As WordPress theme shop owners, we can sometimes forget that not everyone is as familiar with WordPress as we are.
Though we’ve been using and loving WordPress for 10 years, the terminology may be confusing to beginners.
The learning curve can be a bit steep when you’re just starting out and it can leave you feeling lost and overwhelmed.
We thought it would be helpful to put together a post featuring nine of the most important WordPress terms you should know so you can feel up to speed.
9 Important WordPress Terms You Should Know
1 | Dashboard
The dashboard is the very first screen you see when you log into the admin area of your website.
We wrote a blog post all about the WordPress dashboard, so check it out if you’re interested in learning more. This is the place where you can get a bird’s eye view of what’s happening on your blog.
2 | Themes
A WordPress theme provides all of the styling and functionality of your website. This includes the overall design of your site, fonts, colors, page layouts, functionality, and more.
If you’re looking for a feminine, stylish WordPress theme, we would suggest checking out our shop!
3 | Child Theme
A child theme is one of the most important terms to know, but many people don’t understand what it is.
A child theme is a theme that mimics your parent theme (an example of a parent theme would be any of our themes in the shop). It has the same functionality and styling of your parent theme, and it is used to be able to modify your existing theme.
While you can modify a parent theme, it is not recommended because if in the future this theme makes updates, any of the modifications you made will be erased.
By using a child theme, you can modify your parent theme without losing future functionality.
Related post: WordPress Security 101: Keeping Your Business Protected
4 | Plugins
One of the most common WordPress terms is plugins. A plugin is a way to expand and extend the functionality of WordPress.
Plugins offer a way to let you add features to your website that is tailored to your specific needs.
A few of our favorite plugins are Yoast SEO, WP Super Cache, and WP Forms Lite.
Check out these 9 important #WordPress terms you should know!Click To Tweet5 | Shortcodes
A shortcode is essentially a way to use a shortcut on WordPress.
Shortcodes often are a way to embed a file or feature using one short line of HTML code, instead of a long, complicated version of code. Here is an example of a ConvertKit shortcode:
6 | Categories
Categories can be used to group related blog posts together and to give a brief glance as to what your blog post is about.
We recommend not having a large number of category options, try to keep it between 4-10.
7 | Permalink
A permalink is basically a fancy way to describe a permanent URL on your website.
If you go to Settings → Permalink you can change the default structure of your permalinks on your blog.
We recommend using the post name option as that is the easiest to read and remember, also SEO-friendly.
8 | Tags
Tags are similar to categories but are generally used to describe blog posts in even more detail than categories.
Tags are to be used in a more specific way to identify key topics you discuss in your blog post.
Related post: Common Beginner WordPress Mistakes (And How To Fix Them) Compilation
9 | Widgets
WordPress widgets provide a way to easily customize your website. Typically a widget performs a specific function on your website.
Widgets are commonly used on sidebars, but can also be used in different areas on your website.
Common widgets include: about me, categories, and search bar.
Final Thoughts
Getting started with WordPress can be intimidating for beginners but it doesn’t have to be! We hope this glossary of WordPress terms is helpful for you while you’re starting your website!
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