How-To Essentials: Login, Footer, Contact Form & More

The default login page lives at yoursite.com/wp-login.php. You can customize its logo and styling with a plugin, or replace the URL for security using a login-URL-changer plugin.

Login page, static front page, and footer

The default login page lives at yoursite.com/wp-login.php. You can customize its logo and styling with a plugin, or replace the URL for security using a login-URL-changer plugin.

To set a static front page (instead of a blog feed), create two pages (e.g. “Home” and “Blog”), then go to Settings → Reading and assign them as covered in lesson 25.

Footer content — copyright text, quick links, social icons — is usually edited through Appearance → Widgets (classic themes) or the Site Editor's footer template part (block themes).

Duplicate a page (no plugin, manual copy method)

1. Open the page you want to duplicate
2. Select all content blocks (Cmd/Ctrl + A) and copy
3. Create a new page, paste the content
4. Rename the title and adjust as needed
# For frequent duplication, a plugin like "Duplicate Page" automates this in one click

Embedding video, adding a favicon, and a contact form

To embed a YouTube or Vimeo video, simply paste the video URL on its own line inside the block editor — WordPress automatically converts it into an embedded player (no HTML needed).

Set your favicon (the small icon in browser tabs) at Appearance → Customize → Site Identity → Site Icon, using a square image at least 512×512px.

For a contact form, install a plugin like WPForms or Contact Form 7, build the form visually or with simple shortcodes, then paste that shortcode into any page.

Tip: A favicon might seem cosmetic, but a missing one makes a site look unfinished in browser tabs and bookmarks — set it in your very first setup session.

Contact Form 7 shortcode example

<!-- After creating a form in Contact Form 7, it gives you a shortcode -->
[contact-form-7 id="123" title="Contact form 1"]

<!-- Paste this shortcode into any Page's content to display the form -->

Google Analytics and renaming your blog

Connect Google Analytics either through a plugin like MonsterInsights (recommended for beginners, no code) or by manually pasting the tracking snippet into your theme's header via a “header/footer scripts” plugin.

To rename your blog/site, simply update the Site Title under Settings → General — this does not change your domain name or URLs, just the displayed name.