What is WordPress?

WordPress powers over 40% of the web, but what exactly is it, and why is it so widely used? In this lesson, you’ll learn what WordPress is, how it evolved, and why it remains the go-to platform for professionals looking to establish an online presence—whether as an independent consultant, freelancer, or business owner.

WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org

Not all WordPress versions are created equal. Should you use WordPress.com or host your own site with WordPress.org? This lesson breaks down the key differences, helping you make the right choice based on your long-term goals, budget, and need for customization.

The Dashboard

Your WordPress Dashboard is the control center for everything you do—from publishing content to customizing your site. In this lesson, you’ll get a guided tour of the Dashboard, understand its main features, and learn how to navigate the backend like a pro.

Posts vs. Pages

WordPress offers two primary content types: Posts and Pages. But which one should you use, and when? This lesson clarifies the key differences, best use cases, and how structuring your content properly enhances your website’s usability and SEO.

What is Gutenberg?

The Gutenberg Block Editor revolutionized content creation in WordPress. In this lesson, you’ll discover how Gutenberg enables you to build dynamic, media-rich layouts using blocks, removing the need for complex coding or outdated page builders.

The Block Editor

Mastering the Block Editor is essential for creating professional-quality web pages. This lesson takes a hands-on approach to using blocks effectively, showing you how to craft visually appealing layouts that are responsive and user-friendly.

Create a New Post

Ready to publish your first post? This lesson walks you through the step-by-step process of drafting, formatting, and optimizing a post in WordPress, ensuring that your content looks polished and professional.

How to Add an Image

A well-placed image can transform your content. This lesson teaches you how to upload, format, and optimize images for your posts and pages, ensuring they load quickly and display correctly across all devices.

Creating Links and Buttons

Hyperlinks and call-to-action buttons guide visitors through your site and encourage engagement. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to create internal and external links, as well as stylized buttons that improve site navigation and conversions.

Embed a PDF File

Offering downloadable PDFs is a great way to share reports, guides, or lead magnets. This lesson walks you through uploading PDFs, creating download buttons, and making your content more accessible.

Embed Video or Audio

Video and audio can make your content more dynamic. Learn how to embed media files from YouTube, Vimeo, SoundCloud, and other platforms, ensuring they load smoothly while maintaining site performance.

Add a Featured Image

Featured images help define your posts visually and play a crucial role in social sharing. This lesson shows you how to select, upload, and optimize featured images for maximum impact.

Categories and Tags

Organizing your content improves user experience and SEO. Learn how to use categories and tags strategically to help visitors find related content and enhance your site's searchability.

Publishing Options

WordPress offers powerful publishing controls, including private, password-protected, and scheduled posts. This lesson walks you through different publishing settings and how to use them to your advantage.

Edit Existing Posts

Your content isn’t static—updates and refinements are part of the process. Learn how to edit, update, and manage your posts efficiently using the All Posts screen in WordPress.

How to Create Pages

Unlike posts, pages provide static content for your website, such as About and Contact pages. This lesson teaches you how to create, format, and structure pages for a professional, easy-to-navigate website.

Creating Custom Menus

Navigation is key to usability and user experience. This lesson walks you through creating, customizing, and managing menus to ensure visitors can effortlessly find the most important pages on your site. You’ll also learn how to structure dropdown menus, add custom links, and organize navigation to improve site accessibility and engagement.

How to Add Widgets

Widgets enhance your site’s functionality and layout by adding extra features to sidebars, footers, and other widget-enabled areas. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to add, remove, and configure widgets to display recent posts, social media feeds, or contact forms—helping you create a more dynamic and user-friendly site.

Create a Static Homepage

If you want your homepage to be more than just a list of recent blog posts, setting a custom homepage is the way to go. This lesson will show you how to choose and configure a static homepage, ensuring your site has a more polished, structured, and professional first impression.

Customize Your Theme

WordPress themes define the visual style and user experience of your site. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to adjust colors, fonts, and layouts to align with your brand. You’ll also explore custom CSS options, enabling you to fine-tune your site’s appearance beyond the built-in theme settings.

Installing a New Theme

Choosing the right theme is crucial for both branding and functionality. This lesson walks you through finding, installing, and previewing themes to ensure they align with your goals. You’ll also learn how to safely switch themes without disrupting your site’s content or layout.

How to Install Plugins

Plugins expand WordPress’s functionality, allowing you to add features like SEO tools, security enhancements, and social media integration. This lesson will teach you how to find, install, and manage plugins, ensuring your site remains optimized, secure, and aligned with your needs.

Text Blocks

Well-structured content improves readability and engagement. This lesson explores the various text-based blocks, including lists, tables, and block quotes, helping you organize your content effectively. Learn how to format text in a way that improves clarity, highlights key information, and enhances the overall user experience.

Media Blocks

Strong visuals elevate your content. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use media blocks to add images, photo galleries, and embedded videos that enhance your posts and pages. Discover how to optimize image placement, format media effectively, and create visually compelling layouts that improve audience engagement.

Design Blocks

Unlock the full potential of WordPress’s block editor by mastering Columns, Groups, Spacers, and Separators. This lesson will show you how to craft structured, professional-looking layouts without touching a single line of code. Learn how to create multi-column sections, custom page breaks, and visually distinct content areas to improve user experience.

Widget Blocks

Widgets allow you to add dynamic, interactive elements anywhere on your site. This lesson covers how to integrate recent posts, search bars, social media icons, and custom content areas using Widget Blocks. Learn how to strategically place these features to improve navigation, functionality, and engagement on your site.

Pattern Blocks

Save time on page design with Pattern Blocks—pre-styled content sections that can be inserted with a single click. This lesson will show you how to use, customize, and manage these block patterns to create beautifully designed sections like hero banners, call-to-action areas, testimonials, and feature grids with minimal effort.

The Media Library

Managing media efficiently is crucial for maintaining a well-organized and fast-loading site. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to upload, edit, organize, and optimize your media files within the WordPress Media Library. Discover best practices for file naming, alt text usage, and compression techniques to improve both SEO and site performance.

Managing Comments

Engaging with visitors can build community, but spam and irrelevant discussions clutter your site. This lesson covers approving, moderating, filtering, and disabling comments, ensuring valuable discussions while minimizing spam.

Adding New Users

Collaboration is easier when roles and permissions are assigned correctly. Learn how to add users, set access levels, and manage permissions to protect your site while ensuring efficient teamwork.

Edit Your Profile

Your WordPress profile is more than a login—it’s your site identity. This lesson covers how to update contact details, configure your display name, and set up a Gravatar, along with adjusting personal settings to streamline your workflow.

WordPress Tools

WordPress provides built-in tools for managing content and security. This lesson covers how to export, import, and back up content, ensuring data safety and compliance without relying on third-party solutions.

WordPress Settings

Optimizing site settings improves functionality and user experience. This lesson breaks down General, Writing, Reading, Discussion, Media, and Permalink settings, helping you customize visibility, timezone, post formats, and comment moderation rules.