WordPress Website - Using the WordPress Dashboard

You deserve my congratulations on your WordPress website. I also commend you for taking the necessary steps to make Your Home Biz as easy and efficient as possible.

This article and the video below will explain what the WordPress Dashboard is. The WordPress Dashboard is what you see after you log in to your WordPress website. The dashboard allows you to finish setting up WordPress and all of the features that WordPress offers Build A Website With WordPress.

Let's get started.

The name of your website will be displayed in the top right corner. A box will appear with an arrow indicating a new post. This is where you will find other WordPress features that I will discuss in future articles. Next, you will see Howdy (or whatever name you choose). Next, you'll see a logout area. This is where you can log off of your dashboard. You will then see two tabs below the first line, and to the left. Screen Options, arrow, and help. You can change the appearance of your dashboard in the Screen options area. I recommend that you leave it as it is. You can find help for your WordPress dashboard in the Help section.

Sometimes, you'll see a yellow box underneath the top line that allows you to update your website to the latest version. Click on this box and click on the Auto Update Section. This will keep your website current with WordPress.

Below the information, you'll see that your screen is divided into two sections. The column to the right (under the dashboard box), is the section that gives you access to all the features WordPress offers. The second, larger section called Dashboard is a section that keeps you updated with WordPress information.

Before I get into the details, I recommend that you set up your WordPress website with the Networking feature. This will allow you to create subdomains directly from your WordPress dashboard. Let me explain what a subdomain is to those who don't know. A subdomain is similar to creating a new website. Your main domain would be Your Domain Name.xxx, and a subdomain would xxxx.Your Dom Name.xxx. This allows you to create multiple websites under the same domain name. You can visit WordPress at codex.WordPress.org/Create_A_Network for the complete details. Below is a portion of the WordPress instructions.

Make a Network

WordPress 3.0 allows you to create multiple sites (Multisite). This article explains how to create a network. This is similar to setting up your own WordPress.com version.

NOTE: If WordPress MU is running, these steps are not necessary. Your network is already active. After upgrading to the 3.x branch you will be prompted for MultiSite updates to your.htaccess rules.

Alert! Alert! On the right side of your admin HEADER, you will see "Howdy, YOURNAME-Network Admin - Log out". This link is 'Network Admin.

You will see an additional box in line 1 if you activate the network option. The box beside the Log Out box will have either Site Admin (or Network Admin) written in it. Once you've activated the network option, you can now use the dashboard either as the Network Admin (all your actions have an effect on all of your sites) or the Site Admin (everything that you do here is only for one site). It will display Site Admin next the Logout box when you're in Network Admin dashboard. When you're in Site Admin Dashboard, it will display Network Admin in a box beside the Logout box.

This is a brief overview of the column that appears under the dashboard box when you use the Network Admin dashboard. I will then go into more detail about each option in future articles. You will see a section called Sites if you activated the networking feature. Here you can see all sites that you have created in WordPress under one domain.