The WordPress dashboard is the central hub of your WordPress website administration. It provides a user-friendly interface to manage and control various aspects of your website. This documentation will give you a comprehensive overview of the WordPress dashboard and its key features.
Accessing the WordPress Dashboard #
To access the WordPress dashboard, follow these steps:
- Open a web browser and navigate to your website’s URL.
- Append “/wp-admin” to the end of the URL (e.g., “www.example.com/wp-admin”).
- Enter your username and password in the login form.
- Click the “Log In” button.
Dashboard Layout #
The WordPress dashboard is organized into several sections with different functionalities. Let’s go over each section:
- Admin Bar: The admin bar, located at the top of the screen, provides quick access to commonly used administrative tasks and links to important sections of your website.
- Sidebar Menu: The sidebar menu, typically on the left side of the screen, contains a set of menu items that allow you to navigate and access various sections and settings of your WordPress website.
- Main Content Area: The main content area is where you will find widgets, information, and overviews related to your website’s performance, updates, recent activities, and more. It may vary depending on the installed plugins and theme.
Dashboard Widgets #
The WordPress dashboard contains several default widgets that provide useful information and quick access to key features. Some common dashboard widgets include:
- At a Glance: Gives a summary of your site’s content, such as the number of published posts, pages, and comments.
- Quick Draft: Allows you to create a new draft post directly from the dashboard.
- Activity: Provides an overview of recent site activity, including published posts, comments, and other updates.
- WordPress News: Displays the latest news and updates from the official WordPress.org site.
Customizing the Dashboard #
You can customize the WordPress dashboard to suit your preferences and needs. To do this, follow these steps:
- Hover over the “Screen Options” tab at the top right corner of the dashboard.
- Click on it to reveal a drop-down menu with options to show/hide specific dashboard widgets.
- Check/uncheck the boxes next to each widget to customize the display.
Settings and Configuration #
The WordPress dashboard also includes various settings and configuration options. These settings allow you to control site preferences, permalinks, media handling, user roles, and more. To access and modify these settings, navigate to the “Settings” menu in the sidebar.
Conclusion #
The WordPress dashboard serves as a comprehensive control panel for managing your website. It provides quick access to settings, customization options, and useful information to help you effectively manage and monitor your WordPress site.