This document provides steps for students to create an Expressions site and an overview of customization options. It outlines how to sign up, choose a theme, add posts and pages. Themes allow customizing a site's look and feel. Posts are discrete units of content that appear chronologically. Pages feature static content that must be fully re-edited. Additional settings allow customizing the homepage, menus and more. Help resources like the Answer Space and ITS contact information are also provided.

1. Making an SYR
Expressions Site
A Guide for WRT 105
Students

2. Step 1: Visit http:expressions.syr.edu
and click the button to “Sign Up!”

3. Step 2: Enter your SYR netID
and password, then click
“LOGIN.”

4. Step 3: Enter a name for your site,
and tagline if you choose. Click
“Make My Site” to continue.

5. Step 4: Choose the link “Click
here to view your new site.”

6. Step 5: Click “Visit Site”

7. You have arrived at your new
site’s Dashboard. The rest of the
tutorial will explore some of your
options.

8. Themes

9. To personalize the look and feel of your site,
hover over “Appearance” in the left hand
nav bar and choose “Themes.”

10. Here you will see the default themes that are already
installed. Hover over the installed themes and choose
“Preview” or “Activate” to check out how your site
looks with those themes applied.

11. Or, you can click the “Add New”
button to search for new themes.

12. Now, you can use any of the listed filters,
enter a search term, choose “Featured” or
similar options, or just click “Search” to sort
through available themes.

13. When you find a theme you like, you
can preview it, or click “Install Now” to
add it to your theme gallery.

14. About installed themes…
 New themes will appear in your themes gallery
with the default themes. Choose
AppearanceThemes in the left hand nav bar to
view all installed themes.
 To apply a theme, hover over it in the themes
gallery and choose “activate.”
 Themes will need to be updated from time to time
for security and functionality of your site. You will
be notified that you have updates ready when
you log in to your dashboard.
 Themes have a variety of different capabilities.
Explore them carefully to ensure they are suitable
to your needs.

15. Posts

16. Posts are equivalent to a blog
post or status update—the
most recent content appears
on top. You can work with
posts in several ways.

17. In the left hand nav bar, you can hover over
the “Posts” link and choose “Add New” to
make a new post, or choose “All Posts” to
view and edit previous posts.

18. You can also add new posts by
clicking “+ New” in the top menu
bar.

19. Be sure to entre a title for your
post.

20. To insert images, video, and more,
click the “Add Media” button.

21. For more formatting options, click
the “Show Kitchen Sink” button.

22. Be sure to click the “Publish” button when you
are ready for your content to be public.
Drafted posts are automatically saved.

23. Pages

24. Pages are like posts, but they
feature static content. In other
words, you will have to edit the
entire page each time you add
something new, rather than
adding new, discrete units of
content like you do with posts.

25. Select Pages Add New to
create new pages. The editor is
the same as the editor for posts.

26. You can also select “All Pages” to
view and edit already created
pages.

27. A Few More
Advanced
Features…

28. Under Settings General, you can enter a
new contact email for yourself, change the
time zone, date format, and more.

29. Under Settings Reading, you can choose a
new homepage—this can be your blog page
(default), or a new static page you’ve
created.

30. To create a custom menu,
choose Appearance Menus

31. For more Expressions help…
 Visit the Expressions Answer Space at
https://answers.syr.edu/display/itsservapp
011/Expressions
 Call ITS at (315) 443-2677
 Or, email express@syr.edu