Category: Website

How To Integrate Slack And Google Sheets

Slack and Google Sheets are two powerful tools that can greatly enhance productivity and collaboration within teams. Slack is a popular team communication platform known for its real-time messaging, file sharing, and project management capabilities. On the other hand, Google Sheets is a cloud-based spreadsheet program that allows for efficient data organization, analysis, and sharing.

The integration of Slack and Google Sheets offers numerous benefits to teams, enabling them to streamline workflows and optimize data management. By integrating these tools, users can seamlessly transfer data between Slack and Google Sheets, automate data entry, receive real-time updates, and track changes within spreadsheets. This integration eliminates the need for manual data transfer and promotes efficient collaboration, ultimately saving time and effort for team members.

In this blog, we will explore the step-by-step process of integrating Slack and Google Sheets, providing you with a comprehensive guide to setting up this integration successfully. We will walk you through the process of setting up Slack integration, configuring Google Sheets, and connecting the two tools. Additionally, we will delve into automating data entry from Slack to Google Sheets and sending Google Sheets updates to Slack.

Setting Up Slack Integration

Creating a Slack workspace: To begin integrating Slack with Google Sheets, you first need to create a Slack workspace. Visit the Slack website and follow the steps to set up a new workspace. Choose a name for your workspace and invite team members to join.

Installing the Google Sheets app in Slack: Once your Slack workspace is ready, you’ll need to install the Google Sheets app to enable integration. Go to the Slack App Directory and search for the Google Sheets app. Click on the app and select the option to install it in your workspace. Follow the prompts to grant the necessary permissions.

Configuring Slack permissions for Google Sheets integration: After installing the Google Sheets app, you’ll need to configure the permissions to enable interaction with Google Sheets. Review the permissions requested by the app and grant the necessary access. These permissions may include read and write access to Google Sheets, as well as the ability to post messages and notifications in Slack channels.

Once you have completed these steps, you have successfully set up Slack integration and are ready to proceed to the next phase of integrating Google Sheets.

Note: Depending on your organization’s Slack settings and permissions, you may need administrative access or consult with your Slack workspace administrator to install and configure apps.

Setting Up Google Sheets Integration

Creating a new Google Sheets document: Start by creating a new Google Sheets document. Open Google Drive or go directly to Google Sheets (sheets.google.com) and click on the “Blank” template to create a new spreadsheet. Give it a descriptive name and save it in a convenient location within your Google Drive.

Enabling Google Sheets API: To integrate Google Sheets with Slack, you need to enable the Google Sheets API for your Google Cloud project. Open the Google Cloud Console (console.cloud.google.com), select your project (or create a new one), and navigate to the API Library. Search for “Google Sheets API” and click on it to enable the API for your project.

Generating Google Sheets API credentials: To access the Google Sheets API, you’ll need to generate API credentials. In the Google Cloud Console, navigate to the “Credentials” section. Click on “Create Credentials” and select “Service Account” as the credential type. Provide a name and description for the service account and click “Create.” Make sure to download the JSON file containing the credentials securely.

Setting up OAuth consent screen: Before you can use the Google Sheets API, you need to configure the OAuth consent screen. In the Google Cloud Console, navigate to the “OAuth consent screen” section. Enter the required information such as the application name, authorized domains, and contact details. Save the changes to proceed.

Configuring API restrictions: To enhance security, it is recommended to configure API restrictions. In the Google Cloud Console, go to the “Credentials” section and select your service account. Under the “API restrictions” tab, click on “Add an API restriction.” Choose “Google Sheets API” from the dropdown menu and save the changes.

Creating and downloading API credentials: To authenticate your integration, create API credentials for the service account. In the Google Cloud Console, go to the “Credentials” section and select your service account. Under the “Keys” tab, click on “Add Key” and choose “JSON.” This will generate a new JSON key file. Download and securely store the JSON file as it will be required for the integration.

By completing these steps, you have successfully set up the Google Sheets integration and obtained the necessary API credentials to connect Slack and Google Sheets effectively.

Connecting Slack and Google Sheets

Creating a new Slack channel for integration: Start by creating a dedicated Slack channel for the integration. Open Slack and navigate to your desired workspace. Click on the “+” button next to the channels list and choose “Create a channel.” Give the channel a descriptive name related to the Google Sheets integration and optionally invite relevant team members.

Adding the Google Sheets app to the Slack channel: In Slack, go to the dedicated channel you created for the integration. Click on the channel name to access the channel settings. From there, select “Apps” in the menu. Search for the Google Sheets app and click on it to access the app settings. Choose the option to add the app to the channel.

Linking the Google Sheets document to the Slack channel: In the Slack channel, use the slash command “/sheets” to link the Google Sheets document to the channel. Follow the prompts to authenticate and authorize the Google Sheets app to access your Google account and documents. Select the desired Google Sheets document you created earlier and confirm the linking process.

Configuring notification settings: Customize the notification settings for the Google Sheets integration in Slack. In the Slack channel, click on the channel name and select “Channel notifications.” Adjust the settings to specify which types of updates and changes in the Google Sheets document should trigger notifications in the Slack channel. This allows you to control the level of visibility and real-time updates you receive.

By integrating the two platforms, you can now easily communicate between them without any interruptions. You can access and collaborate on the Google Sheets document directly from Slack. This integration also allows you to automate data entry from Slack to Google Sheets and send Google Sheets updates to Slack, which will greatly improve your team’s productivity and collaboration.

Automating Data Entry from Slack to Google Sheets

Creating a Slack slash command

To automate data entry from Slack to Google Sheets, you can start by creating a custom slash command. In Slack, go to your workspace settings and navigate to the “Slash Commands” section. Create a new command and define the command name and description. Specify the request URL where Slack will send the data when the command is triggered. Check out these examples of how you can automate data entry from Slack to Google Sheets using commands:

  • Meeting attendance tracking: Create a Slack slash command such as “/attend” that team members can use to indicate their attendance at a meeting. When a team member runs the command, the script captures their name and the meeting details. The data is then automatically logged in a Google Sheets document, allowing you to track meeting attendance efficiently.
  • Task management: Implement a Slack command like “/task” that team members can use to create and assign tasks. When a team member runs the command and provides the task details, the script captures the task information, assignee, and deadline. This data is transferred to a Google Sheets document, creating a centralized task management system for easy tracking and monitoring.

Writing a custom script for data entry

Develop a script or program that handles the data sent from Slack and processes it for entry into Google Sheets. You can use a programming language like Python, JavaScript, or any language of your choice to write the script. The script should parse the incoming data, format it as required, and interact with the Google Sheets API for data insertion.

Here’s an example of how you can write a custom script for data entry from Slack to Google Sheets:

Let’s say you want to log customer support tickets in a Google Sheets document using data collected from a Slack channel. You can start by writing a custom script that captures the necessary data from Slack and transfers it to a designated Google Sheets document.

Here are the steps you can follow to create the script:

  • Create a new Google Sheets document and name it “Support Tickets.”
  • Open the Google Sheets Script Editor by selecting “Tools” > “Script editor” from the menu.
  • In the Script Editor, create a new function called “logSupportTicket” to handle the data entry process.
  • Inside the function, use the Slack API to capture the data from the designated Slack channel. For example, you can use the “conversations.history” method to retrieve the most recent messages from the channel and filter them for support ticket-related messages.
  • Once you have the necessary data, use the Google Sheets API to transfer it to the “Support Tickets” Google Sheets document. For example, you can use the “SpreadsheetApp” class to open the document, select the appropriate sheet, and write the data to the sheet.

Here is some sample code that demonstrates how to create the “logSupportTicket” function:

function logSupportTicket() {
  // Retrieve Slack messages from the support channel
  var slackMessages = SlackApp.channels.history("support_channel");
  
  // Filter messages for support tickets and extract relevant data
  var supportTickets = slackMessages.filter(function(message) {
    return message.text.includes("#support");
  }).map(function(message) {
    return {
      timestamp: message.timestamp,
      customer: message.user,
      issue: message.text.replace("#support", "").trim()
    };
  });
  
  // Open the "Support Tickets" Google Sheets document
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.openByUrl("https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/[DOCUMENT-ID]/edit");
  var sheet = ss.getSheetByName("Support Tickets");
  
  // Write the support ticket data to the sheet
  supportTickets.forEach(function(ticket) {
    sheet.appendRow([ticket.timestamp, ticket.customer, ticket.issue]);
  });
}

Configuring webhook for data submission

Set up a webhook to receive data from Slack. In your script, create an endpoint to listen for the incoming data from Slack’s slash command. Configure the webhook URL to match the endpoint you created in your script. This ensures that the data entered in Slack triggers the script to process and insert it into Google Sheets.

An example of how you can configure a webhook for data submission from Slack to your custom script:

  • Set up a web server or use a serverless platform: To receive data from Slack, you need a web server or a serverless platform that can handle incoming requests. This server will serve as the endpoint for the webhook.
  • Define an endpoint: Create an endpoint on your server to receive the incoming webhook requests from Slack. For example, you can create a route like “/slack/webhook” that will handle the data submission.
  • Generate a unique URL: Generate a unique URL for your webhook endpoint. This URL will be used to configure the Slack integration. You can use tools like ngrok to expose your local server to the internet or deploy your serverless function to a cloud provider.
  • Configure Slack integration: In the Slack app settings, go to the “Slash Commands” or “Webhooks” section, depending on the type of integration you want to configure. Set the request URL to the unique URL of your webhook endpoint. Specify any additional parameters or data fields required for your integration, such as token verification or formatting options.
  • Handle incoming requests: In your server or serverless function, handle the incoming requests to the webhook endpoint. Extract the necessary data from the request payload, validate it, and pass it to your custom script for further processing. This may involve parsing the data, performing any required transformations, and invoking the relevant functions or APIs to process the data.

Here’s a simplified example of how you can handle incoming webhook requests in a Node.js server:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();

app.post('/slack/webhook', (req, res) => {
  // Extract the data from the request payload
  const { text, user_id, channel_id } = req.body;

  // Perform any necessary validation or data processing
  // ...

  // Pass the data to your custom script for further processing
  yourCustomScript.processSlackData(text, user_id, channel_id);

  // Respond with a success message
  res.status(200).json({ success: true });
});

app.listen(3000, () => {
  console.log('Webhook server is running on port 3000');
});

In this example, the webhook endpoint is defined as “/slack/webhook”. The server listens for POST requests to this endpoint, extracts the relevant data from the request payload (such as text, user_id, and channel_id), performs any necessary validation or data processing, and then passes the data to your custom script (e.g., yourCustomScript.processSlackData()) for further processing.

Remember to handle error cases, implement security measures such as request validation or authentication if needed, and customize the code based on your specific server setup and requirements.

By configuring a webhook for data submission, you can receive data from Slack and trigger actions in your custom script or application, enabling seamless integration and automation between Slack and your backend system.

Testing the data entry process

Test the data entry process by invoking the slash command in Slack. Enter sample data and submit the command to trigger the webhook and execute the script. Verify that the data is successfully transferred from Slack to Google Sheets. Make any necessary adjustments to the script or formatting as needed.

This allows for seamless and efficient transfer of information, reducing manual effort and improving accuracy. You can customize the script based on your specific data requirements, ensuring that the integration aligns with your team’s needs and workflows.

Sending Google Sheets Updates to Slack

Setting up Google Apps Script: To send Google Sheets updates to Slack, you can utilize Google Apps Script, a scripting platform provided by Google. Open your Google Sheets document and click on “Extensions” in the menu, then select “Apps Script” to open the Apps Script editor. This editor allows you to write custom scripts that interact with Google Sheets and other Google services.

Writing a script to send updates to Slack: In the Apps Script editor, write a script that retrieves relevant data from your Google Sheets document and sends updates to Slack. Use the Slack API or a Slack library compatible with Apps Script to send messages or notifications to the desired Slack channel. Format the message to include the relevant data from the Google Sheets document.

Configuring triggers for automatic updates: Set up triggers in Apps Script to automate the execution of the script at specific intervals or based on specific events. For example, you can set a time-based trigger to run the script every hour or create a onEdit trigger to execute the script whenever there are changes in the Google Sheets document. Triggers ensure that the updates are sent to Slack automatically.

Testing the Slack notification for Google Sheets updates: Test the script by making changes to the Google Sheets document or triggering the event that activates the script. Verify that the updates are successfully sent to the specified Slack channel. Check the formatting and content of the messages to ensure they provide the desired information and are easily understandable by team members.

By implementing these steps, you can effectively send Google Sheets updates to Slack, keeping your team members informed about changes and ensuring seamless collaboration. The automated updates enhance real-time communication and enable team members to stay up to date with the latest information in the Google Sheets document without manually checking for updates.

Best Practices and Tips

Security considerations

  • Protect sensitive data: Be mindful of the data you transfer between Slack and Google Sheets. Avoid sending or storing sensitive information in Slack channels or exposed Google Sheets. Encrypt or obfuscate sensitive data whenever necessary.
  • Manage access permissions: Control access to both Slack and Google Sheets. Grant appropriate permissions to users and restrict access to sensitive data or critical functionality.

Organizing data in Google Sheets for efficient integration

  • Use consistent data formats: Ensure consistent data formats within your Google Sheets document to facilitate a smooth integration. Define clear conventions for dates, numbers, and other data types.
  • Utilize separate sheets or tabs: Consider organizing data into separate sheets or tabs within the Google Sheets document based on the integration requirements. This allows for easier management and avoids confusion when retrieving or updating data.

Using third-party integrations for advanced functionality

  • Explore integration platforms: Consider using integration platforms like Zapier or Integromat to further enhance the Slack and Google Sheets integration. These platforms offer a wide range of pre-built integrations and automation workflows.
  • Leverage Slack apps and Google Workspace Marketplace: Explore the Slack App Directory and Google Workspace Marketplace for additional apps and extensions that can extend the functionality of Slack and Google Sheets, providing more advanced features and customization options.

Regularly test and maintain the integration

  • Test the integration: Regularly test the integration between Slack and Google Sheets to ensure data is transferred accurately and notifications are working as expected. Run tests for both data entry from Slack to Google Sheets and updates from Google Sheets to Slack.
  • Monitor and maintain: Monitor the integration for any errors or issues. Stay updated with new releases, updates, or changes in both Slack and Google Sheets APIs to ensure compatibility and optimal performance. Regularly review and update the scripts or configurations if necessary.

To improve the security, organization, and functionality of your Slack and Google Sheets integration, adhere to these recommended techniques. These suggestions will assist you in sustaining a dependable and productive workflow, allowing you to make the most of the integration of these two potent tools.

Conclusion

Integrating Slack and Google Sheets can greatly enhance collaboration, streamline workflows, and optimize data management within your team or organization. By combining the real-time communication capabilities of Slack with the powerful data organization and analysis features of Google Sheets, you can create a seamless and efficient work environment.

Throughout this blog, we have explored the step-by-step process of integrating Slack and Google Sheets, covering the setup of Slack integration, configuring Google Sheets, connecting the two tools, automating data entry from Slack to Google Sheets, and sending Google Sheets updates to Slack. By following these guidelines, you can leverage the full potential of these tools to improve productivity and collaboration.

The integration allows for seamless data transfer, real-time updates, and automated processes. You can automate data entry from Slack to Google Sheets, eliminating manual effort and reducing the chances of errors. Furthermore, you can send Google Sheets updates to Slack, ensuring that your team members are always informed of the latest changes and enabling timely decision-making.

Remember to follow security best practices, organize your data effectively, and consider utilizing third-party integrations for advanced functionality. Regularly test and maintain the integration to ensure optimal performance and troubleshoot any issues that may arise.

By integrating Slack and Google Sheets, you empower your team to work more efficiently, collaborate effectively, and stay updated on critical information. Explore the possibilities of this integration and unlock the full potential of your team’s productivity and data management.

The Importance Of Accessibility In Web Design

In today’s world, websites have become an integral part of our daily lives. From online shopping to education, websites play a crucial role in providing access to information and services. However, it’s important to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can access and use these websites.

Accessibility in web design refers to the practice of designing websites that can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities such as visual, auditory, physical, and cognitive impairments. Creating an accessible website means designing it in a way that all users can access its content and functionality without facing any barriers.

Accessibility is not only an ethical responsibility but also a legal one. In many countries, there are laws that require websites to be accessible to people with disabilities. For example, in the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires businesses and organizations to make their websites accessible to people with disabilities. Failure to comply with these laws can result in lawsuits and other legal consequences.

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of accessibility in web design and how it can benefit both disabled and non-disabled users. We’ll also explore the principles and techniques of accessible web design, tools for evaluating accessibility, common accessibility mistakes to avoid, and the importance of incorporating accessibility into your web design process.

Understanding Accessibility

Accessibility is about making sure that people with disabilities can use and interact with websites just as effectively as those without disabilities. To understand accessibility better, let’s explore some key concepts related to it:

Definition of accessibility

Accessibility refers to the practice of designing and developing websites that can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. It means providing equal access to information and functionality for all users.

Types of disabilities

There are many different types of disabilities that can affect a person’s ability to use a website. These include visual impairments, auditory impairments, physical disabilities, cognitive impairments, and neurological disabilities.

Why accessibility is important for disabled individuals

Accessible websites allow people with disabilities to access information, products, and services online, which can greatly improve their quality of life. For example, a visually impaired person can use a screen reader to navigate a website, and a person with mobility impairments can use a keyboard to interact with the website.

Without accessibility, people with disabilities may face significant barriers when using websites, which can lead to frustration, exclusion, and discrimination. By making websites accessible, we can ensure that everyone has equal access to information and services online.

Benefits of Accessibility in Web Design

Designing websites that are accessible has a range of benefits, not just for disabled users, but for all users. Here are some of the key benefits of accessibility in web design:

Improved user experience

When websites are designed with accessibility in mind, they become easier to use for everyone. For example, clear navigation, readable text, and descriptive headings can improve the user experience for all users, including those with disabilities.

Enhanced search engine optimization (SEO)

Search engines, like Google, prioritize accessible websites that use semantic HTML and descriptive alt tags for images. This means that by making your website accessible, you can improve your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your site.

Increased audience reach

By making your website accessible, you can reach a wider audience, including people with disabilities who might not be able to use your website otherwise. This can also help you to tap into a new market and increase your customer base.

Improved brand reputation

Creating accessible websites shows that you care about all users, including those with disabilities. This can help to build a positive brand reputation and increase customer loyalty.

Legal compliance

As mentioned earlier, in many countries, there are laws that require websites to be accessible to people with disabilities. By making your website accessible, you can avoid legal issues and potential lawsuits.

Principles of Accessible Web Design

Accessible web design involves adhering to certain principles and guidelines that help to ensure that websites can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. Here are some of the key principles of accessible web design:

Perceivable

This principle requires that website content be presented in a way that can be perceived by all users, including those with disabilities. For example, using descriptive alt text for images and videos, providing text alternatives for non-text content, and using clear and readable fonts.

Operable

This principle requires that websites be easy to navigate and operate, even for users who may have physical or cognitive disabilities. For example, providing keyboard shortcuts for all functions, making clickable elements large enough to be easily activated, and providing clear and consistent navigation.

Understandable

This principle requires that websites be designed in a way that is easy to understand for all users, regardless of their cognitive abilities. For example, using clear and concise language, organizing content in a logical manner, and providing clear instructions.

Robust

This principle requires that websites be designed to work with a variety of assistive technologies and be compatible with different devices and platforms. For example, using semantic HTML that accurately describes the content, providing captions and transcripts for multimedia content, and ensuring compatibility with screen readers and other assistive technologies.

Techniques for Accessible Web Design

In addition to following the principles of accessible web design, there are several techniques that web designers can use to ensure that their websites are accessible to people with disabilities. Here are some of the key techniques:

Use semantic HTML

Semantic HTML refers to the use of HTML tags that accurately describe the content on a website. For example, using the <nav> tag to identify the navigation menu, using the <h1> tag for main headings, and using the <ul> and <li> tags to create lists. This helps assistive technologies to accurately interpret the content on a website.

Provide alternative text for images and multimedia

For people who are visually impaired or blind, images and multimedia content need to be described in text format. This can be achieved by using alt text for images, transcripts for audio content, and captions for video content.

Ensure keyboard accessibility

Some users with disabilities may not be able to use a mouse, so it’s important to ensure that all website functions can be accessed using the keyboard. This includes ensuring that all clickable elements are easily identifiable and can be activated using the keyboard.

Use contrasting colors

Using contrasting colors can make it easier for users with visual impairments to read website content. This means using colors that are significantly different from each other, such as black text on a white background.

Provide descriptive headings and labels

Headings and labels provide context for website content and help users to understand what they’re reading or interacting with. It’s important to use descriptive headings and labels that accurately describe the content they’re associated with.

Test with assistive technologies

To ensure that a website is truly accessible, it’s important to test it with assistive technologies, such as screen readers and voice recognition software. This can help to identify any accessibility issues that need to be addressed.

Tools for Evaluating Accessibility

There are several tools available to evaluate the accessibility of a website. Here are some of the key tools:

Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools

Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools are software programs or online services that can help to identify accessibility issues on a website. These tools automatically scan a website and provide a report of accessibility issues that need to be addressed. Some popular web accessibility evaluation tools include WebAIM’s WAVE, AChecker, and Google Lighthouse.

Screen readers

Screen readers are software programs that read out the contents of a website to users who are visually impaired. Using a screen reader can help web designers to identify any issues with website content that may be difficult for users with visual impairments to understand. Popular screen readers include JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver.

Color Contrast Analyzers

Color contrast analyzers are tools that help to determine whether the contrast between two colors on a website is sufficient for users with visual impairments. These tools can be used to ensure that text and images are easily visible for users with low vision. Popular color contrast analyzers include WebAIM’s Contrast Checker, Accessibility Insights for Web, and Tanaguru Contrast Finder.

Keyboard Accessibility Testing Tools

Keyboard accessibility testing tools help to ensure that a website can be easily navigated using the keyboard alone. These tools simulate keyboard inputs to test whether all website functions can be accessed using the keyboard. Popular keyboard accessibility testing tools include Keyboard Accessibility Test and W3C’s Keyboard Event Viewer.

Common Accessibility Mistakes to Avoid

Despite the importance of accessibility in web design, there are still common mistakes that web designers make. Here are some of the most common accessibility mistakes to avoid:

Not providing alternative text for images

Providing alternative text for images is crucial for users who are visually impaired or blind, as it allows them to understand the content of the image. Failing to provide alternative text for images can make it difficult for these users to understand the content of the website.

Ignoring keyboard accessibility

Many users with disabilities rely on keyboard navigation to access websites. Failing to ensure that all website functions can be accessed using the keyboard can make it difficult for these users to navigate the website.

Not providing captions for video content

For users who are deaf or hard of hearing, captions provide essential access to video content. Failing to provide captions for video content can make it difficult or impossible for these users to understand the content of the video.

Using non-descriptive link text

Using non-descriptive link text, such as “click here,” can make it difficult for users with screen readers to understand the purpose of the link. Using descriptive link text that accurately describes the content that the link leads to can improve the accessibility of the website.

Not using proper heading structure

Proper heading structure is important for users who rely on screen readers to navigate websites. Failing to use proper heading structure can make it difficult for these users to understand the structure of the content on the website.

Not testing with assistive technologies

Testing a website with assistive technologies, such as screen readers and voice recognition software, is essential to identifying accessibility issues. Failing to test with these technologies can result in accessibility issues going unnoticed.

Wrapping Up

Accessibility is an essential aspect of web design that cannot be overlooked. By ensuring that a website is accessible to all users, web designers can create a positive user experience and reach a wider audience. Understanding the principles and techniques of accessible web design, as well as using the right tools to evaluate and test accessibility, is crucial for ensuring that a website is truly accessible.

Designing an accessible website is not only a moral responsibility but also a legal obligation. Laws and regulations around the world are increasingly requiring websites to meet certain accessibility standards to ensure equal access for all users.

By avoiding common accessibility mistakes and adhering to best practices, web designers can make sure that their website is accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities. Ultimately, prioritizing accessibility in web design is not only the right thing to do, but it can also benefit businesses by reaching a wider audience and improving the overall user experience.

WordPress Broken Link Checker – Say Goodbye to Dead Links

What are broken links?

Prior to discussing the broken link checker tool, it is important to comprehend what broken links are. Broken links are hyperlinks on a website that lead to pages that no longer exist or have been moved to a different URL. When a user clicks on a broken link, they will typically see an error message or a blank page, which can be frustrating and negatively impact their experience on the website. Broken links can occur for a variety of reasons, such as website redesigns, changes in content management systems, or external websites that have removed or relocated their pages.

Broken links can also harm a website’s search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Search engines like Google use links as a way to determine the relevance and authority of a website and broken links can signal to search engines that a website is outdated or poorly maintained. This can result in lower search engine rankings and less traffic to the website.

It is important for website owners to regularly check for broken links on their websites and fix them as soon as possible. A broken link checker tool, such as the WordPress Broken Link Checker plugin, can make this process easier and more efficient.

Broken Link Checker plugin

A strong WordPress plugin called Broken Link Checker will periodically crawl your website and check each link to make sure they are all working properly.

It is designed as a SaaS service, so it never overtaxes or slows down your WordPress hosting server.

The same group that created the top WordPress SEO plugin, AIOSEO (All in One SEO), also created the Broken Link Checker plugin.

The plugin makes it simple for you to fix broken links directly from within the plugin, without even having to go to the specific pages where those links were added.

Why Is a Broken Link Checker Necessary?

Visitors to your website may become irritated by broken links and leave. They may even lower sales, conversions, and SEO for your website.

Broken links on WordPress sites typically appear when a site is transferred to a new domain name or when a post or page is deleted without proper redirection.

Typographical errors can occasionally result in broken links that go unnoticed for months or even years. Even worse, your website will have broken links if you ever link to an external website that isn’t yours and that website later changes, deletes, or shuts down.

For this reason, it’s crucial to regularly check your WordPress website for broken links.

There are SaaS broken link checkers available, but the majority are either exorbitantly expensive or weren’t created with WordPress websites in mind.

You can use Broken Link Checker to…

  • Every 3 days, scan all links on your website.
  • Identify working and broken links as well as redirects
  • select the post types (posts, pages, or custom post types) and statuses that you want to use.
  • (published, draught, etc.) to keep track of
  • exclude some URLs from the check
  • … and a tonne more.

Offering a seamless website browsing experience to your visitors is crucial if you take your website seriously and want to expand your online business.

How to use the WordPress Broken Link Checker

The first step is to install and enable Broken Link Checker on your website.

The plugin must then be linked to your Broken Link Checker account.

You can enable the toggle to prevent search engines from following broken links after logging in with your account and connecting the plugin. Even better, you can choose to have the plugin not update a page’s or post’s modified date whenever a link is changed.

The plugin has automatically scanned the entire site, and when you click the Broken Links tab, you can see that links have been classified as broken, redirects, and dismissed.

With the Broken Link Checker plugin, you can quickly and easily fix broken links inside of your plugin. Click Edit URL to replace a broken link immediately.

Alternatively, you can unlink the link by clicking on it; this will take the link off the page.

By selecting the Recheck option after updating the link, you can determine whether it is still inoperable. You may even choose to ignore the plugin’s message.

Obtain More Information About Each Link

Broken Link Checker provides additional information for each link, such as the duration of the broken link, response header details, the HTTP Status code, and more.

Manage the types of pages that are scanned

Broken Link Checker’s advanced settings, which give you complete control over which pages get scanned, are another crucial feature. You can configure the plugin to track specific post types (posts, pages, or custom post types) and statuses (published, draught, etc.).

You can also choose not to check a specific set of pages.

This enables you to more effectively manage the crawl budget and avoid wasting your link scan credits.

Scan Your Website Correctly

Broken Link Checker scans both internal (links from one page of your website to another page) and external (links from your website to other websites) links on your website.

Broken Link Checker scans (or, in other words, pings) your website for broken links in contrast to other WordPress plugins. Because pinging external sites from your servers repeatedly can make your website appear suspicious to internet service providers, increasing the likelihood that your sites will be blacklisted.

Because of this, the majority of WordPress hosting providers have added traditional broken link checker plugins to their list of prohibited items.

You can feel secure knowing that Broken Link Checker uses an external private server to ping external links.

Advantages of Broken Link Checker

Using a broken link checker can have several benefits for website owners, particularly for website maintenance and SEO. Here are some ways that a broken link checker can be helpful:

Improving user experience: When users encounter broken links on a website, it can be frustrating and lead to a negative experience. By using a broken link checker to identify and fix broken links, website owners can improve user experience and keep users engaged with their content.

Boosting search engine rankings: Search engines like Google consider broken links as a signal of poor website maintenance and may penalize websites with broken links by lowering their search engine rankings. By fixing broken links with a broken link checker, website owners can ensure that their website is up-to-date and well-maintained, which can help improve their search engine rankings.

Saving time and effort: Manually checking for broken links on a website can be time-consuming and tedious, particularly for larger websites. By using a broken link checker, website owners can automate the process of finding broken links, which can save time and effort.

Maintaining website reputation: Broken links can harm a website’s reputation, particularly if the website is intended to be a reliable source of information. By fixing broken links with a broken link checker, website owners can maintain their website’s reputation and ensure that their content is trustworthy and reliable.

Common issues or limitations

There are some common issues or limitations that users may encounter. Here are some of the most common issues and how to troubleshoot them:

Plugin conflicts: The Broken Link Checker plugin may conflict with other plugins or themes on a website, which can cause errors or slow down the website. To troubleshoot this issue, try deactivating other plugins one by one to see if the issue resolves. If the issue persists, try switching to a different theme to see if that resolves the issue.

Server timeouts: If a website has a large number of pages or links, the Broken Link Checker plugin may take a long time to scan the website, which can result in server timeouts or errors. To troubleshoot this issue, try adjusting the plugin settings to scan only a portion of the website at a time or increase the server timeout limit.

False positives: The Broken Link Checker plugin may identify some links as broken when they are actually working correctly. To troubleshoot this issue, try manually clicking on the links to confirm whether they are actually broken or not. If the links are working correctly, try adding them to the plugin’s whitelist to prevent them from being identified as broken in the future.

Slow website performance: The Broken Link Checker plugin can be resource-intensive and may slow down website performance, particularly on websites with a large number of pages or links. To troubleshoot this issue, try adjusting the plugin settings to limit the frequency of link checking or disabling certain features that are not needed.

Plugin compatibility: The Broken Link Checker plugin may not be compatible with certain versions of WordPress or other plugins. To troubleshoot this issue, try updating to the latest version of WordPress and other plugins, or contacting the plugin developer for support.

Wrapping Up

WordPress Broken Link Checker plugin is a powerful tool that can help website owners identify and fix broken links on their websites. Broken links can negatively impact user experience, harm search engine rankings, and damage a website’s reputation, so it’s essential to regularly check for and fix broken links. By using the Broken Link Checker plugin, website owners can automate the process of finding and fixing broken links, improve user experience, boost search engine rankings, save time and effort, and maintain their website’s reputation. Web owners should be aware of some common issues and limitations of the plugin and troubleshoot them accordingly. WordPress Broken Link Checker plugin is an essential tool for website maintenance and optimization that website owners should consider implementing.

How To Enable WordPress Automatic Updates For Major Versions?

In WordPress, minor updates can now be automatically installed by the WordPress.org team without requiring any action from the user. This is meant to ensure that security updates are applied promptly. On the other hand, major updates are not automatically installed, but it is possible to activate automatic updates for them. This article covers various ways to enable WordPress automatic updates for major releases.

How Automatic WordPress Updates Work?

WordPress 3.7 introduces the automatic updates capability. This enabled WordPress to install new minor releases automatically in order to increase the security of your WordPress website.

WordPress allows you to deactivate WordPress automatic updates. We urge, however, that you keep automatic updates enabled since they generally address critical security concerns and vulnerabilities.

If you only manage one or two WordPress websites, you may simply follow our advice to securely upgrade your WordPress site when a new major WordPress version is released. However, manually upgrading WordPress can be time-consuming if you manage several sites.

Fortunately, managed WordPress hosting services such as WP Engine update WordPress for all new versions, not just minor ones.

Auto-updates may also be enabled on shared hosting providers such as Bluehost and SiteGround. But first, ensure that you have a robust backup mechanism in place in case something goes wrong.

WordPress Automatic Updates Preparation

Setting up a backup system is the most crucial layer of protection you can add to any website. Whether you enable WordPress automatic updates or not, every WordPress website should have an automated backup mechanism in place.

To set up automatic backups on your WordPress site, you may use one of numerous useful WordPress backup plugins.

We recommend Duplicator since it is the greatest WordPress backup plugin available and is completely free. Duplicator makes it simple to set up automatic backups of your whole WordPress website.

It also enables you to save your backup files in a remote location such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3.

After you’ve configured automatic WordPress backups, you may enable automatic WordPress updates for major releases.

Method 1: From the Dashboard » Updates, enable WordPress Automatic Updates for Major Releases.

When you go to the Dashboard » Updates page in your WordPress admin area, you’ll notice a statement that says, ‘This site is automatically kept up to date with WordPress maintenance and security releases only.’ These are the small updates we discussed before.

If you want all WordPress updates to be handled the same manner, just click the ‘Enable automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress’ option.

Major WordPress releases will now be installed automatically as well.

If you want to disable WordPress automatic updates in the future, go to the Dashboard » Updates page and click the link that reads ‘Switch to automatic updates for maintenance and security releases only.’

Only minor releases and security updates will now be deployed automatically, rather than major WordPress versions.

Method 2: Using a plugin, enable automatic WordPress updates for major releases.

You have more control over what is updated on your site using the plugin technique. It contains, for example, options to automatically update WordPress core, plugins, themes, and other components.

You must install and activate the Easy Updates Manager plugin.

After activation, go to the Dashboard » Updates Options page to configure the plugin.

Click the ‘Custom’ button under the ‘Quick configuration actions’ section. Then, in the ‘WordPress core updates area, click the ‘Auto-update all releases’ option.

Take care while pressing the ‘Auto-update everything’ button in the ‘Quick configuration actions’ section. This will enable WordPress automatic updates for all WordPress components, including the core, plugins, themes, and translations.

The plugin will save your settings and allow major WordPress releases to be automatically updated.

If you want to utilize this plugin to automatically update your plugins and themes, check out our full article on how to manage automatic WordPress updates.

Method 3: Enable Automatic Updates for Major WordPress Releases Manually

This solution necessitates the addition of code to your WordPress files.

To begin, add the following line of code to your website’s wp-config.php file.

define('WP_AUTO_UPDATE_CORE', true);

There is one minor issue with this code. It also supports ‘nightly’ updates, often known as ‘nightlies.’ These are currently in development and may include flaws; thus, they should not be put on a live WordPress website.

To turn off nightly builds and development updates, add the following code to your theme’s functions.php file or use a code snippets plugin like WPCode.

add_filter( ‘allow_dev_auto_core_updates’, ‘__return_false’ );

WordPress automatic updates for nightly builds or development updates will be disabled by this filter.

Your WordPress site is now set up to automatically update itself whenever a new WordPress version becomes available.

WordPress Automatic Updates: Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I install WordPress updates?

WordPress is a program that is continuously updated. Thousands of developers work together to improve and secure WordPress.

Updates for WordPress must be installed as soon as they are available. This guarantees that your website has the most recent security fixes, new features, and the fastest and most responsive speed and performance.

Can I edit all of my websites from a single dashboard?

To install updates, you must first log in to each WordPress website. Fortunately, there are solutions available to help you manage many WordPress sites. These tools allow you to apply updates on all of your WordPress sites without having to log in to each one individually.

Are my website upgrades safe?

WordPress upgrades are promptly available to millions of websites as the world’s most popular website builder. The core team works extremely hard to guarantee that they are completely secure to install on any website.

However, we urge that everyone constantly back up their WordPress website before making any changes. This enables you to swiftly roll back if something goes wrong after an update.

Can I also get WordPress plugins updated automatically?

Yes, it is possible to set up automatic updates for WordPress plugins as well. To enable automatic updates for plugins, you can use a plugin management tool, such as Jetpack or Easy Updates Manager. These tools allow you to choose which plugins to update automatically and which ones to update manually. Automatic updates for plugins can help keep your site secure and running smoothly by ensuring that you have the latest versions of plugins with bug fixes, new features, and security patches. However, it’s important to note that not all plugins may support automatic updates, so you should always check with the plugin developer or documentation to confirm.

Wrapping Up

By following the methods discussed in this article, you can ensure that your WordPress site stays up-to-date with the latest features and security patches. Enabling automatic updates for major releases can save you time and effort in manually updating your site. It’s essential to keep your website updated to ensure its security, stability, and optimal performance.

Domain Registration – Process, Tools and Top Providers

What is domain registration?

Domain registration is the process of reserving a domain name, which is a unique identifier for your website, for a specified period of time. The domain name is the address people will use to access your website on the internet, such as “awplife.com”.

When you register a domain name, you become the owner of the rights to that specific name and can use it to create a website, email addresses, and more. The process involves choosing a domain name, checking if it’s available, and then registering it through a domain registrar. The registrar is responsible for maintaining a database of all registered domain names and ensuring that they are unique and available for use.

The cost of registering a domain name can vary, with some domain extensions being more expensive than others. It’s also important to renew your domain registration annually to keep it active and avoid the risk of losing it to someone else.

Process of domain registration

The process of domain registration typically involves the following steps:

  • Choose a domain name: This is the first step in registering a domain name. You will need to choose a unique and memorable name that represents your brand or business.
  • Check for availability: Before you register a domain name, it’s important to check if it’s available. You can do this by using a domain registrar’s website or a domain availability tool.
  • Choose a registrar: There are many domain registrars to choose from. You should compare the services, pricing, and reputation of different registrars before making a decision.
  • Register the domain: Once you have chosen a registrar, you can begin the registration process by providing your personal and contact information, such as your name, address, and email. You will also need to provide payment information to pay for the domain registration fee.
  • Configure DNS: After registering your domain, you will need to configure the DNS (Domain Name System) settings. This is usually done through the registrar’s website and involves pointing the domain name to the IP address of your website’s hosting server.
  • Renew the registration: Most domain registrations have an expiration date and will need to be renewed annually to keep the domain active. The cost of renewing the domain will vary depending on the registrar and the type of domain.

It’s important to keep your contact information up to date with your registrar to ensure that you receive any important communications, such as renewal notices, about your domain.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Domain Registrar

When choosing a domain registrar, there are several important factors to consider to ensure that you make the right choice for your needs:

  • Cost: The cost of registering a domain can vary significantly between registrars, so it’s important to compare prices and ensure that you’re getting a good deal.
  • User-friendly interface: A user-friendly interface can make the process of registering and managing your domain much easier. Look for a registrar with an intuitive and straightforward platform.
  • Customer support: Good customer support can be essential in case you encounter any issues with your domain registration. Consider the availability of support options such as live chat, email, and phone.
  • Domain management tools: Look for a registrar that provides easy-to-use tools for managing your domain, such as configuring DNS settings, renewing the registration, and updating your personal information.
  • Privacy protection: Some registrars offer privacy protection services that can keep your personal information confidential and protected from public view. Consider whether this is a necessary service for you.
  • Add-ons and extras: Some registrars offer additional services, such as email hosting, website builders, and more. Consider whether these services are important for your needs and whether they are provided by the registrar you are considering.
  • Reputation: Consider the reputation of the registrar, including their reliability, stability, and security. Read customer reviews and look for feedback from other users to get a sense of the quality of the registrar’s services.
  • Domain name availability: Make sure the domain registrar you choose has a good track record of ensuring that domain names are available and not already taken by someone else.

By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and choose a domain registrar that meets your needs and provides the best value for your money.

Tools for Checking the Availability of a Domain Name

Here are some of the best tools for checking the availability of a domain name:

  • WHOIS Lookup: WHOIS is a protocol that lets you retrieve information about a domain name, including its registrar and the person who registered it. WHOIS lookups are available through a variety of tools, including online WHOIS lookup websites like whois.com
  • Domain Availability Checkers: Domain availability checkers are websites that allow you to check the availability of a domain name by entering it into a search field. Some popular domain availability checkers include GoDaddy‘s Domain Name Search, Namecheap‘s Domain Name Search, and Network Solutions‘ Domain Name Search.
  • ICANN Accredited Registrars: ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) is the organization responsible for managing the domain name system. Many ICANN-accredited registrars offer domain availability checkers on their websites, including Name.com, ionos, and Namecheap.
  • API Services: API (Application Programming Interface) services are a more technical way to check the availability of a domain name. API services allow you to automate the process of checking the availability of a domain name and retrieve the results programmatically. Some popular API services for checking domain availability include Domainr, and Open Provider

Top most trusted domain registrars for secure and reliable service

Namecheap

Namecheap is a popular and affordable domain registrar that offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of domain extensions to choose from. They are known for their great 24/7 support and for providing a variety of value-added services like email hosting, SSL certificates, and more.

Namecheap offers a variety of pricing plans to suit different needs, with a .com domain starting at just $8.88 per year. They also offer bulk discounts for registering multiple domains at once, making it a cost-effective option for businesses or individuals with multiple websites.

In terms of security, Namecheap offers free WhoisGuard privacy protection with all domain registrations, which keeps your personal information private and helps to protect you from spam and identity theft.

Namecheap’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive control panel make it easy to manage your domains, and their 24/7 support means that you can get help whenever you need it.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy is a well-known and widely used domain registrar that offers a large selection of domain extensions at competitive prices. They have a reputation for providing great 24/7 customer support and a variety of website-building tools and services to help you get started with your website.

GoDaddy’s pricing plans for domain registration start at $12.99 per year for a .com domain. They also offer bulk discounts for registering multiple domains, making it a cost-effective option for businesses or individuals with multiple websites.

In terms of security, GoDaddy offers free privacy protection with all domain registrations, which keeps your personal information private and helps to protect you from spam and identity theft.

GoDaddy’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive control panel make it easy to manage your domains, and their 24/7 support means that you can get help whenever you need it.

HostGator

HostGator is a popular web hosting and domain registrar company that offers a wide range of services for individuals and businesses. They have a reputation for providing great 24/7 customer support, and their user-friendly interface and comprehensive control panel make it easy to manage your domains and hosting account.

HostGator’s pricing for domain registration starts at $12.95 per year for a .com domain, making it a competitive and affordable option. They also offer bulk discounts for registering multiple domains, making it a cost-effective option for businesses or individuals with multiple websites.

In terms of security, HostGator offers free privacy protection with all domain registrations, which keeps your personal information private and helps to protect you from spam and identity theft.

In addition to domain registration, HostGator also offers a variety of web hosting plans, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting, making it a great one-stop-shop for all your web hosting needs.

Bluehost

Bluehost is a well-established web hosting and domain registrar company that offers a range of services for individuals and businesses. They are known for providing reliable hosting services, great 24/7 customer support, and a user-friendly interface.

Bluehost’s pricing for domain registration starts at $11.99 per year for a .com domain, making it a competitive and affordable option. They also offer bulk discounts for registering multiple domains, making it a cost-effective option for businesses or individuals with multiple websites.

In terms of security, Bluehost offers free privacy protection with all domain registrations, which keeps your personal information private and helps to protect you from spam and identity theft.

In addition to domain registration, Bluehost also offers a variety of web hosting plans, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting, making it a great one-stop-shop for all your web hosting needs. They also offer easy website-building tools, so even if you don’t have prior experience, you can still get your website up and running in no time.

DreamHost

DreamHost is a web hosting and domain registrar company that has been in business for over 20 years. They offer a range of services for individuals and businesses, including web hosting, domain registration, and website-building tools.

DreamHost’s pricing for domain registration starts at $13.95 per year for a .com domain, making it a competitive and affordable option. They also offer bulk discounts for registering multiple domains, making it a cost-effective option for businesses or individuals with multiple websites.

In terms of security, DreamHost offers free privacy protection with all domain registrations, which keeps your personal information private and helps to protect you from spam and identity theft.

In addition to domain registration, DreamHost also offers a variety of web hosting plans, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting. They are also known for their strong focus on security and privacy and offer a range of security features to help keep your website safe.

Name.com

Name.com is a domain registrar and web hosting company that offers a range of services for individuals and businesses. They are known for their competitive pricing and large selection of domain extensions, as well as their user-friendly interface and comprehensive control panel.

Name.com’s pricing for domain registration starts at $12.99 per year for a .com domain, making it a cost-effective option for registering multiple domains. They also offer bulk discounts for registering multiple domains, making it a cost-effective option for businesses or individuals with multiple websites.

In terms of security, Name.com offers free privacy protection with all domain registrations, which keeps your personal information private and helps to protect you from spam and identity theft.

Name.com’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive control panel make it easy to manage your domains, and their 24/7 customer support means that you can get help whenever you need it.

In addition to domain registration, Name.com also offers web hosting services, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting, as well as a range of website-building tools to help you get started with your website.

InMotion Hosting

InMotion Hosting is a web hosting and domain registrar company that offers a range of services for individuals and businesses. They are known for their high-quality web hosting services, as well as their commitment to customer satisfaction and support.

InMotion Hosting’s pricing for domain registration starts at $14.99 per year for a .com domain, making it a competitive option for registering multiple domains. They also offer bulk discounts for registering multiple domains, making it a cost-effective option for businesses or individuals with multiple websites.

In terms of security, InMotion Hosting offers free privacy protection with all domain registrations, which keeps your personal information private and helps to protect you from spam and identity theft. They also offer a range of security features to help keep your website safe, including SSL certificates and regular backups.

In addition to domain registration, InMotion Hosting also offers a variety of web hosting plans, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting. They are also known for their 24/7 customer support, which means that you can get help whenever you need it.

Network Solutions

Network Solutions is a domain registrar and web hosting company that has been in business for over 30 years. They offer a range of services for individuals and businesses, including domain registration, web hosting, and website-building tools.

Network Solutions’ pricing for domain registration starts at $34.99 per year for a .com domain, making it one of the more expensive options for registering domains. However, they do offer a range of additional services that may be worth the extra cost, such as a website builder, online marketing tools, and premium email services.

In terms of security, Network Solutions offers a range of security features to help keep your website safe, including SSL certificates, site backups, and DDoS protection. They also offer privacy protection with all domain registrations, which keeps your personal information private and helps to protect you from spam and identity theft.

In addition to domain registration, Network Solutions also offers web hosting services, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting. They are also known for their comprehensive control panel, which makes it easy to manage your website and domain.

1&1 IONOS

1&1 IONOS is a domain registrar and web hosting company that offers a range of services for individuals and businesses. They are known for their competitive pricing and a large selection of domain extensions, as well as their user-friendly interface and comprehensive control panel.

1&1 IONOS’s pricing for domain registration starts at $0.99 per year for a .com domain, making it a cost-effective option for registering multiple domains. They also offer bulk discounts for registering multiple domains, making it a cost-effective option for businesses or individuals with multiple websites.

In terms of security, 1&1 IONOS offers a range of security features to help keep your website safe, including SSL certificates and regular backups. They also offer privacy protection with all domain registrations, which keeps your personal information private and helps to protect you from spam and identity theft.

In addition to domain registration, 1&1 IONOS also offers a variety of web hosting plans, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting. They are also known for their 24/7 customer support, which means that you can get help whenever you need it.

Google Domains

Google Domains is a domain registrar service offered by Google. It’s designed to be simple, fast, and reliable, making it a great option for individuals and small businesses looking to register a domain.

Google Domains’ pricing for domain registration starts at $12 per year for a .com domain, making it a competitive option for registering multiple domains. They also offer a range of other domain extensions, such as .org, .net, and .info, at similar prices.

In terms of security, Google Domains offers privacy protection with all domain registrations, which keeps your personal information private and helps to protect you from spam and identity theft. They also offer a simple, user-friendly interface for managing your domain, making it easy to keep your website safe and secure.

In addition to domain registration, Google Domains also offers a range of website building tools and integration with other Google services, such as Google Sites and Google Workspace. They are also known for their fast and reliable infrastructure, which helps to keep your website up and running smoothly.

Configuring your DNS after domain registration

Configuring your DNS (Domain Name System) settings is an important step in setting up your website and ensuring that it’s accessible to your audience. Here are the general steps to configure your domain’s DNS:

  • Log in to your domain registrar’s account: To configure your DNS settings, you’ll first need to log in to your account with your domain registrar.
  • Find the DNS management section: Look for a section in your account that allows you to manage your DNS settings. This section may be labeled as “DNS Management,” “Nameservers,” or “Zone Editor.”
  • Update the nameservers: If you’re using a web hosting provider, you’ll need to update the nameservers for your domain to point to your web host’s servers. Your web host will provide you with the nameserver information you need to enter in this section.
  • Configure DNS records: Once you’ve updated the nameservers, you’ll need to configure the DNS records for your domain. This includes setting up A records, MX records, CNAME records, and other record types as necessary. You’ll need to enter the IP address or domain name that you want each record to point to.
  • Save the changes: After you’ve made all of the necessary changes, be sure to save your changes to ensure that your new DNS settings take effect.
  • Wait for propagation: Finally, you’ll need to wait for the changes to propagate, which can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two. During this time, your website may not be accessible or may have inconsistent results.

Note that the exact steps to configure your DNS will vary depending on your domain registrar and web hosting provider, so it’s important to refer to their specific instructions. Additionally, it’s a good idea to back up your existing DNS settings before making any changes, in case you need to revert back to a previous configuration.

Wrapping Up

Choosing the right domain registrar is crucial for the success and security of your website. The top most trusted domain registrars listed in this article, including Namecheap, GoDaddy, HostGator, Bluehost, DreamHost, Name.com, InMotion Hosting, Network Solutions, 1&1 IONOS, and Google Domains, are all reputable and reliable options for registering your domain. Each registrar offers its own unique features and pricing, so it’s important to do your research and choose the one that best meets your specific needs and budget. Regardless of which registrar you choose, make sure to consider factors such as pricing, security, and customer support to ensure that your website remains safe, secure, and accessible at all times.

404 Errors vs Soft 404 Errors: Differences & Solutions

What are HTTP errors?

HTTP errors are codes that are returned by a web server to a client (such as a web browser) to indicate that something went wrong with a request(a 404 error is one of them). The client receives this error code and message in response to an HTTP request it made to the server.

HTTP errors are grouped into classes, with each class represented by a specific range of numbers. The most common classes of HTTP errors are:

  • 1xx (Informational): The request was received, and continuing process
  • 2xx (Successful): The request was successfully received, understood, and accepted
  • 3xx (Redirection): Further action needs to be taken in order to complete the request
  • 4xx (Client Error): The request contains bad syntax or cannot be fulfilled by the server
  • 5xx (Server Error): The server failed to fulfill a valid request

Each error has a specific code and message to help diagnose and resolve the issue. For example, the most common HTTP error is the 404 Not Found error, which indicates that the requested resource could not be found on the server.

It is important to note that HTTP errors are not limited to web browsers, any application that communicates over HTTP can encounter errors.

What a “404 Response Code” means?

A 404 response code, also known as a “404 Not Found” error, indicates that the server was unable to find the requested resource. This can occur for a variety of reasons, such as when a user attempts to access a page that has been deleted or moved, or when the user types in an incorrect URL.

The 404 error is a client-side error, which means that the problem is with the user’s request and not with the server. The server is able to understand the request made by the client, but it is unable to locate the requested resource.

When a user encounters a 404 error, they will typically see a message in their web browser that says “404 Not Found” or “The requested URL was not found on this server.” Additionally, the user may also see a custom error page that the website’s administrator has set up.

It is important to note that a 404 error does not indicate that the server is down or that there is a problem with the website. It simply means that the server was unable to find the requested resource. If you are the website owner you should check the URL or links to make sure they are correct and working properly.

What can cause a “404 Page Not Found”?

There are several potential causes of a 404 “Page Not Found” error, including:

  1. Typing in the wrong URL: This is a common cause of 404 errors, particularly when a user is manually typing in the URL to access a specific page.
  2. Broken links: A broken link is a link on a website that no longer points to a valid resource. This can happen if the resource has been moved or deleted, or if the link has been typed incorrectly.
  3. Moved or deleted web pages: If a webpage has been moved or deleted, any links pointing to that page will result in a 404 error.
  4. Website redesigns: If a website has undergone a redesign, the URLs for certain pages may have changed. Any old links pointing to the old URLs will result in a 404 error.
  5. Incorrectly configured servers: If the server is not configured correctly, it may return a 404 error even if the requested resource exists.
  6. Caching errors: If a user’s browser has cached an old version of a webpage, they may see a 404 error even if the page is currently available on the website.
  7. URL rewriting: If a website uses URL rewriting, it may return a 404 error if the rewritten URL is not configured correctly.
  8. Incorrectly configured .htaccess file: The .htaccess file is a configuration file used by Apache web servers. If it is not configured correctly, it can cause 404 errors.

It’s important to note that some of these causes may be out of the control of the website owner, but some of them can be fixed by the website owner by checking the URL, links or configuring the server properly.

What is a Soft 404 Error?

A soft 404 error is a type of error that occurs when a server returns a “200 OK” HTTP status code, but the content of the page is actually a “404 Not Found” page or a page with no useful content. In other words, a soft 404 error occurs when a server returns a page that looks like a valid page but doesn’t contain the expected information or resources.

The main difference between a soft 404 error and a traditional 404 error is that the former returns a “200 OK” status code, while the latter returns a “404 Not Found” status code. This can be confusing for both users and search engines, as the server is indicating that the page is valid when in fact it is not.

What can cause a Soft 404 Error?

A soft 404 error can be caused by several factors, some of which include:

  1. Custom error pages: A website may have a custom error page that returns a “200 OK” status code, but does not contain the expected information or resources. For example, the custom error page may simply say “404 Not Found” but not provide a search function or a link to the homepage.
  2. Incorrectly configured redirects: A website may have a redirect in place that sends users to a different page when a requested resource is not found. However, if the redirect is not configured correctly, it may return a “200 OK” status code instead of a “404 Not Found” status code.
  3. Dynamic content generation: Websites that generate content dynamically based on user input (e.g. a search feature) may return a “200 OK” status code but not handle missing resources correctly, resulting in a soft 404 error.
  4. Incorrectly configured server settings: A website may have incorrectly configured server settings that prevent the server from returning a “404 Not Found” status code when a missing resource is requested.
  5. Website analytics tracking code: Some website analytics tracking codes ignore the HTTP status code, and instead only track the pages being viewed, which could lead to a soft 404 error.
  6. Incorrectly configured .htaccess file: The .htaccess file is a configuration file used by Apache web servers. If it is not configured correctly, it can cause soft 404 errors.

Why Soft 404 Error is problematic?

Soft 404 errors can be problematic for several reasons:

  • They can confuse users, as they may not realize that the page they are viewing is not the page they expected.
  • They can negatively impact search engine rankings, as search engines may not be able to accurately determine the relevance of the page.
  • They can also lead to issues with website analytics, as it may be difficult to determine how many actual 404 errors are occurring on the site.

To prevent soft 404 errors, website owners should ensure that their custom error pages return a “404 Not Found” status code and contain useful information for the user, such as a search function or a link to the homepage. Additionally, website owners should ensure that their redirects are configured correctly and that any scripts or plugins used on the site are handling missing resources correctly.

Soft 404 Because Of Coding Errors?

Yes, coding errors can cause soft 404 errors.

For example, if a website has a dynamic page that generates content based on user input (such as a search feature), and the code that generates the content is not handling missing resources correctly, it may return a “200 OK” status code instead of a “404 Not Found” status code. This can result in a soft 404 error, where the server is indicating that the page is valid, but the page does not contain the expected information or resources.

Another example is when a website uses a script or a plugin that generates a custom error page in case of a 404 error. If that script or plugin is not configured properly, it may return a “200 OK” status code instead of a “404 Not Found” status code.

Additionally, if the website uses URL rewriting, and the rewriting code is not configured correctly, it may return a “200 OK” status code for non-existing pages instead of a “404 Not Found” status code.

It’s important to note that soft 404 errors caused by coding errors can be resolved by identifying and fixing the specific coding issue that is causing the problem. Website owners should regularly test their pages and scripts to ensure that they are handling missing resources correctly, and returning the appropriate status code.

How to Recognize 404 Error Pages?

There are several ways to recognize 404 error pages:

  1. HTTP status code: A 404 error page will return an HTTP status code of “404 Not Found” or “410 Gone” to indicate that the page could not be found.
  2. Error message: The page will typically display an error message such as “404 Not Found” or “The requested URL was not found on this server”.
  3. Custom error page: Some websites have custom error pages that are designed to look similar to the rest of the website, but contain an error message.
  4. Page content: In case of soft 404, the page may not have any useful content, just a message that the page is not found, or a search box.
  5. Web browser error message: Some web browsers will display their own error message when a 404 error occurs, such as “This page cannot be found” or “The requested resource could not be found”.
  6. Webmaster tools: You can use webmaster tools such as Google Search Console to track 404 errors on your website.

It’s worth noting that not all 404 error pages will look the same, as website owners can customize their error pages to match the look and feel of their website. However, regardless of the appearance of the error page, it will always return a “404 Not Found” or “410 Gone” status code.

Reports from Google Search Console

The 404 error URLs on a website are listed in the Coverage report.

As Google crawls all of the pages it can locate, the Search Console will report 404 pages. This can include backlinks to pages on your website that are no longer present from other websites.

Google Analytics

By default, Google Analytics does not include a missing page report. However, there are other ways to track them. In a custom report, you can, for instance, separate out pages whose page titles include Error 404 – Page Not Found.

Making custom content categories and adding all 404 pages to them is another technique to detect orphaned pages in Google Analytics.

Site: Operator Search Command

The site: search query cannot be used to locate 404 issues since Google does not index 404 or soft 404 pages. Finding web pages on a site that have a particular keyword phrase in their text is easy with Google’s site: search operator.

The most reliable resource for compiling a list of soft 404s and standard 404s is Google’s Search Console. 404 error answers can be found using the website traffic error logs.

Other Backlink Analysis Software

Additional assistance can be provided by backlink analysis tools like Majestic, Ahrefs, Moz Open Site Explorer, Sistrix, Semrush, LinkResearchTools, and CognitiveSEO.

A list of the backlinks pointing to your domain will often be exported by these programs. You may then examine all the linked pages and search for 404 errors from there.

How to fix Soft 404 Errors?

Fixing soft 404 errors can involve several steps, depending on the cause of the error:

  1. Custom error pages: If a website has a custom error page that returns a “200 OK” status code, but does not contain the expected information or resources, the website owner should ensure that the custom error page returns a “404 Not Found” status code and contains useful information for the user, such as a search function or a link to the homepage.
  2. Incorrectly configured redirects: If a website has a redirect in place that sends users to a different page when a requested resource is not found, but the redirect is not configured correctly, the website owner should ensure that the redirect is configured to return a “404 Not Found” status code.
  3. Dynamic content generation: If a website generates content dynamically based on user input (e.g. a search feature), and the code that generates the content is not handling missing resources correctly, the website owner should ensure that the code is handling missing resources correctly, and returning a “404 Not Found” status code.
  4. Incorrectly configured server settings: If a website has incorrectly configured server settings that prevent the server from returning a “404 Not Found” status code when a missing resource is requested, the website owner should ensure that the server settings are configured correctly.
  5. Incorrectly configured .htaccess file: The .htaccess file is a configuration file used by Apache web servers. If it is not configured correctly, it can cause soft 404 errors. The website owner should check the .htaccess file and correct any issues.
  6. Monitor and Test Regularly: Regularly monitoring and testing the website for soft 404 errors, using tools like Google Search Console or Webmaster tools or by using the website traffic error logs can help you to identify the error and fix it.

It’s important to note that the exact steps needed to fix a soft 404 error will depend on the specific cause of the error and the website’s architecture. It may take some trial and error to find the root cause of the issue and implement the appropriate solution.

Conclusion

When it comes to 404 errors, it’s important to keep in mind that if the pages are actually gone, there’s nothing that can be done to fix them. In this case, a 404 response is an acceptable response to requests for pages that don’t exist. However, if the pages are present but on a different URL, that needs to be fixed. This can be done by rerouting a broken link to the correct URL, adding a page that was lost, or rerouting the old URL to the new page that took its place.

Soft 404 errors are caused by a problem that needs to be identified and rectified. Maintaining a website’s top performance requires an understanding of the various 404 errors and the ability to identify and resolve them.

The Easiest Way To Remove The WordPress Icon From Your Browser Tab

would you like to remove the WordPress icon from your websites browser tab removing the WordPress icon can be very advantageous for you because it will give you the chance to create your own site icon and improve customer recognition of your brand well demonstrated in this article how simple it is to get rid of the WordPress icon from the browser tab.

What makes it important to remove WordPress icon from the browser tab?

Your website may appear generic and amateurish due to the WordPress symbol on the browser tab The majority of users have numerous tabs open in their browsers which causes your website’s headline to be concealed.

Users cant easily recognize your website if your website’s title is obscured Your users won’t be able to distinguish your website from the numerous others if there is only the WordPress logo on the tabYou can utilize your own branding and improve the usability of your website for visitors by eliminating the WordPress icon from the browser tab and replacing it with a favicon (also known as your site icon).

A favicon is a small graphic that shows up in the browser next to the name of your websiteThe favicon will make it easier for users to navigate between tabs and recognize your website right away. Even instant recognition for that tiny graphic on your browser will increase with more frequent visitors

How to get rid of the WordPress icon in the tab

It is very simple to take out the WordPress icon and replace it with a favicon. The WordPress icon can be eliminated from the browser tab using one of three techniques. You can pick the approach that feels appropriate to you after reading this article

Method 1: WordPress icon removal without a plugin

As of version 6.1, the default WordPress theme now includes a complete site editor. If your WordPress website is using a block theme, you may also remove the WordPress icon using this technique.

The full site editor is accessible from your WordPress admin dashboard by going to Appearance » Editor, but you are unable to update your favicon or get rid of the WordPress icon from the browser tab from this page.

Therefore, you can launch the theme customizer by copying and pasting the URL below into your browser.

1https://example.com/wp-admin/customize.php

Don’t forget to substitute your own website’s domain name for “example.com.”

You can access the theme customizer by visiting this URL. Click on the “Site Identity” tab once you have reached there.

Go to the “Site Identity” page and scroll down to the “Site Icon” section.

All you have to do is click the “Select Site Icon” button to access the WordPress media library.

The WordPress icon on the browser tab can now be replaced with whatever image you choose to use as a favicon.

If the image you’ve selected to use as a favicon is larger than the suggested size, WordPress will let you crop it.

Once you’ve made your decision and are happy with it, click the “Publish” button at the top.

Bravo! The WordPress icon has been successfully replaced with your own in the browser tab.

A theme’s WordPress icon can be deleted without requiring full-site editing.

You can immediately access the Theme Customizer at Appearance » Customize to get rid of the WordPress icon from the browser tab if you’re using a non-FSE theme.

The WordPress theme customizer lets you alter elements of your site including the favicon, typography, default colors, footer, and more on sites that don’t support the full-site editor.

Once there, select the ‘Site Identity’ tab in the Theme Customizer. The procedure is identical to the one we described earlier. Simply uploading another site icon will replace the WordPress symbol.

When you’re satisfied with your decision, just press the ‘Publish’ button to save the changes.

Method 2: Using a plugin, remove the WordPress icon

The WordPress icon can be removed and changed to a favicon using a plugin. We’ll be utilizing the Heroic Favicon Generator plugin for this lesson.

It is a popular plugin that many people use to add a favicon to their website.

Simply install and activate the Heroic Favicon Generator plugin first.

Simply click the “Favicon Settings” option under Plugins » Installed Plugins after the plugin has been activated.

You will then be sent to the page with the “Heroic Favicon Generator Settings.” Simply select the “Select Favicon” button here from the “Select Favicon” menu.

The media library for WordPress will now be accessible. Any image you want to use as a favicon can now be selected and uploaded.

When you’ve finished uploading your favicon, scroll down to the “Previews” area to see how it will appear on your website.

When finished, just scroll down and press the “Save Changes” button.

You’ve been successful in getting rid of the WordPress icon and replacing it with a favicon.

Why Website Monitoring Is Important For Your Business?

A well-functioning website has several advantages. On the one hand, it serves as an online representative, and on the other, it may be used to perform online marketing campaigns for branding and business promotion. However, it is critical to ensure that your website can manage a high volume of visits on a consistent basis.

Website monitoring enters the scene here. In this article, we’ll delve into the significance of website monitoring and website monitoring technologies.

Interesting Facts About Websites and Their Performance

  • An eCommerce website should load in less than two seconds.
  • 40% of buyers do not stay on a website for more than three seconds before departing.
  • An internet search is used in more than 90% of purchase decisions.
  • If an internet business is offline for 7 hours, it might lose thousands of dollars.

Surprisingly, 99% of the uptime has a monthly breakdown of roughly seven hours. As a result, it is critical for entrepreneurs or business owners to employ website monitoring services.

Here are the main reasons for continuously monitoring the uptime of your company website.

Top Reasons Why Website Monitoring Is Required for Businesses

1. Maintaining the Brand Image

Whether you own a physical store or an online store, it is critical that you maintain a brand image for your company. As technology progresses, brand image is more dependent on online experiences and customer service.

If your website has performance issues or users experience frequent downtimes, chances are your company’s online reputation will suffer.

Even well-known companies such as Facebook, Sony, and Amazon occasionally encounter outages. Website monitoring is required to prevent such problems and safeguard your company’s online reputation. It enables you to swiftly detect and handle problems.

2. Avoid Sales and Revenue Losses

Frequent outages cost your firm money in terms of lost sales and income. According to an official assessment, Amazon had an overall profit of $29000 every minute, but when its website went down for barely two years, the corporation lost about $99 million.

Whether you are a retail shop or a B2B or B2C company, it is critical to have your website up and functioning at all times. It is safe to say that downtime on a corporate website is only tolerated on rare occasions. You may use website monitoring to prevent frequent downtimes on your website.

3. Improve Your SERP Rank

Google monitors every page on the planet. It is the one that knows when your website is down and ranks it accordingly on its search pages.

As a result, it is preferable to keep your website free of such concerns. If your company’s website is regularly down for a day or two, it will drop in Google’s SERPs (Search Engine Ranking Pages).

Some of the determining criteria for your website’s search ranking include website performance in terms of speed and UX (User Experience), as well as downtime.

4. Provide the Best Customer Experience

No company can afford to lose clients. If a website is sluggish, the company may continue to lose clients. Customers nowadays demand a website to load at lightning speed in order to have a nice experience.

Furthermore, it is preferable to keep your existing consumers satisfied when they visit your website. Monitoring and keeping track of user activities will come in helpful here.

5. Get Real-Time Statistics

Exact website performance statistics allow you to determine if visitors convert. Website monitoring solutions enable you to obtain real-time sales, leads, and online traffic statistics.

Based on these statistics, you may receive a full picture and make informed judgments. It will eventually help your business and provide you with a devoted consumer base. Simply, real-time online statistics may help your company flourish.

6. Identify Hackers and Cyberattacks

Cyberattacks cost businesses billions of dollars each year. Businesses suffer severe implications whether data is stolen or a website goes down for an extended period of time. Hackers can disturb your website’s uptime by utilizing a few harmful scripts. As a result, your website takes a hit.

Website monitoring allows you to detect such behaviors ahead of time. By SMS and email, the webmaster alerts you to any suspicious or harmful acts or hackers. Based on their messages, you might take precautionary actions to keep hackers away from your website.

7. Improve Your Company’s Dependability

It is not an exaggeration to say that the success of the website is an indicator of the company’s growth and success.

Yes, if your website has been online for two months, it is a source of pride that you may display to visitors. It demonstrates your company’s dependability and increases credibility. It may eventually assist your website in gaining more visitors. You may improve your company’s internet reputation and get a competitive advantage.

8. Enhance the Performance of Your Website

This is the most visible advantage of website monitoring. Web developers employ several website monitoring tools, such as Status Cake and Pingdom, to identify the factors that require improvement in order to improve the overall performance of your website. Website monitoring can efficiently handle load time, online traffic, and other elements.

You can easily keep hackers out of your site while providing users with a flawless experience. All you receive is ongoing testing and tracking of website activity.

9. Get Peace Of Mind

With website monitoring, you can be certain that your website is always operational. Even if you are on holiday with your family or meeting with customers, your website is ready to receive business.

It allows you to avoid checking your website every minute to see if it is operational. As a consequence, you may concentrate on other important tasks with peace of mind.

10. Gain a Competitive Advantage

A well-designed and user-friendly website is a powerful online tool for expanding your business. When your website has minimal downtime and continues to provide a nice experience to clients, your company might gain an advantage over competitors.

Final Thoughts

To summarise, website monitoring is critical for all websites. Regardless of your company’s size or business style, you should choose frequent website monitoring to maintain its faultless functionality. The moment has come to make a one-time investment in website monitoring so that you may focus on business growth.

Insights On Ecommerce Web Development And Its Benefits

As time goes on, eCommerce website becomes the most preferable way of shopping for online users! Especially after Covid-19 struck the world, people had no option other than shopping online and getting their things delivered to their doorsteps. Now the restrictions are lifted across the world but people still tend to stick to online shopping.

This is the reason that these days we are looking at a big influx of eCommerce stores in the market. All of the eCommerce stores are competing against each other for more users and customers. Which is the reason that there is much more development happening in the eCommerce sector.

If you are a seller who wants to sell products online, then you have to consider a lot of things while choosing the correct eCommerce platform to list your products. Or even if you are a big brand owner wanting to use your frontend design with the functionalities of an existing eCommerce platform, you can do that as well now with the headless eCommerce model.

Various eCommerce is now providing the sellers with the opportunity of a headless eCommerce model to use in selling their products. Sylius ecommerce platform and many others in the market are determined to help your store represent itself in front of your customers and also in augmenting your sales.

But, as the title suggests, we are not going to confuse you with information, rather we are going to make it easy for you to understand the different types of eCommerce models and help you choose the right one for your business!

eCommerce Websites

In simple words, an eCommerce website allows the customers to buy and the sellers to sell their products and services online!

Ecommerce websites are the first preference for most customers now. As it allows the customers to easily research and browse through the available products and buy their desired products without even leaving their couch. Online shopping has made it easier for customers to browse through the products without stressing about how much time they have spent physically standing in a store!

Ecommerce websites are broadly categorized into three categories:

Vendor Specific Sites

These are the most common type of eCommerce sites. For these eCommerce websites, the brand itself develops the front end and back end of the website and monitors the processes, functionalities, and UI/UX of the website itself. Any changes that you need and want can be easily done as you are the owner of the platform as a whole.

With all this, you also have the option to optimize and promote your brand through different marketing strategies. These may include search engine optimization (SEO) to rank your website higher on Google search hence boosting the sales of your website.

Multi-vendor Marketplaces

Almost every online user knows about eBay, Amazon, Alibaba, etc. All of these websites are multi-vendor marketplace websites where the platform is owned by a different business and third-party vendors can list their products there to sell. This is the easiest way to go online instantly.

Here, you don’t have to worry about the traffic on the platform itself as you have the option to select the eCommerce website where you want to list your products. Here, along with the listing, many websites allow you to make your homepage and market your products as your desire on your brand’s account or page.

Headless eCommerce Model

Headless eCommerce is the newest addition to online selling and it has made the life of business owners easier in several aspects. In headless eCommerce, you use the backend functionality of an existing eCommerce store and are still able to develop your website according to your needs.

In this way, you have complete control over how your website should be presented to online customers and still not worry about developing or maintaining the backend of your website. In the headless eCommerce model, your front end is integrated with the eCommerce platform’s backend functionalities.

So, we can say that headless eCommerce is a hybrid of vendor-specific websites and multi-vendor marketplaces. Here, no matter what type of eCommerce model you select, the main thing for you to do is to shift to online selling to reach out to more potential customers, hence increasing your sales.

If you select a multi-vendor marketplace to list your products, it might act as the fastest way to move online. But there are certain benefits of developing your website either yourself or through headless eCommerce.

Benefits of eCommerce Web Development

Instead of discussing the options i.e. Sylius vs Magento, we have listed a few benefits for you to develop your eCommerce platform!

·  First Impression is the Last!

Developing your front end makes your website more relevant and relatable to your customers and brand. The first impression of your online store decides whether your customer stays or leaves your website. When you are developing your front-end, you have the option to make your website look as the customers want it to.

·  Optimized User Experience

It makes you able to change the front end of your website for it to be optimized. It’s totally up to you how and where to show your products. Moreover, you can own a fast-loading website by optimizing the back-end properly. Here, the headless eCommerce model works the best as the APIs integration results in a faster website for the users.

Your website’s appearance must also be appealing to visitors. A website must have high-quality graphics and attractive images with a user-friendly menu for easy navigation. Some tools are already available online to help you.

Glorify is an easy-to-use yet powerful graphic design tool that allows you to plan, design, launch, and analyze all your big ideas in one place. It is a lifesaver if you’re looking to easily create high-quality website banners without the need for pricey outsourcing. 

Glorify makes design accessible to all. Entrepreneurs, marketers, agency owners, designers, and just about any busy professional can use this tool to create aesthetic images that convert. With simple tools for beginners and advanced features for designers, Glorify provides a great alternative to other design tools out there. 

It also offers a free plan for those just getting started.

·  Apply bespoke Marketing Strategies

When you own your website, you have the option to market your products any way you want to. You are not limited to your account on the multi-vendor marketplace platform, but you can apply SEO and other marketing strategies for your website as needed.

·  Stand Out in the Crowd

Many brands are now opting to develop their websites with bespoke themes according to the needs of their customers. By developing your website, you can stand out from your competitors with your front end. Expert services, such as WooCommerce theme development, will help you get a responsive custom website that fully matches your design and required functionality.

Move your Business Online to Augment your Sales!

No matter which type of eCommerce model you choose, we always suggest our readers go online as soon as possible. As the world is moving toward online shopping, the stores available online are benefiting from more sales.

The 6 Free Website Hosting Providers You Can Use

Because web hosting may be costly, we’ve compiled a list of the top free web hosting providers that offer a lot and have a higher reputation than others.

Do you need to build your own website? It’s easier than you think, especially with all of the useful services and platforms available—not to mention all of the free web hosting available.

Continue reading to learn about the finest free web hosts and most popular free web hosting services accessible right now.

Is free website hosting sufficient for your requirements?

Before wasting time with free web hosting providers, consider if free website hosting would sufficient. The fact is that, although free web hosting is good for getting your site up and running, it is frequently more trouble than it is worth.

Here are a few reasons why you might reconsider using free web hosting:

Very Limited Resources

More than 1 GB of storage capacity will be a luxury. Most free web hosting only provide a few hundred megabytes. Given the size of today’s photographs, videos, and web software, you’ll run out faster than you think—especially if you’re producing a blog with regular new content.

Don’t be fooled by “unmetered” storage and bandwidth, which have performance issues (read below).

Inadequate Site Performance and Uptime

With limited server capacity, free web hosting is in high demand. This implies that a large number of websites are squeezed onto the same hardware, sharing bandwidth, RAM, and CPU. In the best-case scenario, your site is as sluggish as snails. Worst case scenario, someone else’s website crashes your server, causing your site to go down.

Poor Search Engine Ranking

Search engines frequently give more weight to sites hosted by reputed hosts since they are more likely to include respectable content. Furthermore, search engines punish results for sites with poor performance, which is bad given what we discussed before.

You Can’t Make Money

Many free web hosting providers prohibit the inclusion of ads and affiliate links. Some even go so far as to implant advertisements into your site in order to profit from your efforts.

Your Website Isn’t Truly Yours

According to the terms and conditions of most free web providers, your site—and perhaps the content of your site—could be the host’s property. This means they may take your site down at any moment for any reason, and you won’t be able to sell it if you ever want to.

That is why we strongly advise paying for site hosting. Even low-cost website hosting is preferable to free website hosting! Go for whatever you can afford.

What do we suggest? If you have a WordPress site, you should utilize WP Engine since it makes site administration easier. InMotion Hosting, Bluehost, and Hostinger are some more good web hosting alternatives. If you join up through these links, you will receive a discount on all of these web hosting packages.

Still, insisting on free hosting? Here are the top free website hosting options available.

x10Hosting

x10Hosting is one of the oldest and most reliable free web providers, having been in operation for over ten years. Signup is quick, the specifications are excellent, and you’ll get access to 300+ one-click installers that will have your website up and operating in no time.

  • Initial storage: 500 MB (Free Upgrades)
  • Unmetered bandwidth
  • There are no advertisements.
  • Domains: There are three domains.
  • Email Accounts: There are three email accounts.
  • Upload Methods: FTP
  • PHP Scripting Support
  • Support for two MySQL databases via the PHPMyAdmin
  • Control Panel: DirectAdmin


Performance is outstanding for a free host, and if your site grows in popularity, you can always change to a premium plan through x10Premium for as low as $3.95/mo (more powerful VPS plans are also available for as little as $8.95/mo).

Byethost

Among free web hosting providers, Byethost has one of the strong networks. Byethost is able to deliver top-tier free services with no gimmicks or catches because of its successful premium services.

  • 1000 MB of storage
  • Monthly transfer bandwidth: 50 GB
  • There are no advertisements.
  • Five parked, add-on, and subdomain domains
  • Email Accounts: There are five email accounts.
  • Upload Methods: FTP
  • PHP Scripting Support
  • Database Support: Five MySQL databases are available.
  • VistaPanel is the control panel.

Not only do you obtain help from the free community forums, but Byethost also provides 24/7 tech assistance for free users. Expect slow response times, but if you’re a total rookie, every ounce of assistance might be invaluable.

AwardSpace

AwardSpace was founded in 2003, so you can be confident that the site has been around for a long and will be there for many years to come. The free service is intended to lead you to its commercial offerings, but for most people, it is sufficient.

  • 1 GB of storage
  • 5 GB/month bandwidth
  • There are no advertisements.
  • Domains include one free domain and three subdomains.
  • Email Accounts: There is only one email account.
  • One FTP account is used for uploading.
  • PHP Scripting Support
  • One MySQL database is supported.
  • Custom Control Panel

Even if you are a free member, you may benefit from their exceptional 24/7 customer assistance. Paid users are obviously preferred, but since you’re not paying anything, that’s more than fair.

WebFreeHosting

Despite its generic-as-possible moniker, WebFreeHosting is a good option for first-time web users. The specifications are excellent, and you have a straightforward (and economical) upgrade route if your site grows in popularity. Support phone lines are accessible in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

  • 1 GB of storage
  • 5 GB/month bandwidth
  • There are no advertisements.
  • Domains include one main domain and three subdomains.
  • Email Accounts: There is only one email account.
  • Upload Methods: FTP
  • PHP and Perl scripting support
  • One MySQL database is supported.
  • Custom Control Panel

One feature that jumps out is WebFreeHosting’s environmental friendliness. The servers of the host are entirely powered by wind energy, which should put your mind at ease if you’re concerned about your personal carbon impact.

000Webhost

000Webhost is frequently recommended on free web hosting lists, and for good reason. There are no hidden prices, gimmicks, or catches, and the free plan includes a slew of features. It also has almost a decade of expertise, so you can be certain that the host will not fold overnight.

  • 300 MB of storage
  • 3 GB/month bandwidth
  • There are no advertisements.
  • There are no domains.
  • Email Addresses: None
  • One FTP account is used for uploading.
  • PHP Scripting Support
  • One MySQL database is supported.
  • Custom Control Panel

Despite the impressive characteristics, we advise against using 000Webhost since it was hacked in 2015, resulting in the theft of usernames, passwords, email addresses, and personal information. However, by taking the necessary steps, you can reduce such hazards.

Free Web Hosting Area

Here’s another service that’s been around a while, having debuted in 2005 as FreeWHA. The host has demonstrated its ability to provide long-term service. The website itself is archaic, but don’t let that put you off—at the end of the day, the quality of service is all that matters.

  • 1.5 GB of storage
  • Unmetered bandwidth
  • There are no advertisements (see note below)
  • Domains: free domain transfer for one subdomain
  • Email Addresses: None
  • Upload Methods: FTP
  • PHP Scripting Support
  • MySQL database support
  • Custom Control Panel

One wonderful aspect of Free Web Hosting Area is that it offers free daily and weekly backups to an external source, which is generally a paid function. Accounts never expire as long as at least one visitor is received each month.

Free Web Hosting Area guarantees that “low traffic” sites will never have forced advertisements. Ads will appear after your traffic reaches an unspecified level. You may get rid of them by switching to the $12/year plan.

When Free Web Hosting Is Insufficient

If you wish to host a basic site that doesn’t change frequently, static site generators may be a better option. You may use a static site to take advantage of infinite free web hosting providers such as GitHub Pages and Netlify Drop.

Whatever you do, keep in mind that all free web providers have limitations and drawbacks. If you have a limited budget, we strongly advise you to choose a commercial web server. Except for the most basic of sites, the drawbacks of free web hosting aren’t worth the effort.