A quick Google search for “Hello World! Welcome to WordPress” shows endless results. Thousands of websites still have the default post live for the world. It’s a small detail, but it signals something bigger: many sites are launched and then… left untouched.
So, did you delete that first post? Or is it still on your site? Make sure to check that!
What is the “Hello world!” post?
When you install WordPress, it comes with a default placeholder post titled “Hello World!” to show that your site is up and running. This post includes a short message and a sample comment meant to be deleted or replaced with real content. WordPress says, “Hey, your site works—now start building!”. Ideally, people replace this post with one of their own or delete the whole thing. But sometimes, people forget to delete it before launching their website. And after that, forget all about it.
Why is this a bad thing?
Leaving the “Hello World!” post on your site is like leaving the scaffolding up after building a house—it looks unfinished and unprofessional. It signals to visitors (and search engines) that your site isn’t actively maintained, which can reduce trust and credibility. What else has been overlooked if a site still has its default content? Broken links? Outdated plugins? Security issues? A forgotten “Hello World!” post is often a symptom of a bigger problem: a website that isn’t getting the attention it needs to stay relevant, functional and optimized.
What else might you have forgotten?
If your website still proudly displays “Hello World!”, other small but important details will likely be overlooked as well. These might seem minor, but they can impact your site’s credibility, branding and SEO. Here are a few standard things website owners forget to fix:
Your site icon (favicon)
That tiny icon that appears in browser tabs and bookmarks may not seem like a big deal, but it plays a key role in making your site look professional and recognizable. Without a custom favicon, your website appears unfinished or generic, making it harder for users to identify your brand at a glance.
Sample pages & placeholder comments
Next to the ‘Hello World’ post, WordPress has more default content, like the sample “About” page and example comments, which are meant to be placeholders. Leaving these on your site can confuse visitors who expect real, helpful content. Worse, search engines might crawl and index these irrelevant pages, making your site look unpolished and hurting your chances of ranking well. If you haven’t checked for these leftover elements, now’s the time to clean them up!
Your tagline still says “Just another WordPress site”
By default, WordPress sets the tagline of a new site to “Just another WordPress site.” This text appears in search engine results, browser tabs and sometimes even on your homepage—so leaving it unchanged can make your site look unprofessional or generic. Updating your tagline to reflect your brand or purpose helps reinforce your identity and improve your site’s credibility.
PHP debug messages are visible
If you’ve ever spotted a strange error message at the top of your site, there’s a good chance your PHP debugging mode is turned on. These messages are helpful for developers but should never be visible to visitors. Exposing debug messages not only makes your site look broken, but it can also reveal sensitive technical details that hackers might exploit. If you see any warning messages on your site, make sure debugging is disabled in your WordPress configuration.
Maintaining a website isn’t just about launching it—it’s about regularly checking and updating it to keep everything looking professional, functional and search-engine friendly. If you’ve forgotten to remove “Hello World!”, it’s time to do a quick audit and ensure your site is ready for visitors.
Progress Planner helps you stay on top of your site
It’s easy to overlook these small details, especially when focused on bigger things. Perhaps you are also unsure how to fix these things on your website exactly. Progress Planner helps you catch and fix these common website mistakes before they hurt your site’s performance. We’ve updated our recommendations and will actively screen and check your site for these minor maintenance issues from now on. We’re currently working on adding more and more checks and recommendations to our analysis.
So, still got “Hello World!” hanging around? It’s time to clean up your site—and we can help! Let’s get to work!
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