WordPress Cheat Sheet

This cheat sheet is specifically for WordPress – although some notes will apply more broadly.

01 General

1. Use headers (h1, h2, h3) to help with readability and scannability. Use headers like an outline.
2. Write simple, direct, human content.

02 Uploading, Inserting Images

Images need to load fast in users’ phones, and on their dial up internet service. So crop and compress files. JPGs are good, and so are GIFs.

1. All images need to have titles and ALT text.
2. Most images will be around 800 pixels wide or less. Landscape shaped is easier.
3. Sometimes feature images have a particular shape. If so, check the size and shape of existing images that are effective in the Media library, and emulate them.
4. A good services for cropping, editing and compressing is webresizer.com
5. Photos need to be under 100kb. Under 50kb is even better. Bonus points for images under 25kb.
6. Post and projects should usually have featured images.
7. When inserting images into a page or post, generally don’t let the image link to itself or somewhere else. No links on images.
8. Try using Pixr Express for online editing of images (like feautured images) – it has many cool filters and features.

03 Writing blog posts

1. Got to: Posts > New
2. Add to a single category
3. Add as many tags as you want
4. *Slug = end part of the URL (editing optional)
5. Add featured image > always put title and alt text or insert image into the post (See Adding, Inserting Images)
6. Don’t forget the Excerpt: descriptive, teaser text
7. Select an author
8. Save as Draft, or Publish!

04 Adding a page

1. Are you sure you need a new page? Double check. Search. Ask a buddy.
2. Still sure? Go to PAGES > Add New
3. What is the new page title?
4. What will the new, stable, easy to reference, url be?
5. Will the new page go in the main menu? A different menu?
6. What template does this new page need. Default is probably fine. But maybe you want something else?

05 Special text

There are other special styles that are not shortcodes.

1. Bold text: select some text and click the B icon (actually called a strong tag)
2. Italicized text: select some text and click the I icon (actually call an em tag: emphasis)
3. Blockquote: put your cursor in a paragraph and select the quotation mark icon.
4. bullet points: put your cursor in a line and select the bullet point icon.
5. numbered list: put your cursor in a line and select the numbered list icon

06 Widgets and Widget Blocks

The content that goes in the footer and sidebars of your website is generally managed through the Widgets, and Widget Blocks. Check the Widget Blocks first.

07 Website caching

Websites are cached on the server to speed them up. When you edit a page, the cache for that page is automatically expunged. If you’re editing content in a widget (footer or sidebar) then you will probably want to clear the website cache.

You can view the website in a browser that’s not signed into the site, to see how visitors will view your site.