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Site Management

Introduction to WordPress Admin Dashboard

Instructions:

The WordPress Admin Dashboard is where you can manage your website settings, content, and tools. This guide covers the main areas you will see after logging in and what each section is used for.

Please note that your dashboard may look slightly different depending on your website setup, plugins, and theme. This is a general overview of the main sections you may see.

Dashboard overview

  1. After logging in, you will be taken to the WordPress Dashboard.
  2. The dashboard contains different cards and information panels.
  3. You can rearrange these panels or add new ones if you find them useful.

Some plugins, such as WooCommerce, may add their own dashboard information.

Screen Options

Most WordPress pages have a Screen Options button at the top.

If you cannot find a menu item or section mentioned in a tutorial:

  1. Click Screen Options.
  2. Check the available options.
  3. Enable any sections you would like to display.

Admin Bar

The admin bar appears at the top of your website when you are logged in.

From here, you can:

  • Visit your website.
  • Access the dashboard.
  • Access plugin shortcuts.

For example, clicking Visit Site will take you to the front end of your website.

Clearing your website cache

Caching helps your website load faster by creating stored versions of pages.

If you make changes but cannot see them straight away, you may need to clear your cache.

To clear your cache:

  1. Go to the caching plugin settings, such as WP Rocket.
  2. Choose the option to clear or purge the cache.
  3. Refresh your website to view the latest changes.

Updates

The Updates section shows available updates for:

  • WordPress.
  • Plugins.
  • Themes.

We usually manage updates for our clients, so you should not need to update these yourself.

If you are managing your own website:

  1. Go to Updates.
  2. Select the items you would like to update.
  3. Click Update.

Always be careful when updating plugins or themes, as some updates can affect website functionality.

Posts

The Posts section is where you can create and manage blog posts.

Here you can:

  • Add new posts.
  • Manage categories.
  • Add tags.

Media Library

The Media section stores all uploaded website files.

This includes:

  • Images.
  • PDFs.
  • Other media files.

When you click on a file, you can:

  • Download the file.
  • Copy the file URL.
  • Rename the file.
  • Add alt text.
  • Add captions and descriptions.
  • View image dimensions and details.

Pages

The Pages section contains all pages on your website.

This is where you can view and manage your website pages.

Comments

If your website has a blog or online store, comments may appear here.

You can:

  • Approve comments.
  • Mark comments as spam.
  • Delete comments.

Appearance

The Appearance section controls some visual settings.

You may see options such as:

  • Themes.
  • Customise.
  • Widgets.
  • Menus.

You generally should not need to change these settings unless instructed.

Updating menus

If you need to update your website navigation menu:

  1. Go to Appearance > Menus.
  2. Select the menu you want to edit.
  3. Add or remove menu items.
  4. Click Save Menu.

Plugins

Plugins add extra functionality to your website.

Examples include:

  • Forms.
  • SEO tools.
  • Security features.
  • Ecommerce features.

You can view installed plugins under Plugins.

Avoid adding or changing plugins unless you know what you are doing, as plugins can affect your website.

Users

The Users section allows you to manage website accounts.

You can:

  • Add new users.
  • Edit user details.
  • Manage user roles.

Different user roles have different levels of access, such as:

  • Administrator.
  • Editor.
  • Subscriber.
  • Customer.

Tools

The Tools section contains more technical website management options.

Most users will not need to use these settings.

Settings

The Settings section contains your website’s general configuration.

General Settings

Here you can manage:

  • Site title.
  • Tagline.
  • Website URL.
  • Administrator email.
  • Site language.
  • Time zone.
  • Date format.
  • Time format.

Important:
Do not change your website URL unless you know exactly what you are doing, as this can cause issues with your website.

Reading Settings

Reading settings control how your homepage and blog pages work.

Here you can choose:

  • Your homepage.
  • Your posts page.

Discussion Settings

Discussion settings control comments on your website.

You can manage:

  • Comment approvals.
  • Spam settings.
  • Comment moderation.

If you receive spam comments, you can add certain words to automatically flag them for review.

Media Settings

Media settings control default image sizes.

You generally should not need to change these settings.

Permalinks

Permalinks control how your website URLs are structured.

These settings are usually configured during setup and should not be changed without guidance.

Plugins and Website Tools

Your website may include additional tools and plugins, such as:

UpdraftPlus Backups

Used for creating and managing website backups.

Duplicate Page

Allows you to copy existing pages.

WP Rocket

A caching plugin that helps improve website speed.

Divi Builder

Divi is the website builder used to create and edit website layouts.

Most Divi settings should not be changed unless you are specifically instructed to do so.

Adding tracking codes

Sometimes external services may ask you to add a tracking code to your website.

If using Divi:

  1. Go to Divi > Theme Options.
  2. Open the Integration section.
  3. Add the code to the relevant area, such as the header or body.

If you are unsure, it is best to check before adding any code.

The WordPress Admin Dashboard contains many tools and settings, but most day-to-day updates will only require a few sections, such as Pages, Posts, Media, and specific plugins.

Thanks for watching.