WordPress is an open-source web publishing platform. Originally built for blogging, WordPress has evolved into a multi-purpose CMS (content management system) used by companies and individuals alike to publish all kinds of websites.
At Stanford, WordPress has been the tool of choice for blogs and special-topic or news oriented websites. Many of Stanford’s WordPress sites are listed at blog.stanford.edu.
Benefits
WordPress is popular with many users and site owners because of its
- ready-to-go chronological blog structure and navigation,
- option to install a free or low-cost (non-Stanford) theme,
- easy editing of posts or pages, and
- easy sharing/linking of content via feeds and social media.
Alternatives
While WordPress is an option for general web publishing at Stanford, there may be better options depending on your needs. For example:
- Stanford Sites provides quicker, easier ways to create and manage a department website — especially if the site will have a complex structure or multi-layered navigation.
- The Google Sites component of G Suite (formerly Google Apps at Stanford) is a good choice if your users and editors will want to do lots of real-time collaboration on pages or uploaded files.
Before choosing which tool to use, please review the important considerations at Compare WordPress and Drupal (Stanford Sites).
