correctly.

It might sound a little technical, but I’ll walk you through the fastest way to get it set up.

Prepare the WordPress Importer

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Tools » Import. At the bottom of the list, you’ll see ‘WordPress.’ Just click the ‘Install Now’ link.

Once it finishes installing, the link will change to ‘Run Importer.’

Here’s an important step: click ‘Run Importer’ now, even though you’re not uploading anything yet. This activates the tool so the Substack Importer works later. If you skip it, you’ll get an error.

After that, you’ll land on the importer’s upload screen—but you can ignore that for now. We’re ready to install the next plugin.

Install the Substack Importer

Next, you need to install the Substack Importer plugin, which will handle the specific format of your Substack export. For detailed instructions, you can see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Because you have already activated the main WordPress Importer tool, this plugin will install correctly without any issues. Your site is now fully prepared to import your Substack content, which I’ll show you how to do in Step 4.

Step 3: Export Your Content From Substack

Now, we need to go back to Substack one last time to download all of your content. This includes your posts, drafts, and your subscriber list.

You need to log in to your Substack account and go to your publication’s dashboard. Once there, you should click on ‘Settings’ in the top menu and scroll down until you find the ‘Export’ section.

You will see an option to ‘Export your data’. Go ahead and click the ‘New export’ button.

Substack will create a .zip file for you to download that contains all of your posts and images. This zip file will also contain a CSV file with your subscribers’ email addresses and other information. It may take a few minutes if you have a lot of content.

When the export file is ready, you will be notified by email, and you can click the ‘Download’ button to save it to your computer. This file is one of your most valuable assets, so save it somewhere safe.

Step 4: Import Your Posts into WordPress

Now for the exciting part! Let’s move your content onto your new WordPress website. Thanks to the plugin you installed, this process is mostly automated.

Go back to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Tools » Import. You should now see ‘Substack’ in the list of available importers.

Click the ‘Run Importer’ link below it.

The plugin will ask you to upload the file you got from Substack. Click ‘Choose File’ and select the .zip file containing your post export.

The plugin also provides an optional field to enter your Substack URL. This can help with importing comments and author details, but you can leave it blank if you want.

Then, click ‘Upload file and import’.

On the next screen, you’ll be asked to assign an author for the imported posts. You can create a new author or assign them to your existing WordPress user account.

Before you continue, make sure to check the box next to ‘Download and import file attachments.’

This is an important step that tells WordPress to save all the images from your Substack posts to your new website, so nothing gets left behind.

Click ‘Submit’ to begin. The importer will now work its magic, creating new WordPress posts for each article from your Substack file. This might take a few minutes.

Once it’s finished, go to Posts » All Posts. You should see all of your Substack articles right there in WordPress! Take a moment to click on a few and make sure the content and formatting look correct.

Step 5: Set Up Your Email Newsletter System

WordPress doesn’t send email newsletters by default, which is a major difference from Substack.

Instead, you need a dedicated email marketing service to manage your subscribers and send your newsletters. This gives you far more power and flexibility.

I recommend using Constant Contact. It’s incredibly beginner-friendly, integrates perfectly with WordPress, and offers powerful features like automation and analytics that go way beyond Substack.

With Constant Contact, you can segment your audience, A/B test your subject lines, create beautiful landing pages, and see detailed reports on who opens and clicks your emails.

First, you’ll need to sign up for a Constant Contact account. Once you’re in, you need to create a new email list for your subscribers.

Then, you can easily connect your WordPress website to Constant Contact using the WPForms plugin. It’s the best form builder for WordPress and lets you create beautiful newsletter signup forms that automatically add new subscribers to your Constant Contact list.

We have a complete, step-by-step guide on how to add email subscriptions to your WordPress blog. This tutorial will walk you through setting up Constant Contact, creating a signup form with WPForms, and placing it on your new website.

Step 6: Migrate Your Subscriber List

It’s time to move your most important asset: your subscribers. This step requires care to ensure a smooth transition for your readers.

You need to log in to your Constant Contact account. Then, go to the ‘Contacts’ section and look for the ‘Add Contacts’ button.

You’ll see an option to upload from a file, as you see in the screenshot below.

First, you’ll need to unzip the export file you downloaded from Substack. Inside, look for the CSV file containing your subscribers. The filename will usually be something like email_list.your-publication-name.csv.

Constant Contact will guide you through mapping the columns (like matching the ’email’ column to the email field). Add these subscribers to the new list you created.

Remember, you should only email people who have given you permission. That final email you sent from Substack is a great way to respect your audience and remind them they signed up.

Once they’re imported, I recommend creating a simple welcome email sequence in Constant Contact to re-engage them on the new platform.

Step 7: Point Your Domain to WordPress

With your content and subscribers moved, you’re ready to make your new WordPress site live on your official domain. The steps depend on how you set up your domain in Step 1.

If You Registered a New Domain With Bluehost

You’re all set!

Bluehost automatically pointed the domain to your WordPress site, so you don’t need to do anything else.

If You Have a Custom Domain From Substack

Now is the time to point it to your new host. You’ll do this by changing the domain’s nameservers.

You need to find the nameservers for your new host (for example, for Bluehost, they look like ns1.bluehost.com and ns2.bluehost.com).

Log in to your domain registrar (the company where you bought the domain, like Namecheap or GoDaddy) and find the DNS or nameserver settings. Now, you need to replace the old nameservers with the new ones from your web host.

Our guide on how to change domain nameservers shows you exactly how to do this with screenshots.

After you save your new nameservers, it can take a few hours for the change to update across the internet. This waiting period is called DNS propagation, and it’s perfectly normal.

Step 8: Set Up Permalinks and Redirects

This final technical step is crucial for preserving your SEO and preventing visitors from hitting ‘404 Not Found‘ errors.

Setting Up SEO-Friendly Permalinks

First, we want to make sure your new WordPress URLs are clean and SEO-friendly.

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Settings » Permalinks. Select the ‘Post name’ option and click ‘Save Changes’.

This creates simple URLs like yoursite.com/post-title, which are good for WordPress SEO.

Now, WordPress ‘Post name’ permalinks are very similar to the URLs that Substack creates for your posts. That will make it much easier to redirect the old post URLs to the new ones.

Setting Up Redirects for Your Old Substack Posts

Next, you need to make sure that anyone visiting your old Substack post links will be sent to the right page on your new WordPress site. This is called a redirect, and it’s very important for SEO and user experience.

The good news is that Substack uses a consistent URL structure for posts, like yourdomain.com/p/post-name. Because your new WordPress posts will have a similar URL (yourdomain.com/post-name), you can set up a single rule to redirect all of your old posts at once.

The easiest way to do this is with the free Redirection plugin. First, install and activate the plugin. Then, go to Tools » Redirection in your WordPress dashboard.

Now, you just need to add one new redirect rule.

In the ‘Add new redirection’ section, you need to fill out the fields like this:

• Source URL: ^/p/(.*)$
• Target URL: /$1

After you enter the URLs, check the ‘Regex’ box. This is a very important step that tells the plugin to use the special rule.

Then, just click the ‘Add Redirect’ button.

This single rule automatically finds any link that starts with /p/ and redirects it to the same URL without the /p/.

For example, a link to yourdomain.com/p/my-first-post will now automatically go to yourdomain.com/my-first-post. This saves you from having to create redirects for every single post by hand.

Finding and Fixing Any Missed Redirects

While this regex rule will redirect most of your posts, it’s a good idea to double-check for any that might have been missed. Sometimes, WordPress will change a post’s URL slug during the import process to avoid duplicates.

For example, if you had two Substack posts with similar titles, then WordPress might change one of the new URLs to something like /my-post-title-2. The regex rule wouldn’t catch this specific case.

Luckily, the Redirection plugin makes it easy to find these broken links.

From your WordPress dashboard, go to Tools » Redirection and then click on the ‘404s’ tab. This page will log any time a visitor tries to go to a page on your site that doesn’t exist.

If you see an old Substack URL in this log, it means the redirect for that specific post didn’t work. You can simply hover over the 404 error in the list and click ‘Add redirect’ to create a manual redirect for it.

For detailed instructions, see our guide on how to easily track 404 pages and redirect them in WordPress.

Step 9: Customize Your Site and Go Live

All the technical work is done. Now for the fun part: choosing a professional theme to give your new site its look and feel.

Choosing and Customizing Your Theme

Your WordPress theme controls the entire look and feel of your site. I recommend choosing a theme that is clean, readable, and fast so that it provides a great user experience for your readers.

For newsletter creators, themes like Sydney or GeneratePress are excellent choices because they are lightweight and highly customizable.

Then, just follow our guide on how to customize your WordPress theme to get the exact design you want.

You can also create a custom homepage to welcome new visitors and prominently feature your newsletter signup form.

To build trust with your readers, it’s also a good idea to add a few essential pages to your site. This makes your newsletter feel more professional and established.

I recommend creating:

• An About Page: This is where you can share your story and explain what your newsletter is about.
• A Contact Page: This gives your audience an easy way to get in touch with you, and you should include a contact form.
• A Privacy Policy: This page is legally required in many places and shows readers you respect their data. We have a full guide on how to create a privacy policy in WordPress.

Once these pages are in place and you’ve tested that your site is working correctly, it’s time for the final step: setting up your newsletter and announcing your move.

Step 10: Set Up Your Paid Newsletter in WordPress

One of the best things about moving to WordPress is that you have full control over your income. Instead of paying Substack’s 10% fee, you only pay standard payment processor fees, which means you keep more of your money.

To monetize your WordPress content, you’ll need a membership plugin. I recommend MemberPress because it’s the most powerful and easy-to-use option on the market. It lets you restrict access to your content so that only paying subscribers can view your premium newsletter posts.

Once you install MemberPress, you can create different subscription levels, just like on Substack. For instance, you could offer a monthly plan and a discounted yearly plan.

To get started, you can follow our step-by-step guide on how to create a paid newsletter in WordPress. It will walk you through everything from setting up MemberPress to creating your subscription plans.

But with WordPress and MemberPress, you can go far beyond a simple paid newsletter. You can also:

• Bundle your newsletter with other premium content like online courses, eBooks, or private community access.
• Sell digital downloads like guides or templates directly from your site.
• Create different membership tiers with unique perks for each level.
• Offer premium services like one-on-one coaching or consulting.

This flexibility allows you to build a true membership business around your content, not just a newsletter.

For more options, you can see our guide on how to make money in WordPress.

Once you are all set up, you can send an email to your subscribers welcoming them to the new website.

Be sure to highlight the benefits of the move, like a better reading experience or new features you’ve added. This is a great way to celebrate the transition and get your readers excited about the future of your newsletter.

Learning WordPress

Congratulations on moving your newsletter to WordPress! You now have a powerful platform that can grow right along with your business.

While WordPress is powerful, you don’t need to learn everything at once. We have plenty of free resources to help you master the basics and get comfortable.

Here are the best free resources our team has created for beginners:

• WPBeginner Blog: Our complete library of WordPress tutorials and how-to articles.
• WPBeginner Videos: Free WordPress video training courses that cover all the basics.
• WPBeginner YouTube Channel: Videos with practical tips for growing your website.
• WPBeginner Solution Center: Our expert recommendations for the best WordPress plugins and tools.

The more you use WordPress, the more comfortable you’ll become. Before you know it, you’ll be wondering how you ever managed with Substack’s limitations.

Alternative: Let an Expert Migrate Your Newsletter

I’ve walked you through all the steps to move from Substack to WordPress. But I know this process can feel like a lot, especially when you’d rather focus on creating content.

If you want to save time and avoid the technical details, then letting an expert handle the migration is a great option.

Our team at WPBeginner can do all the heavy lifting for you. Our Professional Services team will handle the entire migration, from transferring your content and subscribers to setting up your new design. This way, you can focus on writing while we take care of the rest.

Another excellent and reliable service for website migrations is Seahawk Media Services. Their team of WordPress experts can also help you make a smooth transition from Substack.

Using a professional service ensures everything is moved over correctly, giving you peace of mind and a new WordPress site that’s ready to go.

Frequently Asked Questions About Migrating From Substack to WordPress (FAQs)

I know that making a move like this can bring up a lot of questions. To help you out, I’ve compiled answers to some of the most common questions I hear from creators who are making the switch from Substack to WordPress.

Will I lose my subscribers when I migrate from Substack?

No, you will not lose your subscribers. Substack allows you to export your entire subscriber list as a CSV file, which you can then import into an email marketing service like Constant Contact. It’s important to email your list before you move to let them know about the change.

Can I keep my custom domain name when moving to WordPress?

Yes, absolutely. If you have a custom domain connected to Substack, you can point it to your new WordPress hosting provider. Step 7 in this guide shows you exactly how to do that without any downtime.

Is migrating to WordPress expensive?

The initial cost involves web hosting, which can start at just a few dollars per month.

While Substack is free to start, its 10% cut of your revenue becomes far more expensive than WordPress hosting as soon as you start making money. With WordPress, you control your costs and keep 100% of your revenue.

Do I need to be a technical expert to use WordPress?

Not at all. While WordPress is more powerful than Substack, it’s designed to be user-friendly. If you can write a post in Substack, you can write a post in WordPress.

For everything else, there are tons of free resources, including our free WPBeginner videos and our blog tutorials, to guide you.

I hope this tutorial helped you successfully migrate from Substack to WordPress. You now have complete control over your newsletter, from design and functionality to subscriber relationships and monetization options.

We also have an ultimate WordPress migration guide, and you can get inspired by browsing our expert list of popular sites using WordPress as a CMS.

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.

The post How to Migrate From Substack to WordPress in 10 Easy Steps first appeared on WPBeginner.

Creating a website that people trust starts with protecting their personal information.

Privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA are designed to help with that, but they can feel confusing when you’re just trying to do the right thing.

Many of these rules ask you to add a ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page to your site, and it’s not always clear where to start. I’ve been there myself.

After trying several different approaches, I found a step-by-step method that actually works for beginners.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the exact process I use to build a professional ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page in WordPress. I’ll also show you how to handle incoming requests, so you can protect your visitors’ privacy and stay compliant with international data laws.

Why Do You Need a ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ Page?

A ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page gives your visitors a clear way to say they don’t want their personal data shared with outside companies. In many cases, this is required by law, but it’s also a smart way to build trust.

Some site owners assume that these kinds of privacy laws don’t apply to them because they’re not selling anything.

But under some laws, like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), “selling” personal information doesn’t just mean trading it for money. It can also include sharing user data with other companies for things like ads, tracking, or analytics—even if no money is involved.

For example, if your site uses ad networks, tracking pixels, or embedded YouTube videos, then you may still be seen as “selling” or “sharing” personal information under these laws.

Because the definitions are so broad, adding a ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page helps you stay on the safe side of privacy rules while giving users more control over how their information is used.

As a website owner, it’s important to follow these laws and give your visitors real control over their data. While each regulation is different, most require you to let users opt out of having their personal information shared or sold to third parties.

This type of page is a specific requirement under the CCPA. Even though the GDPR doesn’t mention it by name, adding a ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page can help meet its requirement to give users control over how their data is used.

But this isn’t just about legal compliance.

When visitors see that you take privacy seriously, they’re more likely to sign up for your email list, make a purchase, or stick around longer.

Overall, a ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page helps meet modern privacy expectations and makes your site more trustworthy in the process.

How to Create a Do Not Sell My Info Page in WordPress

With privacy regulations getting stricter all the time, creating a ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page is no longer just a good idea, but a legal requirement.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of creating a ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page on your WordPress website step-by-step. I’ll also show you how to manage user requests effectively, so you stay on the right side of the law.

Step 1. Set Up WPConsent

The easiest way to add a Do Not Sell My Info page in WordPress is by using WPConsent. This is the best privacy compliance plugin that helps you meet key privacy standards by giving users more control over their personal data.

WPConsent includes helpful features like cookie banners, privacy policy generators, and a consent log to track user permissions, which are all useful if you’re ever audited.

It also offers a Do Not Track addon, which lets you create a dedicated form page in just a few clicks. Visitors can fill out this form to tell you not to sell their personal information.

These requests are stored locally in a custom table on your site, so you can review and respond to them right away.

If you’re working with a limited budget, there’s also a free version of WPConsent available on WordPress.org.

It includes many essential features to help you comply with laws like the GDPR.

To use the Do Not Track addon, you’ll need the premium version. If you need help upgrading, take a look at our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Once the plugin is active, you’ll see a quick onboarding wizard that walks you through setup, usually in under five minutes.

When you’re ready, click the ‘Let’s Get Started’ button to begin.

This setup wizard will guide you through several important tasks, such as scanning your site for third-party scripts and creating a cookie popup.

Completing these steps will help you comply with crucial privacy laws like the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), so I encourage you to go through the entire onboarding process.

After you’ve finished the setup, WPConsent will take you back to the WordPress dashboard.

Step 2: Create a WordPress Page 

WPConsent lets you add a Do Not Sell My Info form to any page or post on your WordPress site. However, to keep things simple, I suggest creating a new page especially for this important form.

In your WordPress dashboard, head over to Pages » Add Page.

You can now give this page a clear title, something like ‘Do Not Sell My Info.’ You can also add any other information you think is important, such as an introduction explaining what the form is for and why someone might want to use it.

When you’re happy with how the page looks, save it as a draft for now.

Step 3: Install the Do Not Track Addon

WPConsent includes tools to help you follow major privacy laws right away. But if you want to add a Do Not Sell My Info page, then you’ll need to install an extra addon.

In your WordPress dashboard, go to WPConsent » Do Not Track. When that screen loads, just click the ‘Install Do Not Track Addon’ button.

After a moment, WPConsent will automatically install and activate the addon for you.

Step 4: Create the ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ Form

Next, you need to head over to WPConsent » Do Not Track, and open the ‘Configuration’ tab.

Here, you’ll be able to choose where the form should appear.

Simply open the ‘Do Not Track Page’ dropdown and select the page you created earlier. This will automatically add a basic form to that page.

By default, the form includes a few essential fields:

• First Name
• Last Name
• Email

These are needed to identify the visitor, so WPConsent won’t let you remove them.

That said, you can update the labels if you want to use different wording—just change the text in the ‘Field Label’ box.

If you need more details from your users, you can also enable extra fields like:

• Address
• ZIP Code
• City State
• Country
• Phone

To include one, just check the box that says ‘Enable this field.’

These extra fields are optional by default.

But if there’s something you want to make mandatory, you can check the ‘Make this field required’ box.

Just like before, you’re free to update any of the field labels to match your site’s tone.

Once everything looks the way you want, scroll to the bottom and click the ‘Save Changes’ button.

Step 5: Adding the Form to Your Page

Now, you’re ready to add this form to the page you created earlier. In your WordPress dashboard, open that page for editing. 

Find the spot where you want to add the form and click the + icon.

In the box that appears, start typing ‘Shortcode’ to find the right block.

When the shortcode block appears, click on it to add it to the page.

You can now paste the following shortcode into the block: 

[wpconsent_do_not_track_form]

With that done, simply publish the page as you normally would.

You can now visit your WordPress blog or website to see the ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page in action.

Step 6: Add Links to Key Areas

Now that you’ve created a ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page, it’s important to make it easy for visitors to find.

One way to do this is by inserting a link from your Privacy Policy page to your ‘Do not sell info’ page. You might also consider placing it in a prominent spot like your website footer.

These small steps can go a long way in building trust. When visitors see that you’re open about your data practices, they’re more likely to feel confident browsing your site.

Step 7: Manage Incoming Requests 

Now that everything is set up, WPConsent will automatically log each request and display it in your WordPress dashboard. This makes it easier to stay on top of privacy requests as they come in.

To check your current requests, go to WPConsent » Do Not Track and make sure the ‘Requests’ tab is selected. You’ll see a list of all submissions along with key details for each one.

How you respond depends on how you manage customer information. For example, you might add a note to your CRM tool to mark the user as opted out.

You can also export your list of requests as a CSV file. This can be helpful for recordkeeping or auditing.

To do that, just open the ‘Export’ tab under WPConsent » Do Not Track.

First, click the ‘From’ field and choose a start date.

Then, select the end date by clicking the ‘To’ field.

By default, WPConsent includes all requests, both processed and unprocessed.

If you only want to see requests that still need attention, it’s a good idea to check the box that says ‘Export only “not processed” entries.’

Planning to act on those requests right away?

You might also want to check the box that says ‘Mark exported data as processed.’ That way, WPConsent will automatically update the status in your dashboard.

If you do that, make sure to follow through and complete each request. That helps keep your dashboard accurate.

Once everything’s ready, simply click the ‘Export’ button to download your CSV file.

If you didn’t mark them as processed automatically, you’ll need to close each one manually. To do that, hover over the request in your dashboard and click the ‘Mark as processed’ link.

Processed requests will be clearly labeled, so you can quickly see which ones are still open.

What to Do When Someone Opts Out

When one of your website visitors asks you not to sell or share their personal information, logging the request is just the first step.

The next step is to delete that user’s personal data from your website.

Fortunately, WordPress includes a built-in erase tool that lets you remove a user’s data on request.

You can find it by going to Tools » Erase Personal Data in your dashboard.

Using this tool helps you stay compliant with laws like the CCPA and GDPR, especially if you’ve collected contact information through forms, comments, or email signups. It’s a simple way to make sure you’re following through on privacy requests.

Do Not Sell My Info Pages: FAQs

Data compliance is a serious topic, so it’s understandable if you still have some questions.

To help you out, I’ve collected all the most frequently asked questions about setting up a ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page in WordPress.

What is WPConsent, and why should I use it?

WPConsent is a comprehensive plugin designed to help WordPress website owners comply with various privacy regulations, such as the Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD), CCPA, and GDPR. 

WPConsent makes it easier to create and manage essential privacy pages and features on your site, allowing you to meet legal requirements and build trust with your audience.

How does a ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page differ from other privacy pages?

A ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page serves a specific purpose: it lets users opt out of the sale of their personal data. This is required by various privacy laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

Typically, your website will have other privacy-related pages, but they won’t offer this particular function.

Can I use other privacy plugins alongside WPConsent for enhanced compliance?

Yes, you can use WPConsent with other privacy and security tools. For example, you might use WPConsent to manage your ‘Do Not Sell’ requests. At the same time, you might use a plugin like Sucuri to check your site for security weaknesses that could cause a data breach.

What should I do when a user sends me a ‘do not sell’ request?

Once you receive a request, you need to make sure you honor it properly. This means updating your internal data handling practices in order to reflect the user’s wishes.

For example, you might need to:

• Update your records: Mark the user’s profile in your database or CRM system. For example, you could add a ‘Do Not Sell’ tag to their contact record in your CRM software. This makes it clear to your team that their data should not be sold.
• Notify relevant teams: Ensure everyone involved in data processing knows about the request. After that, they can avoid any actions that would violate the user’s preferences.
• Review data flows: If you share data with third parties, then confirm this user’s data is no longer included in those transfers.
• Document the action: Keep a clear record of when you received the request and how it was processed. This documentation will also help you demonstrate compliance if you’re ever audited. The good news is that some tools log all user requests automatically, such as WPConsent.

If you don’t honor these requests, then you could face legal penalties, including significant fines and serious damage to your website’s reputation.

With that in mind, it’s essential that you take immediate action every time you get a ‘Do Not Sell’ request.

Is it important to regularly update the ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page?

Absolutely. Regular updates are vital to ensure you’re complying with the latest legal requirements. 

Privacy laws can evolve over time, and new regulations might come into effect. By keeping your page up-to-date, you can avoid potential penalties and other legal issues.

You also need to ensure your compliance reflects any changes you make in how you handle data. For example, if you start collecting new types of data or partnering with new third parties, then your ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page should reflect those changes.

When it comes to reviewing and updating your ‘Do Not Sell My Info’ page, I recommend adding this task to your website maintenance checklist.  

Additional Resources for Privacy Compliance

Navigating data privacy can be complex, but having the right resources to hand makes things much easier.

With that said, here’s a list of extra articles and guides to help you continue your compliance journey:

• How to Know if Your WordPress Website Uses Cookies
• How to Add WordPress Analytics Without Cookies
• How to Keep Personally Identifiable Info Out of Google Analytics
• How to Stop Storing IP Addresses in WordPress Comments
• How to Make Google Fonts Privacy Friendly

I hope this guide has helped you add a Do Not Sell My Info page to your WordPress website. Next, you may want to see our expert picks for the best WordPress security plugins or our ultimate WordPress security guide.

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.

The post How to Create a Do Not Sell My Info Page in WordPress first appeared on WPBeginner.

If you’re trying to choose between WordPress and Laravel for your next website, you’re not the only one.

Both platforms are popular, but they serve very different purposes. WordPress is beginner-friendly and great for getting a site online quickly. On the other hand, Laravel offers more customization and control, but only if you’re comfortable writing code.

Having worked with both platforms, I’ve found that the right choice really depends on your project and how comfortable you are with code.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the key differences between WordPress and Laravel to help you figure out which one fits your needs best.

WordPress vs. Laravel: A Brief Overview

Choosing between WordPress and Laravel is one of the first decisions you’ll need to make when building a website. You can use both platforms to create websites, but they are designed for different tasks.

I’ve put together this simple table that compares the key features of WordPress and Laravel side by side.

Next, I’ll walk you through each of these points in more detail to help you decide which platform is the right choice for your project.

How I Compared WordPress vs. Laravel

To give you a real-world comparison of WordPress and Laravel, I drew on my experience using both platforms for actual website projects.

I focused on the key areas that matter most when building a website with either platform:

• 🛠️ Real Projects: I’ve used WordPress for everything from blogs to online stores, and I’ve explored Laravel for building fully custom websites.
• 📋 Everyday Tasks: I compared how both platforms handle things like setting up pages, managing content, and adding features.
• ⚙️ Customization & Features: I looked at what each platform is designed for, how easy it is to customize, and how they handle security and performance.
• 🎯 Best Use Cases: I considered different types of websites and which platform fits best for each.
• ⏱️ Time and Effort: I factored in the learning curve, development time, and ongoing maintenance needs, including things like keeping your site updated and running smoothly.
• 📈 Growth Potential: I looked at how well each platform supports websites as they grow and become more complex.

I’ll use this approach to walk you through the key differences and help you choose the right platform for your site.

This is a detailed comparison of WordPress vs. Laravel. You can use the links below to quickly navigate through the article:

WordPress vs. Laravel: Why Choosing the Right Platform Matters

Choosing the right platform to build your website is a big decision. Selecting the wrong one can lead to unexpected costs, technical limitations, and frustration as your site grows, which is why it’s crucial to choose correctly from the start.

Ultimately, the best choice comes down to your budget, technical comfort level, and what you want your website to do in the long run.

Now, let’s take a look at both WordPress and Laravel.

What Is WordPress?

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world. Because it is open-source, it’s free to use and easy to customize with themes and plugins.

It’s designed to be user-friendly, allowing people of all skill levels to build and manage a website without needing to know how to code. It’s supported by a large global community that creates themes and plugins, and helps other users solve problems.

What Is Laravel?

Laravel is not a website builder like WordPress. Instead, it’s a PHP framework that gives developers a toolbox for building custom web applications from the ground up.

Like WordPress, Laravel is open-source and free, but it’s built for professional developers. You’ll need strong coding skills to use it, which gives you the power to create complex, highly customized websites and applications.

Ease of Use: Beginner-Friendly vs. Developer-Focused

When it comes to ease of use, WordPress and Laravel are built for completely different people.

WordPress is famous for its beginner-friendly approach that lets anyone build a site without code. In contrast, Laravel is a powerful tool designed for developers who are comfortable with a more technical setup.

WordPress Ease of Use: Setting Up a Basic Site

While there is a small learning curve, WordPress is designed to be easy to pick up, even for absolute beginners. You can follow our guide on how to learn WordPress for free in a week.

Getting started is quick and simple. Most web hosts offer one-click WordPress installation, so getting started is quick and simple. Hosts like Bluehost and Hostinger include this by default.

Our complete guide on how to make a WordPress website will walk you through the entire process step by step.

After WordPress is installed, you can log in to your dashboard. From here, you can create content using the built-in block editor, which lets you arrange your page using visual building blocks for text, images, and more.

To make building your site even easier, you can use a drag-and-drop page builder plugin. I recommend SeedProd because it lets you create completely custom layouts without any code. It even comes with an AI website builder that can generate a unique site for you in minutes.

Laravel Ease of Use: Setting Up a Basic Application

Setting up a Laravel project involves a more technical process. To get started, you’ll need to install Composer, which is a tool that manages the PHP packages your project depends on.

Once Composer is installed, you can use the command line to create a new Laravel project. This is a big shift from WordPress, where most hosting providers handle installation through a graphical control panel.

You’ll also need a local development environment like XAMPP or MAMP to run your Laravel project on your computer.

While you can add a CMS to Laravel using tools like October CMS, it still requires technical knowledge to manage.

🏅 Winner for User-Friendliness: WordPress

I recommend WordPress for non-programmers. It’s made for people of all skill levels, especially those who want to build and manage websites without coding.

Laravel, on the other hand, is made for developers. It’s powerful and gives you a lot of control for building complex web apps, but it is difficult to learn and requires coding knowledge.

Making It Your Own: Customization in WordPress vs. Laravel

Now, let’s look at how WordPress and Laravel handle customization.

WordPress: The Theme & Plugin Powerhouse

One of the biggest advantages of WordPress is how easy it is to customize your website’s design and features, even if you’ve never written a line of code. This is all thanks to its huge ecosystem of themes and plugins.

Plugins are like apps for your website that add new functionality. For example, with plugins you can add a contact form, launch a full online store, build a membership community, or improve your website’s SEO.

With tens of thousands of free and premium options, there is a plugin for almost anything you can imagine. To see what’s possible, you can check out our expert pick of the must-have WordPress plugins we recommend for all business websites.

Alternatively, you can always hire a developer to add custom code to your WordPress site.

The main difference is that WordPress is a complete system designed for content, which you can then extend. For projects with highly complex or unusual requirements that need to be built from scratch, Laravel can sometimes be a more direct starting point.

Laravel: The Code-Savvy Customizer

Laravel takes a more technical approach to customization. It’s a framework, which means it provides a toolbox for developers to build a custom website or web application from scratch.

This gives you full control over every aspect of your project, but you’ll need to be comfortable with coding in PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to use it effectively. Unlike WordPress, where you start with a pre-built system, Laravel starts you with a clean slate.

This makes it ideal for complex projects with unique requirements. For instance, if you were building a custom booking system, a SaaS (Software as a Service) application, or an internal business tool, Laravel provides the flexibility to build every feature exactly as you need it.

The trade-off is that you have to build many features that WordPress provides by default, like a content editor or user management system. This is why Laravel projects almost always require hiring a developer and take more time to build.

In short, here are the main points about customizing with Laravel:

• ✅ It offers unlimited flexibility because you can custom code everything.
• ✅ It’s ideal for building web applications with unique and complex features.
• ❗ You must have development expertise or hire a developer to use it.

🏅 Winner for Customization Options: WordPress (for most people)

If you want to customize your website without writing code, WordPress is the clear winner. Its library of themes and plugins lets you personalize your site easily, no technical knowledge required.

Laravel is better suited for developers who need full control and want to build highly customized applications.

For example, if you’re creating a blog or business website, WordPress will likely meet your needs. But if you’re building a web app with unique features, Laravel gives you the tools to go beyond what themes and plugins can offer.

Content Management: WordPress vs. Laravel

If your website is focused on content—like blog posts, news, or tutorials—then having a strong content management system (CMS) is essential.

A good CMS saves you time, reduces errors, and makes it easier to manage your content. Let’s look at how WordPress and Laravel compare when it comes to content management.

WordPress: Excels at Content Management

WordPress was built for content management. It started as a blogging platform, and today it’s a full CMS that makes it easy to create, organize, and manage all kinds of digital content.

It comes with powerful built-in tools to keep everything in order. You can sort your posts with categories and tags, manage all your files in the media library, and even create different content structures using custom post types.

If you work with a team, the built-in user management system is incredibly helpful.

You can assign different roles like Author, Editor, and Administrator, giving each person the right level of access to create and manage content.

And if you need more advanced management tools, you can use plugins to add features like an editorial calendar, custom approval workflows, or content restriction for membership sites.

Laravel: The Flexible Framework (But Not a CMS)

Laravel is not a content management system. Instead, it’s a framework designed for building web applications. That means it doesn’t include built-in tools for managing content like WordPress does.

If you want to manage content with Laravel, there are two common approaches:

• Build your own CMS: If you’re comfortable with PHP and Laravel, you can build a custom CMS from scratch. This gives you full control over your content structure and features, but it requires significant development time.
• Use a Laravel-based CMS: Some tools, like October CMS and Statamic, are built on Laravel. These platforms add content management features on top of Laravel but still require some technical knowledge to use effectively.

Here’s what the content editor looks like in October CMS:

As you can see, Laravel doesn’t offer the out-of-the-box content tools that come standard with WordPress.

🏅 Winner for Content Management Features: WordPress

If you need a complete, beginner-friendly CMS, then WordPress is the better option. It’s great for bloggers, businesses, and anyone who wants to manage content without writing code.

Laravel, on the other hand, gives developers full control. You can build a custom content system from the ground up, but it takes time and technical skill.

For example, if you’re building a site with very specific content workflows, you might choose Laravel to match your exact requirements. But for most websites, WordPress is a faster and more practical choice.

eCommerce: WordPress vs. Laravel

Selling products or services online? Then you’ll want to look at how each platform handles eCommerce. The right setup can make managing your store much easier.

WordPress: The eCommerce Powerhouse

One of the biggest strengths of WordPress is its flexibility for selling online. You can use it to build anything from a simple donation button to a massive online marketplace.

If you want to build a full online store, you can follow our complete guide on how to start an online store. The most popular way to do this is with a free plugin like WooCommerce, which adds all the features you need, like product pages, a shopping cart, and payment gateways.

But WordPress isn’t just for large stores. You can also:

• Accept simple payments or donations with a form builder like WPForms.
• Sell digital products like ebooks or courses with Easy Digital Downloads.
• Create a paid membership site to sell exclusive content with a plugin like MemberPress.

This flexibility makes WordPress a powerful choice that can grow with your business, no matter how you plan to sell online.

Laravel: The Custom eCommerce Builder

Laravel doesn’t come with built-in eCommerce features. But because it’s a flexible framework, developers can use it to build a fully custom eCommerce solution tailored to specific needs.

This lets you design features that may not be possible with WordPress. However, it requires advanced development skills and more time to set up and maintain.

Laravel is better suited for large businesses that need specialized functionality and have the technical resources to support a custom platform.

🏅 Winner for eCommerce Capabilities: WordPress (for most people)

For most small to medium-sized stores, WordPress with a plugin like WooCommerce is the easiest and most affordable choice. If you need a standard online store, this approach is plug-and-play and gives you everything you need to start selling without hiring a developer.

Laravel is a better fit when you need a large, custom eCommerce system. It is the best choice if you are building a bespoke platform with unique inventory, shipping, or recommendation features and have the budget for custom development.

SEO: WordPress vs. Laravel – Getting Found Online

If you want people to discover your website through search engines, then you need to think about search engine optimization (SEO). Your choice of platform can make a big difference in how easy that is to do.

WordPress: The SEO-Friendly CMS

WordPress is well-known for being SEO-friendly right out of the box. It supports key features like SEO-friendly URLs, categories and tags for organizing content, and alt text for images—all built into the platform.

WordPress makes SEO easy, especially with plugins like All in One SEO (AIOSEO). These tools help you add meta tags, create sitemaps, and optimize your content, all without needing to code.

With tools like this, you can follow most SEO best practices without needing to write any code.

If you’re serious about SEO, I recommend pairing your plugin with a fast-loading theme and a caching plugin to boost your site’s speed—a key ranking factor.

Laravel: The SEO Toolkit for Developers

Laravel doesn’t offer built-in SEO tools. Instead, it gives developers full control to add SEO features through code.

While you can build everything from the ground up, developers can also use pre-built Laravel SEO packages to handle tasks like creating sitemaps or managing metadata.

Popular Laravel SEO packages include ‘artesaos/seotools’, which can help handle meta tags, Open Graph, and more.

However, this still requires manual setup and coding knowledge to implement.

This flexibility is useful if you’re building a custom web application and need specific SEO structures. However, it’s a lot more technical and time-consuming.

If you’re not familiar with coding, then managing SEO in Laravel can be a real challenge.

🏅 Winner for SEO: WordPress

For most websites, WordPress is the easier and more beginner-friendly option for SEO. Its built-in features and powerful plugins make it simple to improve your search rankings without technical skills.

Laravel is best for developers working on advanced projects with very specific SEO needs. But you’ll need to be comfortable coding and managing those features manually.

Speed Matters: Performance in WordPress vs. Laravel

Website speed is important because a slow-loading website can frustrate visitors and negatively impact your search engine rankings.

Let’s take a closer look at how WordPress and Laravel compare when it comes to performance.

WordPress: Performance Requires Optimization

WordPress makes it easy to build a site, but that convenience can lead to slower load times if you’re not careful.

It’s important to know that the core WordPress software is actually very fast. But performance can slow down if you use a poorly coded theme, install too many or poorly coded plugins, or upload large, unoptimized images.

This is why it’s important to optimize your WordPress website to keep it running fast.

To boost WordPress performance, you can use caching plugins like WP Rocket, optimize your images, choose a lightweight theme, and select a quality hosting provider.

For step-by-step advice, see our ultimate guide to boosting WordPress speed and performance.

Laravel: Built for Speed

Laravel is built for speed because it starts as a lean, lightweight foundation. Developers only add the specific code and features needed for the project, so there’s no extra bloat to slow the site down.

That said, performance still depends on how well the code is written. A poorly optimized Laravel project can run into the same issues as any other framework.

But when set up properly, Laravel offers a strong foundation for high-performance websites and applications.

🏅 Winner for Performance: Laravel

If speed and performance are top concerns, especially for custom applications or high-traffic projects, then Laravel is the better fit. It’s well-suited for advanced performance needs and offers more precise control.

Still, WordPress can deliver excellent performance too. With the right hosting and optimization strategies, it can support fast load times even during high-traffic events. It just requires more setup and ongoing maintenance.

Growing Your Site: WordPress vs. Laravel Scalability

Scalability is your website’s ability to handle growth in traffic without slowing down.

Both WordPress and Laravel are excellent for this, but they use very different approaches.

WordPress: Scaling with the Right Infrastructure

WordPress can be scaled to handle massive amounts of traffic. In fact, many high-traffic websites, including major news outlets and enterprise companies, run on WordPress.

However, the scalability of a WordPress site depends less on the core software and more on its hosting environment and setup. To handle growth, you will need to invest in better infrastructure.

This usually involves:

• Upgrading Your Hosting: Moving from a basic shared hosting plan to a more powerful VPS or a high-performance managed WordPress hosting provider is the most important step.
• Using a CDN: A Content Delivery Network (CDN) helps distribute your website’s files across servers worldwide, reducing the load on your main server and speeding up load times for visitors.
• Optimizing Your Site: Using a caching plugin, optimizing images, and choosing well-coded plugins and themes are important for maintaining performance as you grow.

Laravel: Scaling with Custom Architecture

Laravel is designed for scalability from the ground up. Because it’s a framework, developers have complete control over the application’s architecture, allowing them to build systems specifically for high-traffic and complex tasks.

It comes with built-in features that make scaling easier for developers. These include support for distributed caching systems, background job queues to handle intensive tasks, and a structure that works well with modern, scalable server setups like load balancers.

This level of control is powerful, but it requires significant technical expertise. Scaling a Laravel application is not about clicking a few buttons. Instead, it requires careful architectural planning and server management by a skilled development team.

🏅 Winner for Scalability: WordPress for Most Websites, Laravel for Custom Applications

For most businesses, blogs, and online stores, WordPress is the more practical choice for scaling. You can easily handle growth by upgrading your hosting plan and using optimization tools without needing to rebuild your site’s foundation.

Laravel is the winner for custom web applications (like a SaaS platform) where complex scalability needs are known from the start. It offers a more robust foundation for developers who need to design a highly specific, scalable architecture from scratch.

Safeguarding Your Site: WordPress vs. Laravel Security

Both WordPress and Laravel can be very secure, but you’ll approach security differently depending on which one you choose.

Let’s take a look.

WordPress Security: A Shared Responsibility

WordPress itself is secure, but its popularity makes it a common target for hackers. The real risks often come from outdated plugins or poorly coded themes.

Because you can add so many different plugins, your site has a larger ‘attack surface,’ meaning more potential entry points for hackers if things aren’t kept up-to-date.

The good news is that regular updates and careful plugin choices can go a long way in keeping your site safe.

To stay secure, I always recommend you use reputable plugins from trusted sources, keep everything updated, and follow best practices like strong passwords and two-factor authentication.

Beyond your own efforts, your web host plays a huge role in keeping your site secure. Choosing a quality managed WordPress hosting provider adds a powerful layer of protection, as they often include security features like firewalls, malware scanning, and automatic updates.

For extra security, I recommend using a security plugin. We currently use Cloudflare on WPBeginner, and we’ve also had success with Sucuri. Cloudflare is ideal for larger sites, while Sucuri offers solid protection for all types of websites.

Check out our guide to the best WordPress security plugins for more recommendations.

Laravel Security: Built-in Protection and Encryption

Laravel includes built-in security features like CSRF protection and input validation that make it easier to build secure apps without needing extra tools.

It also uses encryption by default for sensitive data. For example, Laravel hashes passwords using bcrypt, helping keep login credentials secure even if the database is compromised. WordPress has also used password hashing for a long time and added support for bcrypt in version 6.8.

Laravel also encrypts cookies and sessions, which helps protect user data and prevent session hijacking.

That said, Laravel security depends heavily on the developer. Misconfigurations or insecure code can still create vulnerabilities. That’s why following secure coding practices and conducting regular security audits are essential.

🏅 Winner for Security: Laravel

Laravel provides a stronger security foundation out of the box, especially for developers who want built-in tools. But both platforms can be secure when used properly.

WordPress requires more ongoing maintenance, like updating plugins and using security tools, but it’s very secure when you follow best practices.

To learn more, see our ultimate WordPress security guide.

Community and Resources: WordPress vs. Laravel

When you run into an issue or want to add new features, having a strong support community and plenty of resources is a huge advantage.

This is a key area where WordPress and Laravel are very different, and it can make a big impact on your final choice.

WordPress: A Thriving Community

WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet, and this enormous market share supports a global community of users, developers, and designers.

Whether you need help troubleshooting an issue, selecting a plugin, or learning a new feature, there’s likely someone who has already encountered the same problem and shared the solution online.

In addition to community forums, you’ll find official resources like Learn WordPress and Make WordPress, which offer structured courses, lessons, and documentation to help users at all levels.

At WPBeginner, we also offer a wide range of free resources, including step-by-step tutorials, a newsletter, video guides, a helpful Facebook group, and more.

To get started, see our guide on how to make the most out of WPBeginner’s free resources.

And because of WordPress’s popularity, the theme and plugin marketplace is massive, giving you endless customization options without writing any code.

Laravel: A Developer’s Hub

Laravel has a smaller but highly focused community made up of developers and technical users. It emphasizes clean code, reusable packages, and advanced development practices.

Although the Laravel ecosystem is more niche, it’s very active and supportive. I’ve found the official documentation to be excellent, and there are plenty of places to ask questions or share solutions.

Top Laravel learning resources include Laracasts (a premium tutorial site), community forums like the Laracasts forum and Laravel.io, and the Laravel subreddit.

Unlike WordPress, Laravel doesn’t offer a marketplace of themes and plugins. It’s designed for building things from scratch, so you’ll be writing more code, but you’ll also have full control over the final product.

Fortunately, Laravel developers are in high demand, and finding skilled professionals is generally not difficult.

🏅 Winner for Community and Resources: WordPress

While both platforms have strong communities, WordPress has a much larger and more beginner-friendly ecosystem. Here’s why:

• The WordPress community welcomes users at every skill level. There are countless forums, tutorials, and support groups where you can find quick help.
• Most common issues already have documented solutions you can find with a simple web search.
• Its huge marketplace makes it easy to add new features or design updates with minimal effort.

Laravel offers an excellent support network for developers, but if you’re not comfortable with code, WordPress is the more accessible and community-rich option.

Cost Comparison: WordPress vs. Laravel

I know from experience that budget is a major factor when choosing a platform. While both WordPress and Laravel are open-source (meaning the software itself is free), there are other costs to consider.

WordPress: Budgeting for Your Site

WordPress is usually more affordable at the start. With free themes, plugins, and budget-friendly hosting (as low as a few dollars per month), you can launch a site cheaply. Just remember that premium themes, plugins, or hiring a developer will add to the cost.

Here’s what you’ll need to budget for:

• A domain name (like wpbeginner.com) costs around $10-15 per year, but you may be able to get the first year for free.
• Web hosting (where your website files and database are stored) costs $2-25 per month. I recommend Bluehost for beginners because they have affordable plans and great support.
• You can choose a free theme or purchase a premium theme for $30-200 to get more design options and features.
• You can also use free plugins, though premium plugins can add powerful features. I recommend checking out our list of the must-have WordPress plugins.
• If you need custom work, then you will need to hire a developer or designer. This can be the biggest expense, though most WordPress websites won’t need it.

We have a detailed guide on WordPress website costs if you want more information.

Laravel: Investing in Development

Laravel projects typically cost more because they require custom development. You’ll likely need to hire a developer or a team, which makes sense for larger or more complex projects.

Here’s a breakdown of the typical costs you can expect with Laravel:

• Domain name: Around $10–15 per year, just like with WordPress.
• Web hosting: Typically $15–100+ per month. Laravel apps often require more robust infrastructure, such as cloud hosting or a VPS for better performance.
• Developer fees: This is usually the largest cost. If you’re building something custom, hiring a Laravel developer is essential, and rates can vary widely depending on the complexity of your project.

All in all, Laravel gives you complete freedom to build exactly what you need, but that flexibility comes with a bigger investment in both time and money.

For example, you might launch a simple WordPress site for under $100, but a custom Laravel project could easily start in the thousands depending on its features.

🏅 Winner for Affordability: WordPress (for most people)

For most people, especially beginners and small businesses, WordPress is the more cost-effective option. You can launch a full-featured website without hiring a developer, and many themes and plugins are available for free.

Laravel is best suited for complex projects with unique functionality, where you have the budget to invest in custom development. It’s a powerful solution, but not the cheapest one.

The Verdict: Choosing Between WordPress vs Laravel

So, which platform is right for you? It all depends on what you need from your website.

Use WordPress if you want to build a website quickly, manage content easily, and benefit from thousands of ready-made themes and plugins. It’s perfect for blogs, business sites, portfolios, and online stores without breaking the bank.

Use Laravel if you’re a developer (or working with one) building a custom web application with unique features, advanced functionality, or a need for serious scalability and control. Laravel is more powerful under the hood, but it requires coding expertise to unlock its full potential.

To help you decide, here’s a simple breakdown of who each platform is best suited for:

Before choosing a platform, consider your goals, technical skills, and budget.

If you want to build something quickly and easily, WordPress is likely the way to go. But if you need full control and are building something more advanced, Laravel might be a better fit.

I hope this guide helped you get a clearer picture of whether WordPress or Laravel is right for your next project. Ready to build your site? If you’re leaning toward WordPress, check out our guide on how to start a website step-by-step.

Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress vs. Laravel

Now that you’ve read our comparison of WordPress vs. Laravel, you might still have some questions. Here are some quick answers to frequently asked questions.

Is WordPress or Laravel easier to use for beginners?

For someone just starting out with website building, WordPress is easier to learn and use. It is designed with user-friendliness in mind, even if you have no coding experience. You can get a website up and running quickly, often with just a few clicks.

Laravel, on the other hand, has a steeper learning curve. It’s a framework built for developers, so it assumes you have coding knowledge or are willing to learn.

Do I need to know coding to use WordPress or Laravel?

With WordPress, you can build and manage a website without writing any code at all. You can use themes to control the design and plugins to add features, all without needing to write code. If you want to make very advanced customizations, then some coding knowledge can be helpful.

Laravel is different. To use Laravel effectively, you need coding skills, specifically in PHP. Building a website or web application with Laravel involves writing code to create features, customize functionality, and manage your site.

Which is better for SEO: WordPress or Laravel?

Both WordPress and Laravel can be excellent for SEO, but they approach it in different ways. WordPress is naturally quite SEO-friendly right out of the box, and you can use plugins like All in One SEO to optimize your site for search.

Laravel gives developers more direct, technical control over SEO. With Laravel, you can fine-tune every aspect of your website’s code and structure for optimal SEO performance. But this isn’t a one-click solution because it takes a lot of coding.

Is WordPress or Laravel more secure?

Both WordPress and Laravel can be secure platforms, but security needs to be approached differently for each. WordPress is actively maintained for security, and you need to keep it updated. You also need to use security best practices and plugins for the best protection.

Laravel is more secure from a technical standpoint. It has many security features by default and encourages secure coding practices. However, just like any platform, Laravel’s security still depends on developers writing secure code and properly configuring their applications.

When should I choose WordPress over Laravel?

I recommend WordPress for most websites. It’s easy to set up and manage, especially if you’re not a coder. It’s ideal for blogs, small business websites, portfolios, and online stores. It lets you get a website online quickly and cost-effectively.

When should I choose Laravel over WordPress?

In most cases, it’s best to choose Laravel when you need to build a custom web application or a website with very specific and complex features. You will need development expertise or a development team, but you can build something truly unique from the ground up.

We hope this tutorial helped you compare WordPress vs. Laravel and their pros and cons. You may also want to see our guide on how to choose the best website builder or our expert pick of popular sites using WordPress as a CMS.

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The post WordPress vs Laravel – Which Is Better? (Expert Comparison) first appeared on WPBeginner.