WordPress Basic User Guide
Logging In
- Go to your website's admin area by adding
/wp-adminto your site URL - Enter your username/email and password
- Click "Log In"
Posts vs Pages
- Posts are time-based content (like blog entries) that appear in reverse chronological order [1]
- Pages are static content (like About Us, Contact) that remain permanent
Creating a New Post
- From Dashboard, click "Posts" → "Add New"
- Add a title at the top
- Write your content in the main editor
- Optional: Add images using the "Add Media" button
- Set a category and tags (right sidebar)
- Preview your post using the "Preview" button
- Click "Publish" when ready, or "Save Draft" to save for later
Creating a New Page
- From Dashboard, click "Pages" → "Add New"
- Add a title
- Add your content
- Set a parent page if needed (in right sidebar)
- Preview the page
- Click "Publish" or "Save Draft"
Managing Categories
- Go to "Posts" → "Categories"
- To add new:
- Enter category name
- Optional: Enter slug (URL-friendly version)
- Optional: Select parent category
- Optional: Add description
- Click "Add New Category"
- To edit: Hover over category and click "Edit"
- To delete: Hover and click "Delete"
Adding Images
- Place cursor where you want the image
- Click "Add Media" button
- Either:
- Upload new files
- Select from existing media library
- Select image settings (alignment, size)
- Click "Insert into post"
Basic Formatting
- Use headings to organize content (H2, H3, etc.)
- Create lists using bullet points or numbers
- Use bold/italic for emphasis
- Add links by selecting text and clicking the link icon
Quick Tips
- Save your work frequently
- Preview before publishing
- Use categories and tags to organize posts
- Keep URLs (permalinks) short and meaningful
- Use featured images for posts when possible
Common Tasks
- Edit Content
- Hover over the post/page title
- Click "Edit"
- Make changes
- Update/Save
- Delete Content
- Hover over title
- Click "Trash"
- Note: Can be restored from Trash folder
- Manage Comments
- Go to Comments section
- Approve/Reply/Mark as Spam/Delete as needed
- Change Site Title/Tagline
- Go to Settings → General
- Update "Site Title" and "Tagline"
- Save Changes
Remember:
- Always preview changes before publishing
- Keep regular backups
- Use featured images when possible
- Organize content with categories and tags
- Keep URLs (permalinks) clean and meaningful
This guide covers the essential basics that most users need to manage content on their WordPress site. Users can refer to WordPress.org's documentation for more detailed information on specific features.