Why can’t I log into my site? It’s WordPress.com, right?

Sometimes, WordPress can be confusing. Even to me and it’s how I make my living.

More than once, I’ve had a wonderful client contact me and they can’t log in to their site. I reset their password, and still, it’s inaccessible. What could be happening?

More often than not, they are attempting to log in to WordPress.com and not their website.

But, what is the difference?

WordPress.com is a commercial site where you can build a WordPress website for free on your own. The hosting is provided and for a price, you can get more features and hosting space. Think of this as the RETAIL option for WordPress. This is really set up for a person that hasn’t hired a designer and wants to do their website on their own. They also don’t need a ton of custom features.

WordPress.org is where you can download a free copy of WordPress software (it’s open source) and use it on your own web hosting. If I’ve designed your site, this is how it’s set up. For me, it’s easiest to think of this as the WHOLESALE version of WordPress. The customer gets the software for free, has hosting through a provider, and hires a designer to build it (that’s me!).

So, how do you know?

• Are you paying someone for website hosting that’s not WordPress.com? Then your site is not hosted/running at WordPress.com.
• Did you hire WebCami Site Design to build a full website for you? Then your site is not hosted/running at WordPress.com.

How do I find my login?

In most cases, your login can be found using the following link:

YOURDOMAINNAME.com/wp-admin

For most sites, I place a link in the footer of your site that says “admin” or “login”.

But didn’t you have me sign up for WordPress.com?

I might have!  There are several plugins, including JetPack, that are created by Automatic, the company that runs WordPress.com.   But it’s not the login for your website.  There is an option to make this work through ONE login, but I don’t recommend using it.  Keep them separate for security!

If you are a client and have questions, please contact me anytime!