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WordPress Basics, Part 2: Getting Started

PLEASE NOTE: The current version of WordPress is 2.9.2. As newer versions are released, certain information provided here may possibly become outdated or irrelevant.

For a new WordPress user, especially one who has recently made the switch from the Blogger platform, the unfamiliar layout and plethora of available options can be quite overwhelming. This WordPress Basics series will take you through many of the basic functionality of a fresh WordPress installation. Please note that none of the theme-specific functions will be covered here since each theme is unique in its method of operation.

In part 1, I gave you information about the difference between .com (hosted on WordPress’ servers) and .org (hosted on your own server) when it comes to WordPress. Once you have decided which is best for you and set up your blog, you’re ready to get started! After logging into your WordPress blog, you’ll be taken to the main back-end screen called the Dashboard. Along the left hand side of the page, you’ll notice a column which acts as your user panel. Depending on whether you are hosted by WordPress or self-hosted and what plug ins you have installed, there will be different available sections here but generally you will see the following:

• Dashboard: takes you back to the home screen of your administration panel and may contain additional options depending on the inclusions of your blog {on WordPress.com hosted blogs, you will find network-specific options here such as managing your blogs, subscriptions, etc}
• Upgrades (only on WordPress.com hosted blogs): this area allows you to upgrade your blogging experience by adding paid features or integrating your blog with a custom domain
• Posts: opens a section allowing you to edit or add entries and manage post tags and categories
• Media: allows you to manage your existing library or add media by uploading new files {self hosted blogs are, for the most part, virtually unlimited in space allotment; WordPress.com hosted blogs are limited to 3GB of uploads with mp3, m4a, wav, ogg file types – you also have the option of purchasing additional server space and obtaining paid upgrades for video uploads}
• Links: provides options to add or edit links (such as blogrolls) and manage the categories of those links which can be added to the face of your blog to share with your visitors and direct them to other websites and/or blogs or even specific posts/pages on your own blog
• Pages: gives you the opportunity to create or modify static content such as your biography or “about me” as well as contact information
• Comments: takes you to an area where you are able to manage your comments by editing, moderating, or deleting remarks left on your entries as well as identifying spam and replying to commenters
• Appearance: allows you to find, select, and modify themes and arrange your widgets {The theme editor which allows modification of raw theme files and complete customization is only available on self-hosted blogs; users who host their blogs on WordPress’ servers only have the capability to edit their theme’s stylesheet, also called CSS}
• Plugins: (only on self-hosted WordPress installations): provides endless possibilities for modifying and enriching your blogging experience… plugins can be located, uploaded/installed, activated, edited, deactivated, and deleted all from this section
• Users: adds the functionality of inviting (WordPress.com hosted blogs) or adding (self-hosted blogs) and maintaining multiple user accounts on one blog as well as setting permissions or restrictions and modifying each user’s profile
• Tools: accesses available convenience capabilities such as Gears, Press This, Post by Email, and Webmaster tools verification settings; this is also the area that allows you to import entries and comments from other blogs or export entries and comments to transfer to other blogs {In self-hosted blogs, you’ll notice an option to upgrade – this lets you upgrade your WordPress installation and any outdated plugins to the newest version}
• Settings: gives you access to all the options associated with your plugins (self-hosted blogs only) as well as the feel of your blog itself, such as the structure of your permalinks, size of your graphics/images and videos, etc.

Along the top of the Dashboard, there is a link which opens the homepage of your blog, a drop-down menu which provides quick access to your drafts, posting new pages, uploading media, and managing your comments, a welcome phrase which links your name to your profile page, a Turbo link which opens the “tools” page, and a link that logs you out of the dashboard.

ONLY ON SELF-HOSTED BLOGS:

Underneath your welcome phrase and log out link, you’ll see a button labeled “Screen Options” which makes your dashboard content settings visible. From here, you can choose what to display when you log in and how many columns you would like that information arranged into. Each section of your Dashboard is generally editable. When you hover over the title bar on each dashboard widget, if there are settings to manage, you will see a “Configure” link appear. Clicking that link will provide you with the options for that particular section. My favorite customization is of the RSS powered dashboard widgets. Rather than getting WordPress news, I have the excerpt from the five most recent entries on my two favorite blogs fed into my dashboard so I never forget to read new entries posted to them!

The Dashboard widgets are also enabled with the drag-and-drop feature which allows you to arrange them in any way you like so that the information most relevant to you is displayed first on the page. To drag a widget to another location on the page, hover over its title bar; when the four-way arrow appears, simply hold down your left mouse button and drag it where you want it to be.

I hope this helps to get you familiarized with WordPress. The next part to the WordPress Basics series will be on posting entries, adding media, and creating pages. :) Keep a look out… in the meantime, if you have any questions about this article or particular WordPress questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments section of this post!