{"id":37078,"date":"2022-09-26T07:00:40","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T14:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhblog.dream.press\/blog\/?p=37078"},"modified":"2025-05-21T18:46:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T01:46:57","slug":"guide-to-wp-posts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/guide-to-wp-posts\/","title":{"rendered":"WordPress Posts: Here\u2019s Everything You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Posts are one of the two main content types in WordPress, so it\u2019s crucial to understand how they work. Along with pages, posts are your primary vehicle for creating content and sharing it with your visitors. This holds true even if you aren\u2019t building a blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this beginner\u2019s guide, we\u2019ll explain what WordPress posts are and how they can be used. Then we\u2019ll show you how to create, organize, and manage them. Finally, we\u2019ll wrap up with a list of formatting tips to help you improve your posts. There\u2019s a lot to cover, so let\u2019s jump in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Introduction to WordPress Posts<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n
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Posts are an inherent part of any WordPress website\u2019s blog.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In WordPress, there are two main formats for creating content. The first is your pages, which are primarily static and will likely form the structure of your website. Typical examples include a site\u2019s Home<\/i> page, About<\/i> page, Contact<\/i> page, and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WordPress posts<\/a> are similar in a lot of ways. You use the same editor to create them, and they can include text, media, and much more. However, they\u2019re designed for more timely content. This is why they are so useful for blogs<\/a>. They also work well for updates, news articles, and other types of new content published on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, posts are dated and listed in chronological order, and they\u2019re organized using a system of categories and tags (which we\u2019ll discuss soon). By default, the front page of your WordPress site will be a list of your latest posts, although you can change that static page<\/a> if you\u2019d like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll find that posts are a versatile content type, capable of doing a lot on your site. What\u2019s more, they\u2019re easy to create and manage. Let\u2019s go over the basics now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Manage Posts in WordPress (In 3 Simple Steps)<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the next few sections, we\u2019ll discuss how to create posts, organize them, and manage them on your WordPress site. You\u2019ll first need to log in to your dashboard before proceeding to the first step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Create Your First Post<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To create a post in WordPress<\/a>, navigate to Posts > Add New<\/i> in your dashboard. You\u2019ll find the WordPress editor, where you can design your post:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Note that as of WordPress 5.0, the default editor is the Block Editor<\/a>. Your screen may look a bit different if you\u2019re using an outdated version of the Content Management System (CMS) or the Classic Editor plugin<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can add text by clicking in the text field (set the Paragraph block by default). When you add your text, a toolbar menu will appear along the top of the block with your standard formatting options:<\/p>\n\n\n

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You can also select the Add Block<\/i> button (the + icon) to insert other blocks, such as Heading<\/i>, Image<\/i>, and so on:<\/p>\n\n\n

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If you want to rearrange the order of your content, you can simply drag and drop the blocks to place them in your preferred order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the right, you\u2019ll find a panel of settings and options, including Featured Image<\/i>. Here, you can upload an image that will be used as the header for this particular post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the top-right of the screen, you\u2019ll notice settings for saving and publishing your post. You can save your post as a draft to work on later, schedule it to go live<\/a> at a later time, or hit the Publish<\/i> button:<\/p>\n\n\n

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In addition, you can use the Preview<\/i> button to see what your post will look like on the front end of your site. It is always recommended to preview your post before you publish, so you can rapidly identify elements that need changing before it goes live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s the basics of creating and editing your WordPress posts. However, you\u2019ll also want to make sure they\u2019re neatly organized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2: Organize Your Posts With Categories and Tags<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you intend on publishing a lot of posts \u2014 for example, if you\u2019re creating a blog or news site \u2014 you\u2019ll want to keep them organized. If you don\u2019t, both you and your readers may have a hard time sorting through the backlogs to find specific entries or topics of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WordPress provides two main features for organizing posts: categories and tags<\/a>. Both can be added to a post on the editing screen:<\/p>\n\n\n

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Assigning categories and tags to your posts is a way to sort them. Categories are generally high-level descriptors of a post\u2019s topic. For example, if you run a health blog, you might have categories called \u201cnutrition\u201d and \u201cfitness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tags, on the other hand, are words or short phrases that describe a particular post\u2019s subject in more detail. If you write a post about how to start a running habit for your health blog, you might assign it tags such as \u201ccardio exercise\u201d and \u201crunning tips.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The biggest difference? Categories can be hierarchical, and tags cannot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s worth noting that you can see all of the categories and tags you\u2019ve been creating by navigating to either Posts > Categories<\/i> or Posts > Tags<\/i>, respectively. In those screens, you can set up and optimize these elements before you ever use them in a post:<\/p>\n\n\n

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You should use categories and tags in a way that makes sense to you and your readers, although there are a few best practices to keep in mind. In general, it\u2019s smart to stick with a handful of categories for your site and assign only one to each post. Then, each post can receive a handful of tags (we suggest two to five) to explain the topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Above all, the number one rule for using these features is consistency. Having a few distinct categories and some descriptive tags is a perfect way to ensure that people can easily find posts that interest them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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