This document provides an overview of the basic functions and layout of a WordPress website. It outlines the following key points: 1. Creating a WordPress account and signing in, noting that each new website created is a new blog. 2. The main sections of the WordPress dashboard - Appearance, Settings, Posts, and Pages - and how they are used to manage themes, site settings, blog posts, and static pages. 3. The differences between posts, which are fluid blog entries, and pages, which are static pages like the homepage, and how to add new posts and pages.

1. Step 1 – create an account on WordPress.com
 Note:
o you will need to use a gmail account to create your account (I created one dedicated to this website)
o I suggest that you use a name that reflects the account/purpose for your website -
ie. – my first account I created the user name as SteveLipe, and my website became
stevelipe.wordpress.com – not what I wanted, so, I created a new wordpress account with the
username techarts41, which becomes techarts41.wordpress.com, which is closer to its purpose.
You will need to have your gmail account open to go to the link they send you to verify your being a
person, which is why I have a dedicated gmail for this account.
Step 2 – Sign in
How Wordpress works: Basically, each time you create a website, it is a new blog
And you’ll see this:

2. Page 2
After you create a blog you will see a window that along the left side is your dashboard:
For now, we will focus on four parts of this menu: Appearance, Settings, Posts, Pages

3. Page 3
Appearance is where you start. This is where you choose a theme. A theme is basically how the pages are laid out and
what extra features are available. You can change a theme at any time, and WordPress automatically changes your
content to match.
Themes and Menus are what we will focus on now. The others you can learn at leisure!
With themes, you click on the word, and you will see themes, organized in different ways.
In menus, you work with how the page is organized, which we will get to later.

4. Page 4
Settings is like it sounds. It is where you go to change different aspects of your site as you work with.
Of primary interest right now is General, Writing and Reading. The others can wait until you have had time to play (I
mean explore) the different aspects of the site.

5. Page 5
Basically, in WordPress, a page is static and a post is fluid. So think of your home page as the general information about
your class, and on it will be links to your blogs, which will arranged by catagories. Don’t worry, this will hopefully make
sense after you have visited the two.
Posts
Pages
When you add a new post, you get this:

6. Page 6
Add a new page and you get this:
Some overall features.
Each window/screen you open will have this located at the upper right corner:
Screen options is just that; the options available for that screen. Some are useful, some not yet, you will just need to
look at them as you get used to the program.
And finally, help. It really is helpful. When you click on it, it takes you to this:
Use this when you are stuck, or if I can’t answer your question, or you are interested in what else this program can do.