Skip to Content

Dashboard Overview

Basic Training Module 1: Getting Started

The Dashboard is the control centre of your website. After logging in, you’ll use the Dashboard to create, edit, organize, and manage your site’s content.

As you work through the training modules, you’ll spend most of your time moving between the Dashboard and the Block Editor. Becoming familiar with the Dashboard will help you quickly find the content you need and navigate your site more efficiently.

What is the Dashboard?

The Dashboard is the administrative area of your WordPress website. It provides access to all site content, settings, and tools that are available to your role.

Depending on your permissions, you may see different menu items and options than other users on your site.

From the Dashboard, you can:

A view of the page list in a WordPress site

Main Areas of the Dashboard

The Dashboard is organized into three primary areas.

Left Navigation Menu

The navigation menu on the left side of the screen provides access to your website’s content and tools.

Common menu items include:

Additional menu items may appear depending on the features enabled on your website.

Tip: Hover over a menu item to reveal additional options.

Admin Toolbar

The Admin Toolbar appears at the top of the screen when you are logged in.

The toolbar provides quick access to commonly used actions, including:

You’ll use these shortcuts frequently as you become more comfortable working with your site.

Content Lists

Many sections of WordPress display content in a list view. For example, the Pages and Posts screens show all content of that type in a table format.

Content lists typically include:

You’ll learn more about working with content lists throughout the training.

Finding Your Content

One of the most common tasks you’ll perform is locating existing content for editing.

Finding Pages

To view all pages on your website:

  1. Select Pages from the left navigation menu.
  2. Click All Pages.

A list of pages will be displayed, including their publication status and last modified date.

Finding Posts

To view news articles or posts:

  1. Select Posts from the left navigation menu.
  2. Click All Posts.

Like pages, posts can be searched and filtered to help you find specific content.

Searching for Content

If you’re looking for a particular page or post:

  1. Navigate to the appropriate content list.
  2. Enter a keyword into the search box.
  3. Click Search.

WordPress will display any matching content.

Tip: Search is especially useful when working with large sites that contain many pages and posts.

Try It Out

Now that you are familiar with the Dashboard, take some time to explore your site’s content.

  1. Log in to your website.
  2. Open Pages → All Pages.
  3. Locate a page that already exists on your site.
  4. Use the search box to find a page by keyword.
  5. Open a page and review its contents in the editor.