We are often asked by beginners: what is VoIP and how does VoIP work? If you are a non-techy user, then you may have heard that you could use VoIP to add a business phone number for your website.

VoIP is a more cost-effective way to get a business phone number for your website when compared to a traditional phone line. However before making any decision, you need to fully understand what the technology is all about.

In this beginner’s guide, we will answer what is VoIP, and how does VoIP work behind the scenes. The goal is to help you understand how VoIP can save you money and help you grow your business.

Here is an overview of what we’re going to cover in this guide. You can click on these links to jump straight to different sections.

• What is VoIP?
• How does VoIP work? (Behind the scenes)
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP?
• Which is the best VoIP phone service?
• How to make a call using VoIP?
• Frequently asked questions about VoIP (FAQs)

Unlike landline phone systems that are limited to a single desk phone in your office, VoIP lets you make and receive business phone calls from your laptop, tablet, regular smart phone (using an App), and even VoIP compatible office phone sets.

Since all calls are made over the internet, it’s extremely cost-efficient for both domestic and long distance (international) calls. Most business VoIP providers offer unlimited minutes without any extra cost.

Aside from the cost savings, you also get all the advanced phone features like call waiting, call routing, caller tones, auto-attendant, multiple phone numbers, and more.

This is why most small businesses and even enterprise companies are all switching away from traditional phone providers to a business VoIP provider.

At WPBeginner, we use Nextiva, a leading VoIP based business phone system.

How VoIP Actually Works? (Behind the Scenes Look)

To understand how VoIP actually works, we will take a look at what happens when you make or receive a phone call on VoIP phone.

When you make a phone call using VoIP, their business phone number app or VoIP adapter takes the analog audio signal and turn it into digital signal.

This digital voice data is then sent to the business phone service provider using your internet, and then finally the message is routed to your customer’s phone.

This process happens nearly instantly which is why sometimes VoIP sound quality is even better than regular phone calls.

How is VoIP different than Traditional Phone System?

VoIP works differently behind the scenes from a regular landline phone system.

Traditional telephony systems use the circuit switching method for connecting calls. When you make a call through the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), you’re connected to the person on the other end, and they’re connected to you in a circuit.

The ‘Circuit switching’ technology is used for more than a 100 years now. It is reliable and still works, but is not the most efficient or cost-effective.

VoIP uses the ‘packet switching’ method instead. This means that data is only sent when needed. A brief, instant connection is created each time you speak. The connection doesn’t need to go both ways all the time. You and the person you’re talking to will not normally be both speaking at the same time.

Plus, packets of data are sent efficiently. They can use many different paths through the internet. The packages are then put back together when they reach their destination.

The data packets can also be compressed to save space. This lets them travel even more quickly through the internet.

All of this happens very fast. Unless there’s a problem with your internet connection, you will not notice any delay during the call.

While VoIP may sound quite technical and complicated, the main thing to understand is that VoIP is a more efficient method of transferring data during phone calls.

You probably have already used VoIP before without knowing it, through an app like Skype or Google Voice.

VoIP Pros and Cons Compared

Since we’ve been using a VoIP business phone service in our company for years, it’s fair to say that we know a thing or two about the pros and cons.

Here’s our detailed analysis of the pros and cons of VoIP.

VoIP Advantages – Benefits of Using VoIP

Switching from a traditional telephone company’s service to a cloud based VoIP phone system has many benefits.

Lower Monthly Cost

One of the biggest advantage of VoIP is that you have lower monthly cost on both domestic and international calls.

Most VoIP phone providers will often include unlimited domestic calls for free. International calls are normally very cheap, too.

Aside from that, you’ll also save money on repair and maintenance service expenses that you currently pay your landline phone provider.

Take calls from anywhere – Completely Portable

With VoIP, you don’t need to be in an office, on-premise, sitting by your desk phone to take phone calls. You can take incoming calls from wherever you are using an app on your phone, tablet, or laptop computer.

This is a big advantage for teams that are working remotely or out on the field. It is also great if you’re traveling.

Advanced business phone features

VoIP solutions normally include lots of extra business phone features. For instance, you can set up conference calls easily with VoIP.

Plus, most VoIP service providers offer a virtual receptionist, hold music, call waiting, auto dialer, voicemail to email or text, and much more. You can even get advanced telecommunications functionality like video conferencing.

This may also get you additional cost savings because often traditional telephone service providers charge recurring fees for these add-ons.

Improved Scalability and Flexibility

Another advantage of VoIP is higher scalability. Whether you’re hiring more staff or opening a new branch office in a new city, VoIP makes it easy to grow.

Unlike a traditional phone service that would require to spend money on expensive hardware on dedicated line, VoIP lets you add your team members with just a few clicks inside your account dashboard.

Since VoIP works on all smart phones, you can even cut additional equipment cost and free up desk space by having your team members install the app on their personal phone.

VoIP Disadvantages – Drawbacks of Using VoIP

While VoIP is an amazing technology, it may not be perfect for everyone. There are a couple of VoIP disadvantages that you should be aware of.

You need a good internet connection to make telephone calls

As we explained in the how VoIP works section, you need to have an internet connection to make phone calls.

If your internet is slow, then your call quality may be impacted.

The good thing is that VoIP technology doesn’t use as much bandwidth as you might think. A good connection with less than 70ms ping and at least 500 kbps of upload speed is good enough for VoIP calls.

However if you have a lot of team members in your office, then you may need to look at your bandwidth needs for the number of concurrent calls your business will be making at the same time.

You need to account for power outages

Regular phone service works during power outages. But you cannot make VoIP calls if you don’t have power or access to the internet.

Typically, most offices have wireless internet powered by WiFi routers. These routers need electricity, so if your building experiences power outage, then your internet can also go down which will impact your VoIP service.

The way we mitigate this in our office is by using a battery backup system for our internet router. Since our internet is provided by a different company than our electricity, we never have both outages at the same time.

Furthermore, since our team members use the VoIP app on their phone, they can always use their mobile data to make business phone calls.

You will need to retrain your staff on the new system

Switching to a new telephone system means you need to train your staff on how to use it.

Luckily, most VoIP services are designed to be as straightforward and intuitive as possible. This means it should be easy to train team members on how to use the cloud phone systems, even if your employees are working remotely.

Which is the Best VoIP Phone Service?

Here at WPBeginner, we use and recommend Nextiva as the best VoIP phone service. They offer a free local or toll-free number with all of their plans.

Nextiva comes with all the essential features you need including call routing, unlimited domestic voice calls, unlimited business SMS messaging, voicemail to email/text, number porting, caller ID, caller forwarding, custom greetings, auto attendant, hold music, online VoIP fax, phone extension for team members, and more.

They have an easy to use smart phone app for Android / iPhone (iOS), and a softphone app for your computer.

For Enterprise customers, then even let you convert your existing PBX (private branch exchange) system into a cloud phone system using SIP (session initiation protocol) trunking. This means you can easily transfer calls to different department and employees using your existing system and local area network.

Nextiva also has several useful advanced features. For instance, you can connect your VoIP phone system with real-time live chat and with your CRM system to help you create a unified communications system.

Plus, their support team is extremely helpful, making it really easy for you to get started. This is why we use Nextiva for our business.

Other great VoIP alternatives to Nextiva include:

• RingCentral – a big, well-known VoIP company that costs a little more than Nextiva. They have all the features you need, and they offer screen sharing and conferencing tools too.
• Ooma – an easy-to-setup option that offers toll-free numbers plus all the features you’d expect. You get 500 minutes included for free, but need to pay extra for more.
• Grasshopper – another great business phone service for solpreneurs and small businesses that offers all the essential features.
• Phone.com – a good IP telephone for businesses working with Canada and many EU countries, as these locations are covered as local calls.

How to Make a Call Using VoIP

To make a call using VoIP, you first need a VoIP business phone service like Nextiva. You also need an internet connection with good bandwidth. This normally means using a broadband internet connection.

Then, you can make a call using VoIP with any of the following devices:

• Your existing phone handset. This can be connected to the VoIP system using an ATA (analog telephone adapter) which gives it an IP address. Essentially, you just plug your phone into the ATA instead of straight into your wall socket.
• A special IP phone. This looks and works like a normal phone. It has a handset with buttons that slots into a charging cradle. However, instead of the a RJ-11 phone connector, the IP phone has an RJ-45 connector. This means it plugs into an ethernet port on your router, not into a phone connector. Depending on the season, some VoIP companies may give you a free phone handset.
• Your computer. You will need an app that lets you make calls over VoIP. This is sometimes called a ‘softphone’. Of course, you will also need a sound card plus a headset, or a microphone and speakers. You will also need internet connectivity, either by ethernet or wifi. Most well-known VoIP companies have apps for both Windows and Mac.
• Your mobile phone. Again, you will need the right app and a wifi connection. You can also use a mobile data plan with 4G or higher speeds. Most VoIP apps will work on all smart phone such as Android mobile devices and Apple iPhone (iOS).

Frequently Asked Questions about VoIP Phone (VoIP FAQs)

There are lots of different business VoIP providers, and it can be hard to know which one is the best for your needs.

Over the years we have helped thousands of beginners choose the best VoIP phone platform. We have heard almost every possible question about VoIP that you can think of.

Following are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about VoIP (Voice over IP).

How much do domestic vs international calls cost on VoIP?

Most VoIP services will include unlimited domestic calls for no extra charge. However, some cheaper VoIP services charge based on the number of minutes you use.

The international rates will vary depending on the VoIP provider you use, but these rates will almost always be more affordable than traditional landline rates for international calls.

Can you keep your existing phone number on VoIP?

Yes, when switching from traditional landline phone to business VoIP phone, you can ask for number porting which lets you keep your existing business phone number.

Most good VoIP services let you do this, but please check with them before signing up.

Is there a VoIP backup if your internet connection goes down?

Some VoIP services have a backup in case your broadband connection is down or your power goes out. For instance, Nextiva can automatically forward calls to a cell phone.

Does VoIP offer call routing or extensions for team members?

Yes, most good VoIP phone service providers include call routing, phone extensions, call queue, and auto attendant at no additional cost.

We hope this article helped answer the questions of what is VoIP and how does it work behind the scenes. You might also like our comparison of the best website builder platforms, and best email marketing services to grow your 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.

Looking for an easy way to build and customize your WordPress site? That’s where drag and drop page builder plugins come in handy.

WordPress page builders allow you to create, edit, and customize your website layout without writing any code.

In this article, we will compare some of the best drag and drop page builders for WordPress.

Why Use a Drag and Drop Page Builder for WordPress?

When starting a blog, many beginners find it difficult to customize their WordPress page layouts.

While a lot of premium WordPress themes come with different page layouts, most of them are extremely hard to customize for anyone who does not know code (HTML / CSS).

This is why users often ask us questions like: “how can we make WordPress drag and drop?” or “is there an easy drag and drop page builder for WordPress?”

When we talk with people who switch from Weebly to WordPress or from Wix to WordPress, their most common response is: “I wish WordPress had a drag and drop website builder”.

Well, there are several great drag and drop page builder plugins available for WordPress. They allow you to create completely custom website designs in WordPress without writing a single line of code.

Since there are so many different WordPress page builder plugins in the market, we decided to compare and rank the top WordPress page builders, so you can choose the right solution for your need.

Our criteria for comparing these WordPress page builders are ease of use, flexibility, and design output.

Having said that, let’s take a look at the best page builders for WordPress in the market.

Video Tutorial

If you’d prefer written instructions, just keep reading.

1. SeedProd

SeedProd is a premium WordPress theme and page builder plugin. Unlike other page builders, it lets you create custom WordPress themes from scratch without writing any code.

You can choose from hundreds of beautiful pre-made layouts, or create a completely custom website template with an easy-to-use drag and drop visual builder.

There are ready-made templates for landing pages, sales pages, thank you pages, webinar registration pages, coming soon pages, maintenance mode pages, 404 pages, and more.

SeedProd is built with website speed in mind. It ensures that your pages are the fastest, so you can rank higher in SEO.

It comes with a smart design system, so you can save time by re-using elements instead of doing repetitive work. You can define color schemes, save font combinations, page templates, custom blocks, sections, and more.

SeedProd has all the blocks and features that you’d expect from a powerful page builder such as optin forms, social profiles, countdown timers, contact forms, buttons, various content blocks, and more.

The best part is that some of these blocks even have pre-made templates, so you can speed up the design process by adapting your favorite block templates (1-click).

You can use their custom domain mapping feature to create micro-sites within WordPress. Agencies use this feature to manage multiple clients’ landing pages from a single WordPress installation.

SeedProd works with all popular WordPress themes and plugins. It also has built-in subscriber management, and you can easily connect it with popular email marketing services such as MailChimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, and more.

Over 1 million users are using SeedProd to make better website layouts.

Pricing: Starting from $39.50 for a single site license.

Our Grade: A+

Review: SeedProd is the fastest theme and page builder plugin in the market. It is also the most affordable. Their large library of pre-built templates and pro blocks is a huge time saver. The ability to customize every little detail makes it the perfect solution for all WordPress users.

2. Beaver Builder

Beaver Builder is the most popular drag and drop page builder plugin for WordPress.

You can quickly familiarize yourself with their interface and get started with their built-in onboarding tour.

Beaver Builder comes with a live drag and drop interface. You get to see all your changes as you add them by dragging elements from the right sidebar and dropping them on your page. You can click on any element on a page to edit its properties.

There are modules that let you add almost everything you may want including sliders, carousel, backgrounds, content blocks, buttons, and more.

It also comes with over 30 finely designed templates for landing pages that make it super-easy and super-fast to create stunning website layouts.

We find Beaver Builder to be very beginner-friendly. Check out our tutorial on how to create custom WordPress layouts with Beaver Builder.

Wondering if it is compatible with the new WordPress version? Yes, it is.

Beaver Builder has been updated to work alongside the new WordPress Gutenberg editor.

Pricing: Starting from $99 for Unlimited Sites.

Our Grade: A+

Review: Beaver Builder is a popular page builder option in the market. It comes with pre-made templates to help you get started. A lot of web professionals use Beaver Builder to create their client sites and custom themes.

3. Divi

Divi is a professional drag and drop theme and WordPress page builder plugin. It is extremely easy to use and comes with hundreds of layout packs for different kinds of websites.

Similar to SeedProd and Beaver Builder, the Divi Builder comes with a visual drag and drop functionality, a true WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) visual editor.

You can directly click on your page and start editing in real-time with a live preview of all changes. So you don’t need to save and click preview to see your new design.

Divi comes with dozens of content modules that you can drag and drop anywhere in your layout. It lets you arrange these modules in multiple section types and row types. And you can customize each element using its advanced design settings.

With Divi, you can create any type of custom page layout within a few minutes. You can then save these Divi layouts for future use on your site. You can also export a layout from one Divi installation into another.

The Divi Builder plugin is the backbone of the Divi theme, yet it works well with any other popular WordPress theme.

Best of all, Divi has very attractive pricing options. For a single price, you’ll get the Divi theme, the Divi page builder plugin, and all other Elegant Themes products (Extra, Bloom, etc).

This means you can use the Divi theme or install the Divi Builder plugin on any other theme.

Pricing: Starting from $89 per year (a lifetime access plan is also available)

Our Grade: A

Review: Divi is a great SeedProd builder alternative. It has a powerful page builder with limitless design possibilities. Their large number of content modules allow you to create literally any type of website that you really want. Their lifetime plan also makes it one of the best deals in the market.

4. Elementor Pro

Elementor Pro is a powerful drag and drop WordPress page builder plugin.

It is a live page builder plugin which means you get to see your changes live as you edit them with Elementor.

Start by creating sections and select the number of columns for each section. You can then drag and drop widgets from the left panel to your section.

Elementor comes with tons of widgets including the most commonly used website elements. From basic image and text widgets to advanced accordions, sliders, testimonials, icons, social media, tabs, etc.

Each widget is independent and comes with its own settings. Elementor will also let you add widgets created by other WordPress plugins.

Don’t want to build your own layout?

Elementor comes with many ready-to-use templates that you can easily insert into your pages. You can simply point and click to edit any item on the page, replace the content, and you’re done.

Pricing: Starting from $49 for a single site license.

Our Grade: A

Review: Elementor is a popular page builder plugin for WordPress. It is easy to use, has a large extensions ecosystem, and comes with tons of modules/templates that you can use to build a custom website. The code output is not as efficient, and users often report slower page speed.

5. Visual Composer Website Builder

Visual Composer Website Builder is a user-friendly WordPress website editor that helps you create custom website layouts, fast.

It comes with a simple drag and drop builder, out of box content elements, professional templates, and a host of powerful features to make a website.

Similar to SeedProd and Beaver Builder, it also provides real frontend editing experience for designing a website. But there’s a lot more you can do with this plugin. With the exception of SeedProd, Visual Composer is the only other plugin that allows you to edit all aspects of your landing page such as logo, menus, headers, footers, sidebars, etc.

That’s why the team decides to call it a website builder, instead of just a page builder.

The plugin features powerful design options to customize the appearance of any element on your page. You have easy options to add stylish backgrounds including parallax, gradient, slideshow, carousel, zoom in/out, video, etc. It also comes with flexible rows and columns for creating grid layouts on your site.

Visual Composer works well with all WordPress themes. This allows you to switch your themes without losing custom layouts that you created with Visual Composer.

It also includes support for the new Gutenberg editor, Google Fonts, and Yoast SEO.

Visual Composer is designed for professionals, and it is evident by their attention to detail such as remembering your color choices, which allows you to easily use the same color palette for consistency throughout your design.

Pricing: $59 For One Site License

Our Grade: A-

Review: Visual Composer is a great plugin for beginners to start a website. It provides powerful features for website making in a simple manner. Website editing is made super simple with the real frontend drag and drop editor. The interface is a bit different than typical WordPress plugins, so it can feel alienating to new users.

6. Themify Builder

Themify is a popular WordPress theme shop that offers a built-in Themify Builder with all of their WordPress themes. For other non-Themify WordPress themes, you can get the Themify Page Builder plugin.

This simple and highly intuitive page builder comes with several ready-to-use modules that you can add to your pages or posts. Many of these modules usually require you to install separate WordPress plugins.

The plugin includes 40+ pre-designed layouts for different industries like gym, restaurant, portfolio, music, photography as well as online shops.

You can import a layout with one click, change its content, and build an awesome landing page within minutes.

Themify Builder allows you to edit your pages from the admin area as well as from your live site. With live editing, you get to see exactly how your changes will appear on the site.

Apart from that, Themify Builder comes with ready-to-use layouts that you can quickly apply to your page.

Pricing: $39 For the Builder Addon Bundle (The core plugin is free)

Our Grade: B

Review: Themify Builder is a reliable page builder plugin for WordPress. While the builder comes with promising features, there is a learning curve that can leave a new user frustrated.

Final Thoughts: Best WordPress Page Builder Plugin

As we compared different drag and drop WordPress page builders, one thing became very clear. SeedProd, Beaver Builder, and Divi are clearly the top 3 choices.

Visual Composer and Elementor Pro are other great alternatives that offer a complete drag & drop WordPress page builder.

If you don’t mind spending a little bit of money to get the best solution in the market along with guaranteed support, then go for any of these options, and you won’t regret it.

Do I still need a Page Builder if I am using the new WordPress Block Editor?

Recently we’re getting a lot of users asking us this question.

The WordPress block editor is also known as Gutenberg was officially launched as the new default WordPress editor. The new editor uses blocks which are content elements for creating pages and posts.

Superficially, the block editor looks similar to some of the WordPress page builders above.

Hence there’re hot discussions going on in WordPress about Gutenberg and page builders.

Is Gutenberg a page builder? Does the Gutenberg block editor replace the WordPress page builders? And, do I still need a page builder if I am using the new WordPress block editor?

Well, the answer to the first two questions is ‘No, not quite yet.’

And, Yes, you will need a page builder if you want an easy way to create completely custom WordPress designs.

Gutenberg in its current form is no match to the powerful features these “true” WordPress page builder plugins offer.

Having that said, you can use a plugin like CSS Hero with Gutenberg and probably get away without using a true page builder, but it entirely depends on your needs.

A lot of our readers love using CSS Hero for quick and easy website customization. Read our full CSS Hero review to see if it is a suitable solution for your needs.

We hope this article helped you find the best WordPress drag and drop page builder plugins for your site.

You may also want to see our following guides:

• Best WordPress Contact Form Plugins
• Best WordPress Membership Plugins
• Best Social Media Plugins for WordPress

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

Do you want to learn about WordPress files and directory structure?

All core WordPress files, themes, plugins, and user uploads are stored on your website hosting server.

In this beginner’s guide, we’ll explain the WordPress file and directory structure.

Why You Should Learn About WordPress File and Directory Structure?

Most users can run their WordPress website without ever learning about WordPress files or directories. However, understanding how WordPress stores files and directories can help you solve many common WordPress problems on your own.

This guide will help you:

• Learn which WordPress files and folders are core files.
• Understand how WordPress stores your images and media uploads.
• Where WordPress stores your themes and plugins.
• Where configuration files are stored on your WordPress install.

This information also helps you learn how WordPress works behind the scenes and which WordPress files should you backup.

Having said that, let’s take a look at the WordPress file and directory structure.

Accessing WordPress Files and Directories

Your WordPress files and directories are stored on your web hosting server. You can access these files by using an FTP client. See our guide on how to use FTP to upload WordPress files for detailed instructions.

An easier alternative to FTP is the File Manager app that comes built into most WordPress hosting control panel.

Once you have connected to your WordPress site either using FTP or File Manager, you will see a file and directory structure that looks like this:

Inside the root folder, you’ll see the core WordPress files and folders. These are the files and folders that run your WordPress site.

Apart from .htaccess and wp-config.php files, you are not supposed to edit other files on your own.

Here is a list of core WordPress files and folders that you would see in your WordPress site’s root directory.

• wp-admin [dir]
• wp-content [dir]
• wp-includes [dir]
• index.php
• license.txt
• readme.html
• wp-activate.php
• wp-blog-header.php
• wp-comments-post.php
• wp-config-sample.php
• wp-cron.php
• wp-links-opml.php
• wp-load.php
• wp-login.php
• wp-mail.php
• wp-settings.php
• wp-signup.php
• wp-trackback.php
• xmlrpc.php

The above list is missing .htaccess and wp-config.php files. That’s because those two files are created after WordPress installation.

WordPress Configuration Files

Your WordPress root directory contains some special configuration files. These files contain important settings specific to your WordPress site.

• .htaccess – A server configuration file, WordPress uses it to manage permalinks and redirects.
• wp-config.php – This file tells WordPress how to connect to your database. It also sets some global settings for your WordPress site.
• index.php – The index file basically loads and initializes all your WordPress files when a page is requested by a user.

You may need to edit wp-config.php or .htaccess file sometimes. Be extra careful when editing these two files. A slight mistake can make your site inaccessible. When editing these two files, always create backup copies on your computer before making any changes.

If you don’t see .htaccess file in your root directory, then checkout our guide on why you can’t find .htaccess file in your WordPress root directory.

Depending on how your WordPress site is setup, you may or may not have the following files in your root directory.

• robots.txt – contains instructions for search engines crawlers
• Favicon.ico – A favicon file is sometimes generated by WordPress hosts.

Inside The wp-content Folder

WordPress stores all uploads, plugins, and themes in the wp-content folder.

It is generally assumed that you can edit files and folders inside wp-content folder. However, this is not entirely true.

Let’s take a look inside the wp-content folder to understand how it works and what you can do here.

Contents of the wp-content folder may differ from one WordPress site to another. But all WordPress sites usually have these:

• [dir] themes
• [dir] plugins
• [dir] uploads
• index.php

WordPress stores your theme files in /wp-content/themes/ folder. You can edit a theme file, but it is generally not recommended. As soon as you update your theme to a newer version, your changes will be overwritten during the update.

This is why it is recommended to create a child theme for WordPress theme customization.

All WordPress plugins you download and install on your site are stored in /wp-content/plugins/ folder. You are not supposed to edit plugin files directly, unless you wrote site-specific WordPress plugin for your own use.

In many WordPress tutorials, you will see code snippets that you can add to your WordPress site.

The best way to add custom code to your WordPress site is by adding it to functions.php file of your child theme or by creating a site-specific plugin. Alternately, you can also use custom code snippets plugin to add custom code.

WordPress stores all your image and media uploads in the /wp-content/uploads/ folder. By default, uploads are organized in /year/month/ folders. Whenever you are creating a WordPress backup, you should include the uploads folder.

You can download fresh copies of WordPress core, your theme, and installed plugins from their sources. But if you lose your uploads folder, then it would be very hard to restore it without a backup.

Some other default folders you may see in your wp-content directory.

• languages – WordPress stores language files for non-english WordPress sites in this folder.
• upgrade – This is a temporary folder created by WordPress during upgrade to a newer version.

Many WordPress plugins may also create their own folders inside your wp-content folder to store files.

Some WordPress plugins may create folders inside the /wp-content/uploads/ folder to save user uploads. For instance, this demo website has folders created by Smash Balloon, WooCommerce, SeedProd, and WPForms plugins.

Some of these folders may contain important files. This is why we recommend backing up all such folders as a precaution.

Other folders may contain files that you can safely delete. For example your caching plugins like WP Rocket may create folders to save caching data.

That’s all, we hope this article helped you understand the WordPress file and directory structure. You may also want to see our beginner’s guide to WordPress database management with phpMyAdmin, and our tutorial on how to create a custom WordPress theme without any coding knowledge.

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.

We are often asked by beginners: what is a domain name and how do domains work? If you are a beginner, then you may have heard that you need a domain to make a website.

However, many beginners confuse domain name with a website or website hosting service. If you are just starting out, then all these different terms may sound too technical.

In this beginner’s guide, we will answer what is a domain name and how domains work. The goal is to help you understand and choose the right domain name for your website.

Here is a quick overview of the topics we will cover in this guide.

• What is a domain name?
• How domains work?
• How is domain name different from website and web hosting?
• Different types of domain names
• Who is responsible for the domain name system?
• How to choose a domain name
• How to buy a domain name
• Frequently asked questions about domain names

What is a Domain Name?

Domain name is the address of your website that internet users type in the browser URL bar to visit your website.

In simple terms, if your website was a house, then your domain name will be its address.

A more detailed explanation:

The Internet is a giant network of computers connected to each other through a global network of cables. Each computer on this network can communicate with other computers.

To identify them, each computer is assigned an IP address. It is a series of numbers that identify a particular computer on the internet. A typical IP address looks like this:

66.249.66.1

Now an IP address like this is quite difficult to remember. Imagine if you had to use such numbers to visit your favorite websites.

Domain names were invented to solve this problem.

Now, if you want to visit a website, then you don’t need to enter a long string of numbers.

Instead, you can visit it by typing an easy-to-remember domain name in your browser’s address bar. For example, wpbeginner.com.

How Domain Names Actually Work?

To understand how domain names actually work, we will take a look at what happens when you enter it in your browser.

When you enter a domain name in your web browser, it first sends a request to a global network of servers that form the Domain Name System (DNS).

These servers then look up for the name servers or DNS servers associated with the domain and forward the request to those name servers.

For example, if your website is hosted on Bluehost, then its name server information will be like this:

ns1.bluehost.com
ns2.bluehost.com

These name servers are computers managed by your hosting company. Your hosting provider will forward your request to the computer where your website is stored.

This computer is called a web server. It has special software installed (Apache and Nginx are two popular web server software).

The web server now fetches the web page and pieces of information associated with it.

Finally, it then sends this data back to the user’s browser.

How is Domain Name Different from a Website and Web Hosting?

A website is made up of files like HTML pages, website builder software, images, and more. It gives you and your business an online presence.

If the domain name is the web address of your website, then web hosting is the home where your website lives.

This is the actual computer where your website’s files are stored. Such computers are called servers and they are offered as a service by hosting companies.

To create your website, you need both domain name and web hosting. ou need both of them to make any kind of website whether its personal, small business website, or an eCommerce store.

However, it’s important to remember that they are two separate services, and you can buy them from two different companies.

Now you may be wondering, how would it work if you bought them from two separate companies?

You just need to edit your domain name settings and enter the Name Server information provided by your hosting company. Name Server information defines where to send user requests for your domain name.

We recommend getting both your domain name and hosting from the same company. This allows you to easily manage them under the same account.

For more details, see our guide on the difference between domain name and web hosting.

Different Types of Domain Names

Domain names are available in many different extensions. The most popular one is .com. There are many other options like .org, .net, .tv, .info, .io, and more. However we always recommend using .com domain extension.

Let’s take a more detailed look at different types of domain names available.

Top Level Domain – TLD

Top level domain or TLD are generic domain extensions that are listed at the highest level in the domain name system. They are also referred to as gTLD or generic top level domains.

There are hundreds of TLDs, but the most popular ones are .com, .org, and .net. Other TLDs are lesser known and we don’t recommend using them. For example, .biz, .club, .info, .agency, and many more.

Country Code Top Level Domain – ccTLD

Country code top-level domain or ccTLD are country specific domain names which end with country code extension like .uk for the United Kingdom, .de for Germany, .in for India.

They are used by websites that want to target audiences in a specific country.

Sponsored Top Level Domain – sTLD

Sponsored top-level domain or sTLD is a category of TLDs that has a sponsor representing a specific community served by the domain extension.

For example, .edu for education-related organizations, .gov for the United States government, .mil for the United States military, and more.

Second Level Domain – SLD

Second level domain generally refers to the name that comes before the top level domain or TLD.

For instance, in wpbeginner.com, the wpbeginner is the second-level domain of the .com TLD.

Domain registries use the SLDs to create a hierarchy for their ccTLD.

For instance, the .au ccTLD, which represents Australia, has com.au, net.au, and more. In this case, the .com is not the Top Level Domain but a sTLD of .au TLD.

Similarly, in the .co.uk domains, .co is the SLD of .uk TLD.

Who is Responsible for Domain Name System?

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages the domain names system. It is a non-profit organization that creates and implements the policies for domain names.

ICANN gives permission to companies called Domain Name Registrars for selling domain names. These domain registrars are allowed to make changes to domain names registry on your behalf.

Domain name registrars can sell domain names, manage its records, renewals, and transfers to other registrars.

As a domain name owner, you are responsible for telling the registrar where to send requests. You are also responsible for renewing your domain registration.

How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Website?

There are currently more than 350 Million registered domain names and thousands more get registered each day.

This means that all the good ones are already registered or will be registered very soon. This puts a lot of pressure on new users to come up with a domain idea for their website.

We’ve created a free AI-powered business name generator tool that helps you come up with creative company name ideas and check domain name availability status to help you save time.

Here are some quick tips to help you choose a domain name for your next website.

• Stick with a .com domain name as it is the most popular, easy to remember, and easy promote.
• Make sure it is shorter and easy to remember
• Make it easy to pronounce and spell
• Do not use numbers or hyphens
• Use domain name generators to come up with clever domain name ideas

For more tips and practical advice, see our guide on how to choose the best domain name for your website.

How to Buy a Domain Name?

You can buy your desired domain names from one of the many domain name registrars. A domain name registration typically costs 14.99 per year. Some popular domain name companies are:

• Domain.com (Use this Domain.com coupon to get a discount)
• Network Solutions (use our Network Solutions coupon code to get 25% off).
• GoDaddy

However, buying a domain does not automatically give you hosting service. For that, you will need a website hosting account as well.

Many WordPress hosting companies offer domain registration services as well. This allows you to manage both services under one account, and you also don’t need to worry about changing name server settings for your domain.

We recommend using Bluehost. They are offering WPBeginner users a free domain name and 60% discount on hosting. Basically you can get started for $2.75/month.

Frequently Asked Questions About Domain Names

Over the years, we have helped thousands of beginners start their first websites. We have heard almost every possible question about domain names that you can think of.

Following are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about domain names.

1. What is a subdomain?

A subdomain is basically a child domain under the main domain name. For example, videos.wpbeginner.com is a subdomain of wpbeginner.com.

Once you register a domain, you have permission to create subdomains for it by yourself.

Websites commonly use subdomains to create child-sites under the same domain name.

For example, a business website can create a subdomain for their blog or their online store as store.example.com or blog.example.com

2. Can I cancel my registration of a domain name?

Some domain registrars allow domain owners to cancel their domain registration at any time. If you cancel your registration, it will become available for others to register.

Other domain name registrars allow you to simply let your domain registration expire.

In most cases, you will not get any refund for the domain registration. However, some domain registrars do have refund policies which you may want to discuss with them before canceling your registration.

If you don’t have the auto-renew feature turned on, then your domain name will simply expire after the registration period you have paid for.

3. Can I move my website to a different domain name?

Yes, you can. You can point your domain name to your hosting server. You can also keep both domain names pointing to the same website.

However, search engines consider it duplicate content and that will affect your search rankings.

We have a step by step guide on how to properly move a website to new domain name and setup redirects, so you don’t hurt your SEO.

4. Can I sell a domain name?

Yes, you can sell your domain name. Domain names are like real estate for web. There is a huge demand for good brandable custom domain names.

Trading domain names is a multi-million dollar industry. Since domain names are so cheap, smart entrepreneurs are always looking for great domain name ideas to get their hands own.

If you want to sell your domain name, then there are many marketplace websites like Sedo, GoDaddy, and others where you can list your domain for sale.

Popular registrars like Domain.com and Network Solutions also let you buy premium domains right from their domain search feature.

Related: See the best GoDaddy alternatives for buying domains.

5. What is domain privacy? Do I need it?

ICANN requires people registering domain names to provide an email, physical address, phone number, and other personal information to be made available publicly.

Domain Privacy is a separate add-on service sold by domain registrars. It allows you to show proxy information instead of your actual personal info.

You don’t need to buy domain privacy if you don’t want to. However, if you are concerned about privacy, then you can buy this service for a small cost.

6. Can I find out who owns a domain name?

You can use Whois lookup tool to find information about who owns a domain name. However, if the domain name is using domain privacy, then you’ll see the proxy information provided by their registrar.

7. Can I buy more than one domain name?

Yes, you can buy as many domain names as you like.

8. What is www? Is it a part of domain names?

WWW is the abbreviation for the World Wide Web. In the early days of the internet, some experts started using it to indicate that it is a web address.

However, it is not a requirement, and most websites don’t use www in their website addresses anymore.

Technically, www is a subdomain of your main domain name. Anything that comes before your main domain and is followed by a dot is considered a subdomain like videos.wpbeginner.com.

9. What is the Difference Between a URL and a Domain Name?

URL is short for Uniform Resource locator. It is a web address that takes you to a specific page or file on a website.

A domain name alone locates a particular website. If you entered a domain name alone (e.g. wpbeginner.com) in your browser, it will convert it into a URL like https://wpbeginner.com and take you to the homepage of the website associated with that domain name.

Each page or file you see on the internet has a URL associated with it. For instance, you can see the URL for this page in your browser’s address bar above.

10. What is HTTP and HTTPS?

HTTP refers to Hypertext Transfer Protocol. It is the internet protocol technology used to access information on the web.

However, it is succeeded by the HTTPs which indicates Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol. HTTPs indicates that a website is using SSL, which is a secure protocol to transmit data on the internet.

See our article on why your website should use HTTPS.

11. Where can I learn more about making websites?

Right here. WPBeginner is the world’s largest WordPress resource site for beginners. We have tutorials, step-by-step guides, and videos created specifically for beginner users.

Here are some of the helpful resources you’ll find on WPBeginner (All of them are completely free).

• How to make a website (step by step guide for beginners)
• WPBeginner Videos – Our series WordPress video tutorials for beginners
• WPBeginner Dictionary – Our glossary of terms to help you understand the WordPress lingo
• WPBeginner Blog – This is where we publish our WordPress tutorials, how tos, and step by step guides.
• WPBeginner on YouTube – Need more video instructions? Subscribe to our YouTube channel with more than 126,000 subscribers and 12 Million+ views.

We hope this article helped you learn what is a domain name and how do domains work. You may also want to see our list of best free domain name generators to find cool ideas for your next domain name.

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.

Are you encountering a common WordPress error on your site?

Do you want to troubleshoot these WordPress errors on your own? Most of these errors can be solved by following easy troubleshooting steps.

In this beginner’s guide, we will show you how to troubleshoot WordPress errors, step by step.

1. Research Your Error Message

Often when you encounter a problem with WordPress, you’ll get an error message in the tab where you’re trying to access your website, such as the 404 error.

To learn more about the ‘page can’t be found’ error in the following image, please see our guide on how to fix WordPress posts returning 404 error.

Other times, you may see an error message inside your WordPress admin area, such as the HTTP error that can appear inside the media library.

Every WordPress error is different. If you have an error message, then it makes sense to look for instructions on how to fix this exact error, rather than information on how to troubleshoot WordPress errors in general.

Since you’re on the WPBeginner website, you’re already in the right place to solve all the most common WordPress errors. To start, you can see our guide on the most common WordPress errors and how to solve them.

If your error isn’t on this list, then the next step is to look for articles that mention the error you’re getting.

To do this, simply type or paste your error message into the search bar at the top of the page. For example, searching for ‘Error Establishing a Database Connection’ will bring up a complete guide to fixing the database connection error.

WordPress also comes with a debugging system that can log any error messages shown on your site. You can then read through the log to learn more about the problems you’re having on your WordPress website.

For more information, please see our guide on how to find and access WordPress error logs.

2. Create a Complete Backup of Your WordPress Site

The first thing you should do is create a complete backup of your WordPress site.

Backups allow you to restore your WordPress site easily when something goes wrong. They are your first and most important defense against security threats, hacking, and data loss.

If you are already using a WordPress backup plugin, then make sure that you have a recent backup saved somewhere safe.

Since backups are so important, we recommend creating more than one copy of your WordPress backups and store it in cloud storage like Google Drive or Dropbox.

Some WordPress backup plugins let you save your files to multiple locations. For example, UpdraftPlus lets you choose between different online storage services, as you can see in the following image.

If you are not already using a backup plugin, then you should start using one now. To help you get started, here’s our expert pick of the best WordPress backup plugins.

If you don’t currently have access to the admin area of your WordPress site, then don’t panic. You can still manually backup your database and files.

3. Clear Browser Cache

A lot of times, your browser may not realize that a WordPress page or post has changed and will load an outdated page from the browser cache. This means you will see an older version of your page or post.

If you’re seeing outdated content, then you may just need to clear your browser cache. This process will vary depending on your web browser. For more details, please see our guide on how to clear browser cache in all major browsers.

4. Clear Your WordPress Cache

If you are using a WordPress caching plugin like WP Rocket, then you may be seeing a cached version of your website.

Some top WordPress hosting companies like Bluehost and SiteGround also have their own built-in caching software. This can cause you to see a cached version of your website, even if you haven’t installed a caching plugin.

If your site is showing outdated content, you may just need to clear your WordPress cache.

5. Deactivate All Plugins Installed on Your Website

Often errors are caused by plugins conflicting with each other, your theme, or the WordPress core.

The easiest way to troubleshoot these errors is by deactivating all your WordPress plugins. You can then reactivate these plugins one by one, to see when the error happens again.

If you have access to the admin area of your WordPress site, then simply head over to the plugins page.

First, you need to select all plugins, and then select ‘Deactivate’ from ‘Bulk Actions’ drop down menu. Click on the Apply button to deactivate all selected plugins.

Some errors may stop you from accessing your WordPress admin area. If this is the case then you can deactivate your plugins using FTP.

To start, you’ll need to connect to your WordPress hosting files using an FTP client. If you haven’t used FTP before, then please see our guide on how to use FTP to upload files to WordPress.

Once you’ve done that, open the ‘wp-content’ folder in your FTP client.

Here you’ll see a folder named ‘plugins.’

You can now either Control-click or right-click this folder, and select ‘Rename.’

Once you’ve done that, rename this folder to ‘plugin.deactivate.’ This will deactivate all of your WordPress plugins.

For more detailed instructions, see our article on how to deactivate all plugins when not able to access wp-admin.

After deactivating your plugins, check to see whether the problem is still happening on your website or WordPress blog. If your site is now working perfectly, then you’ll know that the problem is related to a plugin.

You can now simply reactivate your plugins one by one, to see when the problem starts happening again.

To get started, go to Plugins » Installed Plugins. You can now find the plugin that you want to reactivate and click on its ‘Activate’ link.

As soon as the problem reappears, you’ll know which plugin is causing the problem. You can then uninstall this WordPress plugin and find a better alternative.

6. Switch to a Default WordPress Theme

Sometimes your WordPress theme can cause issues on your site. To find out if your theme is causing the problem, you can try switching to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-One or Twenty-Twenty Two.

Since these themes are created by the official WordPress team, they’re less likely to cause conflicts or have bugs compared to some other third party themes.

To switch to a default WordPress theme, go to Appearance » Themes.

You can then hover your mouse over any of the default themes.

Then, just click on the ‘Activate’ button.

If you can’t log into the admin area of your WordPress site, then you can switch to a default theme using FTP.

First, connect to your website using an FTP client. Once you’ve done that, head to the ‘/wp-content/themes/’ folder.

Inside this folder, you’ll see all the themes installed on your WordPress website.

Before making any changes, it’s a good idea to download a copy of your current active theme. This will make it easier to restore your theme after doing this test.

To download your current active theme, simply find the folder that has this theme’s name. Then either Control-click or right-click this folder.

After that we’re going to select ‘Download.’

Once you’ve downloaded this folder, you can go ahead and delete every theme inside your FTP client except a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Two.

Since your active theme is no longer available, WordPress will automatically switch to using the default theme.

If this solves the error, then you’ll know that your theme was causing the problem.

If this is the case, we recommend finding a new theme for your WordPress website. To help you out, we’ve posted our expert pick of the best responsive WordPress themes.

If this doesn’t solve the problem, then you can restore your original theme. The easiest way is using the copy you downloaded to your computer. For more detailed instructions, please see our guide to using FTP to upload files to WordPress.

7. Refresh Permalinks

WordPress uses an SEO friendly URL structure. Sometimes this permalink structure is not updated or set up properly, which may result in unexpected 404 errors on your site.

If you’re getting 404 errors, then you can try regenerating your links, which will rebuild and repair your permalink structure. You can do this with the click of a button, and without changing anything on your WordPress website.

To regenerate your permalinks, go to Settings » Permalinks.

Now scroll to the very bottom of this page and click on ‘Save Changes.’

After a few moments, you should see a message confirming that WordPress has updated your permalink structure.

For more information, see our complete guide on how to regenerate your permalinks in WordPress.

8. Backup and Delete .htaccess File

Are you getting an internal server error? A corrupt .htaccess file might be to blame.

The easiest way to fix your .htaccess file is by deleting it. WordPress will then create a new .htaccess file automatically.

To delete your current .htaccess file, connect to your site using an FTP client. You’ll find the .htaccess file in your site’s root directory.

To get to this root directory, simply open the folder that shows your website’s name.

Then go ahead and open the ‘public_html’ folder.

You will now see your .htaccess file inside this folder.

If you don’t see .htaccess, then your FTP client may be set to hide sensitive files. For more information, see our article on why you can’t find the .htaccess file on your WordPress site.

Before doing anything, it’s a good idea to create a copy of your current .htaccess file. Then if anything goes wrong you can simply restore your original file.

To download your .htaccess file, give it a click and then select ‘Download.’

Once you’ve done that, you can go ahead and delete the original .htaccess file in your FTP window. After that, go to Settings » Permalinks in your WordPress admin area.

Finally, click on the ‘Save Changes’ button. WordPress will now go ahead and create a new .htaccess file for your website.

9. Fix WordPress Site URL

If you have the wrong settings for your ‘WordPress Address’ and ‘Site Address’ options, then it can cause redirect issues, 404 errors, and other common problems.

To take a look at your URL settings, visit the Settings » General page.

On this page, find the ‘WordPress Address (URL)’ and ‘Site Address (URL)’ fields.

You need to make sure both of these URLs are exactly the same.

If you can’t access the admin area of your WordPress site, then you can change these URLs using FTP.

After connecting to your site using an FTP client, there are two ways to access these URLs.

Update WordPress URL and Site URL Settings in wp-config.php File

With this method, you’ll add some code to your site’s wp-config.php file.

You’ll find this file in the root folder of your website along with other folders like wp-content.

Once you’ve found this file, give it a click and then select ‘View/Edit.’

This will open the file in your computer’s default text editor, such as Notepad.

In this file, find the line that says:

/* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */

Just before this line, add the following code:

 define('WP_HOME', 'http://example.com'); define('WP_SITEURL', 'http://example.com'); 

Don’t forget to replace ‘example.com’ with your own domain name. You can then save your your changes and upload the file back to your server.

Update URLs Using functions.php File

You can also update these URLs using your theme’s functions.php file.

In your FTP client, go to the ‘wp-content/themes/’ folder.

Then, open the folder for your current active theme and find its functions.php file.

Next, you just need to click on the functions.php file and select ‘View/Edit.’ This will open the functions.php file in your computer’s default text editor.

Simply add the following lines at the bottom of the functions file:

 update_option( 'siteurl', 'http://example.com' ); update_option( 'home', 'http://example.com' ); 

You should now be able to access your WordPress admin area.

Once you’re logged in, go to Settings » General. You can now change your ‘WordPress Address (URL)’ and ‘Site Address (URL)’ following the same process described above.

Once you’ve done that, you just need to delete the code that you added to your functions.php file. To do this, simply open the functions.php file following the process described above, and then delete the code.

10. Check Reading Settings

If you follow the WordPress SEO best practices, then search engines like Google should find your website automatically.

However, sometimes a newly created WordPress website won’t show up in the search engine results. This may be because your site is hidden from the search engines.

To check your site’s settings, go to Settings » Reading.

Once you’ve done that, scroll down to the bottom of the page and make sure that the box next to ‘Search Engine Visibility’ is unchecked.

This option discourages search engines from indexing your site.

Website owners often use this setting when they’re still working on their site and don’t want their content to show up in search results.

However, you might accidentally check this setting and forget about it.

If you want your site to appear in search results, then make sure this option is unchecked and then click on ‘Save Changes.’

If you’re still working on your site, then you may want to create a coming soon page. A beautifully-designed coming soon page will create a buzz around your website and can even act as a lead generation tool. For more information, please see our guide on how to create beautiful coming soon pages in WordPress.

11. Troubleshooting Email Issues

Some WordPress hosting providers do not properly configure their mail settings. This can stop you and your visitors from receiving emails sent by WordPress.

If you are using a contact form plugin then you won’t get an email when visitors complete your form. You will also not get any WordPress notifications including messages about serious security threats or suspicious activity.

The best way to fix this problem is by using an SMTP service provider. For more details, see our guide on how to fix WordPress not sending email issue.

12. Scanning for Malware and Backdoors

If you suspect that your WordPress site is infected by malware, then you should scan your website with Sucuri.

It is the best website security monitoring service for WordPress site owners. In fact, Sucuri helped us block 450,000 WordPress attacks in 3 months.

For more information, see our guide on how to scan your WordPress site for potentially malicious code.

Getting Better Support

By following these troubleshooting steps, you can fix most of the common WordPress errors.

However if you’re still having problems with your site, then there are ways to get extra support.

WordPress has a large and helpful community. You can always ask other WordPress users and experts for help by posting in WordPress support forums or in the WPBeginner Facebook group.

When reaching out to the community, it’s important to remember that you’re asking people to take their valuable time and answer your question for free. With this in mind, it’s important to:

• Be polite and nice. No matter how upset or frustrated you are, do not use harsh or unpleasant language.
• Mention your problem briefly. This will make it easier for people to see what the problem is, and decide whether they can help.
• Describe the troubleshooting steps you have taken so far. This shows that you don’t just want other people to do your work for free. It also means that people won’t waste their time by suggesting things that you’ve already tried.
• Upload screenshots on a cloud image sharing service, and then add the links in your support thread. This can provide a deeper insight into your problem.

For more on this topic, take a look at our guide on how to properly ask for WordPress support and get it.

We hope this article helped you learn how to troubleshoot WordPress errors. Next, you may want to check out our ultimate WordPress security guide, or see our expert pick of the best WordPress plugins to grow your website.

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.