Getting to Know WordPress

Welcome to WordPress! The dashboard is the control centre for your website. From here you can add new content, change how your site looks and manage all of your settings.

How to Log In

• Open your web browser and type your website address followed by /wp-admin (for example, yourdomain.tld/wp-admin). Sometimes /admin also works.
• Enter your username or email address and your password.
• Click Log In to access your dashboard.

The Main Layout Once you log in, you will notice the screen is divided into three main sections:

1. The Top Toolbar This dark bar sits at the very top of your screen. It provides quick links to common tasks like visiting your live website, viewing recent comments and quickly adding new posts or pages.

2. The Left-Hand Navigation Menu This is your primary menu. It contains links to every management area of your website. Here are the most common sections you will use on a daily basis:

• Posts: Where you write, edit and publish your blog articles.
• Media: Your library for uploading images, documents and videos.
• Pages: Where you create static content like your ‘About Us’ or ‘Contact’ pages.
• Appearance: Where you can customise your website’s design, menus and widgets.
• Plugins: Tools you can add to your site for extra features (like contact forms or SEO tools).
• Users: Where you manage who has access to log in and edit your website.

3. The Main Work Area This is the large section in the middle of your screen. When you first log in, it displays a quick overview of your site activity. Whenever you click an item in the left-hand menu, this main area will change to show you the relevant workspace and settings for that specific section.