Adding and managing pages is one of the most fundamental website building tasks in WordPress. Yet many users struggle with even getting started creating their first few pages.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about pages in WordPress, including:
- Key differences between pages vs posts
- Step-by-step instructions for adding new pages
- Using the block editor (Gutenberg)
- Working with page builder plugins like Elementor
- Optimizing and structuring WordPress pages for better SEO
- Creating specific types of pages like Landing Pages, About Pages, Contact Pages
- Helpful plugins and themes for managing pages
- FAQs and troubleshooting for common page issues
Let’s start with clarifying a key WordPress concept:
WordPress Pages vs Posts: What’s the Difference?
While WordPress uses the same editors for adding both posts and pages, they serve very different functions:
WordPress Pages tend to be static and don’t change much over time. Common examples are Contact, About, Service, and Landing Pages. Pages also often appear in website menus and footers.
WordPress Posts make up the updates in your blog/news sections. They display in reverse chronological order, can use categories and tags, and tend to change more frequently.
Another way to think of it is:
- Pages = Timeless website sections
- Posts = Timely blog updates
Keep this key difference in mind as we go through the specifics of working with WordPress pages below.
Step-by-Step: How to Add a New Page in WordPress
Adding a page only takes a few clicks using the built-in WordPress block editor:
- Log into your WordPress dashboard, go to Pages → Add New
- Add your page title and hit Save Draft
- Click Preview to view page frontend
- Use blocks to add content
- Add featured image
- Tweak page settings
- Hit Publish when done!
Let‘s break this down in more detail…
1. Access the Pages Section
From your WP dashboard, go to Pages → Add New:
This is where all your website‘s pages are organized and managed in WordPress.
Take a look at existing pages created by your theme/plugins here as well. You may be able to simply edit an existing page rather than creating an entirely new one.
2. Add Page Title & Save Draft
Give your new page a descriptive name. This will show as the heading:
Then click Save Draft to save your changes:
Get in the habit of manually saving drafts to avoid losing any work.
3. Launch Page Preview
It‘s also a smart idea to Preview the page frontend:
Having the preview open in a separate tab allows you to see how changes appear to visitors. Refresh it periodically!
4. Build Page Layout With Blocks
Now let‘s start structuring our page content with blocks:
The editor allows you to add and arrange various content blocks – like text, images, buttons, columns etc.
We have a full guide on How to Use the WordPress Block Editor to help you get started with its features and blocks.
Some key ones for structuring pages are:
- Paragraph – For adding text content
- Headings – Organize sections and content hierarchy
- Columns – Display content side-by-side
- Media & Text – Combine images with captions
- List – Create bulleted lists
- Table – Display data in table layout
- Cover – Overlay text on top of images
For example, your About Page may contain:
- H2 Heading = Page Title
- Paragraph text sections
- Media & Text blocks to showcase team members
- Quote blocks or testimonials
Get creative with mixing and matching blocks that help reinforce your page‘s purpose!
5. Set Featured Image
Though not displayed on the page itself, setting a Featured Image gives social media platforms a thumbnail preview when shared.
For best results, use high quality images at least 1200px wide if your theme doesn‘t specify preferred dimensions.
6. Configure Page Settings
Under the Document tab, you can access helpful page-specific settings:
Important ones include:
- Template – Useful for assigning specific header/footer layouts
- Parent – Allows you to nest pages in hierarchies
- Order – Controls sort order of pages
Refer to your theme/plugins documentation for details on applying custom page templates.
7. Finalize & Publish
When you finish drafting your content, click Publish.
This will take your page live on the front end.
Don‘t forget to add new pages to your menus as well, so visitors can access them!
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s go over some pro tips and best practices…
Pro Tips for Creating WordPress Pages
Here are some professional recommendations for taking your WordPress pages to the next level:
Use page builder plugins (like Elementor)
While the WordPress block editor works fine, page builder plugins like Elementor provide more design flexibility and pre-made templates.
For example, adding an optin form with custom styling is much faster using Elementor vs trying to cobble blocks together:
Our guide on getting started with Elementor shows how you can use it to easily build pages.
Just keep in mind it does add some bloat to your site which can impact page speed.
Structure pages properly for SEO
Optimizing your WordPress pages for search engines will improve chances of ranking.
Important elements include:
- Descriptive page title tags – Keep under 60 characters
- Focus keyword – Work primary term into H2 heading
- URL structure – Use hyphens to separate words
- Alt text – Helps search bots understand images
- Outbound links – Cite sources and link to related resources
- Meta description – Summarizes page purpose concisely
Our Complete SEO Guide for WordPress goes deeper on best practices to improve search visibility.
Create specific page types
Depending on the purpose of your page, you’ll want to structure the layout, content, and design differently.
For example, an effective Contact Page should make it extremely easy for visitors to get in touch.
Use a full width layout with a contact form plugged directly into the page using a form builder plugin. Include your email, phone, social media links, and physical address.
A Landing Page on the other hand is all about guiding visitors towards a specific conversion goal.
Focus solely on conveying a single offer or CTA above the fold without distractions. Use background images or video to capture attention fast.
We actually have dedicated guides on creating specific sites pages that go into more details:
Check them out for additional tips and inspiration!
Utilize helpful plugins
Here are a few handy plugins for managing and enhancing WordPress pages:
- SEOPress – Handles the technical SEO optimizations discussed above
- Ultimate Addons for Gutenberg – Additional blocks and design options
- Custom Post Type UI – Create custom page structures
- WP Page Management – Organizes and imports pages
- Broken Link Checker – Automatically find and fix broken links
Refer to the Kinsta Plugin Recommendations for more of our top picks.
Troubleshooting Common WordPress Page Problems
Here are some troubleshooting tips for frequent page issues:
Pages show 404 error after publishing
This is typically due to a permalink conflict. Go to Settings → Permalinks and resave them.
Page content not displaying correctly
Make sure you assigned the proper page template for your theme under the Document tab.
Also confirm any plugins that could impact page formatting are installed properly without conflicts.
Page builder content disappeared
This can occur when switching themes or migrating hosts. Sometime page builder data does not transfer properly.
You may need to either switch the page builder plugin or manually recreate the content in blocks.
If adding new pages to menus, make sure you enable menu management under Appearance → Menus. From there all pages and posts will be available to add.
Still having issues? Refer to the official WordPress Codex docs for troubleshooting pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know whether to use a page or post in WordPress?
Use Pages for relatively static standalone website sections like About, Contact, Services etc.
Use Posts for frequently updated blog content, news articles, stories etc. Pages change less often.
Can I reorder my WordPress pages?
Yes! Edit the page and under the Order field you can define what position that page holds in the site hierarchy.
What’s the difference between pages and custom post types?
Custom post types are essentially creating custom content structures beyond the traditional posts and pages. Useful when you want custom admin management screens or templates for specific content.
Pages utilize the built-in page post type that include certain defaults like hierarchical organization and page attributes. More beginner friendly for typical static site sections.
Should I delete the sample page in WordPress?
No need. By default WordPress includes a sample page so you can view an example layout and preview within the dashboard. Feel free to delete once you start adding your real pages.
Final Thoughts
Understanding how to properly create, manage, and optimize WordPress pages is critical for building effective websites.
Follow this guide‘s tips, and you‘ll be well on your way to adding polished, professional pages that drive results and deliver great user experiences.
Let us know if you have any other questions in the comments!
