WordPress doesn’t automatically apply title case to your post and page titles by default, which means you’re responsible for capitalizing them correctly — or installing a plugin to do it for you. Several free and premium plugins can automatically format titles to Title Case, Sentence case, or specific style guides like AP, APA, Chicago, or MLA, saving you from manually checking capitalization rules on every post. Here’s how to do it both manually and with automation.
What Title Case Actually Means
Title case isn’t as simple as capitalizing every word — different style guides apply slightly different rules about which words get capitalized. Generally accepted conventions include:
- Capitalize major words — nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs
- Capitalize the first and last word of the title, regardless of what type of word it is
- Lowercase articles — “the,” “a,” and “an”
- Lowercase short conjunctions — “and,” “but,” “for,” “or,” “nor”
- Lowercase most prepositions, though style guides vary on length thresholds (some lowercase all prepositions regardless of length, others only those under four letters)
- Lowercase “to” in infinitives — for example, “I Want to Play Guitar,” not “I Want To Play Guitar”
Because AP, APA, Chicago, and MLA style guides don’t fully agree on these rules, the “correct” capitalization can technically vary depending on which standard you’re following — which is why most capitalization plugins let you choose a specific style guide rather than assuming one universal rule.
Method 1: Capitalize Titles Manually
If you only need to fix titles occasionally, doing it by hand is straightforward:
- Open the post or page in the WordPress editor.
- Click into the title field.
- Retype or edit the title, applying title case rules — capitalize major words, leave articles and short prepositions lowercase, and always capitalize the first and last word.
- Save or update the post.
This works fine for occasional fixes but becomes tedious if you’re managing a large site or migrating a batch of posts with inconsistent capitalization.
Method 2: Use the Auto Title Case Plugin (Free)
Auto Title Case is a free WordPress.org plugin that automatically converts post, page, and image titles to title case:
- Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
- Search for Auto Title Case and click Install, then Activate.
- Once activated, the plugin automatically updates titles for new and existing posts, pages, and custom post types.
- For image uploads, titles and alt text are also generated from the filename, which doubles as a small SEO benefit if your filenames are properly keyworded.
Since this plugin makes bulk changes to your database, it’s worth backing up your site before activating it on a site with a large number of existing posts.
Method 3: Use Capitalize My Title (Style-Guide Specific)
If you want control over which capitalization standard is applied, Capitalize My Title is a popular option that pulls from multiple recognized style guides:
- Install and activate the Capitalize My Title plugin from the WordPress plugin directory.
- Go to the plugin’s settings and choose your preferred style: AP, APA, Chicago, MLA, NY Times, Wikipedia, Email, or a general Title Case format.
- Choose your capitalization mode — Title Case, Sentence Case, Uppercase, or Lowercase.
- As you write, the plugin shows suggested capitalization for your post title so you can review and apply it without leaving the editor.
The free version only capitalizes the main post title. Upgrading to the premium version extends this to all headings (H1-H6) throughout your content, adds keyboard shortcuts for quick in-line capitalization, and allows bulk updates across your existing pages and posts.
Method 4: Use Capitalize Post Title (For Developers)
For a lightweight, open-source option, the Capitalize Post Title plugin (available on GitHub) automatically capitalizes your post title or heading block as soon as you click away from it, using AP/APA title case rules:
- Download and install the plugin from its GitHub repository.
- Activate it in your WordPress dashboard.
- Type your title or heading text, then click outside the field — the text will automatically reformat to title case.
- If a word gets capitalized incorrectly, click back into the title, fix that specific letter, and avoid retyping the rest of the text, or the whole title will re-capitalize.
This plugin works within the Block Editor, Site Editor, and Classic Editor, and doesn’t retroactively modify existing titles or already-published heading blocks — it only applies going forward as you edit.
Choosing the Right Approach for Your Site
- A handful of posts, one-time fix: manual editing is simplest.
- Ongoing consistency without style-guide precision: Auto Title Case is a quick, free set-and-forget option.
- Following a specific editorial style guide (AP, Chicago, etc.): Capitalize My Title gives the most control.
- Developer-friendly, minimal-footprint solution: Capitalize Post Title’s GitHub plugin is lightweight and free.
Join The Discussion
Title capitalization is one of those small details that adds up across a whole site’s editorial consistency. Do you handle title case manually, or have you found a plugin that fits your workflow? Share which style guide you follow, any plugin recommendations, or headaches you’ve run into with capitalization on a larger WordPress site.
