There was a time when WordPress.com had a curated front page called Freshly Pressed, and I used to love it. It was a brilliant way to discover new blogs—unique voices and creative content that weren’t necessarily trending or optimized for Google’s front page but were still worth reading. It gave exposure to thoughtful, niche, or offbeat posts that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
The real gem, the gold that was Freshly Pressed, was the fact that WordPress.com used real human editors who actually curated these posts and chose them to be on the front page themselves. The human element to this could not be duplicated, or replicated, by any other means. My guess is eventually that was just an expense WordPress.com did not want to continue.
Back then it was a real honor to have a post selected to be Freshly Pressed, it clearly made a difference to site traffic, WordPress even gave you help on getting on the page with a page of their own called So You Want To Be Freshly Pressed. That page now redirects to their support page on how to increase traffic (the original url was http://en.support.wordpress.com/freshly-pressed/). I was really excited to have one post chosen: On Apple’s Tribute to Steve Jobs One Year Later, and it always gave you something to shoot for when working on a post.
What Was Freshly Pressed?
Freshly Pressed was a curated section of the WordPress.com homepage that featured handpicked blog posts selected by WordPress editors. The selections were chosen based on originality, quality of writing, photography, thought-provoking content, and reader engagement.
For many bloggers, landing on Freshly Pressed was a major milestone. It could dramatically boost traffic, grow an audience, and give a sense of validation in the early days of blogging. For readers, it was a curated gateway into the wider WordPress blogging community—a place to stumble across something unexpected and engaging.
What Happened to It?
WordPress quietly retired Freshly Pressed in 2015 and eventually replaced it with a feature called Discover, which continued the idea of showcasing noteworthy content across the WordPress.com ecosystem. Discover also highlighted editor picks and topic-based collections, although it, too, has faded in visibility in recent years.
The “official” word on why it was discontinued seems to be due to a shift in focus towards user experience and discoverability on the platform. The feature was removed in favor of other methods for users to find content, including improved search and personalized recommendations.
While Freshly Pressed as a specific feature no longer exists, there are still ways to surface and promote fresh content on your own WordPress site:
- Featured Content Sections: You can create dedicated areas on your homepage to spotlight posts using categories, tags, or custom blocks.
- Recent Posts Widget: A built-in widget that displays your latest posts in the sidebar or footer.
- Query Loop Block (Block Themes): A powerful tool that lets you display posts dynamically based on filters like recency, categories, or tags.
These tools provide modern alternatives to the Freshly Pressed experience—making it easier for site owners to curate and highlight valuable content for their audience.