A basic checklist for smoother WordPress setups

Here’s a small internal list I keep for clean and stable WordPress setups.

Nothing fancy, just things I wish someone had told me earlier :)

1. Set permalinks properly (from day 1)

Go to Settings > Permalinks and choose "Post name".

Please don't wait until you’ve created 20 posts to change this.

Less is more. Fewer plugins mean fewer problems.

Stick to a core stack you trust. I use:

Elementor Pro + JetEngine + WP Rocket + Fluent Forms.

Unless you’re using remote apps or Jetpack, disable it.

Some security plugins allow you to turn it off with one click.

Block useless folders like /wp-content/plugins/

and allow only what needs indexing. Don’t block the site by mistake :)

You don’t need a fancy staging server:

LocalWP or MAMP can save your ass before going live.

Simple stuff, but if you apply it early on, you avoid pain later.

And if something breaks, fix it… or delete it and pretend it never happened ;)

_{🌱 Ellie Miguel – elliemiguel.es}