Dashboard

After logging in you will see the main administration screen called the Dashboard. At the top of the screen you will see the Toolbar and on the left you will see the Main Navigation Menu.

The dashboard screen itself contains various modules that will provide information about your website, such as, what version of WordPress you are on and how many posts, pages and comments you currently have. You may see additional modules depending on the plugins and theme you have installed.

Toolbar

The Toolbar is located at the top of the WordPress administration area as well as at the top of your website when you are logged into WordPress.  The main purpose of the toolbar is to help you quickly navigate through you website and administration area.

The toolbar is separated into the following sections (additional items may appear depending on the plugins or theme you have installed):

• WordPress Logo – Provides links to various WordPress resources including the official documentation and forums.
• Website Name – Provides links to various pages of your website. If you click on the website name while in the dashboard you will be redirect to your homepage.
• Updates – Displays how many updates you have pending, if no updates are available the updates icon will not be displayed.
• Comments – Displays how many comments you have awaiting moderation.
• +New – Provides links to create new pages, posts and users.
• Howdy, User – Provides links for accessing your profile and logging out.

Main Navigation Menu

The Main Navigation Menu is located on the left side of the dashboard and contains links for various administration functions.

The main navigation menu is separated into the following sections (additional items may appear depending on the plugins or theme you have installed):

• Dashboard – Return to the main administration area or update WordPress and your installed plugins and themes.
• Posts – Create a new post, edit an existing post or define post categories and tags.
• Media – View your media library or upload new files.
• Pages – Create a new page or edit an existing page.
• Comments – Manage your post comments.
• Appearance – Manage your theme, widgets and menus.
• Plugins – Add new plugins or manage your existing plugins.
• Users – Add new users, customize existing users, or modify your own profile.
• Tools – Various tools for importing and exporting content.
• Settings – Configure settings related to your WordPress install.
• SEO – Settings and tools related to the WordPress SEO plugin.
• WP Security – Settings and tools related to the All In One WP Security.

Screen Options

Each window or panel in WordPress is called a Screen.  Each screen has a Screen Options tab which can be found just below the toolbar on the right.  You can use screen options to customize various aspects of your view.  Some screens (dashboard) allow you to choose which modules to show.  Other screens (posts and pages) allow you to choose which column headings and how many items to show per screen.

Help

Similar to screen options, each screen has a Help tab which can also be found just below the toolbar on the right.  The contents of the help tab also change depending on which screen you are on.  If you are having trouble finding something on a specific screen, use the help tab for further information.