How to use WordPress Admin Area – Quick Overview

Learn How To Use WordPress Admin Area

This guide is for users who installed WordPress for the first time. This guide will give you a quick overview of the basic sections of the WordPress Admin Area.

What is the Admin Area

The admin area or WordPress Dashboard, is the administrative area of the WordPress site. The Admin Area is where you can configure your website, install plugins and publish content.

How to log into the Admin Area

After you have completed the WordPress installation, you can head over to the login page. The Login URL  usually looks like this: http://www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin 

Type the Username and Password you created when you installed WordPress.

The WordPress Dashboard

After you logged in the WordPress Dashboard will open. The Dashboard gives you an overview of whats happening on your site.

 Posts

Posts typically appear in a blog. When you write a blog entry, you will use a post. Posts appear in reverse chronological order on your blog’s page.  Posts also have a build in commenting feature that allows users to comment on topics. To create a post, simply click on Posts > Add new.

Add New Post Screen (Gutenberg Editor)

Media Library

The Media section allows you to upload images, videos and files to your blog. You can also edit, view and delete files previously uploaded.

Pages

A Page do not appear in time structured views in the blog section like posts. Pages can be used for hierarchical content, e.g. they can be organized into subpages. Pages are used for static content, which isn’t time dependent, for example About Us or Contact Page.

To create a new page, Select Pages > click on Add New.

Comments

Comments allow your readers to communicate with you or with each other on your website.

You can enable comments on Pages or Posts.

Appearance

The Appearance menu is where you can change the design and looks of your website.

Themes – The Themes screen allows you to manage all your themes. You can install new themes, activate, update or delete themes. A WordPress Theme modifies the way your site is displayed, e.g. changing the layout, colors, fonts and styles.

Customize – The Customizer allows you to change certain theme features such as layouts, fonts, colors, logos and menus in a live preview format.

Widgets –  On this screen you will find a list of all available widgets, they allow you to add content and features to certain areas of your theme. Widgets were created to provide you with a easy way to control and design your WordPress theme.

Menus – You can easily create and manage menus. Menus help you to create structure to your website. Links such as Categories and Pages are usually added to the themes menu.

Editor –  A Simple text editor that allows you to view or modify theme files.

Plugins

Plugins extend functionality by adding features to your website.

Installed Plugins – A list of all installed plugins. From this screen you can activate, deactivate, delete or change plugin settings.

Add New – From this screen you can easily search and install new plugins to your WordPress Site. You can also upload downloaded plugins.

Add new Plugins screen

Users

The WordPress Users system allows you to control what users can or cannot do on your website.

Add New – Allows you to add new users to your website. You can also set user roles from this screen. The user roles defines certain permissions of a user.

Your Profile – Several settings and preferences can be set here including your username, email address, profile picture, color options and other personal information.

Settings

General – Contains many basic settings for your website such as Site title, Tagline (what your site is about), Site URL, Email address, Language and Date and Time settings.

Writing – The Writing screen allows you to change certain post settings, such as the default post category and format.

Reading –  On the Reading screen you can decide how many posts displays per page, if your home page should display a static page or recent posts, whether to show each article in a feed full text or summary. There is also a option to discourage search engines from indexing your website.

Discussion – Contains settings on how users or visitors interact with your website.

Media  –  Settings related to images that you use on your site, e.g. image sizes.

Permalinks – Allows you to create  custom URL structure for your permalinks.

A word without annoying pop ups and ads! Thanks for visiting.