Justine Allen's Blog, page 26

The WordPress Site Editor Is More Powerful Than Ever

The WordPress Site Editor has come a long way since it was first introduced in early 2022. In the last couple of months alone, the WordPress project has added a handful of game-changing features that give you even more control and convenience in customizing your site to be exactly what you need. 

Below, we lay out how you can manage, create, and edit your content and design directly from this handy tool. 

Easily view and organize your menus  

When you click the “Navigation” tab in the Site Editor, you’ll get a great high-level view of your menus with the ability to preview, edit, and switch between each as you’d like. From here, you can organize menu links by simply dragging them with your mouse into the desired order. 

You can also click the three-dot menu and organize your navigation that way; from there you can also click through to the individual post or page that you’re moving around, in order to make changes on the fly. 

Create new pages; edit existing pages

You can now also access pages from the Site Editor — whether you want to edit existing content or add a brand new page. When you first click into a page from the Site Editor you’ll see some data on the lefthand side (date published, word count, time to read, etc.) and the page itself to the right of that. 

When you click the page, you’ll be brought into editing mode for that page with the option to edit the template as you’d like.

Change up your style  

Not only is streamlined content management here, but so is design editing. There’s now a top-level Styles section in the Site Editor which allows you to experiment with and apply various color and font combinations, when they’re available for your theme. You can also open the Style Book from the Site Editor to get an idea of what various blocks look like with the different styles.   

Style revisions are also now accessible from the Site Editor, at the bottom of the left hand column, allowing you to easily see and revert to changes you’ve made in the past.  

Work in peace with distraction-free mode 

The popular distraction-free writing mode has been available for editing posts and pages for some time and we’re excited that it’s now available in the Site Editor as well. Work on your home page and templates without other controls or menus getting in your way. 

Distraction-free mode is accessible via the keyboard shortcut “Shift + Cmd + \” for Mac and “Shift + Ctrl + \” for Windows, or in the top right options menu. 

Resize the editor for quick previews 

If you’re curious about how all these changes you’re making will appear on various devices,  WordPress has added the ability to resize the Site Editor. With a simple click and drag, you’ll see what your site looks like on mobile devices, tablets, and desktops. If you resize to engage the full screen, you’ll automatically be placed in Edit View to begin editing. 

Try out the Site Editor and let us know what you think in the comments. We’re always listening to your feedback.

Get started

Site Editor vs. Page Editor: Explore Customization Tools in Our Upcoming Webinar

It wasn’t long ago that customizing your website meant outsourcing your design to an experienced developer or learning to code for yourself. Times are changing, though. With the new WordPress.com block editing tools, you’re able personalize all aspects of your site with point-and-click simplicity.

Learn how by joining us for August’s featured webinar: Site Editor vs. Page Editor: Using the Power of WordPress Editing Tools to Create Your Entire Site.

In this live tutorial, we’ll introduce you to the new WordPress.com Site Editor, which allows you to customize your website from top to bottom—no special coding skills needed.

Whether you’re a new or seasoned site owner, our experts will guide you through:

Distinguishing the site editor from the page and blog post editorLocating and editing block theme templatesAssigning a new template to revamp your page or post appearance

This webinar is 100% free. All you need is a working knowledge of the WordPress.com dashboard and an eagerness to master site editing. Don’t forget to bring along your questions for our live Q&A session after the presentation!

Register for Site Editor vs. Page EditorCheck out our other August webinars

We’ve prepared an exciting range of webinars this month to help you explore the vast potential of the WordPress.com editing tools and understand the importance of a custom domain for your website. These sessions are designed to arm you with the necessary skills to take your WordPress.com site to new heights!

Mastering Custom Domains

Establish a unique online identity that mirrors your brand and sets you apart from the crowd. Come along with us as we walk you through the process of selecting, registering, and associating a custom domain with your WordPress.com site. In addition, you will learn how a domain-specific email address can positively impact your email open rates.

Register for Custom DomainsSite Editing: Custom Headers

This session will demonstrate how you can effortlessly craft an outstanding header without needing to write any code. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a zealous blogger, this webinar is intended to give you the ability to create headers that truly symbolize your brand and connect with your target audience.

Register for Custom Headers

Be a part of our WordPress.com live webinars, deliberately designed for both novice and experienced website owners. All our webinars are open to attend at no cost and wrap up with a vibrant Q&A session, allowing you to engage in meaningful conversation with our expert Happiness Engineers.

Hot Off the Press: New WordPress.com Themes for August 2023

The WordPress.com team is always working on new design ideas to bring your website to life. Check out the latest themes in our library, featuring beautiful new options with bloggers, diarists, and creators in mind.

All WordPress.com ThemesTenaz

Tenaz (“tenacious” in Spanish) is a classic magazine theme with a rich, dense homepage perfect for professional bloggers or small media networks. Customizable elements are somewhat limited for this theme, but the black and white color palette is versatile and timeless.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Tomoni

Takashi, the designer for this theme, was inspired by a visit to a design museum in the Roppongi district of Tokyo. Among the beautiful designs displayed there, the wall labels, written in both Japanese and English, also caught his attention. Takashi then started thinking about other examples of when dual language displays are needed, from road signs to posters in large immigrant communities. This theme, tomoni (“together” in Japanese), came to life from that idea.

Tomoni uses Noto Sans and Noto Sans Japanese, which makes both texts visually harmonic. There are eight color variations to suit a wide array of aesthetic flavors.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Entry

Entry is a uniquely styled block theme designed specifically for journalling. It features a blocky grid layout for posts, with every element contained in squared or rectangular shapes. This is a design that makes a statement.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Trellick

Trellick is a minimalist, raw blog theme that strips away the polished veneer of the modern “sameness” of web design — this theme shows the untamed essence of the digital realm. Embracing the architectural concept of Brutalism, Trellick showcases a bold, unapologetic aesthetic.

This design features three columns. The left (header) and the right (sidebar) columns are sticky, and only the main content in the middle column scrolls. The small, square-shaped featured image contributes a distinctive look. Trellick is available in four different color schemes.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Covr

Covr is a beautifully crafted theme that boasts a clean and modern design, specifically created to showcase images in an immersive and captivating way. Its full-width home template elegantly displays your portfolio, photography, or personal blog posts, providing an enjoyable browsing experience for your audience. Whether you’re a photographer, artist, or blogger, Covr is the perfect choice to present your work and make an impact.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

To install any of the above themes, click the name of the theme you like, which brings you right to the installation page. Then click the “Activate this design” button. You can also click “Open live demo,” which brings up a clickable, scrollable version of the theme for you to preview.

Premium themes are available to use at no extra charge for customers on the Premium plan or above. Partner themes are third-party products that can be purchased for $79/year each.

You can explore all of our themes by navigating to the “Themes” page, which is found under “Appearance” in the left-side menu of your WordPress.com dashboard. Or you can click below:

All WordPress.com Themes

The New and Improved Jetpack Mobile Editor

After introducing the Jetpack Mobile app earlier this year, we’re focused on making it the best WordPress experience on your mobile device. We’ve started by updating the design of the mobile editor. 

Below we walk you through the changes we’ve made that streamline your writing and editing experience on mobile. You’ll find these improvements when your app updates to version 22.9.

Fresh color palette 

We’ve replaced soft blue tones with a striking black and white style, which not only looks cleaner but is simply easier to see as well. Overall, we’ve aligned our styles more closely to the WordPress.com desktop experience, including the more familiar block inserter button.

Cleaner top navigation

We’ve hidden the site title to make room for global actions like “Undo.” Your site icon is shown next to the back arrow, where you can tap to leave the editor. We’ve also added a border to clearly separate the navigation bar from your content.

Faster media insertion 

We’ve added in-line media blocks when you have no other block selected, so you can add an image or video faster without opening the full block list.

More space to write

We’ve hidden the blue border around the paragraph block while you’re typing to let you focus on writing.

Unified block controls

It used to be that some block controls were shown on top of the block, taking space from your content. Now all the block controls live in the toolbar, with the settings icon up first.

New ways to move blocks

The up and down arrows, which move blocks within your posts and pages, have moved to the right side of the toolbar. And if you missed it, we introduced drag and drop last year, so you can move blocks manually. 

More to come

You’ll find these improvements when your app updates to version 22.9.

We’ll be continuing to make improvements to the mobile editor. In the meantime, we’d love to hear what you like, what challenges you’ve encountered, and any ideas you have. It may very well shape what we work on next.

Get the app today

New Business-Focused Patterns: Testimonials, FAQs, and More

Have you used Patterns on your site yet? 

These prebuilt, customizable templates can be used to create product listings, customer testimonials, payment interfaces, contact forms, and so much more. All told, we have more than 275+ Patterns you can mix and match in your pages and posts at the press of a button.

If you’ve never used Patterns before, they’re like any other site element: Access them by hitting the inserter (or “+”) button at the top left of the page or post you’re working on, then selecting the “Patterns” tab. You can also click on the “Explore” button to bring up our entire library of Patterns, organized by category.

Let’s take a look at a few of the newest business-focused Patterns we’ve added to our library. 

Testimonials

Boost trust and credibility for your small business with compelling testimonials. Choose from a number of carefully crafted Patterns to beautifully showcase customer stories and experiences on your website.

Services

Every small business website needs a services section, delivering clear information about your offerings. Whether you’re a restaurant, beauty salon, or local cleaning service, we have the perfect Pattern to showcase your products and services.

Pricing

A well-designed pricing section can be the centerpiece of your business website and a big sales driver. We’ve added a number of Patterns to our library that will make this task easy and fun!

FAQ

Answer common questions about your business, services, prices, and more with a beautiful and functional Frequently Asked Questions section. Adding one to your website is as easy as picking one of our FAQ Patterns, and customizing as desired with your own colors and copy.

Contact

A contact page is a must-have in order to easily connect with visitors, encourage inquiries, solicit feedback, and discover new business opportunities. Pick a Pattern that best suits your business and you’ll never miss a lead.

Payments

Accept credit and debit card payments effortlessly with our Payment Button Block. Choose from a range of stylish design options, making the payment process even more convenient and visually appealing for your customers.

Explore all of our Patterns!

Let our patterns library spark your creativity. We have options for featured products, menus, events, coupons, and more. Dive in by exploring all the hundreds of patterns in the WordPress editor. 

If you’re intrigued by Patterns but don’t have a site yet, get started by creating your own unique design today: 

Start creating

Transfer Your Google Domains to WordPress.com—On Us

A domain is your most valuable online asset. A great domain name says something about you—your personality, your work, your creative spark. People understand this intuitively: when coming up with new ideas for a business or website, we don’t start with design or specific content. We start by giving it a name.

But if your domain name is currently with Google Domains, things recently became complicated. You may have heard that your account has been sold to Squarespace. Everything is expected to transfer and close later this year.

Fortunately for you, you’re not locked into that deal. And we think we can do better. For the first million domains that move from Google to WordPress.com, we’ll pay your transfer fee, which also extends your registration for an additional year. 

That’s just the beginning. Here’s our commitment to you when you bring your domain from Google to WordPress.com:

Your renewal price will be the same or even lower than what you were paying with Google Domains—and that goes for every one of the 400+ top-level domains (TLDs) we offer. This will also apply to existing WordPress.com customers across most domains, meaning that in many cases we’re lowering your prices!This isn’t a temporary thing. We’re committed to keeping domain prices low, and will only raise them if our wholesale costs go up (we’ll run our domains business like Costco).Get started now

You may know WordPress.com as a leading platform for building stunning websites, but we’ve been a domain name provider for over a decade. You don’t even need a site or hosting plan to manage your domains with us. 

And you’re getting much more than just a URL:

Performance: Our DNS speeds are faster than Google, GoDaddy, and DigitalOcean. But don’t take our word for it. Feel free to check for yourself at dnsperf.com.   Privacy: Unlike at many other registrars, privacy protection is free. (There are a few exclusions for non-U.S. domains.) Security: We install SSL for free for all domains hosted with us. And when you host your site at WordPress.com, we provide serious security features to keep your site running smoothly such as real-time backups, one-click restores, malware scanning, WAF (web application firewall), DDOS mitigation, and more.

What it really comes down to is that WordPress.com, along with the larger Automattic family, is committed to the open and inclusive web. Our mission is to democratize publishing for the entire world. Ultimately, we will always support your ability to truly own your content and identity on the web. 

And it all starts with your domain.

Get started now

Even More New WordPress.com Themes for July 2023

The WordPress.com team is always working on new design ideas to bring your website to life. In July, we published so many new designs that a “Part Two” of our monthly theme roundup is in order. Check out these latest stylings especially if you have a blog or portfolio.

All WordPress.com ThemesFotograma

To create Fotograma, our designers borrowed from the fun and unique Stacks theme, which gives your website the look of a professional presentation. To that concept, we added a Cover Block to make this a one-page portfolio theme perfect for a photographer who wants to make a big visual impact.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Curriculum

Curriculum is a resume-like theme that echoes the structure of a professional profile page like you’d find on LinkedIn. It features original a unique visual structure and navigation, and a primary content area that’s perfect displaying your education, experience, work portfolio, and other information.

In this split layout design, the right side offers a “sticky” profile image while the left side features a large block of scrollable content. We chose a high-contrast color palette of blue with cream for the default style; there’s also a variation in maroon if you prefer something a little bolder.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Bute

Bute is a simple blogging theme that features a full-screen Cover Block on the home page. It’s epic in every way, inviting the reader directly into whatever adventure you’ve embarked on yourself.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Loïc

Loïc is a theme designed with writers in mind. One small detail that sets it apart: for most pages and templates, we’ve replaced the site title with the post or query title. And whereas most of our modern themes utilize a sans serif font family, with Loïc we opted for Crimson Text, which is a serif typeface often found in book printing.

We’ve provided a total of six style options for this theme, allowing you to effortlessly transform your website’s tone to suit your individual aesthetic.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Artly

Artly is a blog theme designed for publications that place a premium on visuals. Its modern, offset layout for posts and pages allows you to showcase your content in a stunning but also functional way.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

To install any of the above themes, click the name of the theme you like, which brings you right to the installation page. Then click the “Activate this design” button. You can also click “Open live demo,” which brings up a clickable, scrollable version of the theme for you to preview.

Premium themes are available to use at no extra charge for customers on the Premium plan or above. Paid themes are third-party products that can be purchased for $79/year each.

You can explore all of our themes by navigating to the “Themes” page, which is found under “Appearance” in the left-side menu of your WordPress.com dashboard. Or you can click below:

All WordPress.com Themes

New Free Course—Newsletters 101: From Basics to Automation and Monetization

Unleash your inner creator! Dive into the exciting journey of crafting captivating newsletters with WordPress.com’s newest course: Newsletters 101: From Basics to Automation and Monetization. 

This completely free online course is designed to share the key skills of creating, managing, and monetizing your newsletter. Whether you’re a blogger, entrepreneur, or part of a non-profit organization, this is your gateway to reaching the hearts and minds of your audience directly in their inboxes.

Let’s dive in!

The power of newsletters

Newsletters offer creators and businesses a unique advantage: a simple way to establish a personal, direct line of communication with their audience, free from the whims and distractions of social media algorithms. Publishing a newsletter can help you forge stronger relationships with your subscribers, nurturing a loyal following over time.

And newsletters are an invaluable tool for generating revenue, too. People who sign up for your newsletter are much more likely to be interested in what you have to offer, which means they’re more receptive to your ideas, recommendations, and products.

Get set up for success

In this course we’ll walk you through the basics of setting up a newsletter, even if you don’t have a website. And if you already have a website you’d like to turn into a newsletter, we’ll also guide you on how to do so with just a few clicks. 

Our Newsletters 101 course will get you started with what you need no matter where you’re at or what your niche is. You’ll find pro tips, ideas, how-tos, and resources for getting the most out of your newsletter. 

The best part? The course is free and no registration is required. Just click the button below and get started!

Access Newsletters 101 NowUnleash your monetization potential

Want to make money through your newsletter? We’ve got you covered! We’ll walk you through setting up paid subscriptions, so you can start generating recurring revenue by simply sharing what you’re passionate about. 

We’ll also explore affiliate marketing, a way to earn commissions through carefully curated product recommendations. Plus, we’ll guide you on integrating ads or sponsored content, offering a win-win scenario where your audience benefits from valuable content, and you earn from your efforts.

Making it real

You might be thinking, “I’m not a techie, can I really do this?” Absolutely, yes! In this course, we break down everything into bite-sized pieces, making it simple to follow along, no matter your technical abilities.

And to support you on the way, we have an Education Community Forum where you can ask questions and celebrate your progress. 

See you there!

Access Newsletters 101 Now

PS: Get the best out of our learning resources by checking out all of our courses, live webinars, and recorded replays. 

Hot Off the Press: New WordPress.com Themes for July 2023

The WordPress.com team is always working on new design ideas to bring your website to life. Check out the latest themes in our library, featuring beautiful new options with bloggers and creators in mind.

All WordPress.com ThemesKigen

One of the meanings of the Japanese word kigen is “the origin.” As such, this theme offers a biographical representation of your work.

Kigen’s simple portfolio design is straightforward: The front page has a gallery at the top, followed by a column block with links to social media as well as space for your “About” or “Bio” content. The font, Newsreader, conveys a classical sense while maintaining an authoritative feel.

We’ve added some playfulness to the bottom border, which is an easily changeable or removable pattern.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

BSoJ

BSoJ is a simple blog theme inspired by the infamous “Blue Screen of Death” that would appear on the Microsoft Windows operating system after a fatal error. This version gives that screen a far more joyful vibe.

The original Blue Screen of Death.

While our design keeps the iconic white text on blue, it uses a livelier font pairing of Anonymous Pro and Josefin Sans. The font sizes are intentionally small (equivalent to 14px for body text) and sit on a narrow column (400px width max).

If you’re feeling like adding some classic ’90s nostalgia to your online footprint, consider the BSoJ theme.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Optimismo

Inspired by a UK rave party flyer in the late ’80s, Optimismo is a simple blog theme with a bold aesthetic. The theme features a somewhat unusual homepage that displays the five latest blog post titles, along with a large headline and the site title. We usually go with left-aligned designs, but wanted to break our own rules a bit and went center-aligned with Optimismo.

If you want to make a bold splash with your blog, this is a great theme to use.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Lineup

Lineup is a ’90s D.I.Y. fanzine-inspired theme that lists entries with bold typography and color. Our designer on this theme noted that he was really into hardcore punk in his younger days and loved reading about them in fanzines. They were raw, crude, and often printed with a single color.

Lineup only uses black and red, and most of the text is intentionally the same large font size. Because of that, the default content width is wider than usual (940px max). Additionally, all images will appear with a duotone filter.

This theme probably isn’t for everyone, but if punk rock is your aesthetic, Lineup is perfect.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

Jinjang

Jinjang is a blog theme with a split 50:50 layout, inspired by the Chinese philosophical concept of yin-yang. It’s stark and bold and uses a large font throughout the theme.

The black left column is sticky—making the navigation always visible—so only the right column scrolls. It’s a rather striking and versatile design, if we don’t say so ourselves.

Click here to view a demo of this theme.

To install any of the above themes, click the name of the theme you like, which brings you right to the installation page. Then click the “Activate this design” button. You can also click “Open live demo,” which brings up a clickable, scrollable version of the theme for you to preview.

Premium themes are available to use at no extra charge for customers on the Premium plan or above. Paid themes are third-party products that can be purchased for $79/year each.

You can explore all of our themes by navigating to the “Themes” page, which is found under “Appearance” in the left-side menu of your WordPress.com dashboard. Or you can click below:

All WordPress.com Themes

Make Your Site Faster With Our Global Edge Cache

No matter your website’s goals, speed and efficiency are key. The bottom line is that you want your website to be fast and accessible for visitors, no matter where they are in the world.

WordPress.com’s Global Edge Cache (pronounced like “cash”) makes your site load faster for visitors around the world by taking advantage of our global network of data centers. This feature is always enabled on Free, Personal, and Premium sites. For our Business and Commerce sites, you can now manage the Global Edge Cache settings from the “Hosting Configuration” page.

What is global edge caching?

Say your website is hosted at one of our data centers in Amsterdam and a visitor from Cape Town wants to access it. The request from the visitor has to travel halfway around the world and back again to be fulfilled—that is, load the site on their device. 

Through some backend technical wizardry, our Global Edge Cache means that the request only needs to travel to Johannesburg and back, saving your visitor tens or even hundreds of milliseconds. It may not seem like much, but when you’re online, every millisecond counts. 

In short, enabling this caching feature brings your content closer to your visitors, wherever they might be. This means faster load times, less waiting, and a better overall experience. And as we all know, a happy visitor is more likely to become a loyal customer or follower.

Speed up your site with three simple steps

The WordPress.com Global Edge Cache is always enabled for sites on Free, Personal, and Premium plans. On a Business or Commerce site, you can enable Global Edge Cache from the Hosting Configuration page.

Here’s how to do it: 

From your dashboard, go to Settings → Hosting Configuration.Scroll down to the “Cache” module.Click the toggle for  “Enable global edge caching for faster content delivery.”

Once you click that toggle, you’re all set! 

Build your future on WordPress.com

Many hosts charge extra for this kind of edge caching, or require integration with a third-party provider. On WordPress.com, global edge caching is included on every plan, without any bandwidth restrictions.

This is just one more reason why WordPress.com stands out as the premier managed WordPress host. Be it staging sites, SSH and WP-CLI access, or unified site management, we’re always working on new tools to make WordPress.com an essential component of your development workflow. 

What other features would you like to see? How can we make WordPress.com an even more powerful place to build a website? Feel free to leave a comment or contact our friendly support team. And be sure to follow our develop blog to stay up-to-date with everything we’re doing to make your behind-the-scenes experience even better.