While doing client education, I often notice that even people who have used WordPress for awhile miss a few features that may make a big difference in their experience with the CMS so I thought I’d write a quick post showing you a couple of the most useful.
Feature 1: Posts Per Page Setting
This one is super simple but it seems that a lot of bloggers aren’t aware of it. Under Settings > Reading, there’s a setting for the number of posts that appear per page. It will impact all multi-post pages unless you are using a theme or plugin that overrides it in the code. The setting right below it applies to RSS feeds, and I usually set it for the same number of posts although it can certainly be different if you want to have more posts available via RSS at once.
Feature 2: Embedded Help Documentation
At the top right of each WordPress screen, you’ll usually find one or both of a pair of tabs that seem to often go overlooked.
On the far right, the Help tab drops down to provide screen-specific embedded tips and information, along with links to detailed documentation and support.
Screen-specific means the info applies specifically to the section within the WordPress admin you’re currently working in, which makes it super targeted and useful. As you can see in the above example, from the post editor page, the topics cover common functions and tasks you’d likely be working on on that page.
Feature 3: Screen Options
Finally, that other tab next to the Help feature lets you control which modules, settings, and features appear on each page. WordPress has a ton of features, some of which you may not be using. Clear the clutter using the checkboxes on this tab.
I’m kind of a fiend about not having extra stuff on the screen, so I tend to hide anything I don’t use in my regular workflow, knowing I can just show each feature again if I need it in the future.
Are any of these features new to you? Are there other “hidden” WordPress features you use on a regular basis?
Had NO idea posts per page was such an easily changed setting. Thank you so much- you blew my mind with that one!
You’re welcome! Also, you are not alone. A LOT of my clients ask me to change that when we’re doing final site review, not knowing they can easily do it & also have the ability to change it ongoing if they want.
This is great, I am familiar with all of these and it made me think of a post I did myself a few weeks back.
I personally can’t stand the default wordpress smiles, it must be the perfectionist designer in me. I did a quick post on how to get rid of them (it’s sooooo easy). Also, you can actually make your own smiles which I may need to do at some point, how fun is that? Branding to the max!
http://alicia-carvalho.com/blog-post/wordpress-smilies/
Nice – that’s a good one! I always disable those as well, the little emoticon guys are jarring in most of the designs I do. (For others reading, it’s a single checkbox on the Settings > Writing page.)
In general, I think most WP users would be well served just clicking through the settings pages and seeing what’s on each!
Totally!
I’ve been doing a lot of print work recently and less wordpress but I’m working on a little training booklet for my wordpress clients. Little simple how-to’s all explained in one spot.
Do you give your clients training material? You have to think very broadly because different clients use wordpress in different ways. Also plug-ins and special features vary throughout sites. I guess once I have a basic document done it’ll be easily customizable.
It’s funny how as professionals there’s so many little details we don’t even think about explaining, because to us they are so obvious.
Good question! It depends on the client. For the most part, I point them towards helpful free online resources based on their experience level/ needs, and then I also always provide a short video screencast where I walk them through anything specialized or custom to their site.
So custom material for custom features, resources they can use for anything that is common to all WP installs (like blog posts). I have a PDF I put together a long while ago about basics but I’m sure it needs updating so I won’t link it :)
Haha sounds good. Video screencast sounds like a good idea., I’ve never done one of those. I’ll add it to my “must learn”-list :)
Pointing them towards helpful online resources sounds good too. I love all my clients but many of them are not super savvy/impatient so I’m not sure how well that would go over :)
Nice list! Though I’ve known about screen options on posts and pages and the main dashboard for ages, I only recently realized there are screen options for the Menus page as well, and there are hidden advanced options in there. One of them lets you add custom classes to individual menu items, which is SO useful. I’m kicking myself for not figuring that one out sooner ;)
Yes, the menus one is great! I uses classes from time to time (I feel like they do open up the possibility that a client could “break” something so I’m pretty judicious about it), and I use the “Target” option a lot for external links.