When my friend Nick DeNardis messaged me,
You around? I’m looking for some good WordPress ‘tutorials’ on how to use the interface. I thought you would have some bookmarks that you like that is more comprehensive than me just Googling for them.
I knew what he was looking for.
As organizer of two WordPress meetup groups, Metro Detroit WordPress Meetup and West Metro Detroit WordPress group, I’m often asked that question.
Whether they’ve created their site themselves, or had someone create their site, our meetup members want to learn the steps for learning how to use WordPress.
And my first response is usually, How do you prefer to learn?
We all differ in how we learn new things, whether from
- Taking classes
- Watching video
- One-on-one training
- Reading how-to guides, documentation, and articles
For people who learn best from online videos or reading documentation, I’ve reviewed and used over a dozen different resources.
Based on ease of use, how often they’re updated, and accessibility of their content, I’ve selected five online resources I recommend you check out to learn WordPress.
Online Resources for Learning WordPress
WordPress Support
What better place to start learning WordPress than the site that creates WordPress?
For people with self-hosted WordPress sites, WordPress Support includes extensive documentation for writing, editing, and managing your content.
One of the places to check first is Writing Posts, where you’ll find information on using the Block Editor.
If you haven’t transitioned to the Block Editor, you can still get information on using the Classic Editor.
People with sites on hosted WordPress.com will find helpful documentation in WordPress Editor (for the Block Editor) as well as the Classic Editor. for WordPress users who aren’t using the Block Editor.
A couple important notes:
- If you’re a recent user on WordPress.com (started your site after December 2018) or you’re using a new theme, you may find you can only use the Block Editor on your site.
- For people who use screen readers, the Block Editor doesn’t provide an accessible interface. You’ll want to make sure you turn on the Classic Editor so you can manage and update your site.
Easy WP Guide
One of my favorite WordPress learning resources is Easy WP Guide, created by my friend Anthony Hortin.
Hortin’s detailed guide (200+ pages) covers the basics of adding, managing, and editing your WordPress content, and is filled with screenshots annotated with helpful tips.
You’ll find easy-to-follow instructions for using the Classic Editor as well as the Block Editor.
The guide is available for free online or as a PDF. You can also purchase a mobile eBook or (brandable) Word format guide.
WP Beginner Videos
Prefer to learn WordPress by watching a video? WP Beginner videos will get you started with WordPress in no time.
The WP Beginner site is well respected for its helpful and informative posts.
Their free videos include a wider range of topics than Anthony’s guide, covering editing content, as well as administrative functions.
WP Beginner has organized their videos into playlists, which makes it easier for you to search for tutorials, basics, plugins, and more.
What I like about their videos: they’re free, captioned, and explain one topic in a short amount of time.
WP101 Videos
With their almost three dozen videos, WP101 Videos offers step-by-step instructions to help you learn the basics of WordPress in two hours.
When I was trying to learn the ins and outs of the Block Editor, I used a combination of WP101 videos along with Easy WP Guide.
Depending on the subscription model, you get unlimited access to WP101 videos as well as their members-only help forum.
What I like about their videos: WP101 expanded their videos to include popular plugins, including WooCommerce, WP Rocket, Ninja Forms, Jetpack, Beaver Builder, and Yoast SEO.
WP101 also offers a WordPress 101 course for the Classic Editor.
LinkedIn Learning WordPress Training
Previously known as Lynda.com, LinkedIn Learning offers multiple courses for learning WordPress.
From the basics of adding posts to using the REST API to customizing themes, you’ll find a wealth of training and information in LinkedIn Learning WordPress courses.
The WordPress 5 Essential Training video course taught by my WordPress colleague Morten Rand-Hendricksen will get you up and running WordPress on your self-hosted WordPress site.
Rand-Hendricksen explains how WordPress works, how to create posts and pages, and take advantage of the Block Editor in the course.
In addition, LinkedIn Learning offers over 50 WordPress courses, including some of my favorites:
- WordPress.com Essential Training by Carrie Dils
- WordPress Migration by Joe Dolson
- WordPress: Building a Secure Site by Allie Nimmons
You can start a free one-month LinkedIn Learning trial to discover whether the courses will work for you or pay for a monthly membership.
An annual membership is also available.
Note: you may be able to take LinkedIn Learning courses for free through your local library.
Wrapping Up
There are many online resources for learning WordPress. The resources I’ve listed are the ones I’ve used and found helpful over the years.
My friend Nick was happy when I shared the online resources with him:
Thank you so much! We have students who are looking for training on our blogs.wayne editor (WordPress) and I know there is a ton of resources out there.
You’re welcome Nick; glad to help out.
You might notice I haven’t included the new Learn WordPress site in my recommendations. While their materials and resources are excellent, the videos are not captioned. Which means their content isn’t accessible to everyone.
What are your favorite online resources for learning WordPress? Share your info in the comments.
Originally published January 27, 2014
That’s a good list of resources, Deborah. I’ve been referring my own clients to the WP Beginner videos, and I’m going to replace the freebie book on my own site with Easy WP Guide. I’m teaching a web design course at a local college, and they have paid for Lynda.com licenses for the students. Those courses are very good… and they should be!
Hi Lane,
Thank you for your comment. Glad you found the resource list helpful.
I agree, the Lynda.com videos are well done. Morten Rand-Hendriksen, who does the WordPress training videos for Lynda.com, does an excellent job. As you may already know, Morten is very active in the WordPress community.
If I might ask, what college do you teach at? I worked in higher education for several years, working on the web team for a local community college.