WordPress Dashboard Walkthrough, Part 1

When you first log into WordPress, you’re taken to the Dashboard. While “Dashboard” is technically the name of the first screen you see, many people also use it to describe the entire backend (or admin area) of WordPress.

If you’re new to WordPress, this area can feel overwhelming at first. There are menus, links, widgets, and options everywhere — and it’s not always obvious what you should (or shouldn’t) touch.

This post is the first part of a two-part walkthrough that explains what you’re seeing and what each main menu item is used for. We’ll cover roughly half of the Dashboard menu items here, then tackle the rest in Part 2.

Important note: Your WordPress menu may look slightly different depending on your theme, plugins, and hosting provider. That’s normal.

The WordPress Dashboard: What Is It Really?

The WordPress Dashboard is where you:

Create and edit content
Upload images and files
Manage comments
Update WordPress, themes, and plugins
See high-level information about your site

Think of it as your website’s control panel — not something you need to adjust constantly, but something you should feel comfortable navigating.

Dashboard

The Dashboard menu item is usually the very first option in the left-hand sidebar. It contains two sub-items: Home and Updates.

Dashboard → Home

This is the main landing page when you log in.

Here, you’ll see several widgets that give you a quick snapshot of your website, such as:

Site health notifications
Recent activity
Quick draft tools
WordPress news
Upcoming WordPress events or meetups

Depending on your setup, you may also see:

SEO plugin notices
Security alerts
Hosting notifications

You don’t need to do anything on this screen regularly — it’s designed to be informational. Many users glance at it and move on.

Dashboard → Updates

This is one of the most important areas in WordPress.

From the Updates screen, you can:

Update WordPress core
Update plugins
Update themes

Keeping these items updated is one of the simplest and most effective ways to keep your website secure and running smoothly.

Tip: Always make sure your site is backed up before running updates.

If you work with Graybill Codeworks on hosting or maintenance, this is something we manage for you — but it’s still helpful to know where it lives.

Posts

The Posts section is where all blog-related content lives.

If your site has a blog (or news section), this menu will likely be one you use often.

Posts → All Posts

This is a list of every blog post on your website.

From here, you can:

Edit existing posts
Delete posts
Change publication dates
Filter by category or author
Search for specific posts

You’ll also see post statuses like:

Draft
Published
Scheduled

Posts → Add New

This opens the WordPress Block Editor, where you can write a new blog post.

You’ll use blocks to:

Add text
Insert images
Create headings
Embed videos
Add buttons or lists

Modern WordPress is very visual here, and most users don’t need to touch code at all.

Posts → Categories & Tags

These tools help organize your blog content.

Categories are broad topics (think chapters in a book)
Tags are more specific descriptors

Using these thoughtfully helps:

Readers find related content
Search engines understand your site
Your blog feel organized instead of cluttered

(We’ve written an entire post on this topic — it’s worth reviewing if your blog is growing.)

Media

The Media section is where WordPress stores all uploaded files.

This includes:

Images
PDFs
Videos
Documents

Media → Library

The Media Library lets you view and manage everything you’ve uploaded.

You can:

Search for files
Filter by type or date
Edit image details (alt text, captions, titles)
Delete unused files

Images uploaded through posts or pages also live here, so it’s helpful to know this is your central storage area.

Media → Add New

You can upload files directly into WordPress without attaching them to a post or page.

This is helpful if:

You’re preparing files ahead of time
You want to upload PDFs or resources
You need to replace an image later

Pages → All Pages

This shows every page on your website.

From here, you can:

Edit pages
Change page order (depending on your theme)
Switch between draft and published
View page URLs

If you’re ever wondering “Where do I edit that page?” — this is usually the answer.

Pages → Add New

This opens the block editor to create a new page.

You’ll use this when:

Adding a new service page
Creating a landing page
Building a temporary campaign page

Many modern WordPress sites use custom block patterns to keep pages consistent — which makes editing much less intimidating.

Comments

If your site allows comments, the Comments section is where you manage them.

Comments → Manage Comments

Here, you can:

Approve comments
Reply to comments
Edit comments
Delete or mark comments as spam

Spam is common, even on small sites, so this area is worth checking occasionally — or setting up moderation rules so you don’t have to.

Why This Matters (Even If You Don’t Touch Everything)

You don’t need to use every menu item in WordPress — and most site owners never do. But understanding what lives where makes WordPress feel far less intimidating.

Knowing:

Where posts live
Where pages live
Where images live
Where updates happen

…means you’re less likely to accidentally break something — and more confident making simple changes.

Coming Up Next: Dashboard Walkthrough, Part 2

In Part 2, we’ll cover:

Appearance
Plugins
Users
Tools
Settings

Those areas control deeper functionality and are powerful — but also the places where it’s easiest to make changes you didn’t intend.

Need Help Navigating Your WordPress Dashboard?

If WordPress feels overwhelming or you’re worried about clicking the wrong thing, you don’t have to figure it out alone.

Contact us here and we’ll help you understand your site — or manage it for you — so you can focus on your work, not the backend.

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