By Recap Lesson 1:
Let’s quickly review what we learned in Lesson 1 of our beginner-friendly WordPress guide before moving on to Lesson 2. Lesson 1 covered the fundamentals of WordPress, such as what it is, the different types of WordPress CMS, and how to install WordPress on a local server and hosting platform.
Now that we have refreshed our memory on Lesson 1, we can move on to Lesson 2, where we will be discussing the different key components and terminology of the WordPress dashboard and how to use them effectively.
Overview of Lesson 2:
Key component of the WordPress Dashboard
- Content Editor
- Categories and tags
- Post /Page Editor
- Post vs Pages
- Chronological flow
- Media Library
- Plugins
- Appearance
- Themes
- Customize
- Widgets
- Menus
- Theme Editor
- User Roles
- Administrator
- Editor
- Author
- Contributor
- Subscribe
- Tools Tab
- Available Tools
- Import
- Export
- Site Health
- Importers and Exporters
- Setting Tab
- General
- Writing
- Reading
- Discussion
- Media
- Permalinks
- Privacy
Key Components of the WordPress Dashboard:
The WordPress dashboard is the central hub where you can manage your website’s content, design, and functionality. It is the first thing you see when you log into your WordPress site and consists of various components that allow you to control different aspects of your site.
The key components of the WordPress dashboard include the post/page editors, media library, appearance, plugins, users, and settings. Understanding these components and how to use them effectively is crucial for managing and customizing your WordPress site.
1- Content Editor (Gutenberg):
WordPress’s default content editor is the Gutenberg editor, which was introduced in WordPress version 5.0. Gutenberg offers a block-based editing experience that allows you to add and arrange various types of content blocks within your posts and pages. Each block represents a different type of element, such as paragraphs, headings, images, galleries, quotes, and so on. To create visually appealing and engaging content, Gutenberg provides a variety of formatting options, customization features, and block patterns.
You can change this default editor to a different one if you prefer, such as the Classic Editor or a third-party editor plugin such as Elementor or Beaver Builder. These third-party editors have a drag-and-drop interface and easy-to-use tools, so you can create professional-looking content without any coding knowledge. So, whether you are a beginner or an experienced WordPress user, mastering the content editor is essential for creating high-quality content that engages your audience and drives traffic to your site.
2- Categories and tags:
Categories are used to group posts based on broad topics, while tags are used to further classify posts based on specific keywords or topics. Using categories and tags effectively can improve site navigation and make it easier for users to find relevant content.
3- Post/Page Editor:
The post/page tab allows you to create and edit the content on your site. The editor allows you to add text, images, videos, and other media to your pages and posts. You can also format your text, add links, and create lists. The editor is intuitive and easy to use, even if you have no prior experience with website design.
Posts vs. Pages:
- Posts: Blog posts are dynamic content entries listed in reverse chronological order on your website. They are typically used for time-based content like articles, news updates, or blog entries.
- Pages: Pages are static content that is not part of the chronological flow. They are used for creating permanent pages such as About Us, Contact, Services, or an FAQ page. Pages usually have hierarchical structures and can be organized into parent and child pages.
For example, a food blogger may use posts to share weekly recipes and updates on their cooking adventure while using pages to organize their website with sections for recipes, cooking tips and tricks, and an about page introducing themselves to readers. This helps readers easily navigate the website and find the information they are looking for.
Q: What is chronological flow?
A: The “chronological flow” in WordPress refers to the order in which content is displayed on your website. By default, WordPress arranges blog posts in reverse chronological order, with the most recent post showing up first and older posts appearing after it in descending order. This results in a timeline-like structure in which visitors can easily view and access the most recent content at the top.
4- Media Library:
The Media Library allows users to store and manage all their media files in one place. This includes images, videos, audio files, and documents. The Media Library makes it easy to add media to your website, as you can simply select the file you want to use from your library instead of having to upload it again.
Additionally, the Media library allows you to organize your media files into folders and search for specific files using keywords or filters. This can save you a lot of time and make it easier to find the media you need for your website.
5- Plugins:
Plugins enhance the functionality of WordPress by providing additional features and tools. They allow users to extend WordPress beyond its core capabilities without the need for coding.
Plugins can add functionalities such as contact forms, SEO optimization, social media integration, e-commerce solutions, security measures, and much more. There are thousands of free and premium plugins available in the WordPress Plugin Directory, offering a wide range of options.
6- Appearance:
The Appearance tab in the WordPress dashboard is where you can customize the visual aspects of your website. It provides you with the tools to personalize and customize your website’s appearance, layout, and functionality. Let’s explore the main features of the Appearance tab:
i) Themes:
The Theme section allows you to browse, install, and activate different themes for your website. Themes are responsible for a WordPress website’s visual design and layout. They control the overall appearance, style, and presentation of the site. WordPress has a large collection of free and premium themes that cater to a wide range of industries and purposes. Users can select a theme that corresponds to their brand identity and customize it to meet their needs.
Most Themes have pre-designed page layouts called templates. Templates determine the structure and content of a particular page or post on a WordPress website. Templates can be customized to add or remove certain elements, and they can also be created from scratch using various page builders.
ii) Customize:
The Customize option lets you modify various aspects of your site’s appearance. You can customize the site title, tagline, logo, header image, background image or color, and more. Depending on the theme you’re using, there may be additional options specific to that theme. The real-time preview allows you to see the changes as you make them.
iii) Widgets:
Widgets are small blocks of content or functionality that can be easily added to specific areas of your WordPress site, typically in sidebars or widgetized areas. They can include features like a search bar, recent posts, social media icons, or custom text. It provides additional customization options and allows you to add dynamic elements to your site without coding.
iv) Menus:
Menus in WordPress allow you to create and customize navigation menus for your website. You can control the structure and hierarchy of your site’s navigation by adding pages, posts, categories, or custom links to your menus. WordPress provides a user-friendly interface to arrange, customize, and assign menus to specific locations within your theme.
vi) Theme Editor:
The Theme Editor gives you direct access to the code files of your active theme. It allows you to make changes to the theme’s PHP, CSS, and other files. However, it’s crucial to exercise caution when using the Theme Editor, as incorrect modifications can break your site. It’s recommended to create a child theme or use a custom CSS plugin for safer code modifications.
7- Users Roles:
With the user tab, WordPress allows you to create multiple user accounts, each with a different set of roles and permissions. This feature is especially useful if you have a team working on your website or want to allow guest authors to contribute to your blog. You can ensure that your website is secure and that your content is managed effectively by assigning the appropriate roles and permissions. Among these roles are:
i) Administrator:
The Administrator role has complete access to and control over a WordPress site. Administrators can install and manage plugins and themes, create and manage user accounts, modify site settings, publish content, moderate comments, and handle site backups.
ii) Editor:
Editors can manage and publish content on a WordPress site. They have the ability to create, edit, publish, and delete posts and pages, as well as moderate comments, manage categories and tags, and upload media files. Editors have authority over content-related tasks but do not have access to site-wide settings.
iii) Author:
Authors have the ability to create and manage their own content on the WordPress site. They can write, edit, and publish their own posts, as well as manage their profile. Authors are unable to modify or publish the content of other users, access settings, or perform administrative tasks.
iv) Contributor:
Contributors can write and submit content for review but cannot publish it directly. Before being published, their submitted content is reviewed by an editor or Administrator. Contributors are unable to edit or publish the content of other users, access settings, or perform administrative tasks.
v) Subscribe:
Subscribers have the most restricted role on a WordPress site. They can view restricted content, manage their profile, and post comments. Subscribers cannot create or publish content, moderate comments, or change site settings.
8- Tools Tab:
The Tools tab in the WordPress dashboard provides additional functionalities and tools to manage and optimize your website. It allows users to import and export content, as well as perform various site maintenance tasks such as optimizing the database and resetting passwords. Let’s quickly cover some of the key features of the Tools tab.
i) Available Tools:
The Available Tools section provides access to various tools that can be added to your website. These tools can help import or export data, convert categories to tags, or even set up remote publishing. The specific tools available may vary depending on your installed plugins and themes.
ii) Import:
The Import tool allows you to import content from external platforms or other WordPress installations. For example, if you’re migrating from another CMS, you can use the Import tool to transfer your posts, pages, comments, and other content to your WordPress site. WordPress provides options to import from platforms like Blogger, Tumblr, and more.
iii) Export:
The Export tool enables you to create backups of your WordPress site’s content. You can export your posts, pages, comments, custom post types, and other data in a standardized XML file format. This allows you to easily move your content to another WordPress site or keep backups for safekeeping.
iv) Site Health:
The Site Health feature provides an overview of your website’s performance and security. It checks for any potential issues or recommended improvements, such as outdated plugins or themes, insecure settings, or server configurations. Site Health can help you identify and address issues that might affect your site’s performance and user experience.
v) Importers and Exporters:
Some plugins and themes may add additional importers and exporters to the Tools tab. These tools allow you to import or export specific data related to the installed plugins or themes. For example, an e-commerce plugin might have an importer/exporter tool to manage product data.
9- Setting Tab:
The Settings tab in the WordPress dashboard provides access to various configuration options that allow you to customize the behaviour and settings of your website. What you can do with the setting tab is quickly described below:
i) General:
In the General Settings, you can configure basic information about your site, such as the site title, tagline, and URL. You can also set the time zone, date format, and language preferences for your website.
ii) Writing:
The Writing settings allow you to define the default post category, post format, and size of the post box in the editor. You can also configure remote publishing options if you want to publish content from external sources.
iii) Reading:
The Reading settings determine how your site’s front page displays and control the number of posts displayed on the blog page. You can choose whether to display the latest posts or a static page as the front page. Additionally, you can set the number of posts displayed per page and enable search engine visibility.
iv) Discussion:
The Discussion settings manage the commenting system on your website. You can configure options related to comment moderation, notifications, and comment display settings. You can also enable or disable threaded comments and manage comment blacklisting.
v) Media:
In the Media settings, you can define the default sizes for images uploaded to your site. You can specify the maximum dimensions and whether to crop or scale images. Additionally, you can select the default image alignment and choose whether to organize media files in folders by month and year.
vi) Permalinks:
Permalinks control the URL structure of your website’s pages and posts. In the Permalinks settings, you can choose from different permalink structures or create a custom structure that suits your needs. It’s important to choose an SEO-friendly permalink structure for better search engine optimization.
vii) Privacy:
The Privacy settings allow you to configure a privacy policy page for your site, specifying how your site handles user data. You can create a new page or select an existing page as your privacy policy.
Summary:
In this comprehensive lesson of WordPress Guide for Beginner, we explored the key components and features of the WordPress dashboard. We began by discussing the Content Editor, which allows users to create and manage their website’s content easily. We then delved into the importance of Categories and Tags for organizing and classifying content, followed by a comparison of Posts and Pages, highlighting their distinct purposes and characteristics.
We also covered the significance of a chronological flow, explaining how WordPress arranges content based on publishing dates. The Media Library was introduced as a central hub for managing and organizing images, videos, and other media files.
Next, we discussed the role of Plugins in extending the functionality of a WordPress website, offering additional features and tools. The Appearance section of the dashboard was explored in detail, focusing on Themes, Customize, Widgets, Menus, and the Theme Editor. These elements allow users to customize the visual design, layout, and navigation of their websites.
We then examined the different User Roles in WordPress, such as Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber, each with its own set of permissions and responsibilities.
Moving on to the Tools tab, we explored its features, including Available Tools, Import, Export, Site Health, and Importers and Exporters. These tools facilitate data management, content migration, backups, and site performance optimization.
Finally, we delved into the Settings tab, which provides various configuration options for customizing website behaviour. We covered settings related to General, Writing, Reading, Discussion, Media, Permalinks, and Privacy.