Your voice and creativity help shape how people discover WordPress.com, and we want to make sure you have everything you need to speak about the platform with confidence.
In this guide, you’ll find the essential rules for naming, capitalization, and logo usage, along with examples that show how to talk about WordPress.com in a way that’s accurate and aligned with our brand.
It’s essential to understand the differences between WordPress.com, WordPress, and WordPress.org. These terms are often confused, so using them correctly helps you educate your audience and build credibility.
This is the platform you’re promoting as an Automattic affiliate or influencer.
WordPress.com is a managed hosting platform built by Automattic. It combines WordPress software with secure, managed hosting in a single package. That means users get the flexibility of WordPress with the convenience of an all-in-one service that handles hosting, updates, and security. WordPress.com offers both free and paid plans with different features, so it works for everyone from bloggers to online stores.
WordPress is the open source Content Management System (CMS) that powers over 40% of websites worldwide. It’s free software that lets people create, edit, and publish content online. To make a WordPress-built site accessible on the web, users also need to choose and pay for hosting separately.
WordPress.org is where you can download the free, open source WordPress software, but hosting isn’t included. You’ll need to install WordPress with a hosting provider to run what’s known as a “self-hosted” WordPress site. Some hosts offer managed hosting, taking care of updates and security, while others require you to handle these yourself.
Check out our WordPress.com vs WordPress.org guide for more details about the differences.
Using the correct name and capitalization helps maintain clarity between WordPress.com and the overall WordPress software.
- Write WordPress.com in full. Always include the “.com” in the name.
- Use the correct capitalization: WordPress.com (capital W + capital P).
- ✕ WordPress.com
- ✕ wordpress.com
- ✕ Word Press.com
Correct naming keeps your content accurate, reinforces trustworthiness, and clearly differentiates WordPress.com, the hosted platform that you’re promoting, from WordPress, the free open source software.
Example 1:
✓ Correct: WordPress.com offers the best managed WordPress hosting we’ve seen.
✕ Incorrect: WordPress provides the best managed hosting we’ve seen.
Explanation:
WordPress.com is a hosting provider, like Bluehost or Pressable. WordPress is the software being hosted on those platforms.
Example 2:
✓ Correct: I recommend hosting your site with WordPress.com.
✕ Incorrect: I recommend hosting your site with WordPress.
Explanation:
WordPress.com includes hosting as part of the platform. WordPress is software and cannot host a site on its own.
To keep your content aligned with the WordPress.com brand, follow these visual guidelines when using logos or other brand elements. Consistent use of brand assets helps build trust and ensures a clean, professional presentation.
The WordPress.com logo is available in several approved variations, all of which can be found in the WordPress.com Brand Kit at the bottom of the Automattic Press page. Always use logos downloaded from this Brand Kit to ensure accuracy and consistency, and avoid using logos sourced elsewhere online.
Always default to the full WordPress.com logo, which includes the complete WordPress.com name. This is the most recognizable and preferred version. Do not alter, recolor, rotate, or otherwise manipulate the logo. Use it only on clean, uncluttered backgrounds to maintain legibility.
The blue logo is the default choice and works best on light backgrounds.
The black logo can be used for more neutral or minimal layouts.
The white logo should be used only on dark backgrounds and should not be placed over busy imagery.
When space is limited, abbreviated logo versions may be used. The “W” logo should appear only as a small supporting mark, not as the primary logo, as it can be confused with the general WordPress logo.
The WordPress.com and WordPress.org logos are visually similar but represent different products. Use only the WordPress.com logo when referring to WordPress.com, and do not use the logos interchangeably.
With these brand guidelines, you’re ready to represent WordPress.com accurately and confidently. If you’d like more guidance on products, messaging, creative ideas, or creator strategies, be sure to check out the rest of our Knowledge Base for deeper how-tos and helpful examples.
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