Online Resources for Learning WordPress

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 you like that is more comprehensive than me just Googling for them.

I thought to myself: I get asked that question a lot.

Since 2011, I’ve organized over a hundred WordPress meetups in metro Detroit as well as three WordCamp Detroit events.

In addition, I publish posts regularly about using WordPress on various blogs, including this one.

It doesn’t matter if someone created their site themselves, or had a designer/developer create their site. More WordPress site owners and users want to learn how to use WordPress.

And my first response is usually, how do you prefer to learn?

What’s Your Learning Style?

Everyone has a different way to learn new things, whether from

• Taking classes
• Watching video
• One-on-one training
• Reading how-to guides, documentation, and articles

Or a combination of the various options.

For people who learn best from online videos or reading documentation, I’ve reviewed and used several dozen resources over the years.

Based on ease of use, how often they’re updated, and accessibility of their content, I’ve selected six online resources I recommend for learning WordPress.

Resources I Recommend for Learning WordPress

1. 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 on self-hosted sites. Reminder: you’ll need to install the Classic Editor plugin to use 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.com users who aren’t using the Block Editor.

A couple important notes about WordPress.com users:

1. If you started your site on WordPress.com after December 2018 or you’re using a new theme, you may find you can only use the Block Editor on your site.
2. 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.

2. Easy WP Guide

One of my favorite WordPress learning resources is Easy WP Guide, created by my friend Anthony Hortin.

His 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.

3. 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.

Videos are organized 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.

4. WP 101 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 to get up to speed.

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 has videos for popular plugins, including WooCommerce, WP Rocket, Ninja Forms, WP Forms, and Beaver Builder. WP101 also offers a WordPress 101 course for the Classic Editor.

5. LinkedIn Learning WordPress Courses

From the basics of adding posts to building a secure site, you’ll find a wealth of training and information in LinkedIn Learning WordPress courses.

You’ll find over 50 WordPress courses, including:

• WordPress.com Essential Training by Carrie Dils
• WordPress SEO by Patrick Rauland
• WordPress Essential Training by Allie Nimmons

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 paid membership is also available.

If you’re in Canada or the United States, you may be able to take LinkedIn Learning courses for free through your local library.

6. Learn WordPress

Now that Learn WordPress, the online training resource on WordPress.org, has added captions and transcripts to their videos, I’m happy to include them in my list of recommended resources.

Visit the Learn WordPress site to find a wide range of tutorials, online workshops, courses, and lesson plans to help you get hands on and improve your WordPress skills.

Recent tutorials include:

• Creating a landing page with a block theme
• Building a home page with a block theme
• User Management
• Choosing and Installing a Theme

All tutorials and lesson plans are available for free. Glad to see you can now filter tutorials by topic, language, subtitles, and WordPress version.

In addition, you’ll find a calendar of upcoming workshops you can attend online.

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.

What are your favorite online resources for learning WordPress? Share your info in the comments.

Originally published January 27, 2014 and April 19, 2021.