How to set a WordPress Static Front Page

WordPress normally displays your latest blog posts on the front page. If you would rather greet visitors with a custom landing page, portfolio, or introduction, you can assign a published WordPress Page as your static homepage and keep your blog posts on a separate page.

This setting changes what visitors see at your site's home address. It does not convert posts into pages or remove your blog. Your posts remain published and can appear on the separate Posts page.

1. Create your homepage and blog page

In the WordPress dashboard, go to Pages > Add New and create the page you want to use as your homepage. For example, name it Home and add your welcome text, images, or other landing-page content. Publish the page so it is available in the homepage settings.

If you want a separate page that lists your latest posts, create and publish another page named Blog. You do not need to add post content to this page. WordPress uses it as the location for the posts index.

2. Set a static homepage in WordPress

  1. Sign in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Go to Settings > Reading.
  3. Find Your homepage displays and select A static page.
  4. In the Homepage dropdown, choose the published page you created, such as Home.
  5. If you want a separate blog index, choose your published Blog page in the Posts page dropdown. The homepage and Posts page must be different pages.
  6. Click Save Changes, then visit your site to confirm the homepage and blog links work.

Older WordPress Reading Settings screen showing the static front page option

Note: This screenshot shows an older WordPress admin interface. The current setting is under Settings > Reading, in the Your homepage displays section.

3. Add the blog page to your navigation menu

If you assigned a Posts page, add a link to it in your site's navigation menu so visitors can find your latest articles. Depending on your theme, edit the menu under Appearance > Menus or use the Navigation block in the Site Editor.

When the static homepage setting does not appear to work

Classic themes generally use the page selected under Settings > Reading. Some block themes include a Front Page template in the Site Editor that can control the homepage layout instead. If your selected page does not appear, check Appearance > Editor > Templates for a Front Page template and review the theme's homepage setup.

You can switch back at any time by returning to Settings > Reading, selecting Your latest posts, and saving the change.

For the current WordPress walkthrough, see the official documentation: Create a static front page.

By Lance, Provider of Simple Solutions | 3 min read