🌱 WordPress Setup Differently: No Heavy Manuals, Just A Step-By-Step Checklist

By Marie. January 24, 2026

Your first blog built with Wordpress set up differently.

WordPress Setup Differently. No Heavy Manuals, Just A Step-By-Step Checklist. I fumbled with Wordpress first time, in fact, countless times. It was frustrating. But I persisted and this is how I restarted. I set up Wordpress differently. Here's the simple learn-by-doing the step-by-step checklist I followed that works:

Step 1: The "New Site" Activation

Log into your Hostinger Dashboard (hPanel).

  1. Look for the Websites tab on the top or left sidebar.
  2. Click the Create a Website button.
  3. Choose WordPress as your platform.
  4. Important: It will ask you to create a "WordPress Account." This is different from your Hostinger login—it’s what you’ll use to log into your actual blog. Save these credentials in a safe place!

Step 2: Choosing a "Lightweight" Theme

For your first blog site, I recommend sticking with one of two paths:

  • The Astra "Starter Template": Since you’ve seen it before, you can import a "Coming Soon" or "Architecture" template. It builds the pages for you so you just have to swap the text.
  • Twenty Twenty-Four: This is the default WordPress theme. It is extremely simple and uses "Blocks" (like LEGO bricks) to build pages. It’s the best for "learning by doing."

Step 3: Essential Technical "First Moves"

Once you are inside the WordPress Dashboard (the black sidebar on the left), do these three things to make your life easier:

  1. Permalinks: Go to Settings > Permalinks and select "Post Name." This makes your links look like yoursite.com/learning-hut/ instead of yoursite.com/?p=123.
  2. Site Identity: Go to Appearance > Customize (or the Editor) and type in your Site Title and Tagline. This is where your "dream" officially gets its name!
  3. The "Under Construction" Plugin: Search for a plugin called "SeedProd" or "Lightweight Coming Soon." This allows you to work on the site privately while visitors see a beautiful "Dreams are building here" page.

Your First "Learning Task"

  1. Instead of building a whole menu, just try to create one page.
  2. Go to Pages > Add New. Title it: ex. "The Learning Curve," or whatever you wish for your first post.
  3. Type one paragraph about it.
  4. Hit the blue Publish button.

How does that sound for a start?

Read:
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