What Are WordPress Core Files and How to Access Them?

When building or managing a WordPress website, you might encounter the term WordPress Core files, especially when updating your site or dealing with malware removal. This guide explains what these files are, their importance, and how you can access them.

Understanding WordPress Core files

Every WordPress website consists of four main components:

• WordPress Core Files: These provide the fundamental functionality of WordPress.
• WordPress Database: Stores content and settings.
• Theme Files: Define the visual design of your site.
• Plugin Files: Add additional features and capabilities.

The WordPress Core Files enable essential tasks such as accessing the admin dashboard, creating posts and pages, managing users, and uploading media.

Locating WordPress Core files

The WordPress Core Files are typically located in the root directory of your WordPress site. For websites hosted on 10Web, the path to these files is:

web/wp-live

You can access this directory using SFTP or SSH. Refer to our 10Web guides on SFTP / SSH access for step-by-step instructions.

Components of WordPress Core files

Key files

Below is a list of the most common files included in a WordPress installation. Keep in mind that the specific files may vary depending on your WordPress version, hosting setup, and individual site customizations.

• index.php: Produces the site output.
• license.txt: The General Public License (GPL) file for WordPress.
• readme.html: Contains information about WordPress before installation.
• wp-blog-header.php: Determines what content to display based on parameters.
• wp-cron.php: Executes scheduled tasks during page loads.
• wp-comments-post.php: Processes and saves submitted comments to the database.
• wp-config-sample.php: A sample configuration file for database connections.
• wp-config.php: The actual configuration file that connects WordPress to your MySQL database.
• wp-feed.php: Generates the appropriate feed format and redirects to the correct file.
• wp-links-opml.php: Outputs OPML for links added via the WordPress admin menu.
• wp-login.php: The login page for WordPress users.
• wp-mail.php: Processes blog posts submitted via email.
• wp-settings.php: Prepares WordPress for execution, loads user plugins, and checks for correct installation.
• wp-trackback.php: Handles incoming trackback requests.
• xmlrpc.php: Executes XML-RPC commands, including remote posting.

Core folders

wp-admin/

• Houses files required for the admin dashboard.
• Includes tools for managing themes, plugins, users, and settings.
• Key files: admin.php, menu.php, options.php.

wp-content/

• Stores user-uploaded content, themes, and plugins.
• Common subfolders:
  • themes/: Contains active and installed themes.
  • plugins/: Contains installed plugins.
  • uploads/: Stores uploaded media files like images and videos.
  • mu-plugins/: Houses must-use plugins, which are automatically activated by WordPress. These plugins are stored in this subfolder and cannot be deactivated from the admin panel.  

    Note:

    10web-manager is a must-use plugin employed by 10Web to establish connection between your sites and 10Web dashboard

wp-includes/

• Contains essential WordPress functions, classes, and libraries.
• Handles database interactions, sessions, and templating.
• Key files: functions.php, class-wp.php, wp-load.php.

How to update WordPress Core

Keeping WordPress Core up-to-date is essential for security and performance. Follow these steps to update:

Using WordPress admin dashboard:

1. Navigate to WordPress admin dashboard > Updates.
2. If an update is available, click the Update button.

Using 10Web dashboard:

1. Log in to your 10Web dashboard.
2. Locate your site and click the Manage button.
3. Go to Main > Overview.
4. Scroll to the WordPress Update section. If updates are available, the button will appear in blue. Click to update.

By understanding and managing WordPress Core Files effectively, you can ensure your site remains functional, secure, and up-to-date.