Documentation

1. Overview

CemeterySociety.com runs on WordPress, chosen for its flexibility, ease of content management, and community features.
This guide explains how to install, configure, and maintain the WordPress site for both local development and production hosting.

2. Requirements

  • Server Requirements
    • PHP 8.1+
    • MySQL 8.0+ / MariaDB 10.4+
    • Apache or Nginx with mod_rewrite enabled
    • SSL Certificate (Let’s Encrypt or similar)
  • Hosting
    • cPanel / Plesk / Direct server access
    • At least 2GB RAM (recommended for plugins & backups)
    • Domain: cemeterysociety.com

3. Installation

A. Local Development

  1. Download WordPress
  2. Set up local server
    • Install XAMPP or LocalWP.
    • Create a new database: cemeterysociety.
  3. Install WordPress
    • Place WordPress files in htdocs/cemeterysociety.
    • Visit http://localhost/cemeterysociety.
    • Enter database details.
    • Create admin account.
  4. Clone theme/plugins (if custom)git clone https://github.com/YourOrg/cemeterysociety-theme wp-content/themes/cemeterysociety

B. Production Setup

  1. Point domain DNS to your hosting provider.
  2. Upload WordPress files via cPanel, FTP, or Git.
  3. Create database & user in cPanel.
  4. Update wp-config.php with DB credentials:define( 'DB_NAME', 'cemeterysociety' ); define( 'DB_USER', 'dbuser' ); define( 'DB_PASSWORD', 'password' ); define( 'DB_HOST', 'localhost' );
  5. Run WordPress install wizard at https://cemeterysociety.com.
  6. Install SSL certificate (cPanel → Security → SSL/TLS).

4. Recommended Plugins

  • 📖 Custom Post Types UI – for cemetery records & archives
  • 🪦 WP Memorials / WP Cemetery (or custom memorial plugin) – for grave/memorial pages
  • 🖼 Smush – image optimization
  • 📰 Yoast SEO – search engine optimization
  • 🔐 Wordfence – security
  • 💾 UpdraftPlus – backups
  • 📩 WP Mail SMTP – reliable email delivery
  • 👥 MemberPress or Paid Memberships Pro – membership management

5. Theme

  • Base theme: CemeterySociety Theme (customized child theme from Astra or GeneratePress).
  • Features:
    • Dark & minimal aesthetic (heritage feel)
    • Custom post types for cemeteries, graves, obituaries
    • Responsive gallery for photos & maps
    • Blog/news templates for society updates

6. Maintenance

  • 🔄 Weekly backups (use UpdraftPlus → connect to Google Drive).
  • 🛡 Apply plugin & WordPress core updates monthly.
  • ⚡ Optimize database quarterly with WP-Optimize.
  • 📊 Use Google Analytics or Matomo for visitor tracking.

7. Content Workflow

  • Admins: Full control (settings, plugins, users).
  • Editors: Publish/edit content, manage memorials.
  • Contributors: Submit articles/stories for review.
  • Members: Create memorial pages (if enabled).

8. Support & Access

  • WordPress Admin: https://cemeterysociety.com/wp-admin
  • Default login: created during setup
  • Documentation stored in /docs folder of site repo.
  • Support: support@cemeterysociety.com

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