My new free site can’t be launched … without first converting it to a paid site’s hosted URL??

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  doctorsol · Member · Mar 12, 2020 at 9:07 pm

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  Hello, I’ve returned to WordPress after several years and am finding it far more complicated to launch a simple blog using wordpress.com domain extension:

  — I created the blog, chose the domain name with a wordpress.com extension, but now the site advises me that I must ‘launch site’….

  — but each time I push the launch button I am required to choose among PAID hosting options, not the free wordpress.com hosting option.

  — But I already chose the free hosting option, so why am I even being asked to select a host in order to launch?

  This is so discouraging, after years of experience with seamless free hosting on wordpress.com. What am I doing wrong here?

  Thank you!

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  doctorsol · Member · Mar 12, 2020 at 9:28 pm

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  Addendum: I searched the forum for solutions and all experts say “click launch, then leave the blog’s name blank, and choose the “skip this step” option. But I have NO skip option. None at all. I tried entering my blog’s name, I tried leaving the name field blank, and both ways NO SKIP OPTION whatsoever, anywhere on the page. Please help! This is holding me back, right at the starting line. Thank you!

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  fstat · Staff · Mar 13, 2020 at 9:55 am

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  Hi there,

  Please try launching it by going to My Sites > Manage > Settings > General > Launch Site.

  

  This will allow you to skip the domain purchase.

  

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  frseth001 · Member · Mar 13, 2020 at 10:35 am

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  This goes straight to the next screen where it asks which premium plan you want to subscribe to. Please assist

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  staff-mckluskey · Staff · Mar 13, 2020 at 12:09 pm

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  Right on that screen, you should see a button a like this:

  

  Make sure you’re not suing any ad blocking extension on your browser, we’ve seen cases where these were hiding that button.

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  doctorsol · Member · Mar 14, 2020 at 9:57 pm

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  Thank you fstat and fresatomica. This worked.

  May I just say that this was extraordinarily difficult to figure out — truly opaque, until you guided me around the problem?

  It’s as though I was being asked by WordPress to search for a hidden Easter egg in a very unnecessarily complex video game.

  If any powers-that-be are listening:

  This much friction right out of the gate is a kind of discouragement that no new blogger should encounter, nor can it be good for business to put us through it.

  Best wishes to all, and stay well!