Topics

  • I accept washed the 5-infinitesimal installation. Now what?
    • Log In
    • First at the Top
  • Test Bulldoze Your WordPress Site
    • Take a Quick Trip Around
  • Exam Bulldoze the WordPress Administration Screens
    • Let's outset with the User screen
    • Changing the Look
    • Creating a post
    • Comments
      • Preventing Spam
    • Create Categories
  • Setting Upwardly Your Site
    • Put Posts in Categories
    • What Is Adjacent
  • Using WordPress Themes
    • Creating your own Theme
  • Using WordPress Plugins
    • Creating your own Plugin
  • Above and Across the Nuts
    • Changelog

Note: This page refers to WordPress using the Block Editor. If you lot are on an older version of WordPress or using the Classic Editor User, refer to this folio.

I have washed the 5-minute installation. At present what?

You lot've but completed the 5-Minute Installation of WordPress or the one-click install from your spider web host. So what is your next step?

Let'southward take a step-past-step tour through your WordPress site and come across how the unlike functions work and how to make your new site your ain. During the first role of this tutorial, please don't change annihilation inside the plan unless it is part of the tutorial. After post-obit these steps, you lot'll soon be changing everything.

Peak ↑

Log In

Begin by logging into the assistants area, or the back end, of your website. Visit your site'south login folio by placing wp-admin after your domain name (east.yard., http://example.com/wp-admin). Some themes provide a login link or form on the forepart besides. Now login to WordPress using the username and password you created in the 5-minute install.

Tiptop ↑

Outset at the Top

After logging in you are on the master Administration Screen called the Dashboard. This is where the organization of your site begins.

At the tiptop of the screen is the area called the toolbar. Click on your site proper name; it's a link and it will take you lot to a view of your new WordPress site. Like it? Don't similar information technology? Doesn't matter, just wait at it. This is where you are going to be spending a lot of time!

Acme ↑

Exam Bulldoze Your WordPress Site

Take time to look at the site earlier you get into changing it and figuring out how it all works; information technology's of import to see how the WordPress Twenty Xx-One theme is laid out and how it works. Consider this the exam drive earlier you first adding all the special features.

The layout you are looking at is defined by a WordPress Theme. It is the appearance of your website, styling the look of the site and the framing of the content. The WordPress 20 Twenty-One theme features a "header" at the top with the title and tagline for your site. Below is your Card, if you have ane. The main middle section of the page is the content area.

Scroll down the page and you will see a search box, contempo posts and recent comments. These are called Widgets.

Notice the bar at the end of the page. This is called the "footer." Information technology says "Proudly powered past WordPress."

Top ↑

Accept a Quick Trip Around

For now you only have one mail service. It is residing inside a page that is laid out as your home page or the front page. If yous click on the championship of the post, information technology volition accept you lot to the specific page for that post. The kickoff page or home folio of your site features the most recent posts on your site. Each post title volition link to the actual folio of the post. Some Theme designers design their single post pages to look different from the home page.

In the single post, pay attention to the layout and notice what is different near the blueprint elements. Is the header unlike? Smaller, larger, or a unlike colour? Is there a sidebar?

All of these changes are created from a few files called template files. You lot tin learn more well-nigh how they work in Theme Developer Handbook. For now, notwithstanding, let'southward go on with how the rest of WordPress works.

Meridian ↑

Test Bulldoze the WordPress Administration Screens

Now that you have an thought of how your site looks and what the different layout sections are called, it'southward time to test drive the WordPress Administration. This is similar familiarizing yourself with the backend of your new website. In fact, the first folio yous run into after logging in is called the Dashboard, a collection of data and information almost the activities and actions on your WordPress site.

The Dashboard features a list of the most contempo activity you've achieved on your site and it helps to keep you up to appointment on new and interesting bits of information from the many WordPress resources.

On the left side of the screen is the main navigation menu detailing each of the administrative functions you lot can perform. Motion your mouse downwardly the list and the sub-menus volition "fly out" for you to motility your mouse to and click. One time you choose a "parent" navigation section, it will open up to reveal the options within that section.

The various card items are as follows:

  • Dashboard
  • Posts
  • Media
  • Pages
  • Comments
  • Appearance
  • Plugins
  • Users
  • Tools
  • Settings

Acme ↑

Permit's kickoff with the User screen

Click on the Users tab. The screen volition change and you lot will run across the Screen called All Users that shows a list of all your users; from hither yous can add together or modify existing users and authors accounts. In the navigation menu, click on the Your Contour carte du jour choice. This is where you will enter information about you, the author and administrator of the site. Fill in the information and click Update Profile when done.

Now, permit'south expect at some other powerful features of the WordPress Admin.

Top ↑

Changing the Look


The Appearance, Themes Screen allows you to alter the expect of your site using different Themes. Themes are presentation styles that completely change the look of your site. Designed by developers and users, there are hundreds of themes available for you to choose from. In your Appearance Screen, you will meet a listing of currently installed themes, including the WordPress Twenty Twenty-One theme. To apace modify the theme, just click on the Actuate push under one of the themes listed, then click on your site name in the top toolbar to see how it looks. Wow, you accept another await. It'due south that easy. Go back to Appearance > Theme and click the Activate button under the WordPress Twenty Xx-Ane theme to bring the design dorsum to what you had. To see information technology again, click your site name in the toolbar, and there it is.

Top ↑

Creating a mail service

Dorsum in the Administration Screen, take a look at the Posts Screen. You can apply the tabs under the Posts Menu to write and manage your posts. Let'due south start by making your get-go examination post in the Add New tab.

The first time yous use the Block Editor, you will run across a short tutorial.

Add the title of the commodity in the space allocated. Then write a text in the "Start writing or type / to choose a cake" section This is just for a examination, so you can write anything you want. When you are washed, click on the Publish button at the top correct of the page, then click a 2nd time to confirm the publication. Now that you lot've gotten a experience for writing posts, you lot can view your posts by clicking your site name in the toolbar at superlative of the screen.

Top ↑

Part of the fun of WordPress is the ability to have viewers leave comments on your site. It creates a dynamic interchange between you and the viewer. Practice y'all desire comments on your posts? Comments on posts come in a diversity of forms, from pats on the back (Good job! Similar the post!) to extensive conversations and commentary about the posts. Or maybe y'all are seeking comments that add to the data you lot've posted. Responding to comments and moderating them can also take upwards a lot of time. If they are critical to your site, then include them and consider how y'all want them presented. You tin make a few comments yourself on the mail you created. Take a look at how they are laid out and consider how y'all might want them to look to fit into the design and layout of your site. When yous have reached your conclusion nigh how you desire to handle comments, take time to read through the article on comments and WordPress give-and-take options to assistance you set those features.

Top ↑

Preventing Spam

There is more to think about when information technology comes to having comments on your site. Unfortunately, we live in a world where spam is a fact of life. It is recommended that you begin battling the comment spammers with the helpful article, Introduction to Dealing with Comment Spam.

Top ↑

Create Categories

Posts are normally stored in Categories and/or Tags so you can continue related topics together. Correct now you only accept i category, just you lot will soon want more. In the Posts > Categories tab, in the Add New Category surface area, fill up in the information about your category. Continue to add your parent categories, going downward the list. Hold off on inbound subcategories until all the main categories are entered.

NOTE: Yous can add whatsoever new category at any fourth dimension, simply make a note of the fact that categories can be sorted in WordPress in 2 means: past proper name (alphabetically) or by ID number. Equally you enter the categories, they are assigned an ID number. It is hard to change this, so if you lot don't want your categories sorted alphabetically, enter them in the society you want to see them presented on the screen.

Top ↑

Setting Up Your Site

Before you get to the graphic look of your site, allow's do a trivial more administration to your site to set it upwards. You may desire to install plugins to supercharge your website, and don't forget to activate the Akismet WordPress Plugin that is available with all WordPress sites to aid protect information technology from comment spam. When yous have the parent categories entered, enter your subcategories. In the pull-down menu for Parent Category, you can select the parent to the subcategory you lot are adding. When yous view your categories in the Manage > Categories Screen, you volition meet the categories listed like this:

  • Reckoner Tips
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Mac
  • Internet News
  • Web Page Blueprint
    • Spider web Standards
  • WordPress
    • Plugins
    • Themes

Top ↑

Put Posts in Categories

Let's put some of your test posts into categories and then you can encounter how this works. From the Posts > Category Screen, click on the tab for All Posts. You should see the test posts y'all entered here. When you hover your mouse over each post title, under the title, y'all should see the Edit | Quick Edit | Trash | View links. Click on Edit to edit one of the posts. On the right side of the Edit Mail service screen, you lot will now see your Categories. Choose 1 of them by clicking on the box adjacent to information technology. Then in the Publish module above, click the Update push button. Echo this for your other exam posts, putting each one in a unlike category. Now view your page by clicking on your site proper name in the toolbar at the pinnacle of your Administration Screen. Do you encounter the categories listed in the sidebar now? Great. If yous are missing a category, that commonly means that at that place are no posts in it. This is the default function of WordPress, so non to worry. When y'all add together a post to the "missing" category, it will announced on your web pages. Click on one of the categories and you will be taken to a folio for just that category. You should see the posts that went into that category. This is a generated Category page. Now, click on the Archives for the month showing. At present you are visiting a generated folio of your posts listed in chronological gild for this month – well, specifically for today only. Ii methods of finding the same information.

Top ↑

What Is Next

You've now done all the basics for your new WordPress website. Y'all know how to write a post, create a category, and how to view your site's information by category and annal. You tin start the customization process, and when you are washed, don't forget to delete your test posts! Then start writing some wonderful information to share with your new-institute public!

Superlative ↑

Using WordPress Themes

There are hundreds of WordPress Themes to choose from. All practise basically the same thing only graphically present the information in a myriad of ways. Choose a few that expect interesting to y'all, and meet your audience's needs and your desires, and and so examination drive them following the test bulldoze instructions above. Click through the whole site, the categories and archives as well every bit the individual posts to run into how the Theme handles each one. The wait may be nice on the front folio, merely if it handles things in a way you lot don't like on the single post, then you will accept to dig into the lawmaking and brand changes. Not fix for that, endeavour another theme.

  • WordPress Theme Directory
  • Using Theme

Meridian ↑

Creating your ain Theme

If you lot are familiar with CSS, HTML, and fifty-fifty PHP and MySQL, consider either customizing the Theme to your own needs or creating your own Theme.

  • WordPress Theme Programmer Handbook

Height ↑

Using WordPress Plugins

WordPress Plugins are also known equally add together-ons or extensions. They are software scripts that add functions and events to your website. They cover the gamut from up-to-date atmospheric condition reports to a elementary arrangement of your posts and categories. Plugins are designed past volunteer contributors and enthusiasts who like challenges and problem-solving. They are usually fairly simple to install through the WordPress Admin Plugin Screen, just follow the instructions provided by the plugin author. Remember, these are gratuitous and not-essential. If you have any problems with plugins, contact the plugin author's website or plugin source first, then search the Cyberspace for help with that specific plugin, and if yous haven't constitute a solution, so visit the WordPress forums for more help.

  • WordPress Plugin Directory
  • Managing Plugins

Top ↑

Creating your ain Plugin

If you lot are familiar with PHP, HTML, and maybe even MySQL, you lot may be able to customize WordPress to work the way yous want by creating your own Plugin.

  • WordPress Plugin Programmer Handbook

Top ↑

Above and Beyond the Nuts

The exciting affair about WordPress is that there are few limits. Thousands of people are using WordPress for blogging and for running their websites. For example, wait at some of the entries under the WordPress.org Theme Showcase. All accept a different look and unlike functions on their sites. What you do from here is upwards to you, simply hither are a few places to take that outset step beyond the basics:

  • WordPress Features
  • Working with WordPress
  • WordPress Semantics
  • Using Pages
  • Troubleshooting
  • Using Permalinks
  • Getting More Assistance
  • Using the Support Forums
  • WordPress Code Reference
  • Learn WordPress

Top ↑

Changelog

  • Updated 2022-03-09
    • Updated screenshots to WordPress 5.ix
  • Updated 2021-01-01
    • Added Changelog
    • Updated all screenshots to WordPress five.6
    • Added links to WordPress Code Reference and Learn WordPress
    • Changes all references from Twenty Xix theme to Twenty Xx-One
    • Re-worked linguistic communication well-nigh widgets and removed language nearly sidebar to marshal with 20 Twenty-One theme.
    • Updated Getting More than Assistance link
    • Added info about Block Editor tutorial
    • Cleaned upwardly some grammar