// networking

What Is an IP Address?

An IP address is a numerical address used to identify and communicate with devices and services across an IP network, including the internet.

// definition

IP stands for Internet Protocol

An IP address is an address assigned to a network interface using the Internet Protocol. It allows data to be addressed and routed between devices across networks.

// basic idea

Think of it as a network address

When data travels across a network, computers need to know where it should be sent.

Your device | v Network | v IP address | v Destination device or server

The Internet Protocol uses IP addresses as part of this addressing and routing process.

// IPv4

What does an IPv4 address look like?

One common type of IP address is an IPv4 address.

It is written as four decimal numbers separated by dots.

192.168.1.25

Each section represents 8 bits and can range from 0 to 255.

192 . 168 . 1 . 25 | | | | 8 bits 8 bits 8 bits 8 bits

IPv4 addresses are therefore 32 bits long.

4 x 8 bits = 32 bits

// address space

How many IPv4 addresses are possible?

A 32-bit address provides:

2^32 = 4,294,967,296

That is approximately 4.3 billion possible IPv4 addresses.

Not all of those addresses are available as ordinary public internet addresses because portions of the address space are reserved for particular purposes.

// IPv6

What is IPv6?

The newer version of Internet Protocol addressing is IPv6.

IPv6 addresses are 128 bits long and are normally written in hexadecimal.

2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334

IPv6 provides a vastly larger address space than IPv4.

IPv4 = 32 bits IPv6 = 128 bits

// comparison

IPv4 vs IPv6

IPv4

32-bit addresses written using four decimal numbers separated by dots.

IPv6

128-bit addresses normally written using hexadecimal groups separated by colons.

// public IP

What is a public IP address?

A public IP address is an address used for communication across the public internet.

For example, a home router may have a public IP address assigned by an internet service provider.

Internet | v Public IP address | v Router | v Local network

Public IP addresses must be globally routable and cannot simply be duplicated arbitrarily across the public internet.

// private IP

What is a private IP address?

Devices inside homes and businesses commonly use private IP addresses.

Common IPv4 private address ranges include:

10.0.0.0 - 10.255.255.255 172.16.0.0 - 172.31.255.255 192.168.0.0 - 192.168.255.255

These addresses can be reused on different private networks because they are not routed directly across the public internet.

// NAT

How can many devices share one public IP address?

Home and business networks commonly use Network Address Translation, or NAT.

Laptop 192.168.1.10 Phone 192.168.1.11 TV 192.168.1.12 | v Router | v One public IP address | v Internet

NAT allows multiple devices using private addresses to communicate through a smaller number of public IP addresses.

// assignment

Static vs dynamic IP addresses

Static IP

An address intended to remain fixed unless it is deliberately changed.

Dynamic IP

An address that may be assigned automatically and can change over time.

Internet service providers often assign dynamic public IP addresses to residential customers, while servers and business services may use static addressing where a stable address is useful.

// DHCP

How do devices get an IP address?

On many local networks, IP addresses are assigned automatically using:

DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol

A DHCP server can provide devices with information such as an IP address, subnet configuration, default gateway and DNS servers.

// DNS

IP addresses and domain names

Humans generally prefer names such as:

example.com

Computers communicating over IP networks ultimately use network addresses.

DNS helps connect these ideas.

Domain name | v DNS | v IP address | v Server

For example, an A record can map a hostname to an IPv4 address, while an AAAA record can map a hostname to an IPv6 address.

// URL

An IP address is not a URL

Consider:

https://example.com/products/item

This is a URL.

The hostname:

example.com

can be resolved through DNS to an IP address.

The rest of the URL identifies the protocol and the resource being requested.

// routing

How IP addresses help route data

Data sent using Internet Protocol is divided into packets.

IP packets contain addressing information including source and destination IP addresses.

Source IP | v Packet | v Routers | v Destination IP

Routers examine network information and decide where packets should be forwarded next.

// subnet

What is a subnet?

IP networks can be divided into smaller networks called subnets.

You may see notation such as:

192.168.1.0/24

The /24 is CIDR notation. It indicates that the first 24 bits describe the network portion of the IPv4 address.

192.168.1.0/24 Network portion = first 24 bits Host portion = remaining 8 bits

// special addresses

What is 127.0.0.1?

The IPv4 address:

127.0.0.1

is a loopback address commonly associated with:

localhost

It refers back to the local computer rather than another device on the internet.

Developers often use localhost when testing applications on their own machine.

// web servers

Does every website have its own IP address?

Not necessarily.

Multiple websites can share the same server and the same public IP address.

Website A Website B Website C | v Shared web server | v 203.0.113.10

Modern web servers can determine which website is being requested from information such as the hostname supplied by the browser.

// location

Can an IP address reveal your exact location?

An IP address can sometimes provide approximate geographic information, such as a country, region or general area.

However, an IP address does not inherently contain a person's exact home address or precise physical location.

Important: IP geolocation databases are estimates. Their results can be inaccurate, and networks such as mobile networks, VPNs and corporate systems can make the apparent location very different from the user's actual location.

// changing addresses

Can your IP address change?

Yes.

A device may receive a different IP address when:

Network changes

Connecting to a different Wi-Fi or mobile network can give the device different addressing.

DHCP changes

A dynamically assigned address can change when its network lease changes.

ISP changes

An internet provider may assign a different public address over time.

VPN usage

Internet services may see the VPN server's public IP address rather than the user's ordinary public IP.

// mental model

The easiest way to remember it

Domain name = human-readable name DNS = translates names into network information IP address = network address Router = forwards packets between networks Server = provides a service URL = identifies a specific web resource

The IP address is therefore one of the fundamental pieces of information used to move data from one network location to another.

// summary

An IP address identifies a network destination.

An IP address is an address used by the Internet Protocol to identify network interfaces and route data. IPv4 uses 32-bit addresses, while IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses. Devices may use public or private addresses, and DNS helps connect human-readable domain names to IP addresses.

// programming

What Is Python?

Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language known for readable syntax and a large ecosystem of libraries. It is widely used for automation, data processing, web development, artificial intelligence, APIs and many other programming tasks.

// definition

Python is a programming language

Python is a general-purpose programming language used to express instructions that computers can execute.

It is designed around relatively clear and concise syntax, allowing many programs to be expressed with comparatively little code.

Python can be used for small scripts as well as much larger software systems.

// hello world

A Python program can be extremely simple

print("Hello, world!")

The print() function sends the text to the program's output.

Hello, world!

// files

Python source files normally use .py

hello.py automation.py data_cleaner.py api_client.py

These files contain Python source code written as plain text.

// variables

Python can store values in variables

name = "Freelance Coder" price = 25.50 quantity = 4 active = True

The variable name provides a way for later instructions to refer to the stored object.

// data types

Python has many built-in data types

Type	Example
str	"Hello"
int	42
float	3.14
bool	True
list	[1, 2, 3]
dict	{"name": "Tiago"}
tuple	(1, 2)
set	{1, 2, 3}
NoneType	None

// dynamic typing

Python is dynamically typed

A variable name does not have to be declared with a fixed type before it is used.

x = 10 x = "hello"

In this example, the name x first refers to an integer and later refers to a string.

The objects still have types. Dynamic typing means Python determines and checks those types at runtime rather than requiring every variable declaration to specify one in advance.

// operators

Python can perform calculations

a = 10 b = 3 a + b a - b a * b a / b a ** b a % b

These operators perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponentiation and remainder operations.

// lists

Lists store ordered collections

languages = [ "Python", "JavaScript", "PHP" ]

Python list indexes begin at zero.

languages[0] # "Python"

// dictionaries

Dictionaries store key-value relationships

product = { "name": "Keyboard", "price": 39.99, "stock": 12 }

Individual values can be retrieved using their keys.

product["price"] # 39.99

// conditions

Python can make decisions

age = 20 if age >= 18: print("Adult") else: print("Under 18")

The program follows different instructions depending on whether the condition is true or false.

// indentation

Indentation is part of Python syntax

Many programming languages use braces to group blocks of instructions.

Python uses indentation.

if temperature > 20: print("Warm") print("Open the window") print("Finished")

The two indented instructions belong to the if block.

Whitespace can therefore affect program meaning. Indentation is not merely visual formatting in Python.

// loops

Loops repeat instructions

for number in [1, 2, 3]: print(number)

Output:

1 2 3

// range

range() is useful for repeated operations

for i in range(5): print(i)

This produces:

0 1 2 3 4

// functions

Functions package reusable behaviour

def add(a, b): return a + b result = add(5, 7) print(result)

Output:

12

Functions help divide larger programs into smaller, reusable pieces.

// classes

Python supports object-oriented programming

class Product: def __init__(self, name, price): self.name = name self.price = price product = Product( "Keyboard", 39.99 )

Classes can define objects that combine data and behaviour.

// modules

Programs can be divided into modules

Python code stored in separate files can be imported and reused.

import math result = math.sqrt(25) print(result)

Output:

5.0

// standard library

Python includes a large standard library

A Python installation includes modules for many common programming tasks.

Files JSON CSV SQLite Dates Regular Expressions Networking ZIP Files

// packages

Additional libraries can be installed

Python has a very large ecosystem of third-party packages.

Packages are commonly installed using pip.

pip install requests

The package can then be imported into a Python program.

import requests

// environments

Projects can use virtual environments

Different projects may depend on different package versions.

A virtual environment creates an isolated Python environment for a project.

python -m venv .venv

Project A ↓ Environment A ↓ Its packages Project B ↓ Environment B ↓ Different packages

// file handling

Python can read and write files

with open( "example.txt", "r", encoding="utf-8" ) as file: text = file.read() print(text)

This makes Python useful for processing large numbers of files automatically.

// csv

Python can process CSV data

import csv with open( "customers.csv", encoding="utf-8", newline="" ) as file: rows = csv.reader(file) for row in rows: print(row)

CSV processing is useful for spreadsheets, exports, reports and data cleaning.

// json

Python works naturally with JSON

import json text = '{"name": "Alice", "active": true}' data = json.loads(text) print(data["name"])

Output:

Alice

// databases

Python can communicate with databases

Python's standard library includes support for SQLite, and third-party packages can connect to many other database systems.

Python ↓ SQL ↓ Database ↓ Rows of data

SQLite PostgreSQL MySQL SQL Server

// sqlite example

Python can create a SQLite database

import sqlite3 connection = sqlite3.connect( "products.db" ) cursor = connection.cursor() cursor.execute(""" CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS products ( id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, name TEXT, price REAL ) """) connection.commit() connection.close()

// apis

Python can communicate with APIs

A Python application can send HTTP requests and process the returned information.

Python program ↓ HTTP request ↓ API ↓ JSON response ↓ Python data

A third-party library such as requests is commonly used for this.

import requests response = requests.get( "https://api.example.com/products" ) data = response.json()

// automation

Python is particularly useful for automation

A Python script can perform repetitive technical tasks without someone manually completing each step.

Read files ↓ Clean data ↓ Call API ↓ Update database ↓ Create spreadsheet ↓ Generate report

// spreadsheets

Python can work with Excel files

Libraries such as openpyxl can read, create and modify .xlsx workbooks.

from openpyxl import Workbook workbook = Workbook() sheet = workbook.active sheet["A1"] = "Product" sheet["B1"] = "Price" workbook.save( "products.xlsx" )

This can automate spreadsheet reporting and data processing.

// data

Python is widely used for data work

Data Cleaning Data Analysis Statistics Visualisation Spreadsheets Databases

Libraries such as NumPy and pandas provide additional tools for numerical and tabular data processing.

// artificial intelligence

Python is widely used in AI and machine learning

Many machine-learning and artificial-intelligence libraries provide Python interfaces.

Machine Learning Neural Networks Natural Language Processing Computer Vision

Python's role here is strengthened by its extensive scientific and data-processing ecosystem.

// web development

Python can run web applications

Python can execute on a server and generate website responses.

Browser ↓ HTTP request ↓ Python web application ↓ Database / APIs ↓ HTTP response ↓ Browser

Python web frameworks include technologies such as Django, Flask and FastAPI.

// python vs javascript

Python and JavaScript often run in different places

Python	JavaScript
Commonly runs on servers or computers	Runs directly in web browsers
Strong data and automation ecosystem	Core language of browser interactivity
Can build back-end web services	Can build front-end and back-end applications

Both languages are general-purpose enough to overlap in many areas.

// execution

How does Python code actually run?

The most widely used Python implementation is CPython.

In simplified form, CPython processes source code, compiles it into Python bytecode and executes that bytecode using its interpreter.

Python source code ↓ Compilation ↓ Python bytecode ↓ Python virtual machine ↓ Program executes

Calling Python simply "interpreted" is useful but incomplete. Python implementations can use different execution techniques. CPython normally compiles source code to bytecode before executing it.

// interactive shell

Python can also be used interactively

Python provides an interactive environment where instructions can be entered one at a time.

>>> 2 + 3 5 >>> "hello".upper() 'HELLO'

This makes it convenient for experimentation, calculations and testing small pieces of code.

// readability

Python emphasises readable syntax

Compare the structure of a simple condition:

if balance > 0: print("Positive balance")

Keywords such as if, for, in, def and return make much Python code relatively close to structured written instructions.

// uses

What is Python used for?

Automation

Repetitive computer tasks can be scripted.

Data

Files, spreadsheets and databases can be processed.

APIs

Programs can communicate with external services.

Web Development

Python can power server-side web applications.

AI

Python is widely used with machine-learning tools.

Scientific Computing

Numerical and scientific libraries support research and technical computing.

// practical example

One script can connect several technologies

CSV file ↓ Python ↓ Clean data ↓ SQLite database ↓ API request ↓ Create XLSX report ↓ ZIP output files

This ability to connect different formats, systems and services is one reason Python is particularly useful for automation and data-management work.

// mental model

The simplest way to think about Python

Data ↓ Python instructions ↓ Logic + calculations ↓ Files / APIs / databases ↓ Useful result

Python provides a language for describing the operations a computer should perform.

// summary

Instructions become automation.

Python is a high-level, general-purpose programming language with readable syntax and a large software ecosystem. It can work with files, spreadsheets, databases, APIs and websites, and is widely used for automation, data processing, scientific computing, artificial intelligence and software development.

// blogging platforms

What Is Blogger?

Blogger is Google's hosted blogging platform. It allows users to create and publish blogs without having to configure their own web server or install a separate content management system.

// definition

Blogger is a hosted publishing platform

Blogger is an online service for creating, managing and publishing blogs.

Google operates the underlying platform and hosting infrastructure, while the blog owner manages the posts, pages, design and settings.

This means a user can publish a website without manually maintaining their own web server.

// simple model

Blogger combines publishing and hosting

Write content ↓ Blogger ↓ Google infrastructure ↓ Published website

Much of the technical hosting infrastructure is handled by the platform automatically.

// blogspot

Blogger sites can use a Blogspot address

A new Blogger site can be given an address such as:

example.blogspot.com

The blogspot.com domain is used for Blogger-hosted blog addresses.

// blogger vs blogspot

Blogger and Blogspot are not quite the same thing

Blogger

The publishing and website management platform.

Blogspot

The domain commonly used for Blogger-hosted website addresses.

Blogger ↓ Publishing platform Blogspot.com ↓ Default blog domain

// custom domains

Blogger can use your own domain

A Blogger site does not have to remain on a .blogspot.com address.

A separately registered domain can be connected to the Blogger site.

Before: myblog.blogspot.com After: www.mywebsite.com

The content can remain hosted through Blogger while visitors use the custom domain.

// dns

Custom domains are connected using DNS

Blogger provides DNS information that must be added at the provider managing the domain's DNS records.

A typical configuration includes a CNAME for the website hostname.

www ↓ CNAME ↓ ghs.google.com

Blogger also provides a second verification CNAME associated with the particular blog and Google account.

// root domain

Blogger normally uses a subdomain for a custom domain

A Blogger custom domain is normally configured using a hostname such as:

www.example.com

rather than using only:

example.com

The root domain can then be configured to redirect visitors to the www address.

// example architecture

A custom Blogger site can work like this

example.com ↓ DNS ↓ www.example.com ↓ Blogger ↓ Google hosting infrastructure

The domain can be registered with one company while Blogger hosts the website.

// domain + blogger

Blogger does not have to own your domain

Your domain can be registered through a separate registrar.

Domain registrar ↓ DNS records ↓ Blogger ↓ Website

This keeps domain registration and website hosting as separate components.

// https

Blogger supports HTTPS

Blogspot addresses use HTTPS automatically.

Blogger also supports HTTPS for properly configured custom domains.

http://example.com ↓ https://example.com

HTTPS encrypts communication between the visitor's browser and the website.

// posts

Posts are the main publishing unit

Blogger is designed around publishing posts.

Blog │ ├── Post 1 ├── Post 2 ├── Post 3 └── Post 4

Posts can contain text, images, links, HTML and other content.

// pages

Blogger also supports standalone pages

Pages are useful for content that is not primarily part of the chronological blog feed.

About Contact Services Privacy Policy All Posts

// posts vs pages

Posts and pages have different purposes

Posts	Pages
Usually part of the blog feed	Standalone content
Normally date-based	Usually more permanent
Useful for articles	Useful for About or Contact content

// editor

Blogger includes a post editor

Content can be created through Blogger's editing interface.

Users can work visually or edit the HTML representation of post and page content.

Write post ↓ Add formatting ↓ Add images ↓ Edit HTML if required ↓ Publish

// html

Blogger allows direct HTML

Blogger can be useful for people who want a simple publishing platform but still want access to HTML.

<h2>My Heading</h2> <p> My article content. </p>

More advanced page designs can therefore be created without completely replacing the Blogger platform.

// css

Blogger themes can be customised with CSS

.post-body { font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.7; }

CSS can change colours, fonts, spacing, layouts and many other aspects of the design.

// javascript

JavaScript can add additional behaviour

Custom code can be used to add interactive behaviour to Blogger pages and themes.

HTML + CSS + JavaScript ↓ Custom Blogger experience

This allows Blogger to be extended considerably beyond a basic text blog.

// themes

Themes control the appearance of a Blogger site

Blogger provides themes that determine much of the layout and styling of the site.

Typography Colours Columns Header Sidebar Post Layout

// theme code

Blogger themes can also be edited directly

Blogger provides access to the theme's HTML.

This allows advanced users to modify the site's underlying template and add custom HTML, CSS or supported scripts.

Theme editing gives Blogger considerable flexibility. It is possible to make a Blogger site look very different from the default themes when custom code is used.

// gadgets

Blogger uses gadgets for page components

Gadgets can add sections to the site's layout.

Pages Labels Blog Archive Profile HTML / JavaScript

Gadgets can normally be positioned through Blogger's Layout interface.

// labels

Posts can be organised with labels

Blogger labels act as categories or tags for grouping related articles.

Post: What Is JSON? Labels: JSON APIs Data Programming

Visitors can then browse posts associated with a particular label.

// archive

Blogger maintains a post archive

Published posts have dates and can be organised chronologically.

2026 │ ├── September │ ├── What Is HTML? │ ├── What Is CSS? │ └── What Is JavaScript? │ └── August └── Earlier posts

// feeds

Blogger provides blog feeds

Blogger can expose published content through feeds.

These feeds can be useful for:

RSS Readers Atom Feeds Automation Post Indexes Integrations

// automation

Blogger content can be used programmatically

Feeds and APIs make it possible for software to retrieve Blogger content.

Blogger posts ↓ Feed / API ↓ JavaScript ↓ Automatic post index

This is how an automatically populated All Posts page can be created without manually updating the list every time a new article is published.

// hosting

Blogger includes web hosting

A Blogger user does not normally need to purchase separate traditional web hosting for the Blogger site.

You manage: content design domain settings Google manages: Blogger platform hosting infrastructure

This is one of Blogger's most important characteristics.

// hosted platform

Blogger is different from running your own server

Blogger	Self-hosted website
Hosting infrastructure managed for you	You arrange hosting
Built-in publishing system	You choose or build the software
Platform controls server environment	Potentially greater server control
Simple administration	Can require more administration

// blogger vs wordpress

Blogger and WordPress take different approaches

Blogger	WordPress
Google-hosted publishing platform	Content management system
Hosting built into the service	Can be hosted by many providers
Theme and gadget system	Theme and plugin ecosystem
Designed around straightforward publishing	Can support much broader application structures

WordPress.com is a hosted WordPress service, while the WordPress software itself can also be hosted elsewhere.

// advantages

Why might someone use Blogger?

Hosting Included

The site does not require a separately configured traditional hosting account.

Simple Publishing

Posts and pages can be created through a web interface.

Custom Domains

A separately registered domain can be connected.

Code Access

HTML, CSS and theme code can be customised.

// limitations

Blogger is not a general-purpose server platform

Blogger gives substantial control over content and front-end presentation, but it does not give the site owner the same server-level control as a VPS or self-managed hosting environment.

You cannot simply install any server-side software you want inside Blogger.

Blogger supports: HTML CSS JavaScript Posts Pages Themes Gadgets Feeds Blogger is not: A VPS A PHP server A general-purpose database server

// uses

What can Blogger be used for?

Blogs Educational Sites Technical Articles Personal Websites Small Business Content Tutorials Documentation Affiliate Content

// mental model

The simplest way to think about Blogger

Google account ↓ Blogger ↓ Posts + pages + theme ↓ Google-hosted website ↓ Blogspot address or Custom domain ↓ Visitors

// summary

Publish without managing the server.

Blogger is Google's hosted blogging and publishing platform. It provides website hosting, posts, pages, themes, gadgets, feeds, HTTPS and support for custom domains. Users manage the content and design while Google operates the underlying Blogger infrastructure.

// websites

What Is WordPress?

WordPress is software for creating and managing websites. It provides a content management system that allows pages, blog posts, images, navigation, themes and other website content to be managed through an administrative interface.

// referral disclosure This article contains a WordPress.com referral link. If you use the link and make a qualifying purchase, Freelance Coder may receive WordPress.com account credit. You may also be eligible for referral credit under WordPress.com's current referral terms.

// definition

WordPress is a content management system

WordPress is a content management system, commonly shortened to CMS.

A CMS provides tools for creating, organising, editing and publishing website content.

Instead of manually editing every page as a separate HTML file, WordPress can store content and generate web pages dynamically.

// create a website

Build a website with WordPress.com

WordPress.com combines WordPress with managed hosting, giving you a platform for creating, hosting and managing a website from one service.

Explore WordPress.com ↗

// cms

What does a CMS do?

A content management system separates much of the website's content from the underlying code.

Content ↓ WordPress ↓ Theme + templates ↓ HTML + CSS + JavaScript ↓ Browser

This allows website owners to manage content without manually rebuilding every page.

// content

WordPress can manage posts and pages

Posts

Commonly used for articles, news and other date-based content.

Pages

Commonly used for more permanent content such as About, Contact and Services pages.

// editor

WordPress uses a block-based editor

Modern WordPress content can be assembled from blocks.

Paragraph Heading Image Gallery Columns Buttons Lists HTML

Blocks can be combined to construct pages and posts without manually writing all of the underlying HTML.

// themes

Themes control website presentation

A WordPress theme determines much of a site's visual presentation and page structure.

WordPress content + Theme ↓ Website design

Themes can define typography, colours, layouts, templates, headers, footers and other design elements.

// plugins

Plugins can add functionality

Plugins extend WordPress with additional features.

SEO E-commerce Forms Security Analytics Backups Memberships Automation

This allows a relatively simple WordPress installation to be extended into a much more sophisticated website.

// wordpress software

WordPress is software, not one hosting company

This distinction is important.

WordPress itself is website software that can be installed and hosted by many different hosting providers.

WordPress software ↓ Hosting provider ↓ Website

// wordpress.com vs wordpress.org

WordPress.com and WordPress.org are related but different

WordPress.com	WordPress.org
Hosted WordPress service	Home of the WordPress software project
Hosting is included	Software can be installed with a hosting provider
Infrastructure is managed for you	Hosting arrangements depend on the provider you choose

// wordpress.com

What is WordPress.com?

WordPress.com is a hosted service built around WordPress.

It combines the website software with managed hosting, meaning WordPress.com handles much of the underlying hosting infrastructure.

WordPress + Hosting + Management ↓ WordPress.com

// managed hosting

WordPress.com provides managed hosting

With managed hosting, the hosting provider handles many infrastructure responsibilities.

Hosting Security Backups Caching Updates Infrastructure

// domains

WordPress can use a custom domain

A new WordPress.com site can use a WordPress.com subdomain.

mywebsite.wordpress.com

A site with an appropriate paid WordPress.com plan can instead use a custom domain such as:

mywebsite.com

A domain registered somewhere else can also be connected to WordPress.com on eligible plans.

// domain + hosting

The domain and WordPress website are separate components

Domain name ↓ DNS ↓ WordPress hosting ↓ WordPress website

The domain provides the web address.

The hosting infrastructure runs the website.

WordPress manages the website content and application.

// php

WordPress is built primarily with PHP

WordPress uses PHP extensively on the server side.

Browser request ↓ Web server ↓ PHP ↓ WordPress ↓ Database ↓ Generated response ↓ Browser

PHP code can retrieve content, apply templates and generate the page returned to a visitor.

// database

WordPress stores information in a database

Website information such as posts, pages, settings and user data is typically stored in a database.

WordPress │ ├── Posts ├── Pages ├── Users ├── Settings ├── Comments └── Metadata ↓ Database

WordPress traditionally uses MySQL-compatible database systems for this data.

// web technologies

WordPress still produces ordinary web technologies

Despite the CMS and server-side infrastructure, visitors ultimately interact with familiar web technologies.

HTML

Provides the structure of the rendered page.

CSS

Controls the visual presentation.

JavaScript

Provides interactive browser behaviour.

PHP

Performs substantial server-side WordPress logic.

// cms vs static site

WordPress avoids manually maintaining every HTML file

A simple static website might contain:

index.html about.html contact.html services.html

With WordPress, much of that content can instead be managed through the CMS and generated using reusable templates.

Database content + Theme templates ↓ Generated web pages

// blogging

WordPress is well known for blogging

WordPress began with a strong focus on publishing articles and continues to provide extensive blogging functionality.

Posts Categories Tags Authors Comments Archives

// beyond blogs

WordPress can build much more than blogs

Business Websites Portfolios Blogs Online Stores Membership Sites Documentation News Sites Landing Pages

// ecommerce

WordPress can support online stores

E-commerce functionality can be added to WordPress using systems such as WooCommerce.

WordPress + WooCommerce ↓ Products Orders Payments Customers Storefront

// users

WordPress supports different user roles

Multiple people can work on the same site with different permissions.

Administrator Editor Author Contributor Subscriber

// api

WordPress also has an API

WordPress provides a REST API that can allow other software to interact with WordPress data.

External application ↓ WordPress REST API ↓ WordPress ↓ Posts / Pages / Data

This makes WordPress useful not only as a traditional website CMS but also as a content source for other applications.

// headless wordpress

WordPress can even be used without a traditional theme

In a headless architecture, WordPress can manage the content while another application handles the visible front end.

WordPress CMS ↓ API ↓ JavaScript application ↓ Website

// why wordpress

Why do people use WordPress?

Content Management

Pages and posts can be managed through a CMS.

Themes

Website presentation can be changed and customised.

Plugins

Additional functionality can be added to the site.

Extensibility

Developers can build custom themes, plugins and integrations.

// wordpress.com

WordPress.com removes much of the hosting administration

Running WordPress yourself can involve managing hosting, software updates, backups, security and other infrastructure.

WordPress.com offers managed WordPress hosting, so many of these infrastructure tasks are handled by the platform.

// try wordpress

Interested in building with WordPress?

You can explore WordPress.com, create a website and compare the available options using the Freelance Coder referral link below.

Visit WordPress.com ↗

// referral

WordPress.com referral credit

Under WordPress.com's current Refer a Friend programme, a new customer who follows a valid referral link and purchases an eligible annual WordPress.com plan can receive US$25 in WordPress.com account credit.

The person who referred them can also receive US$25 in WordPress.com account credit.

Monthly plans are not currently eligible for these referral credits. Referral terms can change, so check WordPress.com's current terms before purchasing.

Open Freelance Coder Referral ↗

// official information

WordPress.com information

For current WordPress.com features, hosting information and referral conditions, consult WordPress.com's official documentation.

WordPress.com hosting information ↗

WordPress.com Refer a Friend terms ↗

// summary

Content becomes a website.

WordPress is a content management system used to create and manage websites. It combines content, themes, plugins, databases and web technologies to produce websites ranging from simple blogs to business sites, online stores and larger web applications. WordPress.com provides a managed hosting platform built around the WordPress software.

// referral disclosure Freelance Coder uses a WordPress.com referral link on this page. If you make a qualifying purchase through the link, Freelance Coder may receive WordPress.com account credit. Referral eligibility and benefits are determined by WordPress.com's current terms.