Complete WordPress
Manual For starters

Not all posts are created equal. Some posts are meant to be just a video with little (if any) additional text. Other posts are meant to be full-blown articles with header images, titles and explanations or definitions that, for example, explain to users the 10 best ways to enjoy Orlando.

Your WordPress theme will provide you with frontend custom styling of your posts, however the backend editing of posts and the options available will remain the same regardless of the frontend design.

Here are the different options available for formatting posts:

Think of categories as general topics to which you can assign posts. If you have a lot of content or posts, assigning a category to posts allows users to easily find related topics or categorized content.

Think of these as an index for the words used in your posts. Tags describe specific details or words used in your posts which help users to search keywords and easily access content within your posts.

The featured image of your post is the image that appears on your blog post list page, and sometimes at the top of your individual blog posts.

Excerpts are optional sections of text which can be added and are often used as the Post Summary.

Posts encourage conversation and engagement with website users. Enabling comments, pingbacks, and trackbacks allows your users to engage with your posts.

By toggling the Featured Post section on/off you can decide whether you would like to highlight the post in a special way - this could mean possibly featuring the post on your Home Page or featured post list.

For information on how to add actual content to your posts, view the ADDING CONTENT TO YOUR SITE section.

The Post Format

Not all posts are created equal. Some posts are meant to be just a video with little (if any) commentary. Other posts are meant to be full-blown listicles that explain to users the 10 best ways to enjoy Orlando. Still, other posts may be full of funny images. That’s why it’s important that you select the post format that best suits your content.

Fortunately, most contemporary WordPress themes provide you with a variety of post format options. There’s also the possibility that your theme, if it’s an older one, doesn’t even support post formats at all. However, if you see that formats are available, these are the options you will likely notice:

Aside: Prevents the post from being shown to people who visit the site. Once the trash is emptied, the post is deleted.

Audio: A podcast or SoundCloud attachment.

Chat: A transcript from a chat session.

Gallery: A gallery of typically related images.

Image: Just one single image.

Status: Similar to an Aside — it’s like a tweet.

Video: An embedded video.

Quotation: Used to present a pithy quote from someone.

Standard: A standard blog post. Select this option if you’re just typing out a basic article.

Typically, you’ll select the post format on the right-hand side of the visual editor. You should notice a few options on that sidebar. On many themes, one of these options will be the option for the post format. However, on some themes, the post format option is located below the visual editor.

When creating a page or a post, you’ll typically start with the title. Click on the text field that reads “Add Title” and enter your title.

About a second or two after exiting the title field, you’ll notice that the permalink/URL slug is created automatically and matches the title you entered.

The permalink or slug is the unique URL that points to your content. It is often derived from the title itself, but it may vary depending on your WordPress configuration. Remember that every piece of content on your site will have a URL that is shared by no other site in the world and by no other post or page on your own site. WordPress gives you the option to edit the permalink, but automatically generated URLs ensure that they will not conflict with other pages and when entering the URL, the link lands in the same place. Editing the permalink after the page has been created is highly discouraged as this could cause conflict or other issues.

To create a page or a post, you’ll typically start with the title. Click on the text field that reads “Enter title here” and enter your title. Hit the tab button when you’re done with your title and you’ll go straight to the visual editor.

About a second or two after exiting the title field, you’ll notice that your permalink is created underneath the title. The permalink is the unique URL that points to your content. It is often derived from the title itself, but it may vary depending on your WordPress configuration. Remember that every piece of content on your site will have a URL that is shared by no other site in the world and by no other post or page on your own site. WordPress gives you the option to edit the permalink, but because they are automatically generated, this ensures that they will not conflict with other pages and when entering the URL, the link lands in the same place. Editing the permalink is highly discouraged as this could cause conflict or other issues.

WordPress Blocks or Block Editor is an intuitive way to add pre-designed or preformatted sections to your pages. These content sections can be re-arranged based on the order the blocks should appear on the front-end.

To add a new section to the page, click the blue plus “Add Block” button. A small menu will appear where (depending on how your website template has been designed) blocks and content can be added to each section.

By selecting “Browse all” you will be able to see ALL the blocks and content sections available to add to your site and can select which one you would like to use.

Once a block or content section has been added, content can then be added within this section.

When selecting the block you have added, a menu will appear to the upper left of that selected block.

Select the down or up arrow to move the block and rearrange sections.

Select the monitor to change the alignment of the block.

The monitor with the eye allows you to Preview the block (what it would look like on your site) and switch back to editing mode.

With the 3 dots you are able to select other options such as to copy/duplicate the block, insert an additional block before or after or totally remove the block.

PRO TIP: You can also simply delete or remove the block by selecting the block and clicking backspace or delete on your keyboard.

NOTE: Depending on your website template or theme, you will have different blocks to work with and edit, view the ADDING CONTENT BLOCKS video for more information.

Flexible Content

Page Flexible Fields, or Flexible Content, are an intuitive way to add preformatted sections to your pages. These content sections can be re-arranged based on how the site should look. To add a new section to the page, click the blue “Add Section” button.

A small menu will appear where different sections and content can be added to each section.

Once a section is added, content can be added to this section.

Hovering the mouse over the heading of each section, three small icons will appear in the top-right.

The plus sign serves a similar function to the blue “Add Section” button, but instead of adding the new section to the bottom of the page, it will add it directly above.

The minus sign, on the other hand, removes the section that was clicked on. A prompt will appear for confirmation before deleting to ensure content isn’t lost accidentally.

The up arrow allows sections to be hidden, which can be useful for hiding sections that are not currently being worked on to make the page easier to navigate.

If you would like to rearrange your sections, it is as simple as clicking on a section heading and dragging it up or down.

When adding blocks or content to your website, the visual editor is an intuitive user interface that allows you to produce this rich content. At first glance, you’ll notice many of the same formatting options that you’ve seen in your common word processing applications, such as the “B” (for Bold) button, the “I” (for Italic) and the link icon to insert hyperlinks.

Basic keyboard commands work as well. If you accidentally overwrote something important, you can undo your error with Ctrl-Z (Command-Z for Mac users). The cut, copy, paste, bold, italic and underline keyboard shortcuts work as well.

PRO TIP: You’ll see two tabs at the top of the visual editor, labeled “Visual” and “Text.” The default view is the Visual tab that provides you with WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editing capabilities. It’s likely that this is the only view you’ll ever need.

However, if you’re a power user, you might find the “Text” tab useful. There, you’ll see your content in all its HTML glory. In other words, HTML tags will be displayed and the text in the editor will not appear formatted. If there is special HTML work required for a post or page and it isn’t easily accomplished using the visual editor, this tab is where you would do that.keyboard shortcuts work as well.

The visual editor is an intuitive user interface that allows you to produce rich content for your website. At first glance, you’ll notice many of the same types of buttons that you’ve seen in your common word processing applications, such as the “B” (for Bold) button and the “I” (for Italic) button. You’ll also see a bullet that enables you to create lists and an Omega icon that brings up a table of special characters.

Basic keyboard commands work as well. If you accidentally overwrote something important, you can undo your error with Ctrl-Z (Command-Z for Mac users). The cut, copy, and paste keyboard shortcuts work as well.

The "Visual" and "Text" Tabs

You’ll see two tabs at the top of the visual editor, labeled “Visual” and “Text.” The default view is the Visual tab that provides you with WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editing capabilities. It’s likely that this is the only view you’ll ever need.

However, if you’re a power user, you might find the “Text” tab useful. There, you’ll see your content in all its HTML glory. In other words, HTML tags will be displayed and the text in the editor will not appear formatted. If there is special HTML work required for a post or page and it isn’t easily accomplished using the visual editor, this tab is where you would do that.

At the top of the visual editor, you’ll see a range of popular formatting options:

Add Media: Adds media to your content, such as images, videos, or audio uploaded to your media library.

Paragraph: Formats the text based on styles or headings specific to your theme.

Bold: Makes the highlighted text bold.

Italic: Makes the highlighted text italic.

Blockquote: Places the highlighted text in “blockquote” format which is designed dependent on your theme or website styling. This is useful when highlighting a specific piece of content you want to stand out on a page.

Bulleted List: Creates a non-numbered list of bullet points with the option to format the bullets. Additional formatting options may or may not be available based on your theme.

Numbered List: Creates an enumerated list of points with the option to format a numerical system. Additional formatting options may or may not be available based on your theme.

Align Left: Aligns the text to the left.

Align Center: Aligns the text to the center.

Align Right: Aligns the text to the right.

Insert Link: Creates a link from the highlighted text. A pop-up will appear asking you for the URL to associate with the text. You are able to manually enter the URL and click the “Apply” arrow.
Pro Tip: Click the “Link options” toggle to view available links on your website to link to.

Remove Link: Breaks the existing link from the highlighted text. .

Undo: Restores an earlier version of your content or text. Likewise redo (next to undo) does the opposite.

Add Ninja Tables Shortcode: Inserts a table shortcode created via Ninja Tables. View the ADDING & EDITING NINJA TABLES video for more information.

Formats: Styles the selected text to a button or other predetermined design specific to your theme.

Font Family/Font Sizes: Allows you to edit the text based on your selected font family and font size. Editing the text this way is discouraged as the text is set to display as the defaults chosen within your theme and for your website.

Decrease Indent: Removes one level of indentation.

Increase Indent: Adds one level of indentation.

Paste As Text: Removes the formatting specific to a website if you’re pasting in content copied from another site. You only need to click this button once if you’d like to use this option. All content will be pasted as text from that time forward, until you click the button again.

Clear Formatting: Removes all formatting (such as bold, underline, color, etc.) from the highlighted text.

Special Character: Presents you with a large table of special characters that you can select (i.e., the copyright symbol, British pound symbol). When you click one of them, that character will be inserted into the text at the point of the cursor.

Insert “Read More” Tag: Creates a “Read more . . .” link that users will see when viewing a synopsis of the post. This is useful right after the lead of your post. When they click that link, they’ll be taken to the entire post.

Text Color: Changes the color of the highlighted text with color options to pick from.

Table: Inserts table with options to format the table. Inserting tables this way is discouraged as we suggest making use of Ninja Tables.

Keyboard Shortcuts: Reveals information about the editor and keyboard shortcuts.

At the top of the visual editor, you’ll see a range of button options. If you click the “Toolbar Toggle” button, you’ll find additional options that are less popular. Here’s a description of each button:

Add Media: Adds media to your content, such as images, videos, or audio.

Bold: Makes the highlighted text bold.

Italic: Makes the highlighted text italic.

Strikethrough: Places a line through the highlighted text.

Bulleted List: Creates a non-numbered list of bullet points.

Numbered List: Creates an enumerated list of points.

Blockquote: Places the highlighted text in “blockquote” format. This is useful when quoting large portions of relevant text from external websites.

Horizontal Line: Inserts a horizontal line at the cursor location.

Align Left: Aligns the text to the left.

Align Center: Aligns the text to the center.

Align Right: Aligns the text to the right

Insert Link: Creates a link from the highlighted text. A pop- up will appear asking you for the URL to associate with the text. Enter the URL and click “Add Link.” When users click that text, they will be taken to the URL you specified.

Remove Link: Breaks the existing link for the highlighted text. This will be greyed out if you’re highlighting text that isn’t a link.

Insert “Read More” Tag: Creates a “Read more . . .” link that users will see when viewing a synopsis of the post. This is useful right after the lede of your post. When they click that link, they’ll be taken to the entire post.

Toolbar Toggle: Shows or hides the additional row of buttons.

Distraction Free Writing: The visual editor expands to the entire size of the window. Just click “Exit full screen” at the top to return the editor to its original size.

Style: Formats the text based on styles specific to your theme.

Underline: Underlines the highlighted text.

Justify: Justifies the highlighted text by aligning it on both the right and the left.

Text Color: Changes the color of the highlighted text.

Paste As Text: Removes the formatting specific to a website if you’re pasting in content copied from another site. You only need to click this button once if you’d like to use this option. All content will be pasted as text from that time forward, until you click the button again.

Clear Formatting: Removes all formatting (such as bold, underline, color, etc.) from the highlighted text.

Special Character: Presents you with a large table of special characters that you can select (i.e., the copyright symbol, British pound symbol). When you click one of them, that character will be inserted into the text at the point of the cursor.

Decrease Indent: Removes one level of indentation.

Increase Indent: Adds one level of indentation.

Undo: Undoes your last action.

Redo: Reapplies your last action.

Keyboard Shortcuts: Reveals information about the editor and keyboard shortcuts.

You can choose full screen editing with the visual editor in WordPress. This will enable you to focus exclusively on writing instead of being distracted by items in the sidebar.

To enable the fullscreen mode, you need to click on the three dots icon on the top right corner of the screen. You will see the hidden options and tools including View modes, Editor options, plugin options, and more. Simply click on the 'Fullscreen Mode' option.

By entering this mode all you will now see is what is required to produce your content: the title, block editor section and relevant settings to the right to manage the page/post and blocks being used.

You can choose full screen editing with the visual editor in WordPress. This will enable you to focus exclusively on writing instead of being distracted by items in the sidebar.

Click on the “Distraction Free Writing” button to enter full screen mode. Now, the left-hand menu and the right- hand sidebar are no longer visible. All you can see is what is required to produce your content: the title bar and the visual editor.

If you move your cursor outside of the editor, the left-hand menu and the right-hand sidebar will appear again. This will give you the option to upload a feature image, for example. If you want to exit full screen mode, just click on Exit full screen.

You might not finish your content before you’re called away to do something else. In that case, you’ll want to save it. However, you should know that WordPress will automatically save your content periodically. This means that, even if your computer crashes when you’re almost finished with a 1,000-word piece, you won’t lose everything. In fact, WordPress automatic save occurs so often that it’s likely you won’t have lost anything.

To preserve your own peace of mind, you might want to force a save. To the right-hand side of the visual editor you are provided with the option to “Save Draft” which will save your content in “Draft” mode. When WordPress automatically saves your content or when you save your content in “Draft” mode, visitors to your site can’t see it.

Visitors to your site can only see content that has been published.

You might not finish your content before you’re called away to do something else. In that case, you’ll want to save it. However, you should know that WordPress will automatically save your content periodically. This means that, even if your computer crashes when you’re almost finished with a 1,000-word piece, you won’t lose everything. In fact, WordPress automatic saves occur so often that it’s likely you won’t have lost anything.

To preserve your own peace of mind, you might want to force a save. If you look at the right-hand side bar of the visual editor, you should see a Save Draft button towards the top. Clicking on that button will save your content in “Draft” mode. When WordPress automatically saves your content or when you save your content in “Draft” mode, visitors to your site can’t see it. Visitors to your site can only see content that has been published.

PRO TIP: See what your post or page will look like to visitors before you publish it. This is helpful to find any flaws and make the necessary corrections. On the right-hand sidebar, there is a “Preview” button and when clicked allows you to preview the content before publishing.

When your content is ready to be viewed by the general public, it’s time to publish it. To the right-hand side of the visual editor you are provided with the “Publish” button. Clicking on that button publishes the post or page to your website where it can be viewed by visitors.

Remember that your post or page can be in different statuses set by you or set automatically. Here are the possible statuses:

Pending Review: This is when an author has completed a post or page. At this point, it’s still not visible to the public because it’s waiting for editorial review. Once an editor reviews it and publishes it, the post or page will be visible to website visitors.

Draft: This is the initial state of a post or page. It is kept in this status usually until the author clicks on the “Publish” button.

Public: The post or page is viewable to everybody who visits the website.

Private: This hides the post or page from the public. You will be able to see it when you’re logged in to WordPress, though.

Password Protected: The post or page is visible only to people who have the necessary password. This is useful if you want to limit certain content to only authorized individuals.

Scheduled: The post will be published at some point in the future, specified by the author.

You can change the status of a post or page by clicking on “Immediately” next to the “Publish” label on the right-hand sidebar.

This will also allow you to schedule a post for the future by making use of the additional fields that will enable you to select the date and time for publication.

Make sure you specify the correct time zone for your WordPress site, so your time and the publication time are synced. View more information on this in the SETTINGS section.

Once your content is ready to be viewed by the general public, it’s time to publish it. On the right-hand sidebar of the visual editor, you’ll see a Publish button towards the top. Clicking on that button publishes the post or page to your website where it can be viewed by visitors.

Seeing what your post or page will look like to visitors before you publish it is helpful so you can find any flaws and make the necessary corrections. On the right-hand sidebar, there is also a Preview button towards the top. When you click on it, you’ll get a preview of your content before it’s published.

Remember that your post or page can be in different statuses set by you or set automatically. Here are the possible statuses:

Pending Review: This is when an author has completed a post or page. At this point, it’s still not visible to the public because it’s waiting for editorial review. Once an editor reviews it and publishes it, the post or page will be visible to website visitors.

Draft: This is the initial state of a post or page. It is kept in this status usually until the author clicks on the Publish button.

Public: The post or page is viewable to everybody who visits the website.

Password Protected: The post or page is visible only to people who have the necessary password. This is useful if you want to limit certain content to only authorized individuals.

Private: This hides the post or page from the public. You will be able to see it when you’re logged in to WordPress, though.

Scheduled: The post will be published at some point in the future, specified by the author.

You can change the status of a post or page by clicking on the Edit link next to the “Status:” label on the right-hand sidebar.

To schedule a post for publication in the future, click on the Edit link to the right of the Publish button on the right-hand toolbar. You’ll see some additional fields that will enable you to select the date and time for publication. Make sure you specify the correct time zone for your WordPress site, so your time and the publication time are synced. This will be covered in the “Settings” section.

To add new files, click on the “Add New” button at the top of the page. You’ll then have the option to “Select Files” from your hard drive or even easier, you are able to Drag and “Drop files to upload.

You can add a new file to your library. To add a file, click on the Add New button at the top of the page. You’ll then have the option to navigate your hard drive to select the file that you want to upload.

You can also edit file properties from the “Attachment Details” pop-up. This section enables you to edit the various details associated with that file. You can add Alt Text, edit the Title, Caption, Description and URL of the attachment or file. You also have the option to replace the media meaning you do not have to add an additional file but can directly replace the file selected.

At the bottom of the list of edit fields, you will also see three links. The “View attachment page” link will show you the file on your website. The “Edit more details” link will allow you to add markup to the description. The “Delete Permanently” link will delete the file from your library.

You can also edit file properties from the “Media Library” page. Simply click on any item currently displayed and you’ll be presented with an “Edit Media” page. This page enables you to edit the various properties associated with that file. You can edit the URL, title, caption, alt text or description of the file. The fields “Artist” and “Album” will also be editable if the file is an audio file.

At the bottom of the list of edit fields, you will also see three links. The “View attachment page” link will show you the file on your website. The “Edit more details” link will allow you to add markup to the description. The “Delete Permanently” link will delete the file from your library.

If the file that you’re viewing is an image, the “Edit Image” option which allows you to edit the image itself. Clicking “Edit Image” below the thumbnail image will present you with editing options that allow you to manipulate the image.

There are buttons that allow you to crop, rotate and flip the image. To flip or rotate an image, simply select the appropriate button just above it.

When you’re happy, release the mouse button and click on the Crop button again, just above the image, to save the cropped area.

The Undo and Redo buttons just above the image enable you to remove mistakes you’ve made when editing images.

To the right of the image you’ll see several more options. The “Scale Image” option enables you to change the size of the image without affecting its aspect ratio. There will be two text fields in that area that are separated by an “x.” The field on the left is the width of the image and the field on the right is its height. If you modify either of these numbers, the other number will change accordingly so that the image’s dimensions will maintain its aspect ratio.

For example, if the original numbers in the fields were 400 for the width and 300 for the height, the aspect ratio is 4:3. For every four pixels wide, the image must be three pixels high. If you erase that 400 from the field and type in 800, WordPress automatically plugs in 600 for the height. This maintains the 4:3 aspect ratio.

The “Image Crop” box is located below the “Scale Image” box. You can specify the aspect ratio of your cropped image using this area. The number on the right represents the width of the image and the number on the left represents its height. This section only works when you have selected an area that you’d like to crop but have not clicked on the Crop button. Once you fill out the aspect ratio fields, the “Selection” fields are automatically populated with the appropriate pixel position of the top, left, bottom and right corners.

Click cancel below the image or on the X in the upper, right-hand corner of the “Attachment Details” page to exit that page without saving any changes.

If the file that you’re viewing is an image, the “Edit Media” page allows you to edit the image itself. Click Edit below the thumbnail image and you’ll be presented with a page that allows you to manipulate the image.

At the top of the page, there are buttons that allow you to crop, rotate and flip the image. To flip or rotate an image, simply select the appropriate button just above it. When you hover over one of those buttons with your mouse, you’ll see a tooltip that explains what the button does.

To crop, begin by clicking the upper, left-hand part of the image area that you want to include. Then, while holding down the mouse button, drag your cursor towards the lower, right-hand part of the image. You will form a rectangle that will highlight everything you want to include. When you’re happy, release the mouse button and click on the Crop button just above the image.

You’ll also see Undo and Redo buttons just above the image. The Undo is particularly useful because it enables you to remove a mistake you’ve made when editing an image.

On the right side of the image edit page, you’ll see several more options. The “Scale Image” option enables you to change the size of the image without affecting its aspect ratio. There will be two text fields in that area that are separated by an “x.” The field on the left is the width of the image and the field on the right is its height. If you modify either of these numbers, the other number will change accordingly so that the image’s dimensions will maintain its aspect ratio.

For example, if the original numbers in the fields were 400 for the width and 300 for the height, the aspect ratio is 4:3. For every four pixels wide, the image must be three pixels high. If you erase that 400 from the field and type in 800, WordPress automatically plugs in 600 for the height. This maintains the 4:3 aspect ratio.

The “Image Crop” box is located below the “Scale Image” box. You can specify the aspect ratio of your cropped image using this area. The number on the right represents the width of the image and the number on the left represents its height. This section only works when you have selected an area that you’d like to crop but have not clicked on the Crop button. Once you fill out the aspect ratio fields, the “Selection” fields are automatically populated with the appropriate pixel position of the top, left, bottom and right corners.

Click on the X in the upper, right-hand corner of the “Attachment Details” page to exit that page without saving any changes.

To add an embedded image to your content, click the “Add Media” button at the top of the visual editor. A large pop-up window will appear in response. That window will give you two options: You can embed an image that’s already in your library or you can upload a new image.

To embed an image that’s already in your library, you simply scroll to the image you want to add to your content and click on it. Then, click the “Insert into page” or “Insert into post” button at the bottom of the window.

To upload a new image, click the “Upload files” option and you’ll be presented with the option to “Drop files to upload” or “Select Files” from your computer or hard drive.

To use the simple drag and drop option use your favorite hard drive explorer to navigate to the file you want to include in your content. Simply click on that file and drag it anywhere into the WordPress “drop” area. All files selected or dropped must be a valid image file (usually, a valid image file has one of these extensions: .jpeg, .jpg, .png, or .gif). Once you’ve uploaded the file, it will be shown as the latest addition to your library and automatically selected. From there, you simply select the “Insert into page” or “Insert into post” button and the image will be added to your content.

PRO TIP: You can also insert multiple images into your content at once. You can do that with a technique that might be familiar: You hold down the “Ctrl” key while selecting the images you want to add.

Similar to the ADDING A FILE section, when uploading new files you are able to add or edit information specific to that image on the right-hand side under a heading that reads “Attachment Details.”

Here are the options you can configure from that sidebar:

Alt Text: What’s displayed when your browser can’t render the image.

Title: The title of the image that will be displayed as a tooltip when a visitor to your site hovers the cursor over the image.

Caption: What’s displayed just below the image. How the caption is displayed is entirely dependent on your WordPress theme.

Description: A simple description about the image. This will not be displayed to visitors.

File URL: Displays the URL of your uploaded image. You are able to edit this if it needs to be something more specific or copy it to your clipboard if you need the URL to link somewhere else.

Replace media: Replacing media is helpful for when you upload the wrong image or are not happy with the image you have uploaded.

Regenerate Thumbnails: Regenerate the thumbnail within your media files if you would like it to display or look different within your files.

Alignment: Tells WordPress how to align the image. You can select left, right or center alignment. You can also select “None”, so the image is aligned according to the style used on the post or page.

Link To: Links your image to another web page. If you would like this to happen, you can use this option to specify that. For most users, the default option “Media File” is just fine. It will link the image to its own URL, so it will be displayed in a full screen when a user clicks on the image.

Size: If this is your first-time using WordPress, this option is probably at its default of “Medium.” It’s often the case that a medium-sized image is too small. You can use this drop-down to select “Full Size” and it will stay that way until you change it again. If a fully sized image is too large, WordPress will automatically shrink it down to the maximum width of your site, so it won’t stretch across the screen.

To add an embedded image to your content, click the “Add Media” button at the top of the visual editor. A large pop-up window will appear in response. That window will give you two options: You can embed an image that’s already in your library or you can upload a new image.

To embed an image that’s already in your library, you simply scroll to the image you want to add to your content and click on it. Then, click the “Insert into Post” button at the bottom of the window.

To upload a new image, click the “Select Files” button and you’ll be presented with yet another pop-up that gives you the option to select a file to upload from your hard drive. That file must be a valid image file (usually, a valid image file has one of these extensions: .jpeg, .jpg, .png, or .gif). Once you’ve uploaded the file, it will be shown as the latest addition to your library and automatically selected. From there, you simply select the “Insert into Post” button and the image will be added to your content

WordPress also gives you the ability to simply “drag and drop” images into your posts. To do that, just reduce the size of the window that you’re using to view the “Insert Media” pop-up. Then, use your favorite hard drive explorer to navigate to the file you want to include in your content. Simply click on that file and drag it anywhere on the large white canvas on the “Insert Media” pop- up. Your image will automatically be added to the library and selected.

Note that you can also insert multiple images into your content at once. You can do that with a technique that might be familiar: You hold down the “Ctrl” key while selecting the images you want to add.

WordPress also offers a powerful interface to control specific information about the image that you’re uploading as well as its size. When you have uploaded an image or selected one from the library, the “Insert Media” pop- up will display information specific to that image on the right-hand side 33WebFX Guide to Wordpress Adding Images under a heading that reads “Attachment Details.” Here are the options you can configure from that sidebar:

Title: The title of the image that will be displayed as a tooltip when a visitor to your site hovers the cursor over the image.

Caption: What’s displayed just below the image. How the caption is displayed is entirely dependent on your WordPress theme.

Alt Text: What’s displayed when your browser can’t render the image.

Description: A simple description about the image. This will not be displayed to visitors.

Alignment: Tells WordPress how to align the image. You can select left, right or center alignment. You can also select “None”, so the image is aligned according to the style used on the post or page.

Link To: Links your image to another web page. If you would like this to happen, you can use this option to specify that. For most users, the default option “Media File” is just fine. It will link the image to its own URL, so it will be displayed in a full screen when a user clicks on the image.

Size: If this is your first-time using WordPress, this option is probably at its default of “Medium.” It’s often the case that a medium-sized image is too small. You can use this drop-down to select “Full Size” and it will stay that way until you change it again. If a fully sized image is too large, WordPress will automatically shrink it down to the maximum width of your site, so it won’t stretch across the screen.

Remember that you can also use this option to select a custom size for your image. For that, you’ll enter the width and height manually; however, this is discouraged unless you’re an expert because you could skew the aspect ratio, resulting in a distorted image.

Once you have inserted one or more images into your content, you might find the need to edit or delete them. Fortunately, WordPress makes this process easy as well.

To delete: select the image you want to remove and press the X option or backspace/delete on your keyboard. Remember that deleting an image from your content does not remove it from the library. It only removes it from that page or post.

PRO TIP: selecting the image presents resizing handles or little squares around the image which can (whilst holding the mouse down) be selected and dragged to resize the image.

Small images will often look distorted when they’re enlarged beyond their original size. It’s much cleaner to make a large image smaller than it is to make a small image larger.

PRO TIP: selecting the image presents resizing handles or little squares around the image which can (whilst holding the mouse down) be selected and dragged to resize the image.

Within the Editing or “Image Details” pop-up you will be presented with the following options:

Alternative Text: This is the text that is displayed when the image cannot be rendered.

Caption: This is the caption that’s displayed underneath the image. How it is displayed is entirely dependent on the theme that you have selected.

Align: This option enables you to specify image alignment. You can opt for left, right or centered alignment. If you select “None,” the image will be aligned according to the style used by your page or post.

Size: This allows you to specify a specific size or a “Custom Size.” You can then enter the width and height of the image manually.

Link To: This specifies the URL destination if the image is clicked. For most people, it’s best to leave this alone.

There are also some “Advanced Options”:

Image Title Attribute: This is what’s displayed as a tooltip if the user hovers their cursor over the image.

Image CSS Class: This is for advanced users. You might want to specify a specific Cascading Stylesheet (CSS) class to be applied to the image. In that case, you would have defined the CSS class somewhere in your theme or directly in one of the theme’s files.

Link Rel: This describes the relationship between the image and the specified link. This is for advanced users, but you can read more about link relationships here.

Link CSS Class: This allows you to add a CSS class to the link (as opposed to just the image). If you would like to do this, you would add that here.

Open link in a new tab: If you check this box, the link specified for the image (if any) will open in a new window or tab. This is useful if you want to allow people to view some other content but still keep them on your website as well.

Once you’re done with your changes, click the “Update” button in the lower, right-hand corner to save them. You can also click on the “X”in the upper, right-hand corner to cancel your changes.

Once you have inserted one or more images into your content, you might find the need to edit or delete them. Fortunately, WordPress makes this process easy as well. You can simply click on the image in your content and press Delete on your keyboard.

To edit an image, you will click on it and use the pop-up toolbar to perform the necessary edits. You can use the alignment buttons to change the alignment. You can also use Edit to change the image properties. You can use Delete to remove the image from your content.

Remember that deleting an image from your content does not remove it from the library. It only removes it from that page or post.

Clicking on an image also presents resizing handles. These are little squares that appear around the image. You can click on one of these squares and, while holding down the mouse button, drag the square around to make the image larger or smaller. Small images will often look distorted when they’re enlarged beyond their original size. It’s much cleaner to make a large image smaller than it is to make a small image larger.

If you click on Edit after clicking on the image, you’ll be presented with the following options:

Caption: This is the caption that’s displayed underneath the image. How it is displayed is entirely dependent on the theme that you have selected.

Alternative Text: This is the text that is displayed when the image cannot be rendered.

Align: This option enables you to specify image alignment. You can opt for left, right or centered alignment. If you select “None,” the image will be aligned according to the style used by your page or post.

Size: This allows you to specify a specific size or a “Custom Size.” You can then enter the width and height of the image manually.

Link To: This specifies the URL destination if the image is clicked. For most people, it’s best to leave this alone.

Image Title Attribute: This is what’s displayed as a tooltip if the user hovers their cursor over the image.

Image CSS Class: This is for advanced users. You might want to specify a specific Cascading Stylesheet (CSS) class to be applied to the image. In that case, you would have defined the CSS class somewhere in your theme or directly in one of the theme’s files.

Link Rel: This describes the relationship between the image and the specified link. This is for advanced users, but you can read more about link relationships here.

Link CSS Class: This allows you to add a CSS class to the link (as opposed to just the image). If you would like to do this, you would add that here.

Open link in a new window/tab: If you check this box, the link specified for the image (if any) will open in a new window or tab. This is useful if you want to allow people to view some other content but still keep them on your website as well.

Once you’re done with your changes, click the Update button in the lower, left- hand corner to save them. You can also click on the X in the upper, left-hand corner to cancel your changes.

The featured image is the “headline” image for your post. It’s the one image that gives your readers a good understanding of the content. For example, if you were producing a blog post about excavators, your featured image would probably be a picture of an excavator.

Setting a featured image for your pages and posts is similar to embedding an image, except this is done in a different place within the editor.

Within the right-hand sidebar of the visual editor there is a section named “Featured Image” and a window to “Set featured image”.

By clicking the “Set featured image” window you will be able to either choose from your “Media Library” or “Upload Files”. View the INSERTING AN EMBEDDED IMAGE section for more information on loading files. However, once you go through the process of adding the image, it won’t be inserted into your content. Instead, it will appear in the “Featured Image” box.

When you publish your content and visit the part of your website that displays this content, you’ll see that featured image associated with the post or page.

The featured image is the “headline” image for your post. It’s the one image that gives your readers a good understanding of the content. For example, if you were producing a blog post about excavators, your featured image would probably be a picture of an excavator.

Setting a featured image for your blog post is similar to embedding an image, except that it typically begins at a different point.

Glance over at the right-hand sidebar of the visual editor and, towards the bottom, you should see a small box titled “Featured Image.” Right below that title is a hyperlink that reads: “Set featured image.”

Click on the “Set featured image” hyperlink and everything else should be familiar territory. You’ll see the “Insert Media” pop- up and you’ll once again be given the option to add an image. However, once you go through the process of adding the image, it won’t be inserted into your content. Instead, it will appear in the “Featured Image” box. When you publish your content and visit the part of your website that displays your blog posts, you’ll see that image associated with the blog post.

For the most part, the video you want to add to your content will come from YouTube or Vimeo. To add video from either source, it’s as simple as copying and pasting the video URL directly into your visual editor. For most themes, you don’t even need to be in Text mode.

For example, if you’re producing content about a subject and you’ve stumbled across a relevant YouTube video that perfectly highlights the main points of your content, all you have to do is highlight the URL of the YouTube video in your browser window. Then, copy it to the clipboard and paste it in your visual “Embedded URL” block or editor. The video will automatically appear embedded to visitors who read your content.

If you would like to embed a video within content or WYSIWYG text block you would need to retrieve the “Embedded Video” source code. For example, on YouTube this can be done by selecting the “SHARE” button and then copying the embed code.

You are then able to select the “Text” tab within the visual editor and by pasting this copied embed code from YouTube will automatically embed the video within the “Visual” part of the content.

It’s important to note that the embedded video must be on its own separate line. Depending on your theme, you might also have the option to embed Video, so it always appears in the same spot. Some themes will automatically put the “Play” icon in front of the featured image to let users know that a video is included in the content.

WordPress automatically recognizes content from the following sites:

For the most part, the video you want to add to your content will come from YouTube or Vimeo. To add video from either source, it’s as simple as copying and pasting the video URL directly into your visual editor. For most themes, you don’t even need to be in Text mode.

For example, if you’re producing content about a subject and you’ve stumbled across a relevant YouTube video that perfectly highlights the main points of your blog post, all you have to do is highlight the URL of the YouTube video in your browser window. Then, copy it to the clipboard and paste it in your visual editor. The video will automatically appear embedded to visitors who read your blog post.

It’s important to note that the embedded video must be on its own separate line. Depending on your theme, you might also have the option to embed Video, so it always appears in the same spot. Some themes will automatically put the “Play” icon in front of the featured image to let users know that a video is included in the content.

If you have selected a video as your post format, your theme will probably alter the visual editor page so that you’ll have a specific place to enter either the video URL or the embed code. Of course, it’s always best to consult your theme documentation to determine the best way to include embedded videos from other websites.

WordPress automatically recognizes content from the following sites:

You might want to include HTML links in your content to enable your visitors to easily access a certain website, download a file, or provide online evidence about a specific claim that you’re making. Usually, links are distinguished from general content in some way. Often, they’re underlined. Sometimes, they’re bolded. They’re almost always displayed in a different color than the general text.

To create a link from text in your post or page, start by highlighting the text you want to use as a link. This is often referred to as the “anchor text.” Once the text is highlighted, click on the “Insert/edit link” button to add your link.

You can also make use of the “Insert/edit link” option within the “Insert” dropdown menu.

You’ll be presented with a pop-up that allows you to specify the destination for your link. Paste the full URL in the “URL” field and click the arrow to save.

PRO TIP: Select the “Link Options” next to the arrow to link to existing content or pages and posts built on your website. you’re linking to content that is on your site, you might choose to use the “Link to existing content” option at the bottom of the pop-up. This will give you the option to select one of your posts or pages as the link destination. However, if you have a large number of posts or pages, this might be impractical. In that case, simply copy the link from your browser window and paste it in the “URL” field.

You might want to include HTML links in your content to enable your visitors to easily access a certain website, download a file, or provide online evidence about a specific claim that you’re making. Usually, links are distinguished from general content in some way. Often, they’re underlined. Sometimes, they’re bolded. They’re almost always displayed in a different color than the general text.

To create a link from text in your post or page, start by highlighting the text you want to use as a link. This is often referred to as the “anchor text.” Once the text is highlighted, click on the Insert/Edit Link button at the top of the visual editor.

You’ll be presented with a pop-up that allows you to specify the destination for your link. Paste the full URL in the “URL” field. As an option, you can use the Title field to specify the text that appears as a tooltip when the visitor hovers over the link text. Click on the “Open link in a new window/tab” checkbox if you want the link to open in a new window or tab. If you’re linking to content that is on your site, you might choose to use the “Link to existing content” option at the bottom of the pop-up. This will give you the option to select one of your posts or pages as the link destination. However, if you have a large number of posts or pages, this might be impractical. In that case, simply copy the link from your browser window and paste it in the “URL” field.

If you want to add a link to a media file, such as a document or PDF, there are two easy ways to do so.

You can click the Add Media button at the top of the visual editor and either select a file from your “Media Library” or “Upload Files” as explained in the ADDING A FILE section.

If you’d like to link to a media file and you already know its URL, you can simply highlight the text in your content that you want to act as the anchor text and click on the “Insert/edit link” dropdown option within the “Insert” menu. Follow the directions for CREATING HTML LINKS section above, specifying the URL to the media file as the link destination.

If you want to add a link to a media file, such as a document or PDF, there are two easy ways to do so. You can click the Add Media button at the top of the visual editor and drag and drop the media file from your hard drive to the white canvas on the “Insert Media” pop-up. Your file will be uploaded and a link will be created.

As another option, you can click on the “Upload Files” button from the “Insert Media” pop-up and manually navigate to the file you’d like to upload.

Once the file is uploaded, the media library will be displayed and that file will be highlighted. Update the “Title” on the right-hand sidebar. The title will be used as the text for the hyperlink. From the “Link To” drop-down, select Media File. The field below should automatically show the URL for the media file, so you won’t need to change it. Finally, click the Insert Into Post button and the link will appear in your post at the current cursor position.

If you’d like to link to a media file and you already know its URL, you can simply highlight the text in your content that you want to act as the anchor text and click on the Edit/Insert Link button above the visual editor. Follow the directions for “Creating HTML Links” above, specifying the URL to the media file as the link destination.

To add a new category, click on “Add New Category” at the bottom of the “Categories” box on the right-hand sidebar. You’ll be prompted with a text field that will enable you to freely enter your category. It’s best to keep categories short, but descriptive.

Below that text field, you’ll see a drop-down menu that reads “Parent Category.” You can use this to select the parent category of the category that you’re now creating. This is useful if you’re using category hierarchies — “Entertainment” would be a parent category to the “TV,” “Movies,” and “Music” categories. Finally, click on the Add New Category button to add your new category.

All newly added categories appear in a list with checkboxes under the main “Categories” heading. If you just added it, you’ll see that the checkbox next to it is checked and it’s automatically selected for you. That category will remain until you intentionally delete it. The next time you want to use that category, you can simply select it with the checkbox.

Another way to add categories is to hover over “Posts” on the left-hand sidebar, within the dashboard. The drop-down menu for posts includes “Categories” which, when clicked, takes you to a new page where you can add, edit or remove categories.

To add a new category on that page, enter the name of the category in the “Name” field. This is how the category will be displayed to the visitor. Enter the slug or URL for the category in the “Slug” field. Select the parent category from the drop-down below that. Enter a description of the category, which is typically seen only by people who access the WordPress administration console, in the field labeled “Description.” Finally, click on the “Add New Category” button to add your new category.

To add a new category, click on Add New Category at the bottom of the “Categories” box on the right-hand sidebar. You’ll be prompted with a text field that will enable you to freely enter your category. It’s best to keep categories short, but descriptive. Below that text field, you’ll see a drop-down menu that reads “Parent Category.” You can use this to select the parent category of the category that you’re now creating. This is useful if you’re using category hierarchies — “Entertainment” would be a parent category to the “TV,” “Movies,” and “Music” categories. Finally, click on the Add New Category button to add your new category.

Once your new category is added, it will appear in the list of categories in the “Categories” box. If you just added it, you’ll see that the checkbox next to it is checked and it’s automatically selected for you. That category will remain until you intentionally delete it. The next time you want to use that category, you can simply select it with the checkbox.

Another way to add categories is to navigate back to the dashboard and click on the Posts option on the left-hand sidebar. A context menu will drop down that includes “Categories.” If you click on the Categories option, you’ll be taken to a new page where you can add, edit or remove categories.

To add a new category on that page, enter the name of the category in the “Name” field. This is how the category will be displayed to the visitor. Enter the slug for the category in the “Slug” field. Select the parent category from the drop-down below that. Enter a description of the category, which is 50WebFX Guide to Wordpress Categories typically seen only by people who access the WordPress administration console, in the field labeled “Description.” Finally, click on the Add New Category button to add your new category.

As with CATEGORIES, you can add tags to your post while you’re editing it. To add tags, navigate to the “Tags” box on the right-hand sidebar within your Post. You’ll be prompted with a text field that will enable you to freely enter your tags which will be separated or entered by use of commas or the Enter key on your keyboard.

When you type the first few letters of a tag, WordPress will give you a list of tags that have been previously added with those same letters. This occurs if you have already added several tags. If one of those tags is the tag you want to use, you can simply click on it and it will be added as a tag to your post.

Another way to add tags is to hover over “Posts” on the left-hand sidebar, within the dashboard. The drop-down menu for posts includes “Tags” which, when clicked, takes you to a new page where you can add, edit or remove tags.

At the top of the “Tags” screen, you’ll see a list of the most frequently used tags by post count on your WordPress site. To add a new tag, start by entering the name of the tag just below the word “Name” in the “Add New Tag” section. This is the name that visitors to your site will see. Below that, you can enter the slug or URL for the tag. In the “Description” field, you will enter a description for the tag that is typically only seen by people who have access to your administration console. Finally, click on the “Add New Tag” button to create your tag.

As with categories, you can add tags to your post while you’re editing it. On the right-hand sidebar of the visual editor, you’ll see a box labeled “Tags.” This option is typically found just below the “Categories” box. There is a text field in that box where you can type in your tags, with each tag being separated by a comma.

Alternatively, you can add tags one at a time, clicking the Add button to the right of the text field between each tag.

When you type the first few letters of a tag, WordPress will give you a list of tags that have been previously used that begin with those same letters. This occurs if you have already added several tags. If one of those tags is the tag you want to use, you can simply click on it and it will be added as a tag to your post.

Another way to add tags is to go back to the dashboard and click on the “Posts” option on the left-hand sidebar. The context menu that appears below will include a “Tags” options. Click on that option and you’ll see a new screen that allows you to enter tags.

At the top of the “Tags” screen, you’ll see a list of the most frequently used tags by post count on your WordPress site. To add a new tag, start by entering the name of the tag just below the word “Name” in the “Add New Tag” section. This is the name that visitors to your site will see. Below that, you can enter the slug for the tag. In the “Description” field, you will enter a description for the tag that is typically only seen by people who have access to your administration console. Finally, click on the Add New Tag button to create your tag.

Your WordPress Theme is automatically set by WebFX when initially setting up your website in your chosen design and styling.

For more information on configuring your theme settings follow the directions within the THEME SETTINGS section.

Setting The Theme

The first option in the “Appearance” context menu is the “Themes” option. When you click on it, you’ll have the opportunity to install a new theme.

A theme in WordPress represents the overall look and feel of your site. A theme will provide you with the color scheme, the location of the menu, the display format for your posts, the fonts used in your posts and pages, and more.

When you click on the Themes option, you’ll see a list of currently installed themes. Although you can install as many themes as you like, only one theme can be active at any one point in time. The active theme is the theme that people will see when they visit your site.

Installed vs. Activated Themes

Once the theme is uploaded, it is installed but not activated. However, you will see an Activate link that will give you the option to activate the theme immediately. When you choose the Activate option, the new theme will take the place of your old theme.

Usually, the switch will go without a hitch. None of your content will be deleted. None of the files in your media library will be erased. Your website will simply have a new look and feel.

If you don't want to activate your theme immediately, it will simply be added to your list of installed themes. When you return to the “Themes” page, you can view a description of the theme by clicking the “Theme Details” button. Towards the bottom of the details page, you’ll see buttons to “Active” and “Delete” the theme.

Configuring Your Theme

Depending on the sophistication of your theme, there are several appearance options that you might want to configure. If you return to the dashboard and click on the “Appearance” option on the left-hand sidebar, you might see “Theme Options” in the drop-down menu. This option will bring you to a new page that will be specific to your theme. Usually, you’ll use this page to upload your logo, add custom CSS classes, add social media account URLs, and specify which theme-specific elements you want to appear.

Customizing Your Theme

There are dozens of ways to customize your theme. The “Customize” option offers some useful functionality.

From the dashboard, hover over “Appearance” and select “Customize” from the context menu that appears. An entirely new screen will appear that provides you with limited, but important customization options.

At the top, left side of the new page, you’ll see the phrase “You are previewing” followed by your site’s name. Below that line, you’ll see a box entitled, “Site Title & Tagline.” Click the down arrow to the right to expand that box.

There are two text fields in this box. The first text field is the “Site Title” text field. Enter the name of your site into that field. The next field is the “Tagline” field. In that text field, enter a brief description of your site. For example, if your site title is “Geekdom,” your tagline might be something like: “All the things geeks love.”

It’s important to remember that your site title and tagline will affect your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. If you’re focusing on SEO, you’ll want to select a title and tagline that will make it easy for the search engines to find your site.

The other options that appear on the left-hand sidebar will be driven by your theme. However, they should be intuitive to use. Most of this page is a preview of what your site will look like once the customization changes are applied. It’s a helpful way to view the changes to your website in real time as you’re modifying it.

When you’re happy with the changes, click on the Save & Publish button at the top of the page. If you want to exit the page without saving anything, click the Cancel button in the upper, left-hand side of the page.

The Editor

WordPress also gives you the option to edit the theme files directly. This is an option that is best left to advanced users who have an understanding of HTML, PHP, CSS and JavaScript.

From the dashboard, click the “Appearance” option on the left sidebar. Then, click on “Editor” from the context menu that appears. You’ll see a new screen with a list of files on the right sidebar and an editor in the middle of the screen. If you click on one of the files on the right sidebar, the contents of that file will appear in the editor.

You can make necessary changes and click the Update File button at the bottom of the editor.

If you decide to make changes to theme files, it’s a good idea to back up the file before making those changes. You can do that by copying and pasting the original contents of the file to a local text file on our hard drive. Remember that you can actually “break” your entire website with a simple mistake in one of the theme files. Use caution.

USE CAUTION: Remember that you can actually “break” your entire website with a simple mistake in one of the theme files. If you decide to make changes to theme files, it’s a good idea to back up the files before making those changes. You can do that by copying and pasting the original contents of the files to a local text file on our hard drive.

Depending on your theme and the “Widget Areas” available you may be able to add additional widgets to those areas.

Within the widget area (for example here the it is the Main Sidebar Widgets) you are able to select the “+” or “Add Block”.

By selecting “Browse all” you will then be able to browse from ALL of the blocks available for your website which, when selected, can be added within the selected widget area. Depending on the block added you will have different options to configure the block. These configuration options will be presented by selecting or clicking on the newly added block.

IMPORTANT: To save your changes you will need to click the “Update” button seen at the top right of the widgets page.

Removing a widget from any widget area is as easy as selecting the widget, clicking on the 3 dots presented and selecting the “Remove” option.

If you want to add a widget to a particular area of your site, simply drag the appropriate widget from the left side of the screen to the correct box on the right side of the screen. For example, if you see a “Latest Posts” widget on the left and you’d like to display the latest posts on the right sidebar of your website, drag the “Latest Posts” widget to the “Right Sidebar” box on the right side of the page.

When you drop it there, you might be presented with some configuration options. Fill out those options to suit the needs of your site. Remember, each widget has a Save button at the bottom, so remember to click on that once you have made the necessary changes.

Removing a widget from a box is as easy as opening the widget in the box and clicking on the Delete link at the bottom of the widget.

The number of menus that your website will display and which are available to edit is dependent on your theme. Some themes have one menu, some have two, and others have as many as three. There is no limit to the number of menus you can create, however there is a limit to the number of menus your theme will display at once.

Below the “Edit Menus” tab, you’ll see a link labeled “create a new menu” to the left of the select button. By clicking this link you will be taken to a new page where you will be prompted to enter a “Menu name” along with other configuration options.

Once your menu is created and you have selected the “Create Menu” button you will be able to “Select” it from the “Select a menu to edit” option within the “Edit Menus” tab and then edit and remove menu items from your newly created menu.

WordPress also gives you the option to create different menus. The number of menus that your website will display is dependent on your theme. Some themes have one menu, some have two, and others have as many as three.

However, there is no limit to the number of menus you can create. There is only a limit to the number of menus your theme will display at once. At the top of the “Edit Menus” tab, you’ll see a link labeled “create a new menu” to the right of the “Select” button. Click on that link and a new page will open with just one text field: the menu name. Enter the name of our new menu in the field and click on the Create Menu button.

Once your menu is created, you can select it from the “Select a menu to edit” option on the “Edit Menus” tab. Once you click on the “Select” button, you’ll be able to add, edit and remove menu items from that menu as described above.

From the left-hand “Add menu items” section you will see the “Categories” block. There, you should see a list of categories that are specific to your site and you will be able to select one or more of them to add to your menu. Clicking on the “Add to Menu” button adds these categories to the menu you are editing with the name of the category being the menu item text.

When a visitor clicks on that text from the menu, the website will display all posts specific to that category.

Open the “Categories” box on the left side of the “Edit Menus” tab by clicking on its drop-down arrow. There, you should see a list of categories that are specific to your site. Click on one or more categories. Then, click the Add to Menu button at the bottom of the box. Those categories will automatically be added to your menu with the name of the category being the menu item text.

When a visitor clicks on that text from the menu, the website will display all posts specific to that category.

If you want to include all categories in your main menu, click on Select All at the bottom of the categories box. Then, click Add to Menu.

The “Writing” option within the “Settings” context menu directs you to a new “Writing Settings” page that will give you some options regarding the content on your website.

The “Default Post Category” drop-down is used to specify the default category for every new post. It defaults to “Uncategorized” which is best for most sites. The “Default Post Format” option is used to specify the default post format for every new post. It defaults to “Standard,” which is best for most sites.

Click “Settings” on the left side of the dashboard. Then, click on Writing from the context menu that appears. You’ll be taken to a new page that will give you some options about the content on your site.

If you want to automatically convert emoticons to images, check the “Convert emoticons to graphics on display” option.

The option below reads “WordPress should correct invalidly nested XHTML automatically.” This option is unchecked by default, and it’s best keeping it unchecked. If checked, WordPress will correct XHTML (Extensible Hypertext Markup Language) errors automatically, which may inadvertently break something in the process.

The “Default Post Category” drop-down is used to specify the default category for every new post. It defaults to “Uncategorized” which is best for most sites.

The “Default Post Format” option is used to specify the default post format for every new post. It defaults to “Standard,” which is best for most sites.

The “Reading” option within the “Settings” context menu directs you to a new “Reading Settings” page that will allow you to configure how your site is viewed.

Your homepage displays:
Allows you to configure what users see when they arrive at your homepage. What you select here will vary based on your theme. If you have a sophisticated theme, you might want to use a specific page as our front page. If that’s the case, select “A static page” and select the page in the drop-down section.

You’ll also need to specify a “Posts page” to display your blog posts. This will probably be a page called “Blog” However, you’ll want to consult your theme documentation before changing this option.

Blog pages show at most:
Use this option to indicate how many blog posts people see on one page at a time. You can specify a larger post count, but remember that the more you specify, the longer it will take the page to load. It’s a balance between providing enough content so the visitor doesn’t have to do a lot of clicking — and not providing too much so the visitor has to wait a long time to see the page.

Syndication feeds show the most recent:
Use this option to limit the number of entries in your site’s RSS feed. WordPress automatically syndicates your content into an RSS feed, so people can subscribe to your site using their own RSS readers. The more “items” you specify here, the more articles will be available to people who browse your site with an RSS reader.

For each post in a feed, include:
Use this option to limit how much content people who view your site from an RSS reader can see. You’ll probably want to limit this to “Summary” as opposed to the default “Full Text” option, so people who want to read your content will need to visit your site directly.

Click the “Save” button at the bottom of the editor once all of the necessary changes have been made.

Click “Settings” on the left sidebar of the dashboard. Choose Reading from the context menu that appears. A “Reading Settings” page will appear that will allow you to configure how your site is viewed.

The first option you’ll see is labeled “Front page displays.” This option will allow you to configure what people see when they arrive at your homepage. What you select here will likely vary based on your theme. If you have a sophisticated theme, you might want to use a specific page as our front page. If that’s the case, select “A static page” and specify the page in the drop down below the radio button.

You’ll also need to specify a page to display your blog posts. This will probably be a page called “Posts.” However, you’ll want to consult your theme documentation before changing this option.

The next option is labeled “Blog pages show at most.” This gives you the option to show how many blog posts people see on one page. You can specify a larger post count, but remember that the more you specify, the longer it will take the page to load. It’s a balance between providing enough content so the visitor doesn’t have to do a lot of clicking — and not providing too much so the visitor has to wait a long time to see the page.

The “Syndication feeds show the most recent” option is used to limit the number of entries in your site’s RSS feed. WordPress automatically syndicates your content into an RSS feed, so people can subscribe to your site using their own RSS readers. The more “items” you specify here, the more articles will be available to people who browse your site with an RSS reader.

The “For each article in a feed, show” option lets you limit how much content people who view your site from an RSS reader can see. You’ll probably want to limit this to “Summary” as opposed to the default “Full Text” option, so people who want to read your content will need to visit your site directly.