First-time setup

After activating Cookory, complete these steps in order. This gives the theme the content and identity it needs to look complete on the first visit.

1. Set your publication identity

Open Settings → Design & branding → Brand and add your publication title, logo, icon, cover image, accent color, heading font, and body font. The cover image is used by Cookory in the homepage hero.

2. Configure navigation

Add links for your homepage, Recipes (/recipes/), About page, and any important categories. Use secondary navigation for less prominent links such as Contact, Privacy, or Instagram. See Navigation and archives.

3. Choose the theme personality

Open Customize and review Site-wide, Homepage, and Post settings. Choose a header and footer style, set the background color, and update the three homepage hero text fields.

4. Add content

Publish at least three recipes before launch. Mark one as Featured so the homepage Editor’s pick section has content. Add consistent tags so archive filters and related recipes work.

5. Enable Members if needed

Enable Members and configure Portal before promoting newsletter or subscription links. See Members and newsletters.

Launch check

Open the site in a private browser window and test the homepage, /recipes/, a recipe post, search, tag links, dark mode, mobile navigation, print mode, and Portal links.