Title: Admin Help User Task List
Author: Trisha Salas
Published: March 19, 2014

---

 [  ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/trishasalas/) [Trisha Salas](https://profiles.wordpress.org/trishasalas/)
7:52 am _on_ March 19, 2014     
Tags: [Admin Help ( 50 )](https://make.wordpress.org/docs/tag/admin-help/)

# Admin Help User Task List

#### WordPress User ‘Tasks’

We are gathering a list of things (tasks) any user might do in the course of setting
up a WordPress site.

_We need your help to add to this list!!_

Please feel free to add your ideas in the comments.

 * Upload and configure WordPress
 * Remove the default post and comment
 * Drop by the theme editor and find the right theme
 * Writing my first post
 * Make the site “yours”
 * Create some content
 * Create a new front page
 * Remove the default admin account or restrict its permissions
 * Add new user(s)/admin(s)
 * Setup Akismet
 * Search for and install a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing
   a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend
   functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins
   are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress.
   These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/)
   or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party.
 * Setup pretty permalinks
 * Change the default tagline from “Just another WordPress blog”

You can read more about the purpose for this list [here](https://make.wordpress.org/docs/2014/03/14/wordpress-task-identification/).

[#admin-help](https://make.wordpress.org/docs/tag/admin-help/)

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 1.  ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2a3d593a101c265b1cc149d14791c9bde71ea9f447e802e5cf33b021dbe9f091?
     s=32&d=mm&r=g)
 2.   [Daryl L. L. Houston (dllh)](https://profiles.wordpress.org/dllh/)  12:08 pm 
     _on_ March 19, 2014
 3.  Some possible ideas at [http://learn.wordpress.com/](http://learn.wordpress.com/)(
     it’s wpcom material but much of it would transfer to .org).
 4.   * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/afae9829470597441831a0a31095af9f17bb399071b4d124d2ba7cf5c95171b8?
        s=32&d=mm&r=g)
      *  [trishasalas](https://profiles.wordpress.org/trishasalas/)  7:19 pm _on_ March
        19, 2014
      * Thanks for the ideas, [@dllh](https://profiles.wordpress.org/dllh/)!
      * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d6d6254d551f10047c16ac27288de32bfa5d96a399f1bcf618ac6b49656424f7?
        s=32&d=mm&r=g)
      *  [Chris Reynolds](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jazzs3quence/)  7:20 pm _on_
        March 19, 2014
      * +1
         Hadn’t thought of that but that’s a good call.
 5.  ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d6d6254d551f10047c16ac27288de32bfa5d96a399f1bcf618ac6b49656424f7?
     s=32&d=mm&r=g)
 6.   [Chris Reynolds](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jazzs3quence/)  3:13 pm _on_ 
     March 19, 2014
 7.  Activate multisiteMultisite Multisite is a WordPress feature which allows users
     to create a network of sites on a single WordPress installation. Available since
     WordPress version 3.0, Multisite is a continuation of WPMU or WordPress Multiuser
     project. WordPress MultiUser project was discontinued and its features were included
     into WordPress core. [Advanced Administration Handbook -> Create A Network.](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/multisite/create-network/)!(
     muahahahahaha)
 8.  ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6764cf960264e7cc055dc0805a87ec4005b2721ef57bd2c1e9f966e31bf8e82c?
     s=32&d=mm&r=g)
 9.   [ShayHurley](https://profiles.wordpress.org/shayhurley/)  5:05 pm _on_ March 
     19, 2014
 10.  * Remove the default admin account or restrict its permissions
      * Add new user(s)/admin(s)
      * Setup Akismet
 11. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d6d6254d551f10047c16ac27288de32bfa5d96a399f1bcf618ac6b49656424f7?
     s=32&d=mm&r=g)
 12.  [Chris Reynolds](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jazzs3quence/)  5:32 pm _on_ 
     March 19, 2014
 13.  * Search for and install a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing
        a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend
        functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins
        are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress.
        These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory [https://wordpress.org/plugins/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/)
        or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party.
      * Setup pretty permalinks
      * Change the default tagline from “Just another WordPress blog”
 14. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/afae9829470597441831a0a31095af9f17bb399071b4d124d2ba7cf5c95171b8?
     s=32&d=mm&r=g)
 15.  [trishasalas](https://profiles.wordpress.org/trishasalas/)  7:16 pm _on_ March
     19, 2014
 16. ….are you trying to scare people off, [@jazzs3quence](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jazzs3quence/)?
     😉
 17. (activate, multisiteMultisite Multisite is a WordPress feature which allows users
     to create a network of sites on a single WordPress installation. Available since
     WordPress version 3.0, Multisite is a continuation of WPMU or WordPress Multiuser
     project. WordPress MultiUser project was discontinued and its features were included
     into WordPress core. [Advanced Administration Handbook -> Create A Network.](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/multisite/create-network/)…
     that’s funny)
 18.  * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d6d6254d551f10047c16ac27288de32bfa5d96a399f1bcf618ac6b49656424f7?
        s=32&d=mm&r=g)
      *  [Chris Reynolds](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jazzs3quence/)  7:20 pm _on_
        March 19, 2014
      * I think it’s worth thinking about. Activating and setting up multisiteMultisite
        Multisite is a WordPress feature which allows users to create a network of 
        sites on a single WordPress installation. Available since WordPress version
        3.0, Multisite is a continuation of WPMU or WordPress Multiuser project. WordPress
        MultiUser project was discontinued and its features were included into WordPress
        core. [Advanced Administration Handbook -> Create A Network.](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/multisite/create-network/)
        is under-documented and tricky. Mastering that, or having some system in place
        that walks you through the process without having to look it up on the Codex
        would be *amazing*.
 19. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/afae9829470597441831a0a31095af9f17bb399071b4d124d2ba7cf5c95171b8?
     s=32&d=mm&r=g)
 20.  [trishasalas](https://profiles.wordpress.org/trishasalas/)  7:23 pm _on_ March
     19, 2014
 21. Actually, I completely agree but it brings up the point again about funneling.
     Some will need to do this and some will never even think of it. I think we need
     to think about the testing in terms of groups. Maybe the User Capabilities would
     be a good place to start.
 22. I was going to comment something similar on [@shayHurley](https://profiles.wordpress.org/shayHurley/)‘
     s comment as much of what he suggested would not be applicable to the average 
     user. (but that brings up another question, who is our average user?)
 23.  * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/8bf29c777c4a386cb938cb3afc6fa6398259c5d31103b9704f75feba84b6b385?
        s=32&d=mm&r=g)
      *  [Kim Parsell](https://profiles.wordpress.org/kpdesign/)  10:45 am _on_ March
        22, 2014
      * Rather than have them remove the default admin account, it would be better 
        to have them create a new user account and assign a role to it. This account
        could be for a friend who will also be writing on the blog, but probably shouldn’t
        be an admin. What role should be assigned to them (i.e., level of trust)?
 24. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b4cba79bf733ac74a100af6b789a839ca41d68261207121210c35603914dc3cd?
     s=32&d=mm&r=g)
 25.  [joshlevinson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joshlevinson/)  2:23 pm _on_ March
     21, 2014
 26. I’d like to open a bit of discussion on the importance of
 27.  * Remove the default admin account or restrict its permissions
      * Add new user(s)/admin(s) (as a necessary result of doing the above step)
 28. In my opinion this is not only unnecessary, it degrades the perceived quality 
     of WordPress. Recommending users to delete the first user and recreate it as part
     of setting up a WordPress site would make one wonder, “Why didn’t setup do something
     like this for me?”
      It would make one feel less confident in the default security
     of WordPress.
 29. To my knowledge, the only security concern with having a user ID of 1 (which I
     assume is the concern that the recommended steps are intended to assuage) is one
     that is experienced if an attacker has already gained some way of modifying or
     reading directly from a site’s database. This would signify a problem further 
     up the chain. Perhaps a more useful fix would be to prevent users from setting
     up a WordPress site with the “low-hanging fruit” usernames (admin, Admin, administrator,
     etc.).
 30. I vote to have those item removed from the task list – consider that users don’t
     always look for help when they need help doing something, they often look at a
     task list simply because it exists.
 31.  * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b4cba79bf733ac74a100af6b789a839ca41d68261207121210c35603914dc3cd?
        s=32&d=mm&r=g)
      *  [Josh Levinson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joshlevinson/)  2:44 pm _on_
        March 21, 2014
      * I read a little more into this topic, and found out about WordPress’s “user
        enumeration vulnerability”. This basically makes the steps to remove the default
        account (and blocking easy-to-guess usernames) even less useful, as enumeration
        could be used to determine usernames no matter what the IDs are. This only 
        reinforces the importance of enforcing strong passwords.
      * ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/508beded5ec6ba7c366b88d675e3071af6ca8ca1185dcc2a3d367d484657b13e?
        s=32&d=mm&r=g)
      *  Anonymous User  12:12 pm _on_ March 23, 2014
      * Ever since the admin account can be named in the install process, deleting 
        the default account really has become a useless step.
         Choosing a strong passwords
        and a different name for the default account really should be enough.
 32. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c24266d8792cc6c37c138a9ccfb3d3006a381c77fa9168a1340eb1b50225cc4f?
     s=32&d=mm&r=g)
 33.  [Bradley Allen](https://profiles.wordpress.org/bradley/)  5:32 pm _on_ March 
     22, 2014
 34. Adjust widgets
 35. ![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/508beded5ec6ba7c366b88d675e3071af6ca8ca1185dcc2a3d367d484657b13e?
     s=32&d=mm&r=g)
 36.  Anonymous User  9:56 pm _on_ March 25, 2014
 37.  * Adjust timezone
      * Adjust date/time format

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