Module 2 of 6
Training / WordPress basics / Lesson 2 of 7
The dashboard is the first screen you see after logging in. It can look busy, but you’ll only use four or five of the menus.
You'll learn
What the main menus do and which ones you’ll actually use
Takes
About 4 minutes
You'll need
To be logged in to your website
Watch: “Getting started with the WordPress Dashboard”, an official video from WordPress. It shows the same job on their own demo site, so your screen may look a little different. The written steps below are the ones to follow.
1
This dark strip is how you get everywhere. Hover over an item to see more choices under it.
2
Every page of your website is listed here: Home, About, Contact and so on. This is where you’ll go most often.
3
These are your blog or news articles. If your website has no blog, you can ignore this menu.
4
This is your Media Library, where every image and document you’ve uploaded is stored.
5
Hover over your website’s name at the top left and click Visit Site to see your website as visitors do. When you’re looking at the site, the same bar takes you back to the dashboard.
6
Appearance, Plugins, Tools and Settings control how the whole website works. You won’t need them for everyday editing.
Plugins add their own menus, so every website looks a little different. If you don’t know what one does, leave it.
Your login may be set up to show only what you need. That’s deliberate and keeps things simple.
Tell us which page it’s on and what you’re trying to do. We can talk you through it or make the change for you.
