Step 3

The WordPress.org Dashboard

The Dashboard (1) is to WordPress what the Finder (2) is to your Mac: the command station of your administrator experience, which, as an entirely web-based CMS solution (in the case of WordPress.org), is best managed using either the browser of a laptop or desktop computer, or the native mobile app (3) for iPhone and iPad.

Five subject matter categories suffice to grasp the dashboard rationale, as it unveils itself along the left navigation sidebar:

Content: as their respective name indicates, the sections entitled Posts, Media, Pages, and Comments allow to add and manage content.
Form: the Appearance and Plugins sections enable the installation and management of theme templates and add-ons when specific functionalities appear to be missing.
Members: the Users section empowers the administrator to administer the accounts of registered users, to add new forum participants, and to manage his/her own profile.
Tools: the Import and Export options make it possible not only to transfer content in whole or in part from one WordPress module to another, but also to integrate content from another Content Management System.
Parameters: it is in the Settings section that you will find all configuration features pertaining to the overall management and maintenance of your CMS module, such as writing, reading, moderating, and optimization options.

For the same reasons as it is necessary to start with examining a Mac’s System Preferences in order to get a sense of the operating system’s native boundaries and to figure out how to customize the configuration thereof, it is strongly recommended to take the time to test the many possibilities provided by the “native” version of the dashboard, instead of rushing into the Plugstore just to install perfectly useless gadgets most likely to compromise the security of an installation and its users.

Navigation
FR • DE • S4

Further reading
(1) https://www.daniela-berndt.foundation/matrix/slidefolio/menu-2_step-3/
(2) https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/see-your-files-in-the-finder-mchlp2605/mac
(3) https://itunes.apple.com/app/wordpress/id335703880?mt=8