Overview
In this guide, we explain how to use the WordPress editor to add content to a new Page or edit content for an existing Page on a minisite. You will need Administrator or Editor access to edit Pages.
We also review the tools, settings, and views available in the WordPress editor.
Other names for the WordPress editor
In this guide, we refer to the "WordPress editor" or simply "editor," but it's also known as the…
- WordPress block editor
- Block editor
- Gutenberg editor
Anatomy of the WordPress editor
Any time you create a new Page (Pages > Add New) or select an existing Page (Pages > Click a Page title), the Page opens in the WordPress editor. The editor view is highly customizable. You can easily hide various tools from view, and make them visible again as needed:
The above screenshot of the WordPress editor shows four labelled areas which we'll be referencing in our instructions below:
- Top toolbar
- Block inserter
- To show: Click the + icon in the top toolbar
- To hide: Click the x icon in the top toolbar
- Content area
- Settings sidebar
- To show: Click the Settings icon in the top toolbar
- To hide: Click the Settings icon again
Adding content
Once you create a new Page or choose an existing Page, it opens in the WordPress editor.
Open a Page in the editor
- Log into WordPress.
- Navigate to the Page you want to add content to:
- Creating a new Page? In the menu, click Pages > Add New.
- Editing an existing Page? In the menu, click Pages. Select a Page by clicking its title.
- The Page opens in the editor.
Add a Page title
Type the title in the Add title field at the top of the Page.
Add content to a Page using components
Whether you're adding text or media (images, audio files, links to videos), you add the content to the Page by first adding a component, and then adding your text/media in the component.
What is a component?
Components are the building blocks of your minisite: these are preconfigured, unique-to-Dornsife layout blocks which you can edit and reorder to assemble a complete Page. Currently there are over 20 component types available to Dornsife minisites, with more components under development.
To see the list of currently available components, along with guidelines for usage, refer to our Component Guide.
Add a component to a Page
You can add a component in one of two ways:
- Use the block inserter
- Open the block inserter by clicking the + icon in the top toolbar.
- To add the component to the end of the Page, click on the component type you want to add.
- To select a location on the Page for the component, click and drag the component type to the location on the Page.
- Use the content area
- To add the component to the end of Page, click the + button.
- To add the component in-between existing components, hover your cursor between two components until the + button appears.
You can add as many components as is reasonable to a Page (the more components you add, the longer the Page will be). You can add the same type of component multiple times on a single Page, with different content in each component.
Edit a component
Click on a component to edit it. When the component is selected, a block toolbar also appears at the top of the component with component settings.
Adding a menu
A minisite menu appears in the same location on each minisite Page. However, the menu itself is edited not in the WordPress editor but in the Menu Admin Screen.
For further guidance, refer to Editing the minisite menu in WordPress.
Adding a featured image (homepage only)
You can add a featured image to any Page, but it will only display on the homepage. Use the Featured image field in the Settings sidebar to add a featured image.
For further guidance on homepages, refer to Managing minisite Pages in WordPress: Understanding the homepage.
Organizing content
View the editor in minimalist mode
If you want to remove extraneous tools and buttons, and just focus on the content, you can declutter the editor so it only displays the top toolbar and the content area:
- To hide the block inserter, click the x icon in the top toolbar.
- To hide the Settings sidebar, click the Settings icon in the top toolbar.
- To hide WordPress Admin-related tools, click the
icon in the top toolbar to display Options. Select Fullscreen mode from the dropdown.
View the Page outline in List View
Quickly view the Page outline at a glance, and quickly reorder components on a Page using List View:
- In the top toolbar, click the
icon.
- List View displays. Click and drag a component to reorder it in List View.
Previewing content
You can switch between Edit and Preview at the component level or at the Page level.
Preview a single component
You can switch between Preview and Edit for a single component.
- Click the component to select it.
- The block toolbar displays at the top of the component.
- To preview, click the eyeball icon. To edit, click the pencil icon.
If the component preview doesn't look quite right, it may be one of the more complex components which you'll need to preview at the Page level instead.
Preview a Page
- In the top toolbar, click Preview. Select Preview in new tab from the dropdown.
- Avoid selecting Desktop, Tablet, or Mobile, as it isn't currently easy to switch back to Edit mode within the same tab.
- WordPress autosaves your Page, and Preview opens in a new tab. To view how the Page displays on smaller screens such as tablet or mobile, manually resize your browser window.
Saving, versioning, and publishing
Save changes
Use the top toolbar to view your options for saving:
-
Draft Pages: Autosave will automatically occur every 15 seconds. You can also click Save draft to manually force-save changes.
-
Published Pages: Autosave is not available on published Pages.
- If you want to immediately publish your changes, make your changes and click Update.
- If you want to take the Page down from the minisite while you work on a new version (be cautious if the Page is linked to from the menu):
- Click Switch to draft.
- Click OK to confirm.
- Make your changes, and don't forget to publish the Page again once you're finished.
In the top toolbar, clicking Preview > Preview in new tab will also force-save your changes.
View previous Page versions
If you are unhappy with your changes, or want to return to an earlier version of your Page, you can review previous versions. Use the Settings sidebar:
- Scroll down the Settings sidebar until you reach the revisions section. Click Revisions.
- The Compare Revisions Screen for the Page displays. Drag and drop the < > toggle along the horizontal timeline to view previous versions of the Page. Detailed information is available including the Revision Author, the Revision Date, and the exact changes made.
Publish a Page
Once you're happy with the way that your draft Page looks, you can publish it. Use the Settings sidebar:
- Make sure the Page tab is selected.
- Review the "Status & visibility" settings, and click Publish.
- Click Publish to confirm.
Avoiding sync issues
To prevent sync issues, any given Page should only be edited by one person in one browser tab on one device at a time.
Same User on multiple browsers, tabs, or devices (no warning)
If you are signed into the minisite and have the same Page open in the WordPress editor in more than one tab in the same or different browsers, or on more than one device, WordPress will not warn you that you have the Page open already. Instead, whichever version receives the latest save (whether autosave or manual force-save), will be the last version saved.
Multiple Users (warning available)
If you currently have a Page open in the WordPress editor, the following warning displays for anyone else who opens the Page while you have it open:
