WordPress

Overview/Introduction

WordPress is a website and blog creation software. 

Details

Creating an Account and Website

1. Go to WordPress.com
2. Click on Get Started in the top right-hand corner.
3. Create a free account with a unique username and password.
4. Choose the type of site you wish to create (e.g .blog).
5. Type in a keyword or subject that describes what your site will be (e.g. higher education).
6. Choose a title for your website (you can change this later).
7. Choose a free domain name by typing in the first part of your domain name to see if it’s available (this will be the site address for your website, so choose wisely!).
8. Choose the Free plan. If WordPress ever prompts you to sign up for a paid account, click on the option that says Free. 
9. If you ever need to access your site again, sign in to WordPress and click on My Site in the top left-hand corner.

Customizing your Site's Theme

1. Click on My Site  to get to the WordPress dashboard.
2. Click on Appearance, then Themes to change the theme of your website (you can filter the search to only search for free themes).
3. Click on Customize to explore additional settings (depending on your theme, you may or may not have these customization options)..
   1.  Site Identity allows you to add a title and tagline to your website (also available under Settings in the dashboard).
   2.  Colors and Backgrounds allows you to change the background color.
   3.  Font allows you to change the website font.
   4. Header Image allows you to add an image to the header of your website.
   5.  Menus allows you to add additional menu items or linked pages to your website. Once there, click on Primary, then Add Items, and add a Page that will become a new tab that will be linked off the homepage (Note: If you haven’t created your Pages yet, you can always return to this step after you have).
   6. Content Options allows you to  customize how your blog posts display. If you are creating a blog, be sure to customize the display so the posts display on the homepage of your site. 
   7. Widgets allows you to add more sidebar or footer options.
   8. Homepage Settings allows you to choose whether you want the homepage to be a static page or a list of blog posts. 
   9. Click on the device icons at the bottom to preview what your site looks like on different devices.
4. Click on Publish when you are finished.

Creating Pages or Blog Posts 

1. Under My Sites, next to Blog Posts or Pages, click Add. 
2. Give the page/post a title and enter text in the blank text box. Once you start typing, you will see some options appear at the top (e.g. text alignment, bold text, etc.).
3. When you are finished adding text to this block, click to the side of it to exit the block.
4. Hover over the top of the block and click the + icon to add a new block of text or an image.
5. Choose the type of block you wish to create (e.g. Image).
   1. If you chose an image block, you will be prompted to upload an image from your computer, use an image you’ve already uploaded to WordPress (found in your media library), or provide the URL to an online image.
   2. If you would like to embed an online video, choose the embed or YouTube block, Copy the site address of the video you wish to embed and paste it in the embed field.
6. When you click on any block, a sidebar on the right-hand side will appear, giving you more options.
   1.  Click on Page Attributes to choose where the Page will display.
   2. Click on Public in the Visibility section to customize the privacy settings of that post or page.
1. When you are finished, select Publish in the top right-hand corner.

FAQs

1. How do I publish my WordPress site? First, confirm your email address through the email that WordPress sent you. Then, under Settings > Privacy, click on Launch. When you choose to Launch the site, it will prompt you to upgrade a few times. Choose the prompts that allow you to stick to the free version. 
2. Can I make my WordPress private? Yes, follow these instructions to set the privacy settings of your website.
3. Can I collaborate on a site with others? Yes, first create the site and then from the Dashboard, click on Users and add your collaborators. 

See Also

WordPress Help Center

WordPress Tutorials

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