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Semalt Expert On Creating Custom Post Types in WordPress – 4 Easy Steps

Custom post types are the basic posts that have the different set of parameters defined in the codes. After the release of WordPress 3.0, it is easy for you to create your custom post types. If you create them successfully and with the right parameters, you will have a customized area in your dashboard and can grow your business. It's true that WordPress is a very powerful content management system that offers lots of blogging options. Over the years, it has grown into a huge platform and lets us build both basic and professional websites. New features are added every day, such as custom menus, post types, post formats, and widgets.

If you want to divide your web content into different categories based on its structure and layout of your site, you must create the custom post types. Inside your WordPress, you can define the categories, posts, and tags by particular authors. You can also add images and give credibility to your site, and all this is because of the custom post type.

Here Oliver King, a top specialist from Semalt, has discussed the four simple steps to create the custom post types in WordPress.

Step 1 – Register the Post Type

The first step is to register the post type. For this, you should open the functions.php file and add the specific doe in that. You should make sure that the code is inserted in the PHP tag. There are different codes which can be added here, but the most common codes are:

           function movie_reviews_init() – This helps us create new functions in the custom post types. This code is mainly inserted in the functions.php file.

           Label – This descriptive code should be inserted in the PHP file carefully. Wordpress will later use the information mentioned in this code to define your custom posts.

           show_ui – It helps generate default UI and helps manage the custom posts in the Admin panel. You can also set it true or false based on your requirements.

       Step 2 – Test Everything

Once you have defined the custom post type in the functions.php file, you should head to the WordPress dashboard to check if everything is done correctly. If the things are properly done, you will see new menu items on the left side of the screen named as Movie Reviews. Hover over this option, and you will see different custom post types. Click on the Add New option and work on the displays of your custom posts. If you click on the view post option, you will see how your custom posts appear on the homepage.

Step 3 – Create the Custom Post Type Templates

If you are not satisfied with the current template of your custom posts, you can create the new file named as page-movie-reviews.php inside the theme's folder to get the theme changed. Inside this folder, you will have to insert a specific code before saving the settings. Make sure you have inserted the code properly and go back to the admin area to check if everything is accurate or not. The option of your new template will appear in the Page Attributes section.

Step 4 – Add More Options

If your website is about entertainment or movies, you can add a couple of movie reviews. For this, you will have to adjust the size of movie thumbnails from the WordPress account. You will see a collection of reviews which can be arranged and rearranged based on your custom post type.

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Semalt: WordPress Site Types – The Most Essential And Famous

While WordPress offers tons of features and options, there are still lots of functionalities missing from its core. The best and fastest way to fill all the missing pieces is to get yourself the right kind of plugins. The WordPress plugins offer different kinds of options and customization for webmasters and bloggers. With over 42,000 options in the WordPress Plugin Directory, it is not going to be easy for you to make the right choice. So, here we have a collection of both free and premium WordPress plugins. They will definitely help you take the site from good to the best.

Oliver King, the Customer Success Manager of Semalt, says that even when you are not an ace developer, you can create your website using these WordPress plugins.

1. Backup Buddy

This paid WordPress plugin costs at least $80 every year and helped backup more than two websites at the same time. Because of its ability to schedule the backups and sending the files to the famous cloud storage device, this plugin will not let your files lost when your site is not functioning properly. This enables you to choose from different backup options, which means you can tell it where you want to save the files in your database. From the posts and pages to your comment and settings, you can keep everything saved. While the web hosting companies tend to back up your files, you cannot rely on them due to their limited options. If you don't want to go with the Backup Buddy plugin, you may try VaultPress or Duplicator.

2. Wordfence Security

The best part is that this plugin is available both in free and premium versions. Wordfence Security is an all-in-one toolkit that protects your WordPress site from viruses and malware. It also helps block the brute-force attackers and has a built-in firewall with extensive features. For small websites, the free version of Wordfence Security is good, but for the large websites, its paid version is most suitable. You can prevent the suspicious login attempts to your site using this plugin, and some of its alternatives are iThemes Security and Login LockDown.

3. Gravity Forms

It is one of the best and most famous commercial WordPress plugins to date. In general, this plugin will create Contact Us forms for you. At the complex level, this plugin will hide and make fields for your site depending on how your visitors respond. You can also accept online payments, urge users to subscribe to the MailChimp list and perform other similar tasks with this plugin. The paid version costs $39 and has loads of add-ons. Some of its alternatives are Contact Form 7 and Fast Secure Contact Form.

4. Share Buttons by AddToAny

For some months, social media sites have become a must part of our lives. With Share Buttons, you can customize the social media links to your WordPress site conveniently. It is highly customizable and useful regarding its services and options. There are more than one hundred services to engage your visitors and get lots of visits to your content. You can easily select the social media options you want to show up on your site. Some of the best alternatives are Shareaholic and Share Buttons by AddThis.

5. WordPress SEO

When it comes to SEO, there is no better choice than Yoast. It is the best and most famous WordPress plugin. You get features such as page-by-page optimization, categories, and standout options. You can also add breadcrumb navigations, auto-generated sitemap, social media settings and other things to your WordPress site using this SEO plugin. Some of its alternatives are All in One SEO Pack and SEO Ultimate.

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Semalt Expert Defines 4 Types Of WordPress Sites

Having your presence online can help your brand feel authentic and will increase its value and reputation before the potential customers. If you are a person on the job hunt, you may want to have the high success rate which is possible with a portfolio. It's safe to say that WordPress are the best and most convenient solution to all your problems on the internet. If you want to make your presence known online, WordPress will act as the akin to the architecture firm and will help design anything from the simple sites to professional web pages.

Oliver King, a leading expert of Semalt, takes a look at 4 main site types you can easily build with WordPress and some tools that will help you make a superb and outstanding site in no time.

1. eCommerce websites

House of Whisky is the site that sells Scottish Whisky, and it has been built on WordPress. Various similar e-commerce sites came into being because of WordPress. If you have an Amazon-sized company and want to let the world know about it, Wordpress is the best option for you as it will help you reach a large number of people. Amazon is an exquisite online company that is driven by none other than WooCommerce, and its design is based on a special Divi WordPress theme. The WooCommerce is an actually a plugin by Automattic, and it has loads of store features. This plugin does exist in your WordPress and can be installed in no time. It has a wide array of options and features, both paid and free. Another thing you can try is Easy Digital Downloads and iThemes Exchange. It helps you develop an online store using your WordPress account. You should not forget to power it with WooCommerce for extensive features and options.

2. Business websites

If you want a high-profile company or business site like Mercedes-Benz, WordPress is the right option for you. This car manufacturing company opted for WordPress and became one of the best brands in the world. It has perfectly highlighted its featured and showcased a large number of vehicles to engage more and more users. Its website features sleek dark custom themes that blend with their brand and the vehicles. It's true that WordPress has an extensive range of plugins, which you can use to create contact us form, image slides, FAQ sections and others.

3. News portals

News portals like CNN and MTV News chose WordPress for the online newsrooms. Both of these sites have a large audience in the world and are known for their unique layouts and themes. MTV flaunts an impressive style and arranges its post uniquely. The same is the situation with CNN. The theme they chose exhibit the basic traits of modern designs, where the images and content blend flawlessly. With WordPress, you can easily design similar sites and use its plugins for the visitor polls, author box, social media sharing, and other works. IssueM is the best plugin to get these things done.

4. Online communities

You must have heard about Tasty Kitchen. This is the place where the food lovers come and share their recipes online and discuss their eating habits. This site runs on the top of BuddyPress, an open source WordPress plugin developed and launched by Automattic. This plugin offers everything people need to start with social media. You can easily create an online community using this plugin and engage more and more readers.

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Semalt: WordPress Websites Types You Can Create

WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems and helps build professional websites and blog. Based on the recent statistics, WordPress is used by more than seventy percent bloggers and webmasters worldwide. Before you build a site, you will need a domain name and hosting. Eventually, all the available tools, themes, and plugins will let you develop a fantastic website, ranging from the personal blogs to the famous online brands.

Oliver King, a leading expert of Semalt, suggests to take a look at the types of websites you can create using WordPress.

1. Blog and Personal Site

WordPress began its journey as the simply blogging platform and evolved into the powerful content management system. In the last few years, hundreds to thousands of personal websites and blogs have been built using WordPress. They are more polished, mature and sophisticated than ever and you can learn a lot from those blogs. Wordpress has plenty of tools and themes to choose from, and you can easily develop a personal blog or site.

2. Business Website

For businessmen and brands, WordPress is the best and most convenient way to develop professional looking sites within minutes. Almost all big brands and companies are already using WordPress to power their sites as it gives them lots of chances to grow their business.

3. eCommerce Websites

Wordpress has become a go-to solution and helped build e-commerce sites. Its awesome plugins and themes make it easy for you to develop sites of your choice. Some of the famous plugins are WooCommerce,  WPEcommerce, andEasy Digital Downloads, which help convert your site into the fully functional and comprehensive e-commerce platform. It also helps you accept payments online, manage the inventory, taxes, shipping, and your customers under one roof.

4. Job Board

If you are looking to develop an online job board, you may give a try to WordPress. Some famous websites like Problogger and Smashing Magazine use WordPress to develop nice-looking sites. This content management system lets us create job boards where the employers can easily post the job listings, and the professionals can apply online.

5. Business Directory

Just like the job boards, there is a high demand for business directories, and WordPress has an extensive range of business directory plugins to choose from. You can also create web directories that will not be limited to a single business.

6. Question and Answer Website

If you are looking to create a Stack Exchange, Quora and Yahoo Answers version, WordPress can make your work easier. Combine this content management system's different tools and plugins and get started with the thriving online community.

7. NonProfit and Religious Websites

With WordPress, it's fast and easy to create high-quality nonprofit and religious sites. It has some specific plugins, and you can add the donate forms and money raising forms easily. Also, you can accept donations through PayPal, and all this is because of WordPress.

8. Portfolio Websites

If you need the best place to showcase your portfolio, you should add it to your WordPress site. This is the only content management system that helps you create stunning picture galleries and amazing sliders so that the world gets to know about your creativity and talent.

9. Coupon Websites

If you want to earn the affiliate commissions from hundreds to thousands of sites that offer special discounts on their products and services, you should create your own coupon website and get started. Wordpress lets you add, manage and expire the coupons online. You can also rate and vote your coupons, and all this is done through the WordPress admin panel.

10. Auction Websites

If you are looking for a website like eBay where auctions are held every day, you can use WordPress to create your fully functional auction site. The users can bid, make payments through its secure options and you will earn a lot from an auction site.

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Semalt Expert Describes 12 Types Of WordPress Sites You Can Easily Create

WordPress is probably the most powerful blogging site and content management system existing in the marketing industry today. For the past few years, WordPress started to gain popularity as the most accessible tool to use when it comes to creating blogs. Currently, WordPress is used by tens of millions of developers and content marketers to create websites ranging from professional sites to personal blogs.

Nowadays, news outlets, popular blogs, and music websites are using WordPress to hit their target market on time. In the marketing industry, WordPress sites are ranked as the best.  

Oliver King, a top specialist from Semalt, provides here a list of 12 types of websites that you can easily create using WordPress.

1. E-commerce website

WordPress comprises of comprehensive plugins and high-quality themes to create a useful e-commerce website. An E-commerce website created through WordPress contains critical features that enable marketers to manage inventories and add shopping carts. WordPress sites also facilitate secure sending and receiving payments through the sites.

2. Business forums

Are you working on creating a business directory? WordPress is the best tool for you. Take advantage of WordPress to build a business style website and get an opportunity to add your business details and embed links on your website. WordPress sites allow visitors to search through a range of businesses.

3. Wiki-style website

Efficiently manage your content by creating your website using WordPress. Commonly known as knowledgebase websites, wiki websites requires internal linking to available documents and posts. WordPress gives scholars an opportunity to categorize content by using tags and categories.

4. Online-based communities

Use WordPress to build up your online community based on a topic you are well versed with. Get a chance to share your content with visitors. Use the visitors list to create a list of emails that commented on your content. WordPress sites allow visitors to comment on your community site easily.

5. Academic websites

Use WordPress to create an academic website and get an opportunity to add resources associated with various faculties. Provide teachers and scholars with sign-in details to easily regulate and add useful content to your site.

6. Affiliate marketing website

Affiliate marketing websites are commonly known to many as niche affiliate websites. By creating niche affiliate websites using WordPress, you can earn extra dollars by driving real traffic to your site. A good number of visitors can end up buying products discussed in your posts.

7. Portfolio-style website

Let your products, design, and art do the talking for you. WordPress sites comprise of themes and features that offers artists an opportunity to showcase their capabilities to visitors.

8. Community job board

Use WordPress to create an online job board where clients can post and find jobs easily. WordPress sites are easy to manage and customize.

9. Photography-based website

Create a photography website using WordPress to enjoy Wiral and Pingraphy themes on your site. Upload photos on your homepage without encountering technical errors.

10. Business website

Choose from a variety of themes and categories for your WordPress site and manage the layout to fit your business specifications.

11. Blog website

WordPress plays an integral role towards the success of blog websites. WordPress sites can be developed by anyone willing to have a website.  

12. News and Magazine website

Making it readers for visitors and potential clients to find your content is all that matters when creating a news and magazine website. WordPress sites offer journalists an opportunity to publish high-quality news.

WordPress is the best option for marketers and journalists working on driving traffic to their websites. WordPress comprises of enough themes, plugins, and categories to choose from. If you are working on building a website, WordPress is the best option to consider.

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Semalt Presents Three Simple Steps To Prevent Malware Pop-Ups And Spam

If you browse the internet daily, you must be familiar with pop-up ads, malware, and spam. These odd ads come in different forms and try to sell you particular products or services. While the emails and pop-ups of brands and reputable firms are legitimate and safe, the adware programs generating illegitimate malware spam and pop-ups will install spyware and hijack your web browser. They will also capture your private information, such as credit card details and PayPal ID.

Oliver King, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, says that junk email or spam is a cost-shifted advertisement form. If your inbox has loads of messages from companies or people you don't know, you may have the malware on your computer. Instant messaging and emails have become a famous way to spread malware and spyware. The spammers trick you into malicious activities and send lots of meaningless and useless emails almost daily. Google shares that over eighty million spam emails are sent every day, but it is possible to get rid of malware pop-ups and spam in three simple steps.

Step 1: Remove the unwanted programs from the Google Chrome browser (Windows only):

If you are using a Linux or Mac device, you may not get benefited from this step. And if you are using Google Chrome as your primary browsers, you can easily remove or prevent malware pop-ups and spam in the following ways:

           Install a plugin like Adblock Plus and remove all unwanted programs by clicking on the Remove option. Google Chrome will help you remove the malware, set the settings to default and turn off your extensions.

           Don't forget to restart your computer once you have installed and activated this plugin.

           To turn on the extensions you trust, go to the More Tools – Extensions option and click on the Enable button.

       Step 2: Remove the unwanted programs on all computers:

If you have recently bought or downloaded an antivirus or anti-malware program, you should run it to remove the pop-up ads and spam as soon as possible.

           On the Mac computer, go to the Folder option and click on Applications button.

           Look for the pop-up ads or spam you don't recognize or want to remove.

           Click on the Move to Trash button and click on Empty Trash to get rid of malware instantly.

       Step 3: Reset the browser settings on all computers:

You can reset the browser settings on any computer with the following method:

           Open the Firefox or Chrome browser on your computer.

           Click on the Settings option and go to the Advanced area.

           The next step is to click on the Reset button and confirm your actions by clicking on the Save button.

       Messages with malware or spyware can arrive from any source, so you can adapt the above methods to remove all of them. Whether you receive suspicious emails or see annoying pop-ups, you will be able to get rid of them and enjoy browsing the internet safely and securely. Meanwhile, you should never open the emails and text messages of unknown senders!

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Semalt: How To Block Pop-Ups With Ad Blockers

Pop-up advertisements have been around since the dawn of World Wide Web. Lisa Mitchell, the Semalt expert, explains that just like the banner ads, they are an easy way for advertisers to hawk or promote their products and services on the internet. While some pop-ups are helpful and useful, a large number of pop-ups could damage your site.

What is a pop-up ad?

First of all, let's clarify what a pop-up is. Pop-ups are the tabs, windows, and boxes that open themselves automatically and stay there until we do something to get them closed. The primary variation of pop-ups is a pop-under, the window that opens behind our web browsers. It's true that not all pop-ups are similar in features and properties. Some of them are useful and don't prompt to enter the usernames and passwords, while the other pop-ups are annoying and harmful as they send requests to the users and urge them to subscribe to the newsletters. An example of the scareware pop-up is malwaretips.com.

How to Block Pop-Up Ads?

There are three ways to block a pop-up in the tracks: your browser's settings, ad blockers such as AdBlock and dedicated pop-up blockers.

1. Pop-Up Blocking in your Web Browser

The web browsers have their own default pop-up blockers. Google Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and all other browsers handle the pop-up ads differently, and not all of them let us select whether to block the pop-ups on a website or not.

2. The Dedicated Pop-Up Ad Blockers:

As its name suggests, the pop-up blockers will focus on blocking all pop-up ads, whether they are useful for you or not. Unlike the ad blockers, the pop-up blockers don't block any other kind of advertisement. To know more about them, you just need to type "most famous pop-up blockers for Chrome," "popular and most convenient pop-up blockers for Firefox," and "best and most useful pop-up blockers for safari" in a search engine. Microsoft Edge has no specific method to block the pop-up ads.

3. Ad Blockers

The pop-up ads are requested in the same method as the in-page advertisements; the ad blockers can stop all of them by default. In case you haven't used an ad blocker previously, we suggest you try AdBlock. It is one of the best and widely used ad blockers on the internet. However, it does not block all the pop-up ads automatically. This is because of the differences between the third-party and first-party advertisements. For instance, EasyList, a set of filter rules and regulations used by every ad blocker, often ignores the first-party pop-up ads. If you want to monitor them, you should check the Fanboy's Annoyances filter list. AdBlock will easily block the requests that open the pop-ups. Sometimes the custom filters can also help stop the pop-ups by filtering the unwanted data out. Another kind of pop-ups that may get blocked by AdBlock are malicious ads. While adware is associated with the free streaming torrent websites and free program downloads, the mainstream sites are being targeted too.

It's true that not all pop-up ads are irritating, dangerous or annoying, you can still block most of the unwanted ads with the methods mentioned above.

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Semalt: How To Block Pop-Ups In Chrome

If you spend lots of time on the internet, you are likely to come across annoying and odd advertisements in the form of pop-ups, banners ads, and auto-playing ads. Max Bell, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, explains that all these advertisements are virtually unavoidable, but it is possible to take action to dodge all of them.

Block the pop-up ads in Chrome using a browser plugin:

Though various ad blocking plugins can be used with Google Chrome, the best plugin is Adblock Plus. It works quietly in the background of your browser and does not let the ads annoy you. If you are using Firefox, you cannot use this plugin. However, some other similar plugins are available for Firefox users. You just need to download and install Adblock Plus and don't forget to activate it. The plugin will be integrated with your Chrome browser, preventing pop-ups from showing up for several days.

What is Adblock Plus?

As already mentioned, Adblock Plus is a plugin that can be integrated with your Google Chrome browser. Open it in your Chrome browser and visit the Chrome Web Store, followed by the Adblock Plus Extension page. Here, you will see a blue button in the right corner, saying Add to Chrome. You have to click that option, and the extension will be downloaded automatically. Once fully activated, you don't need to restart your windows or web browser as Adblock Plus will start running on its own. This extension will add a small red-colored sign in the right corner of your browser. At any time, it's possible for you to click on it and see the data about which ads have been blocked on your browsers. You can also unblock certain sites or entire pages and change the targeted ads from the Options section.

Adblock Plus cannot consume some content, depending on the sources and formats. If you come across this problem, you should click on the Stop button and uncheck the Enable this Website to turn all the ad-blocking systems off instantly. Alternatively, you can disable that from your ad blocker and refresher the pages that contain the content or articles you may want to check and read. If everything is done properly, you will continue reading the content normally.

You should remember that Adblock Plus doesn't ensure all pop-up ads will be blocked in your Google Chrome browser, but it catches most of them. There are some whitelist companies and brands that pay heavily to have their advertisements unaffected by the ad-blockers. Luckily, the companies pay rarely for such pop-up ads; it means you can switch off almost all ads from your sites and web browsers.

Alternative: Poper Blocker Pro:

Poper Blocker Proper is an alternative to Adblock Plus. It is an excellent tool, which isn't cheap. If you want a simple yet wonderful program that does not affect many pop-up ads and targets specific pop-ups only, we suggest you try Poper Ad Blocker. It ensures to give us quick notifications about whether to block a particular pop-up or not and lets you save a lot of time. Additionally, its notifications let us block or eliminate the pop-up ads we don't want to see in future.

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Semalt: The Best Way To Stop Pop-Up Ads

Google does a great job of keeping the pop-up windows under control. That is why seas of pop-up windows invading our browsing experience indicate some major problems. Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to deal with these annoying and irritating advertisements. Getting rid of the unwanted and odd pop-ups and the banner ad is a two-way procedure. First, you have to remove any adware or malware from your machine. Second, you should use the browser extension to block the pop-ups and banner advertisements. Some other things you should bear in mind are mentioned below.

Cleaning your windows:

Lisa Mitchell, the Semalt expert, explains that if you run the AVG anti-virus program and it has stopped working properly, you should look for another adware or anti-malware tool. Most of the experts recommend Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, which is good at fighting malware and removing annoying pop-up ads from your system. Another similar program you can try for both Windows 7 and Windows 8 is Xplode's AdwCleaner, which targets all those toolbars, browser invaders, and adware that create pop-ups in a large number. There is a false and illegal version of AdwCleaner that will ask you to pay something for removing the pop-ups and adware. You should not opt for that and download only the genuine version of this tool.

Browser add-ons:

For checking the extensions and add-ons in Windows 7 and Windows 8, you should click on the icon at the top side and click on the Add-ons option from its drop-down menu. All add-ons have separate buttons for Disable, Remove and Options areas. You just have to click on the Disable button and stop malware and annoying pop-up ads from showing up in your operating system. Another method of reducing the number of pop-up ads in Windows 7 and Windows 8 is by installing the Ublock Origin software. The program has been presented by Raymond Hill and can consume different malware and adware causing pop-ups. It comes with a handful of filters such as EasyPrivacy and EasyList. You can also opt for Ghostery, which is the best and most amazing tool to block pop-up ads. It can block the Facebook ads, DoubleClick ads, and Google Translate advertisements too.

Stop the foistware:

Pop-ups easily attack websites and operating systems that you use to promote several products online and make money. It is called foistware, which includes platforms like Google, Microsoft Bing, Ask, PUPs and Google Chrome. An easy solution is that you install a program known as Unchecky. It blocks or eliminates the bundles of offers that look legitimate and appear in the form of pop-ups.

Stop the Windows 10 upgrades:

Microsoft tries to get the new Windows 10 operating system onto multiple devices and installed a tiny GWX (Get Windows 10) utility on Windows 7 and Windows 8. It asks you to upgrade for free, which you should not. We recommend you the Ultimate Outsider's GWX Control Panel if you want to block Microsoft's promotional notifications and annoying pop-ups. Alternatively, you can try Ed Bott ad blocker and get rid of those pop-ups and banner advertisements that create a mess for you on the internet.

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Semalt Explains How To Block Pop-Up Adds In Windows

Since it's 2017, it's fair to say that technology has taken over our lives for quite some time now. The internet is now connecting more and more devices every second, and the amount of information that passes through it is extremely huge. According to Lisa Mitchell, the Semalt  Customer Success Manager, this fact brings a lot of possibilities and advantages, but also comes with a few issues, one of which is frequently annoying for users: dealing with pop-up ads!

If you're running Windows on your PC, you have undoubtedly encountered this problem in your life. After installing a system, everything is running smooth, and there are no issues with pop-ups, which start to appear after a few usage sessions. After this time, the problem becomes increasingly painful to deal with, although almost none of these ads are associated with Windows itself. In this article, we'd like to present a few methods of solving one of the most significant problems of web browsing: how to block pop-ups ads.

Before we get started with the cleaning, we'd like to take a moment to explain where these pop-ups come from. Since they don't come from Windows, their origin usually lies in websites which install malware, adware or even PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs). Lots of programs are prone to producing pop-ups of their own, which is another part of the problem. Regardless of their origin, blocking pop-ups is a two-stage process: first, clean your computer of any malware or adware, and then use browser extensions to block pop-ups in their tracks.

Here are few things you can do:

1. Clean up your windows system. Usually, running a standard anti-virus program like AVG is not enough. You'll need special, professional care, such as the Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, a piece of software specifically designed to get rid of any malware it finds on your computer. Similarly, you can use a program such as AdwCleaner to remove Adware. These programs are both free to use and very useful, just be mindful when using them, as you don't want to delete something important by accident or by being too restrictive.

2. Install browser add-ons. Most add-ons work on multiple browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera or Safari. These add-ons specialize in analyzing traffic and blocking any pop-ups they find. The setting can be found under the "Content" menu in the browser's options, and sounds something along the lines of "Do not allow any site to show pop-ups" – this example is from Chrome. Although browsers come with their own pop-up blocker, we do recommend installing an additional one such as Ghostery, uBlock Origin or AdBlock plus.

3. Stop foistware and Windows ads. There are legitimate websites that like to use pop-ups, like Ask, Microsoft Bing or Google. These will often install PUPs by default if you choose the express version of installing any one of their products. Either be mindful of what you check or don't check during the installation process, or use a smart program called Unchecky, which can do this for you even after you install the software.

Furthermore, Windows 10 even has pop-ups now. Not as annoying as others, of course, but it does give "suggested apps" in the start menu. To remove those, right click on the tile and select "remove all suggestions."

We hope our guidelines on how to get rid of add-ons will significantly improve your browsing and web surfing experience. Pop-ups are one of the most annoying issues to deal with in this time, and no-one should have to suffer more than it's necessary.

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Semalt Explais How To Block Pop-ups On Google Chrome

To learn ways on how to block pop-up windows on Google Chrome is extremely easy. The pop-up blocking feature is always by default, but one can confirm if it is active in the advanced settings. If you continue receiving pop-ups, there is the option to install an ad-blocking extension to block the pop-ups from the built-in browser library. If the pop-ups persist, then there is a high likelihood that your computer has become a victim of pop-up malware. Scanning and cleaning your computer is the only way to get rid of it.

Lisa Mitchell, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, offers the following methods to block pop-ups on Google Chrome:

Method 1: Adjusting Chrome Settings on a Mobile Device:

On either an Android or an iOS, open the Google Chrome application;

On the upper right corner, click on the three dots;

Select Settings. It should refer you to a list of the browser settings;

In the Android devices, select 'Site Settings,' it will redirect you to additional content settings. For the iOS, this option is named as 'Content Settings.'

Under the 'Pop-ups' tab, a slider will appear prompting you to toggle Google Chrome's pop-up blocker.

Move the slider to adjust the pop-up settings in the manner you wish. When the slider moves to the left and reflects a grey color, it means that the pop-up blocker is active. In case it is blue, it shows that the pop-up blocker is off.  The opposite is true for those who use an iOS. A blue indicator shows that the blocker is on and grey that it is off.

Method 2: Adjusting Chrome Settings on a Computer:

Open the Google Chrome program on any desktop operating system. It includes Windows, Chromebook, or the Mac OS. A Chromebook owned by your place of work or school can prevent you from changing the pop-up settings on these devices.

           The menu button is on the upper right side of the browser and displays three vertical dots;

           Scroll down the drop-down menu and select the settings button. It redirects you to a new tab with the Chrome Settings menu;

           At the bottom of the page is a 'Show Advanced Settings" button. Locate it and tap on it;

           In the Privacy section of the settings tab, click on 'Content Settings.' It opens a new settings window;

           Under the 'Pop-ups' header, choose not to allow sites to show pop-ups (recommended);

       On the same screen, it is possible to manage exceptions to allow pop-ups on some websites which is optional. If you add a site to a whitelist, Google Chrome will not block pop-ups from it. This only works for those sites whose login details or important information are on these pop-ups. You can also select the 'Do not allow sites to run Javascript' under the javascript header, which appears on the same menu tab. It can be useful when preventing pop-ups but may also lead to the blocking of sites that do not have ads or pop-up content.

           Click Done. It closes the window and saves the new settings. A notification at the right side of the search bar that looks like a browser window with an X is a notification that Chrome has blocked a pop-up.

       Another way to allow pop-ups on a site is to click on this icon and choosing to allow pop-ups on the current site you are on.

Method 3:  Installing an Adblocker:

           Open Google Chrome. The desktop version of the browser requires no additional requirements. For mobile devices, one must have a separate ad-blocking software and on a rooted phone;

           Open the Google Chrome settings tab;

           On the left column, click on 'Extensions' which opens up a list of all extensions installed in Chrome;

           Choose to 'Get More Extensions.'

           In the extension store, search for Adblock extension. The most common are Adblock, Adblock Plus, or Ublock. Manually whitelist websites if the adblocker blocks content you do not wish to have restricted;

           Add to Chrome. The option appears to the right of the extension. Chrome then installs the extension;

           Restart the browser.

[mshirinjyoti-blog]

Semalt: How To Block Pop-ups, Add Exceptions, And Troubleshooting In Mozilla Firefox

In the following article, Max Bell, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, explains all the settings that you need to know about when controlling pop-ups in your Mozilla Firefox browser.

What are pop-ups?

Pop-ups are browser windows that automatically appear on your browser without your permission. They never fill the entire screen and can either show up on top of the current page or underneath it (pop-unders). Firefox has a unique feature that allows their users to control both pop-ups and pop-unders. If you visit the options page, you will find that the pop-up blocking feature is turned on by default. If the user has not previously dismissed the Firefox information bar, it will appear anytime the browser blocks a pop-up. An icon depicting a blocked pop-up will also show in the current address bar.

To access the pop-up blocking options on the site, click on Options from the info bar or the icon in the address bar. You can select from the following:

           Allow or Block pop-ups on the current site;

           Edit the pop-up Blocker options;

           Choose not to display you the message informing about a blocked pop-up;

           Show details about the blocked pop-up;

       Blocking pop-ups on the site may interfere with other websites. Some websites use pop-ups for some of their important features. If you block their pop-ups, it disables these features. To allow some sites to have their pop-ups run while you are browsing, you will need to add the specific websites a list of those allowed to show pop-ups.

Blocking pop-ups does not always work. Some websites know how to use uncovered methods, which makes it hard for Firefox to prevent their pop-ups from appearing even after blocking them.

Here is what to expect in the pop-up blocker settings:

1. Accessing the pop-up blocker settings

           Click on the menu button at the top-right corner and select Options from the drop-down menu;

           Tap on the Privacy and Security panel;

           Uncheck the Block pop-up windows under the Permissions section;

           Under the Exceptions tab, a new dialog window appears where you input a list of sites that you wish to allow;

       The dialog prompts you to:

           Allow: helps you to add a website to an exception list;

           Remove site: enables you to remove a website from the exception list;

           Remove All Sites: removes all websites from the exception list;

       2. What happens if a pop-up is not getting blocked?

First, check whether the pop-up originates from Firefox. The appearance should inform you whether the pop-up comes from the Firefox browser. If in the pop-up window there is an image with an exclamation mark enclosed in the circle, then the pop-up is from Firefox. Its absence means that you may have been a victim of malware on your computer which is the source of your pop-ups.

Second, check if the site is added on to the Exclusions list. Follow the procedure to access the pop-up blocking settings and open the Exceptions dialogue box. If the website causing pop-ups is in the exception list, click on Remove Site, and then save and close the page.

Sometimes pop-up windows are an intentional move by Firefox to make sure that it does not block pop-ups for sites that require them to work. Therefore, determine if the window shows up after clicking the mouse or pressing a key. If they do, and the pop-up blocking feature is on, you need not be worried.

If pop-up windows are designed to look like windows but are really not, then Firefox is unable to stop them.

Finally, if a pop-up appears after opening Mozilla asking you to participate in a survey from SurveyGizmo, it is a company vetted program and Firefox will not block it.

[mshirinjyoti-blog]

Unwanted Users! Tips from Semalt Expert On What One Can Do Against Them

An average person receives nearly 100 emails per day; some of them come from the webmasters while the others belong to companies or media sites promoting their products and services. Similarly, your website is likely to receive a lot of visitors per day, most of which have no interaction or interest in your web pages. When they navigate through your site, they instantly leave it and show no interest in your articles. Thus, the bounce rate is increased up to 100%. Lisa Mitchell, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, says that it's important to block all unwanted users so that you can ensure your own and your site's safety and complete protection.

1. Block individual users:

It is easy to block individual members and prevent them from contacting you in future. You can do so through their respective profiles. For instance, if someone is irritating you on Facebook or another social networking site, you can easily block him/her by clicking on the Block option on his Facebook ID. Similarly, you can block unwanted users from emails and report their IDs as spam. If you have blocked a user, he/she will not be able to send you messages, like your posts, visit your profile internally or check your news feeds. However, he/she will be able to see your profile picture and may contact you back through another ID.

2. Exclude specific groups of people:

If you are tired of a group of people, you should check the Settings > New contacts option in your Privacy section and stop them from contacting you in future. This is where you can add contacts, such as social media IDs or email IDs, to get them blocked instantly. For exhample, if some people don't match your profile and have contacted you randomly, you can create filters in your Gmail account and add their email IDs to those filters.

3. Create a temporary email ID:

One of the simplest and best things you can do to stop people from contacting you is to create temporary email IDs. This will prevent the unwanted users from sending you disposable, fake and alias messages again and again. It is a common observation that 90% of people sign up for online accounts with the original names and primary email IDs. As a result, they start receiving messages from unknown and suspicious people. Most of the emails are sent to your junk or spam folder by default, but a lot of them are directed to your inbox.

4. Unsubscribe from unknown newsletters:

If you have subscribed to a large number of newsletters or promotional services, the chances are that you will receive dozens of emails every day. The best way to get rid of the unwanted users online is to unsubscribe the services you don't like. In other words, you should unsubscribe from the newsletters or promotional emails that annoy you almost daily. For this, click on the Unsubscribe button and prevent the extent sites to send you irritating messages. Unsubscribing is one of the best ways to cut down an amount of spam entering the inbox.

[mshirinjyoti-blog]

Tips From Semalt On How To Block Texts, Unwanted Emails, And Phone Calls

Max Bell, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, states that bogus texts, unwanted emails, and annoying marketing calls can quickly ruin your evening. Last year, the Information Commissioner filed more than 114,000 unsolicited texts and annoying calls. The number is however expected to run into millions due to the rise of spammers on the Internet. Experience of deleting bogus text messages and junk emails from your account is not only time consuming but also costly.

How to block unwanted texts

Have you been receiving bombarding texts from spammers? No room for panic! If you have been receiving texts from attackers, such as the Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) claims executives, you should consider reporting the matter to your network provider to obtain further directives. A good number of network providers offer potential customers free methods to block spammers from infuriating them. To report malicious texts, forward the unwanted text to 7726 and include a valid number of the sender. Major networks have been on the forefront to protect customers from being harassed by spammers and hackers. Policies and standards govern how network providers and companies operate. As a mobile user, you can decide to report or file a complaint to the Information Commissioners Office. Companies that have broken conditions of the contract end up paying a fine amounting to more than £500,000. Recently, a credit company that operates in Bradford ended up spending a fine amounting to £80,000 after sending millions of annoying texts during the last six months.

How to block annoying phone calls?

Telephone Preference Service (TPS) has been of much help to mobile users receiving annoying marketing calls from spammers. To stop the calls from sales and marketing strategists, register your mobile user number with the Telephone Preference Service. Companies are no longer authorized to call you once you register with TPS organization. To register with this service, send "TPS" accompanied by your email address to 85095. Within few minutes, you will receive a text confirmation from Telephone Preference Service confirming you have been added to the database. Some phone companies also offer services to help block nuisance calls. However, the charges may differ depending on the installation of the call-blocking product.

How to block spam emails?

Receiving unwanted emails from spammers every day can be infuriating. The rise of spammers on the internet has been increasing as time goes by. Spammers use junk emails to access end-user data. As a mobile phone user, avoid clicking and opening emails originating from an untrusted domain. Spammer gets a notification once you open a link sent to your email account. Use the 'unsubscribe' button to block unwanted emails from going through to your inbox. If you have been getting regular emails from specific email addresses, blocking the email addresses is the best shot for you to take. Preventing the address ensures future emails originating from the blocked email addresses get to the spam folder.

Keeping your anti-virus program updated is of uttermost importance when it comes to your mobile phone security. Don't let nuisance calls, bogus texts, and unwanted emails ruin your evening. Use the above-highlighted tricks and tips to be on the safer side.

[mshirinjyoti-blog]

Semalt: Blocking Senders In Gmail

Over time, as you use a Gmail count for sign-ups and social networking like Dropbox, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, your inbox may become flooded with unwanted messages or spam emails. The following steps prepared by Alexander Peresunko, the Semalt Customer Success Manager, will teach you how to block the senders in Gmail and have their emails or messages deleted without being bothered by them.

Block the sender in Gmail:

For adding a sender or suspicious email to the Gmail's list of blocked messages, you can redirect them to your spam folder.

           Open the message from the sender you have decided to block;

           Click on the More button and spot a triangle (▾) next to your Reply button in the message's header section;

           Select the Block "Name" from your menu that has just appeared;

           Click on the Block button under the Block This Sender area;

       For some senders, this menu may not work properly, so you can simply employ the rule of Block the Sender to stop his messages from arriving your Gmail inbox.

Unblock the Sender in Gmail:

If you feel that you had accidentally blocked a sender and wanted to receive his/her emails in future, you can remove his/her ID from the blocked list and will start receiving messages. In this case, the messages or emails of this sender will not be directed to your Spam folder.

           Open the message area of that sender and click on the More (▼) button in the header section;

           The next step is to select the Unblock "Name" from a menu that has just appeared;

           Click on the Unblock button, and you will unblock the sender immediately;

       If you do not have the messages from the same sender, you should follow these steps:

           Click on the Settings option (⚙) in your Gmail account;

           Select the Settings button from the top menu and go to the Filter and Block Address category;

           You have to make sure that you have checked the sender you want to block or unblock;

           Click on the Unblock button, and you will unblock him instantly;

       Block the Sender using a particular Gmail rule:

You can block the senders using a specific Gmail rule, which is described below:

           Click on the Show button (▼) in your Gmail account;

           Type in the desired email ID and you will unlock the entire list of senders or the domains and will start receiving future emails;

           You should click on the Create filter with this search button and make sure you have deleted it;

       Conclusion

In Gmail, you don't need to delete the messages or block senders by hand. With the simple filters, your Gmail account will send all the incoming emails from the annoying senders to the Trash or Spam folder. As an alternative, we can archive the message and equip it with the label, so that they don't stop us from doing other stuff. We suggest you reserve your Spam folder for reporting the junk or malware messages because various hackers contact you for financial gains and will keep sending you stupid messages all the day.

[mshirinjyoti-blog]

Semalt: WordPress Child Theme – Why & How To Create

In real life, the children are the inheritors of parents, and they can easily adapt the good and bad habits as well as personality traits of the adults. At the same time, they have some unique characteristics which neither their mom nor their dad gave them. You can say the same with the WordPress themes. For all the WordPress themes you download, purchase or install, there is an inherited and well-versed child theme that suits your different purposes.

Here is an overview from Alexander Peresunko, a top specialist of Semalt, on how and why to create child themes in WordPress.

Why create the Child Theme:

Child themes can override and inherit the templates, layouts, and styles of their parent themes. In WordPress, the Child Theme exists independently but collaborates with the parent themes to perform an extensive range of functions. It depends on the parent and can be activated only when the parent theme is installed and active on your WordPress site. While creating a child theme, you should bear in mind two major things:

           You should add a new directory in the folder with the name of your child theme.

           The styles.css file in the new directory should be inserted with particular header information.

       Once you have created the child theme, you will notice that it has the same information as the typical parent themes have. The one reason why you need to create child themes is that they tell WordPress which parents themes are best suited for specific websites.

How to create a Child Theme:

You can easily create a child theme by keeping in mind the following points.

1. Add the brand new directory and Edit the styles.css file

The first step is to add a new directory to your existing theme with the name of your child theme and adjust its settings. It is an important step, and you should not do anything to the styles.css file if you don't know how to edit it. This file is present in the Header section of your WordPress and has specific information about your site, its location, and its content. The only problem is that its header information cannot be edited easily. However, if you know something about those criticalities, you can insert the specific code in the header section of your theme.

2. Editing the Parent Theme

You should properly edit the parent theme and know everything about its styles while creating a child theme in WordPress. Honestly speaking, there are no definite styles, and that's because the parent themes have default styles. However, you can manually edit them and scan the interwebs for better results from your child theme.

3. Adding the functions.php file

If you are looking to add a functions.php file to your child theme to make it look better than before, you would have to insert a particular code and edit the settings of your theme. Now we know what we need to do with our child themes and hot create them. The best part is that these themes are easy to create and can customize, installed and installed anytime. Additionally, you can add new options to the child theme based on your requirements, but we recommend you not to edit any code or change the settings of the child theme due to its limited usage and options.

Three Fun Things to Do with Child Themes

Now you know the basics of your child theme and can do the following fun things with it

1. Add New Options to its Customizer – You can easily add new options to its customizer and will see it getting all the features from the parent theme.

2. Add New Post Type Templates – If you have been using WooCommerce, you may want to add the custom product templates to your child theme to give it an appealing look. Add it to the child theme ensures that you would not lose the code when the parent theme updates itself.

3. Override the Layouts of the Parent theme – You should override the layouts the templates in the parent themes. One of the best and most convenient ways to do that is copying the template from the parent them in the child theme and start customizing it from there.

[mshirinjyoti-blog]

Semalt Expert – WordPress Facebook Plugin Advice

As a WordPress publisher, you can easily integrate the Facebook plugins and features, including social mentions and publications, thanks to the new Facebook plugin for making it possible for all of us. This plugin was recently built and launched by the Facebook engineers, and it makes it easy for us to integrate our WordPress site without the need for any code. The plugin works both on your smartphone and support internationalization. Once you have installed this Facebook plugin, you can publish multiple posts on your website and can share them on social media in no time.

Here Alexander Peresunko, a top specialist from Semalt, has outlined the best ways to use the new Facebook plugin on your WordPress website easily.

#1: Install this Facebook Plugin on Your Site or Blog

Go to the WordPress admin panel and then open the Plugin section to look for Facebook. If you had installed that plugin, you would definitely find it in this area. Click on the Install Now button and get this plugin installed within seconds. You will have to activate the plugin before enjoying all its features and options. Once you have installed this Facebook plugin, you can adjust its settings as per your WordPress site's niche and nature.

#2: Create Your Facebook Application

The next step is to create the Facebook application of your choice. You don't need to worry as this does not require any code insertion and is a quite simple and easy method. To benefit from your new Facebook plugin for Wordpress, you would have to create your own social media app. For this, go to the Facebook apps section and click on the

Create A New App button. You will be immediately prompted to enter the App Name and Namespace. Select its name wisely and save the settings. Once the name has been defined, you will have to enter your contact number, blog name, email ID, and the URL of your site.

#3: Measure the Social Traffic

Once the plugin has been installed and activated on your WordPress website, the next step is to measure the quality of your social media traffic. You can go to the Settings option of this plugin to see what type of Facebook traffic your site is receiving and how the users are interacting. This Facebook plugin will display insights of how many users are returning and how much time do they spend on your web pages. Plus, you can get an idea of which web pages or articles are more famous than the others. The option titled as Facebook Insights will tell you how many visitors your website received from social media and how much time they spent on your site while sharing liking and commenting the posts. The Insights data also have your demographic information, and you can know how do the users react on your web pages. Plus, you can receive the feedback from different users on a daily, monthly or annual basis. However, you cannot be assured of how to increase the number of visitors as this Facebook/WordPress plugin does not help in this regard.