You’ve set up your WordPress site, chosen a theme you love, and now you’re ready to share your first blog post with the world. But if you’re staring at the dashboard wondering where to start, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the process of creating and publishing your first blog post, step by step.
WordPress makes it easy to write, edit, and publish blog posts, even if you’re completely new to the platform. Let’s get started.
Find the post editor in WordPress
To create your first blog post, log into your WordPress dashboard. On the left-hand menu, hover over “Posts” and click “Add New.” This will open the WordPress post editor, where you’ll write and format your blog post.
The post editor is where the magic happens. It’s made up of two main parts:
- The content area, where you’ll write your text, add images, and build your post.
- The sidebar options, where you can set categories, tags, and other settings for your post.
Add a title to your post
At the very top of the editor, you’ll see a space that says “Add title.” This is where you type the headline of your blog post.
Your title should give readers a clear idea of what your post is about. If you’re not sure what to write, keep it simple for now—you can always tweak it later.
Write your content using blocks
WordPress uses something called the block editor to help you create posts. A block is just a small unit of content—a paragraph, image, heading, video, or anything else you want to include.
Here’s how to add content:
- Click anywhere in the content area to start typing. Each paragraph will automatically become its own block.
- To add something other than text, like an image or a heading, click the small + icon that appears. This opens the block menu, where you can choose what you’d like to add.
Some of the most common blocks you’ll use include:
- Paragraph: For your main body of text.
- Heading: To break your post into sections with subheadings.
- Image: To upload or insert pictures.
- List: For bullet points or numbered lists.
The block editor is flexible, so you can move blocks up or down, add new ones, or delete them if you change your mind.
Add images to your blog post
Adding images makes your blog posts more engaging and helps break up large chunks of text. Here’s how to add an image block:
- Click the + icon and select “Image.”
- You can choose to upload a new image, pick one from your media library, or insert one from a URL.
- Once the image appears, you can adjust its size, alignment, and add alt text (a description for search engines and accessibility).
If you’re adding more than one image, you can also use the Gallery block to display them neatly.
Format your post for readability
Great blog posts are easy to read. Here are a few simple ways to format your post and make it more reader-friendly:
- Use headings to break up sections.
- Add lists (like this one) to highlight key points.
- Use short paragraphs to avoid overwhelming your readers.
- Add bold or italic text to emphasise important words or phrases.
You can also add quotes, videos, and links to keep your content interesting.
Choose categories and tags
On the right-hand side of the post editor, you’ll find the Categories and Tags section.
- Categories: These help you group related blog posts together. For example, you might have categories like “Recipes” or “Travel.” Choose or create a category for your post.
- Tags: Tags are like keywords that describe your post in more detail. For a travel post, your tags might include “backpacking” or “budget tips.”
Categories and tags help readers navigate your site and improve your blog’s organisation.
Add a featured image
A featured image is the main image that represents your blog post. It usually appears at the top of the post or alongside it on your blog page.
To add a featured image:
- In the right-hand sidebar, click “Featured Image.”
- Upload or choose an image from your media library.
Make sure your featured image is eye-catching and relevant to your post’s topic.
Preview and publish your post
Before you hit publish, it’s a good idea to preview your post to see how it looks. Click the “Preview” button at the top right of the editor and choose “Desktop,” “Tablet,” or “Mobile” view to check everything looks good.
Once you’re happy with your post:
- Click the “Publish” button in the top right corner.
- WordPress will ask you to confirm, and then—congratulations! Your first blog post is live.
Conclusion:
Creating your first blog post in WordPress is easier than you might think. Start with a clear title, write your content using blocks, add images to make it engaging, and format it for readability. Once you’ve chosen categories, tags, and a featured image, all that’s left to do is preview and publish.
Now that you’ve got your first post out there, the fun begins—creating more content and sharing it with the world.
