There are some lesser-known features of WordPress you might not have heard of before. These features that I’m going to touch on, can help enable you to become better at WordPress
1. Screen Options
Screen Options can extend the functionality of certain admin pages. Within the admin section, scroll all the way to the upper right-hand corner and you’ll find Screen Options just below the “Howdy ‘your name’” message.
Using Screen Options gives you the ability to toggle on and off different features of specific admin pages, including pages, posts, comments, widgets, menu, plugins, and more. Depending on plugins and theme option you will have more or less options than on my site.
2. Help
Located right next to screen options, you can use Help before googling the question at hand. Depending on which admin page you’re on, the help guidelines will differ. For instance, if you’re on the post editor page, help options will look as follows:
The help function is a great way to learn some things you weren’t familiar with before, or that wouldn’t be as easy to find elsewhere.
3. Post & Page Options
You might have overlooked Post Options and Page Options, which are found in the right panel of the post editor or page editor.
Here are some specific functions you should be aware of:
- You can use Visibility to make your posts public or only available to a specific audience (they’ll need a password to access it).
- Making a post-Sticky will enable it to show up first, even after new blog posts are created.
- You can also change the Publication Date of a post. Changing the publication of a blog post will change its order.
- If you happen to need to go back to an older version of the post (say your internet loses connection or you lose your work), use Revisions. Every time you save a draft, a revision will be made.
4. Quick Edit
While Quick Edit doesn’t necessarily let you edit the copy of a post, you can make changes to certain aspects, including Title, Slug, Date, Author, Categories, and so on.
Using Quick Edit along with customized Screen Options will allow you to make mass edits to posts quicker.
5. Using the Options Panel … Be Careful
You can access the options panel by going to http://yoursite.com/wp-admin/options.php. But do take caution! Making changes here can cause issues to your site, so you need to know what you doing.
6. Favoring Plugins
When you are logged into your WordPress.org account, you can in the plugin section favorite a plugin. This is useful as you’re researching plugins to install, but don’t necessarily want to install them yet (too many plugins installed on your site is never a good idea – it causes site bloat and potential security vulnerabilities).
If you see a plugin you might want to install, favorite it. That way you can do your research and install it later on if you do decide you want it installed. After you favorite a plugin, it’ll be added to your Favorites list with the Plugin admin page, as well as the Plugin Directory.
Conclusion
It takes some time to learn WordPress, when you do, knowing about the extra features, is the first step to expanding your skills as a WordPresser.
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