Our Joomla Magazine: Tutorials, Features & How-To Guides

When maintaining and working on a Joomla site, you occasionally need to upload and organise files and directories on your server. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is using an FTP client installed on your local computer, which makes it possible to easily access and modify your Joomla files and directories. In this article we explain the concept of FTP, how to install, connect and start using your own FTP client software, and give tips for secure transfers and file management.

Although Joomla boasts a wide variety of features out of the box, soon you’ll want to extend this core functionality by adding additional features or tools, a new layout or template or perhaps an additional language. Fortunately, Joomla can be easily extended by installing software packages called Extensions. In this article we explain the different types of Joomla extensions – components, modules and plugins – and mention a few of our favourite examples, plus tips for choosing and installing them.

Your Joomla site is finished and online. At the last moment you notice that the little icon in the browser tab is still showing the Joomla logo; you want to insert a tiny version of your own logo but can’t find where to change it. This article explains what a favicon is, the role it plays in a website and how you can change this little icon for your otherwise perfect Joomla website. We guide you through creating the right size and format, uploading it and configuring your template.

Keeping Joomla up to date is important for lots of reasons. The newest version is always the most secure and also means access to the latest features. This article will help you identify your current Joomla version, find out which is the latest version and also check for updates directly from the Joomla backend. We explain why updates matter, how to prepare for them with backups and testing, and what to do when an update fails or breaks compatibility. Plus info on long-term support releases.

If you’re planning to build a website and you have no idea what cache is, save yourself a lot of hassle and read this article. We’ll explain what cache is, why and how it can be useful and how and when to clear the cache during the development of your Joomla site. You’ll learn the difference between browser and server caching, how caching speeds up page loads and how to configure cache settings in Joomla to balance freshness with performance. We also show how to automate cache clearing.

If you could use some guidance in setting up your first Joomla website, then you’ve come to the right place. This article explains how to download and install Joomla, set up the necessary database and everything else you need to do before you can start adding content to your website. We cover choosing a hosting plan, configuring the installer, removing sample data and securing your new site. Follow our step-by-step instructions to get up and running smoothly. We also cover file permissions and email setup.

Keeping regular backups of your Joomla site is highly recommended. If things go wrong with your site at any point you can restore a recent backup within minutes. In this article we discuss how to make and restore a Joomla backup, using the popular extension Akeeba Backup and manual methods. You’ll learn the difference between full and partial backups, how to schedule them, where to store them securely and how to test and recover your site when needed. We also show how to verify your site after recovery.