Embed html content. Iframes, for example.

I've used it for H5P type content. And embedded forms and fancy links like embedding an Amazon product, etc.

When you need it, you'll know it is there. Most sites don't need it. But when you do... It helps!

As someone who works in this space, can I just say that you've learned valuable lessons. I know people who have paid a lot of money to learn that.

Keep at it.

You're right: this isn't actually a passive income. But it can be fun and rewarding. I look forward to seeing what you do with this knowledge.

Get Wordfence and run it in de mode for hacked sites on all 3. Change your GoDaddy password.

Consider paying WordFence for a cleaning and get new hosting. GoDaddy is notoriously insecure.

You can absolutely recover from this, but you want to shore up your security.

Make sure everything is up to date and that you don't have any questionable plugins or themes. And check for users you don't recognize or ones with admin permissions.

They're usually pretty quick and there are knowledge base articles. Check out the Siteground Migrator Plugin, maybe. Or if you just need to transfer it to a client, there's a tool for that on the websites page...

Neither. Use the built in WordPress builder, a solid theme that is supported, and a bit of custom CSS if needed. Much better long term results for your customers.

Stay friends and keep quiet about the writing. Stay you don't feel qualified to comment as this isn't your genre.

A friend made a comment: that we can see a change as an upgrade. I found another program I like, that works well for me. It has given me a chance to rethink my process. I'm studying Tiego Forte's Building a Second Brain.

So while I'm still sad at the loss, it has given me something much better. So maybe disruption has value.

Good luck as you go through the process, but look for ways it can end up being a gift.

Try Kadence. It'll feel more familiar and still give you cool options.

So not SiteGround because of US although they have US server location?

A2HOSTING would be my next recommendation. Avoid Endurance and anyone they own. (Bluehost, etc)

Have fun. The goal is to create that safe space for your words. Enjoy the journey!

Change themes maybe. Some themes use sub pages on the home page.

Cleantalk anti spam will handle 99% of that. Never approve a vague "I like this" comment so that they don't get past the moderation of the first comment, and that will help as well. I also use WordFence. While not anti spam, it helps block bad actors.

All of that together keeps most sites pretty clean, and I have some very active clients.

Don't know what you are using, but I had mainwp on a site and tracked a hacker with admin permissions up until they deleted it.

Have you tried talking to the competitor and the client to see what's up?

My son raised live-bearers for years and we only had one successful birth grow into a fish. So when I decided to have platys, someone said they like to be in groups of 5 or 6. And I thought, let's have a fun planted tank. Maybe I'll get a baby.

I have no idea how many fish are in my poor tank. My husband occasionally donates some to a friend's tank... Lfs doesn't want live-bearers.

So... Yeah. Fun times! The babies are super cute.

Cleantalk anti spam (about$10/year). WordFence-free. You'll need to clean out all of the junk but those should stop the attacks.

This. And WordFence because at this point they may also have some sort of infection. Clean it out. Check for fake users, too. Cleantalk is phenomenal.

I love lifetime licenses and buy them when I can. I have a lifetime to Oxygenbuilder, but haven't switched over to their new builder...

Tools that you can use and make money with are definitely worth the up front investment.

I'll just say that I've been worried about Automattic for a while. Their approach to woocommerce is the only reason I have unhappy customers.

I'm starting to dread any customer saying they want a shop, because I'm sure Automattic will have something that will cause us grief.

WordPress is great. I teach my clients to recognize Automattic and not buy into their manipulations. But it is sad to have to do that.

Just had a client get billed by Automattic for something she cancelled... So tonight is not the night for me to be patient with them...

Install WordFence and run it. Replace any files it finds damaged. Delete users you don't know, change passwords of those you do.

Update everything.

Scan again with WordFence on high sensitivity.

Consider paying them for recovery and they'll include a year of premium if you can't get it on your own. Those people live for this sort of forensics.

But I've cleaned a couple of pretty badly damaged sites with just the free version.

Also, if your hosting company hasn't noticed, be a little worried about them.

I have what is probably a different approach from other developers. I only use standard blocks and I teach my clients to use the site. In my opinion, it should be safe for them to use, they paid me to build a thing, I built it for them.

It all depends on the arrangement you have with your developer. Let's say you want something super fancy that requires a bunch of hand coding... Well you won't be able to edit that. You need to let the developer edit that and expect to pay because that's a lot of work.

Since my clients expect to be able to edit, I need to make a site solid.

But that's a client/dev relationship setup situation, if that makes sense.

From the other information, it looks like you need more than a button. Sorry, I'm in meetings today so wouldn't be able to walk you through it.

Not 100% sure I understand. The links go to the right place but you want buttons for visual appeal?

If that's it, I'd be curious if you could do it with CSS.

Being new, CSS may feel hard, but most themes have a place for additional CSS, and you can work with Bing's copilot to have it write the CSS for you (or paid AI).

If that could work it might save you some work trying to get another plugin.

But I suspect you wanted something else?

Not 100% sure what you want, but I wonder if you could use Ultimate Member and their subscription options for this...

Go to appearance -> themes and hit details, then delete what you don't want. Go to plugins and deactivate and delete what you don't want. If they've added posts, pages, and media that you don't want, delete those.

I get annoyed when they do that. Some plugins make it seem that you must download extra things or trick you. The way you learn is by hitting those, sadly. Learn to delete...

Oh, and install free WordFence first...