WordPress.com
{{short description|Blogging platform owned and hosted online by Automattic}}
{{About|the commercial blog host WordPress.com|the open-source software|WordPress|the text processing software by Corel|WordPerfect}}
{{Third-party|date=February 2024}}
{{Infobox website
| name = WordPress.com
| logo = File:WordPress.com logo (2024).svg
| screenshot = File:WordPress.com homepage (September 2024).png
| caption = Homepage as of September 2024
| url = {{URL|https://wordpress.com/}}
| commercial = Yes
| type = Blog hosting
| registration = Required
| owner = Automattic
| author = Automattic
| launch_date = {{start date and age|2005|11|21}}
| programming_language = JavaScript (since 2015); PHP{{cite web |title=Writing a Plugin |work=Wordpress.org |url=https://codex.wordpress.org/Writing_a_Plugin |access-date=November 9, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022163116/http://codex.wordpress.org/Writing_a_Plugin |archive-date=October 22, 2012}} (since 2005)
| area_served = Worldwide
| current_status = Active
}}
WordPress.com is a web building platform for self-publishing that is popular for blogging and other works. It is owned and operated by Automattic, Inc.{{cite web |title=WordPress.com Open |publisher=Matt Mullenweg |date=2005-11-21 |url=http://ma.tt/2005/11/wordpresscom-open/ |access-date=2011-07-01 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612162321/https://ma.tt/2005/11/wordpresscom-open/ |archive-date=2018-06-12}} It is run on a modified version of the WordPress software.{{cite news |title=WordPress.com and WordPress.org |date=2008-12-02 |work=Support |language=en-US |url=https://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/ |access-date=2018-06-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200309002819/https://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/ |archive-date=2020-03-09}} This website provides free blog hosting for registered users and is financially supported via paid upgrades,{{cite web |title=Create A Free Website Or Blog With WordPress.com |publisher=Mark Monyhan |url=http://signotes.org/wordpress-dot-com/ |access-date=2014-08-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016042808/http://signotes.org/wordpress-dot-com/ |archive-date=2014-10-16}} "VIP" services and advertising.
While Automattic is among the many companies contributing to the WordPress project,{{cite web |title=Automattic |website=Automattic |language=en |url=https://automattic.com/ |access-date=2022-03-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220211622/http://automattic.com/ |archive-date=2011-02-20}}{{cite web |title=Automattic |date=2019-10-29 |website=Five for the Future |language=en-US |url=https://wordpress.org/five-for-the-future/pledge/automattic/ |access-date=2022-03-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327201930/https://wordpress.org/five-for-the-future/pledge/automattic/ |archive-date=2022-03-27}} neither it nor WordPress.com are affiliated with the WordPress software/project or the WordPress Foundation.{{cite web |last=Reimnitz |first=Nathan |title=WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: What's the Difference? |date=2018-05-14 |website=Go WordPress |language=en |url=https://wordpress.com/go/business-website-guidance/wordpress-com-vs-wordpress-org/ |access-date=2022-03-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329121659/https://wordpress.com/go/business-website-guidance/wordpress-com-vs-wordpress-org/ |archive-date=2022-03-29}}{{cite web |title=WordPress vs WordPress.com |date=2018-12-09 |website=WordPress.org Forums |language=en-US |url=https://wordpress.org/support/article/wordpress-vs-wordpress-com/ |access-date=2022-03-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328183055/https://wordpress.org/support/article/wordpress-vs-wordpress-com/ |archive-date=2022-03-28}}
History
The website opened to beta testers on August 8, 2005{{cite press release |title=Argolon Solutions company web-site re-launched as a Wordpress blog |publisher=Conor's Bandon Blog |date=2005-08-08 |url=http://conoroneill.com/2005/08/08/argolon-solutions-company-web-site-re-launched-as-a-wordpress-blog/ |access-date=2015-01-08 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060520134213/http://conoroneill.com/2005/08/08/argolon-solutions-company-web-site-re-launched-as-a-wordpress-blog/ |archive-date=2006-05-20}} and opened to the public on November 21, 2005. It was initially launched as an invitation-only service, although at one stage, accounts were also available to users of the Flock web browser.{{cite web |title=Wordpress.com partners with Flock |website=BloggingPro |language=en-US |url=http://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2005/10/20/wordpresscom-partners-with-flock/ |access-date=2018-06-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629185819/http://www.bloggingpro.com/archives/2005/10/20/wordpresscom-partners-with-flock/ |archive-date=2017-06-29}} {{As of|2017|02|post=,}} over 77 million new posts and 42.7 million new comments are published monthly on the service.{{cite web |title=WordPress.com Stats |website=WordPress.com |date=8 December 2006 |url=https://wordpress.com/activity/ |access-date=2018-03-25 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180325141648/https://wordpress.com/activity/ |archive-date=2018-03-25}}
In September 2010, it was announced that Windows Live Spaces, Microsoft's blogging service, would be closing and that Microsoft would partner with WordPress.com for blogging services.{{cite news |title=Welcome Windows Live Spaces Bloggers |date=2010-09-27 |work=The WordPress.com Blog |language=en-US |url=http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/welcome-windows-live-spaces-bloggers/ |access-date=2018-06-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612185149/https://en.blog.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/welcome-windows-live-spaces-bloggers/ |archive-date=2018-06-12}}
In February 2024, Automattic announced that it would begin selling user data from Tumblr and WordPress.com to Midjourney and OpenAI.{{cite web |last=Cole |first=Samantha |title=Tumblr and WordPress to Sell Users' Data to Train AI Tools |date=2024-02-27 |website=404 Media |language=en |url=https://www.404media.co/tumblr-and-wordpress-to-sell-users-data-to-train-ai-tools/ |access-date=2024-02-28}}
Features
Registration is not required to read or comment on blogs hosted on the site, except if chosen by the blog owner. Registration is required to own or post in a weblog. All the basic and original features of the site are free-to-use. However, some features are not available in the free plan: install PHP plugins, customize theme CSS, write JavaScript, domain mapping, domain registration, removal of ads, website redirection, video upload, storage upgrades.{{cite news |title=Plans And Pricing |date= |language=en-US |work=WordPress.com |url=http://en.support.wordpress.com/upgrades/ |access-date=June 10, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831064435/http://en.support.wordpress.com/upgrades/ |archive-date=August 31, 2014}}
If the free plan is in use, readers see ads on WordPress.com pages, though WordPress.com claims that it is rare.{{cite news |title=On Ads |date=2006-09-06 |work=The WordPress.com Blog |language=en-US |url=http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2006/09/06/on-ads |access-date=2018-06-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180611034345/https://en.blog.wordpress.com/2006/09/06/on-ads/ |archive-date=2018-06-11}}{{cite news |title=Go (Even More) Ad-Free |date=2008-09-18 |work=The WordPress.com Blog |language=en-US |url=http://en.blog.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/go-ad-free |access-date=2018-06-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180611034351/https://en.blog.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/go-ad-free/ |archive-date=2018-06-11}} On its support pages, WordPress.com says it "sometimes display[s] advertisements on your blog to help pay the bills".{{cite news |title=No Ads |date=2009-01-09 |work=Support |language=en-US |url=https://en.support.wordpress.com/no-ads/ |access-date=2018-06-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144037/https://en.support.wordpress.com/no-ads/ |archive-date=2018-06-12}} In order to remove the ads, users need to purchase a Plan that starts at $4 a month (if billed annually).{{cite web |title=WordPress Cost {{!}} WordPress Price {{!}} Compare Our Plans |date=2016-02-23 |website=WordPress.com |language=en |url=https://wordpress.com/pricing/ |access-date=2021-01-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104002356/https://wordpress.com/pricing/ |archive-date=2021-01-04}}
On April 9, 2025, WordPress.com launched a free AI-powered website builder that enables users to create websites using simple text prompts.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-09 |title=Try Our New AI Website Builder for Free - WordPress.com |url=https://wordpress.com/blog/2025/04/09/ai-website-builder/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=WordPress.com News |language=en}} The tool automatically generates layouts, text, and images, streamlining the website creation process for beginners and small businesses.{{Cite web |last=Perez |first=Sarah |date=2025-04-09 |title=WordPress.com launches a free AI-powered website builder |url=https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/09/wordpress-com-launches-a-free-ai-powered-website-builder/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}} Free users receive 30 prompts, while unlimited access is available to Premium and Business plan subscribers with plans to make it available to self-hosted WordPress sites in the future.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-10 |title=WordPress.com Launches Free WordPress AI Website Builder |url=https://hostdean.com/news/wordpress-com-launches-free-ai-website-builder/ |access-date=2025-04-10 |website=HostDean |language=en-US}}
Politics
In August 2007, Adnan Oktar, a Turkish creationist, got a Turkish court to block Internet access to WordPress.com for all of Turkey. His lawyers argued that blogs on WordPress.com contained libelous material on Oktar and his colleagues which WordPress.com staff was unwilling to remove.[http://wordpress.com/blog/2007/08/19/why-were-blocked-in-turkey/ Why We're Blocked in Turkey: Adnan Oktar] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080409171715/http://wordpress.com/blog/2007/08/19/why-were-blocked-in-turkey/ |date=2008-04-09}} from the company's blog, August 19, 2007
In May 2009, WordPress.com was blocked by China's Golden Shield Project.{{cite web |title=AFP: Blogging guru chips away at Great Firewall of China |website=Google.com |url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igVn4hcj6ZNWlawSvzLvgEMkZmkQ |access-date=December 24, 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090601162213/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5igVn4hcj6ZNWlawSvzLvgEMkZmkQ |archive-date=June 1, 2009}}
WordPress placed a rainbow banner atop the WordPress Reader in June 2015, in celebration of the US Supreme Court ruling that same-sex marriage is a constitutional right.{{cite web |title=#LoveWins! LGBTQ Bloggers Make Their Voices Heard |first=Hugo |last=Baeta |date=June 30, 2015 |url=https://justhugo.com/2015/06/30/lovewins-lgbtq-bloggers-make-their-voices-heard/ |access-date=February 18, 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116003558/https://justhugo.com/2015/06/30/lovewins-lgbtq-bloggers-make-their-voices-heard/ |archive-date=January 16, 2021}} This was also done in advance of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey of 2017.{{cite web |title=Sight Magazine - Christians join calls for WordPress to remove rainbow banner supporting same-sex marriage from hosted sites |website=sightmagazine.com.au |date=4 September 2017 |url=https://www.sightmagazine.com.au/news/7907-christians-among-those-calling-for-wordpress-to-remove-rainbow-banner-from-hosted-sites |access-date=2021-02-18 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128142458/https://www.sightmagazine.com.au/news/7907-christians-among-those-calling-for-wordpress-to-remove-rainbow-banner-from-hosted-sites |archive-date=2021-01-28}}
In August 2018, WordPress.com began removing several pages that suggested the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.{{cite news |title=Sandy Hook Hoaxer Blogs Start Disappearing From WordPress Sites |last=Jones |first=Rhett |work=Gizmodo |date=August 16, 2018 |language=en-US |url=https://gizmodo.com/sandy-hook-hoaxer-blogs-start-disappearing-from-wordpre-1828396727 |access-date=August 19, 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819071748/https://gizmodo.com/sandy-hook-hoaxer-blogs-start-disappearing-from-wordpre-1828396727 |archive-date=August 19, 2018}}
See also
{{Portal|Internet}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{Official website}}
- [https://w3techs.com/sites/info/wordpress.com Web Technologies used by Wordpress.com], W3Techs
{{Automattic Inc.|state=collapsed}}
Category:Blog hosting services
Category:Internet properties established in 2005
Category:Internet services supporting OpenID
Category:Online mass media companies of the United States