Wordpress Files and Folders
Here is a list of the files that your wordpress installation is made up of.
Core Wordpress files:
Wp-login.php: The wordpress user page that handles authentication, registration, forgotten passwords, password reset etc.
Wp-activate.php: Confirms that the activation key that is sent in an email after a user signs up for a new site matches the key for that user and then displays confirmation.
Wp-blog-header.php: This file loads the wordpress environment and template
Wp-comments-post.php: handles wordpress comment posting and prevents duplicate comment posting.
Wp-config-sample.php: Includes the base configuration for wordpress and is used for creating the site’s wp-config.php file by copying the contents of the sample file and then filling in the values.
Wp-cron.php: A pseudo-cron daemon for scheduling Wordpress tasks.
Wp-links-opml.php: Outputs the OPML XML format for getting the links defined in the link administration. This can be used to export links from one blog over to another. Links aren’t exported by the WordPress export, so this file handles that.
Wp-load.php: Bootstrap file for setting the ABSPATH constant and loading the wp-config.php file. The wp-config.php file will then load the wp-settings.php file, which will then set up the WordPress environment.
Wp-mail.php: USed for posting to wordpress via email. Requires the mailbox connecting settings in writing settings to post via email to be configured.
Wp-settings.php: used to set up and fix common variables and include the wordpress procedural and class library.
Wp-signup.php: sets up the wordpress environment and loads the wordpress signup page.
Wp-trackbacks.php: handles trackbacks and pingbacks sent to wordpress.
Xmlrpc.php: XML-RPC protocol support for wordpress.
License.txt:
Index.php:
Readme.html:
Apart from the above listed files, there are also three critical folders in wordpress, including wp-admin.php (storing the files you use to control everything on the dashboard from posts to comments and widgets.), wp-content (stores all media, themes and plugins), and wp-includes (includes all the core files providing wordpress functionality).
If you ever decide to take a look inside the wp-admin folder, you will find the following folders there, whose role is mostly clear from their names.
Files inside the wp-admin-folder:
About.php : Includes information about this version administration panel
Admin-ajax.php : Wordpress Ajax process execution
Admin-footer.php : Wordpress Admin template footer (generates wp-admin footer)
Admin-functions.php : this file is deprecated; instead uses wp-admin/includes/admin.php
Admin-header.php: responsible for generating the wp-admin header.
Admin-post.php: Wordpress generic request (POST/GET handler), intended for form submission handling in plugins and themes
Admin.php: Wordpress administration bootstrap
Async-upload.php: Server side file upload handler from wp-plupload or other asynchronous upload methods
Authorize-application.php: Wordpress authorize application screen
Comment.php: Responsible for the comment management screen
Credits.php: Wordpress credits (getting involved with wordpress development)
Custom-background.php: This file is deprecated instead WP uses wp-admin/includes/class-custom-background.php.
Custom-header.php: The customer header image script; has been deprecated; instead wp uses wp-admin/includes/class-cutom-image-header.php
Customize.php: Scripts for the theme customization screen
Edit-comments.php: Wordpress administration screen for editing comments.
Edit-form-advanced.php: Post advanced form for inclusion in the administration panels.
Edit-form-blocks.php: The block editor page
Edit-form-comment.php: edit comment form for inclusion in another file
Edit-link-form.php: Edit links form for inclusion in administration panels
Edit-tag-form.php: Edit tag form for inclusion in administration panels.
Edit-tags.php: Wp-admin screen for editing tags.
Edit.php: Wp-admin screen for editing posts
Erase-personal-data.php: privacy tools, wp-admin screen for erasing personal data.
Export-personal-data.php: privacy tools; wp admin screen for exporting personal data.
Export.php: Wp admin screen for export tool
Freedoms.php: Wp-admin panel for user rights and freedoms
Import.php: Wp-admin screen for import tool
Index.php: wp-admin screen dashboard
Install-helper.php: Plugins may load this file for gaining access to special helper functions for installing plugins.
Install.php: The wordpress installer file
Link-add.php: Add link administration screen wordpress
Link-manager.php: Link management screen wordpress
Link-parse-opml.php: Parse OPML XML files and store in globals
Link.php: Manage Link administration actions. The link management pages access this page and it handles the forms and Ajax processes for link actions.
Load-scripts.php:
Load-style.php:
Media-new.php: Manage media uploaded files; Include filters for media and plugins can extend this functionality by hooking into filters.
Media-upload.php:
Media.php
Menu-header.php: Displays administration menu
Menu.php: constructs administration menu
Moderation.php: comment moderation administration screen
Ms-admin.php: Multisite administration panel
Ms-delete-site.php: Multisite delete site panel
Ms-edit.php: Action handler for multisite administration panels
Ms-options.php: Multisite network settings administration panel
Ms-sites.php: Multisite site administration panel
Ms-themes.php: Multisite themes administration panel
Ms-upgrade-network.php: Multisite upgrade administration panel
Ms-users.php: Multisite users administration panel
My-sites.php: my sites dashboard for multisite installation
Nav-menus.php: Wordpress administration for navigation menus administration functions
Network.php: Network installation administration panel for creating a network of Wordpress sites. The user can enable a network of Wordpress websites through a multi step process.
Options-discussion.php: Discussion settings administration panel (Wordpress settings include discussion settings and other settings like reading, writing, general).
Options-general.php: General settings administration panel
Options-head.php: Wordpress options header. Displays updated message, if updated message is part of the url query.
Options-media.php: Media settings administration panel
Options-permalink.php: Settings for the Wordpress permalinks settings administration
Options-privacy.php: Scripts for the privacy settings screen among the Wordpress settings
Options-reading.php: Scripts for the reading settings administration panel in the wordpress settings
Options-writing.php: Scripts for the writing settings administration panel in the wordpress settings
Options.php: Scripts for the options management administration screen. If you access it directly via a browser, the page shows all the saved options along with editable fields for their values.
Plugin-editor.php: Edit plugin file editor administration panel
Plugin-install.php: Wordpress plugin installation administration panel
Plugins.php: The plugin administration panel in wordpress
Post-new.php: displays the screen for adding new posts.
Post.php: The post editor for editing, adding and deleting posts.
Press-this.php: Press this display and handler
Privacy-policy-guide.php: the privacy policy guide screen
Privacy.php: The privacy administration panel
Profile.php: The user profile administration panel
Revision.php: The revisions administration panel
Setup-config.php:
Site-editor.php:
Site-health-info.php:
Site-health.php:
Term.php:
Theme-editor.php:
Theme-install.php:
Themes.php:
Tools.php:
Update-core.php:
Update.php:
Upgrade-functions.php:
Upgrade.php:
Upload.php:
User-edit.php:
User-new.php:
Users.php:
Widgets-form-blocks.php:
Widgets-form.php:
widgets.php:
Suggested Reading
Submit Your Site to Google Search Console
Five Best SEO Plugins for Wordpress