Blog Post on WordPress

Title and Content Boxes

Title and Content Boxes are the most noticeable areas on the Add New Post screen. Yours might look slightly different depending on whether you are using the visual or the text editor.

You can switch between visual and text editor while writing a post, but we do not recommend switching as this could mess up your post’s formatting.

Visual Editor is a beginner-friendly text editor with formatting buttons and a nice visual layout for the content area. On the other hand, the text editor is a plain text editor where you can actually see the HTML or write your own.

The first text area on the top is where you add the post’s title. If you are using SEO Friendly URL structure, then WordPress will auto-generate post URL based on the title. You can edit the URL by clicking on the edit button.

The content area is where you will write your post. You can use the formatting options from the toolbar or use one of the many keyboard shortcuts available which will speed up your writing process.

If you are using the visual editor, then you may want to take a look at these 14 tips for mastering the WordPress visual editor.

In the footer area of the content editor, WordPress will show you the word count for your post. If you want to get even more detailed word count stats, then check out our tutorial on how to get word count stats in WordPress with Word Stats.

As you write, WordPress will automatically save a draft of your post. This autosave is stored in your WordPress database temporarily.

As soon as you save your draft or write more content, WordPress cleans up your autosave temporary draft and replaces it with a new one. This process ensures that you do not lose your content due to internet connection or hardware failure. See our guide on how to undo changes in WordPress with post revisions.

The post editor shows your current draft and autosave status in the footer next to word count.

Add Images and Media

Between the title and content fields, there is a large Add Media button. You will need to click on it when you want to upload an image or any other media to your WordPress post. This will launch the media uploader in a popup window.

Media uploader popup in WordPress

Simply click on the select files button to upload images or any other media to your WordPress site. You can also create image galleries and audio playlists from uploaded files.

WordPress comes with some basic image editing tools. See our tutorial on how to edit, flip, rotate, and crop images in WordPress.

Publishing Options

The WordPress post edit screen is divided into two columns. The column on your left contains the post title and content editor. On your right-hand side, you have different meta boxes to configure post settings.

The topmost meta box in this column is labeled Publish. This is where all the publishing options for your posts are managed.

1. Save Draft button stores a draft of the post or page that you are working on. WordPress also auto-saves your posts as you write them.

2. The preview button shows a live preview of your post. You can use it to see how your post will look after publishing.

3. The status allows you to set a status for your post. WordPress automatically handles post status for drafts and published posts. Unless you are using a plugin to add custom statuses, you don’t need to worry about this option.

4. Click on the Edit link next to visibility to expand it. The first option under visibility will allow you to make your post sticky on the front-page. Sticky posts in WordPress are like featured content that is displayed on top of all other posts.

5. The next option allows you to password protect a post in WordPress.

6. The third option under visibility is labeled private. This allows you to privately publish a post on your WordPress site. The private posts will be visible to users who have the editing privileges on your site.

7. Click on the edit link next to Publish, and WordPress will display the time and date options. You can use this option to schedule posts or create a backdated post in WordPress.

8. Move to trash allows you to delete a WordPress post. Deleted posts live under trash, and you can restore them if you need to for up to 30 days.

9. Finally, the publish button makes your WordPress post public. Remember if you scheduled a post, then it will appear on your site on the scheduled date and time.

Adding categories and tags to your WordPress posts

You can sort your posts into categories and tags. The categories and tags meta boxes usually appear in the right-hand column, below the publish meta box. Categories and tags help you organize your content in a meaningful and browsable format. Not only your users can easily find your content, but it also boosts your site’s SEO. See our guide on the difference between categories and tags and how to use them to sort your content.

 Aiswarya Thampi