{"id":10776353,"date":"2018-10-12T22:50:06","date_gmt":"2018-10-12T22:50:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/support\/?post_type=helphub_article&p=10776353"},"modified":"2025-06-24T16:16:57","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T16:16:57","slug":"first-steps-with-wordpress-classic","status":"publish","type":"helphub_article","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/documentation\/article\/first-steps-with-wordpress-classic\/","title":{"rendered":"First steps with WordPress (Classic Editor)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Note: This page refers to WordPress using the older or Classic Editor. If you are on a new version of WordPress or using the block editor, refer to this page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have done the 5-minute installation. Now what?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You’ve just completed the 5-Minute Installation<\/a> of WordPress or the one-click install from your web host. So what is your next step?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s take a step-by-step tour through your WordPress site and see how the different functions work and how to make your new site your own. During the first part of this tutorial, please don’t change anything within the program<\/em> unless it is part of the tutorial. After following these steps, you’ll soon be changing everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Log In<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Login<\/figure>\n\n\n\n


Begin by logging in to the administration area, or the back end<\/a>, of your website. Visit your site’s login page by placing wp-admin<\/em> after your domain name (e.g., http:\/\/example.com\/wp-admin). Some themes<\/a> provide a login link or form on the front end<\/a> as well. Now log in to WordPress using the username and password you created in the 5-minute install.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start at the Top<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After logging in you are on the main Administration Screen<\/a> called the Dashboard<\/a>. This is where the organization of your site begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the top of the screen is the area called the toolbar<\/em><\/a>. Click on your site name; it’s a link and it will take you to a view of your new WordPress site. Like it? Don’t like it? Doesn’t matter, just look at it. This is where you are going to be spending a lot of time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Test Drive Your WordPress Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Take time to look at the site before you get into changing it and figuring out how it all works<\/a>; it’s important to see how the WordPress Twenty Nineteen theme is laid out and how it works. Consider this the test drive before you start adding all the special features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The layout you are looking at is defined by a WordPress Theme<\/a>. It is the appearance<\/a> of your website, styling the look of the site and the framing of the content. The WordPress Twenty Nineteen theme features a \u201cheader\u201d at the top with the title and tagline for your site. Below this is your Menu<\/a>, if you have one. Along the side you will see some titles and links. This is the Sidebar. The different items inside a Sidebar are called Widgets<\/a>. The main middle section of the page is the content area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scroll down the page and notice the bar at the end of the page. This is called the \u201cfooter.\u201d It says \u201cProudly powered by WordPress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to the sidebar, you will see different sections with information. Among these you may find a list of Recent Posts, Recent Comments, Archives, Categories<\/a>, links to the Administration Screens<\/a>, Log Out, and RSS feeds. This is part of the menu or navigation Screen that people will use to move around your site, visiting posts from different categories or time periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a Quick Trip Around<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For now you only have one post. It is residing within a page that is laid out as your home page<\/em> or the front page. If you click on the title of the post, it will take you to the specific page for that post. The first page or home page of your site features the most recent posts on your site. Each post title will link to the actual page of the post. Some Theme designers design their single<\/em> post pages to look different from the home page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the single post, pay attention to the layout and notice what is different about the design elements. Is the header different? Smaller, larger, or a different color? Is there a sidebar?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of these changes are created from a few files called template files<\/a>. You can learn more about how they work in Theme Developer Handbook<\/a>. For now, however, let’s get on with how the rest of WordPress works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Test Drive the WordPress Administration Screens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that you have an idea of how your site looks and what the different layout sections are called, it’s time to test drive the WordPress Administration<\/a>. This is like familiarizing yourself with the backend of your new website. In fact, the first page you see after logging in is called the Dashboard<\/a>, a collection of information and data about the activities and actions on your WordPress site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Dashboard<\/a> features a list of the most recent activity you’ve accomplished on your site and it helps to keep you up to date on new and interesting bits of information from the many WordPress resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the left side of the screen is the main navigation<\/strong> menu detailing each of the administrative functions you can perform. Move your mouse down the list and the sub-menus will \u201cfly out\u201d for you to move your mouse to and click. Once you choose a \u201cparent\u201d navigation section, it will open up to reveal the options within that section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The various menu items are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n