Editor basics snapshot

Learn the WordPress parts editors touch most often, plus the few areas that deserve extra care.

Concept	What editors need to know
Pages	Best for stable content like services, about pages, contact pages, landing pages, and resource hubs.
Posts	Best for dated or ongoing content like articles, updates, tutorials, opinions, and announcements.
Blocks	The building pieces of content: paragraphs, headings, images, lists, buttons, embeds, columns, and more.
Patterns	Approved reusable layouts that keep pages consistent without rebuilding sections from scratch.
Templates	Site-level layouts that control how certain types of content are presented.
Global styles	Shared design settings such as colors, typography, spacing, and site-wide visual rules.

Pages vs. posts

Editors need to know the difference between content changes and site-structure changes. That one distinction prevents a lot of cleanup.

• Create a page when the content should be part of the main website navigation or long-term resource structure.
• Create a post when the content should appear in the blog, archive, RSS feed, or ongoing editorial library.
• Update an existing page when the information belongs to a permanent resource that should stay current.

Blocks editors should know first

Block	Use it for
Paragraph	Normal body copy.
Heading	Section structure and scannability.
List	Steps, checks, examples, and grouped ideas.
Image	Supporting visuals, screenshots, diagrams, and illustrations.
Button	Important actions such as contact, download, read more, or view a resource.
Columns	Simple side-by-side comparisons or grouped content.

Headings create the page outline

WordPress gets easier once each part has a job. Pages and posts hold different kinds of content. Blocks create structure. Patterns give editors approved layouts. Templates and global styles shape the site around the content.

• Use one main H1 for the page title.
• Use H2 headings for major sections.
• Use H3 headings for subsections inside an H2 section.
• Do not choose headings only because of how they look visually.
• Avoid skipping heading levels when possible.

Images and media basics

Headings give readers, search engines, assistive technology, and editors a usable outline. Good structure matters more than visual size.

• Use descriptive file names before uploading.
• Add useful alt text when the image communicates information.
• Do not upload oversized images when a smaller version will work.
• Use captions when source, context, or explanation matters.
• Avoid using images of text unless there is a strong reason.

Links should be clear and intentional

Good links help readers move through the site and understand what will happen when they click. Avoid vague link text like “click here” when the destination can be described directly.

• Use descriptive link text, such as “review the publishing checklist.”
• Link to related internal resources when they help the reader.
• Check important links before publishing.
• Avoid linking long sentences or entire paragraphs.
• Use buttons for primary calls to action, not every link on the page.

Preview, revisions, and drafts

Editors should use preview and revisions as safety tools. Preview helps catch layout, mobile, typo, and formatting issues before publishing. Revisions help recover previous versions when something changes unexpectedly.

• Draft means the content is not public yet.
• Preview shows how the content will look before publishing or updating.
• Schedule publishes content automatically at a future date and time.
• Revisions let editors compare and restore earlier versions.

Before publishing

• The title is clear and useful.
• The page or post has a logical heading structure.
• Images are compressed, named clearly, and have appropriate alt text.
• Important links have been checked.
• The content has been previewed on desktop and mobile.
• Categories, tags, excerpt, featured image, and SEO fields are reviewed when relevant.

Common editing mistakes to avoid

• Pasting messy formatting from another document without cleaning it up.
• Using headings only to make text look bigger.
• Uploading huge image files directly from a camera or design tool.
• Creating duplicate pages instead of updating the correct existing page.
• Changing layouts without checking mobile display.
• Publishing without reviewing links, forms, images, and metadata.

Related resources

• Content Publishing Checklist
• Image and Media Guidelines
• SEO Basics for Editors
• Content Audit Checklist

Editing outcome

Good WordPress editing is not about memorizing every block. It is about using the right content type, keeping the structure clear, handling media carefully, checking the work before publishing, and keeping the site useful for readers.

What editors should change carefully

Some parts of WordPress affect more than one page. Editors should know when they are updating content and when they may be changing the design system, templates, navigation, reusable patterns, or shared site behavior.

• Edit normal page content when the change is local to that page.
• Use approved patterns when adding a repeated section.
• Ask before changing templates, template parts, navigation, or global styles.
• Preview reusable blocks or synced content carefully because one edit can affect multiple locations.
• Confirm whether AI-assisted drafts, summaries, or rewrites need human review before publishing.

A good editing habit

Before publishing, pause long enough to ask: am I changing this page, or am I changing something shared across the site?