Dashboard
This page provides a simple overview of your website admin area. Use the admin menu on the left-hand side to navigate between the different sections.
General
This is where you can update site-wide information, such as contact details, social media links, call-to-action content and other general settings.
Anything entered here may be used across multiple parts of the website, so if you need to update contact details or similar information, this is usually the first place to check.
You can also add scripts such as Google Analytics here if required. See the Scripts and Tracking Codes section in this Site Guide for more information.
Pages
The Pages section is where you manage the main pages of your website.
You can edit existing pages or click Add New to create a new one. Instructions for editing page content appear directly within the page editor.
SEO Tip: At the bottom of each page, you’ll find the Yoast SEO section. Adding a Meta Description is recommended, as it helps control the summary that may appear in search engine results such as Google.
Posts
If your website includes Posts, this section can be used to add and manage blog, news or other post content.
Each post can include a title, featured/banner image and the main content. The featured image may be used on listing pages, within other layouts and when the post is shared on social media.
Posts can also be organised using categories where these are used on your website.
Once published, posts may automatically appear on relevant pages or layouts across the website.
Team
If your website includes a Team section, this is where you can add, edit or remove team members.
Each team member may include a photo, job title, biography and contact information. They can then appear automatically wherever Team layouts are used across the website.
Testimonials
If your website includes Testimonials, this is where you can add, edit or remove them. They may then appear automatically in testimonial layouts used across the website.
Menu
This section allows you to manage the menus used across your website, including the main Header menu and any Footer or Legal menus available on your site.
To edit a menu, select the one you want from the dropdown at the top of the page. You can add pages or links, drag items to reorder them, and drag items slightly to the right to create submenus.
The Header menu is used for both desktop and mobile navigation. Top-level items with submenus can use either a Standard or Mega Menu layout. The Mega Menu Guide on the Menu screen explains how to use optional Headings and Column Breaks.
When you are finished, remember to click Save Menu.
Forms
If your website uses Gravity Forms, this is where you can create and edit forms.
You can also view submitted form entries and, where applicable, update notification emails or confirmation messages.
Media
The Media Library stores images, documents and other files used across your website.
You do not need to upload files here first, as they can usually be added directly while editing a page or section.
SEO Tip: When uploading meaningful images, it is recommended to add Alt Text. This helps improve accessibility and can also help search engines understand the image.
Users
This section lists everyone who has access to edit the website.
You can add new users, edit existing users or remove access if needed. When deleting a user, WordPress may ask whether their existing content should be reassigned to another user, so check this carefully before confirming.
Other Admin Items
Other menu items may control more technical parts of the website and are generally not needed for day-to-day editing. Unless you have been advised otherwise, these can usually be left alone.
Many layouts on your website include a text editor for adding and formatting content. The editor works in a similar way to common word processors, allowing you to format text, add links, create lists and more.
The Toolbar
At the top of the editor you’ll see a toolbar with various formatting options. These allow you to:
- Make text bold or italic
- Add links
- Create bulleted or numbered lists
- Align text
- Insert videos
- Apply headings and other formatting styles
Hovering over each icon will show a short description of what it does.
Pasting Text
When copying text from Microsoft Word, Google Docs, emails or other websites, unwanted formatting can sometimes come with it. This may include hidden styles, fonts, colours or spacing that can affect how your content appears on the page.
To avoid this, it’s best to paste text without formatting and then apply the styling using the editor tools. You can do this in two ways:
- Use the “Paste as Text” option in the editor toolbar, which removes existing formatting before inserting the text. Click it first, then paste.
- Or paste the text normally and then reapply headings, links, lists and formatting using the editor controls.
This helps keep your content clean, consistent and styled correctly across the website.
Adding Images or Media
You may see an “Add Media” button above the editor which allows you to upload images or files. In most cases, it is better to use a dedicated layout for images, galleries or videos where one is available. These layouts are designed to handle spacing, responsiveness and styling automatically.
The Add Media option is best used for simple cases, such as inserting a small image within a block of text.
Adding Links
To add a link within your text:
- Highlight the text you want to turn into a link.
- Click the link icon in the toolbar.
- Paste the URL or search for a page on your website.
- Press Enter or click Apply.
If linking to another page on your own website, use the search option to quickly find and select the page. If linking to an external website, you should usually tick “Open link in new tab” so visitors do not lose their place on your website.
Headings
Headings help structure your content and make it easier for visitors to read. See the SEO Best Practices section for more guidance on how headings should be used.
The “Formats” Dropdown
The Formats dropdown provides additional styling options used across the website. These may include:
- Primary and Secondary Buttons
- Text Links and Button Links
- Bigger Text and Eyebrow Text
- Standard and Tick Lists
To apply one of these styles, highlight the relevant text and choose the appropriate option from the Formats dropdown.
For link and button styles, create or highlight the link first, then choose the required style from the Formats dropdown.
Helpful Tips
- Keep paragraphs short and easy to read.
- Use headings and lists to break up longer sections of text.
- Use layouts for images, galleries, videos and more complex content rather than forcing everything into a text editor.
- Avoid using custom text colours. The site’s typography and colours are already set to keep everything consistent.
Using the editor in this way will help keep your pages clean, consistent and easy to maintain.
If you want to add links within normal text, please see the “Text Editing” section for guidance.
Some layouts also include Link options, which can create a button or make part of a layout clickable. If you want to link to another page on your own website, use the Search option to quickly find and select the correct page. You can then adjust the Link Text to display the wording you prefer.
If you are linking to an external website, paste the full URL into the URL field, for example: https://example.com.
When linking to an external website, you may also choose “Open link in new tab” where appropriate. This can be useful when you want visitors to keep your website open while viewing the external page.
All images, videos and files uploaded to the website are stored in the Media section of the admin area. You do not need to upload media here first in order to use it, as files can usually be added directly while editing a page or layout.
Images
When uploading images, it’s best to use a good-quality original. The website will automatically create appropriately sized versions for use across different layouts, and image optimisation may also be applied depending on the website setup.
The main thing to consider before uploading is cropping. If you need to remove unwanted elements or change the focus of an image, it’s usually best to crop it beforehand using an image editor. You generally do not need to resize images to specific dimensions such as square or 4:3, as the website layouts will handle this where required.
If you ever need to remove an image or file from the site, you can delete it from the Media Library. Just be aware that if the file is being used anywhere on the website, it may no longer appear there once deleted.
Video
Some sections of your website may allow you to use video as a background. When using background videos, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
Background videos should generally be short, subtle and able to loop smoothly. If you are uploading a video file directly, keeping the file size reasonably small will help reduce loading times, especially for visitors on slower connections.
Background videos normally play silently, so avoid relying on sound or including important text within the video itself.
Because the video may loop continuously, it’s best to choose footage that repeats naturally without obvious start and end points.
Where the layout allows it, using a Vimeo video can be a good alternative to uploading a video file directly, as the video is streamed from Vimeo rather than being served from your website.
As a general rule, background videos should act as a visual enhancement rather than the main content of the page. If a video is long, detailed or something visitors need to watch fully, it is usually better added as a standard embedded video.
For standard video layouts, you can usually paste a Vimeo or YouTube URL to display the video on the page.
Make sure the video is publicly accessible and that embedding is allowed on the platform you are using. If embedding is restricted, the video may not load on your website.
If you are using a standard Text Box, you may also see a video icon in the editor toolbar. This allows you to embed a Vimeo or YouTube video directly within the content.
Simply paste the video URL and the editor will add the video within the text content.
Files
If your website allows you to upload files for visitors to download, it’s worth keeping file sizes in mind. Large files can take longer to download and may be frustrating for users on slower connections.
PDFs are often a good choice for documents because most modern browsers can open them directly, allowing visitors to view the file before choosing whether to download or save it.
This makes PDFs useful for things such as guides, brochures, forms and other documents that visitors may want to read or refer back to later.
Images may appear slightly different depending on where they are used across the website. For example, images in galleries, team sections or other layouts may be cropped automatically, while some image layouts may allow you to choose whether the image is cropped or displayed in its original proportions.
Background images, including banners, behave a little differently. Because the website adapts to different screen sizes, a background image may be cropped differently depending on the size and shape of the visitor’s screen.
In simple terms, the image needs to fill the available area, so parts of it may be hidden on wider or taller screens.
For this reason, it’s usually best to use fairly flexible imagery for banners and background images rather than images with important detail close to the edges. If the image has a main subject, keeping it reasonably central will usually help it remain visible across a wider range of screen sizes.
Some layouts may give you the option to choose a Font Icon. Your website uses Font Awesome for icons, which you can browse here:
https://fontawesome.com/icons/
Search for the icon you want to use, then copy the code or class requested by the field.
Depending on the field, this may be the full HTML code, for example: <i class="fa-solid fa-star"></i>, or just the icon class, for example: fa-solid fa-star.
The instructions shown beneath the field will tell you which format to use. The icon will then inherit the appropriate size, colour and styling from the website.
Pages (SEO)
At the bottom of Pages and, where applicable, Posts, you’ll find the Yoast SEO section. This allows you to manage how the page may appear in search engines such as Google.
One of the most useful fields here is the Meta Description. This is the short summary that may appear beneath your page title in search results.
A good meta description gives people a useful summary of the page and can help encourage clicks from search results. Search engines may sometimes choose to display different text depending on the search.
When writing your description:
- Keep it clear and natural
- Aim for around 140–160 characters – the status bar will go red if it’s too long
- Include words or phrases people may reasonably search for
- Write it for people first, not just search engines
A good description should quickly explain what the page is about and why someone may want to visit it.
Page Structure and Headings (H1, H2, H3)
Headings help structure your content so it is easier for both users and search engines to understand.
Your website normally uses the page title as the H1 heading, so you generally do not need to add another H1 within the page content. Instead, use headings in a logical order to structure the page.
For example:
H1 – Page Title
H2 – Main section headings
H3 – Sub-sections within those sections
The Layout Title layout creates an H2 heading, which is useful for breaking a page into clear sections. If you need further headings within content layouts, such as text blocks, you can continue the structure using H3 headings.
As a simple rule:
- Use one main H1 for the page
- Use H2 headings for main sections
- Use H3 headings for smaller sections within those
This helps keep your pages organised and can improve both accessibility and SEO.
Images (Alt Text)
When uploading meaningful images, it’s recommended to add Alt Text.
Alt text describes an image for users who rely on screen readers, helping to make your website more accessible. It can also help search engines understand the content and purpose of an image.
Alt text should usually be short, clear and descriptive. For example:
“Team members working in the office”
“Exterior view of the hotel at sunset”
Decorative images do not always need descriptive alt text, but images that add meaning or important information to the page should normally include it.
You can also use the Media section in the admin area to review and update image alt text where required.
Simple SEO Tips
A few simple habits can help improve how useful and understandable your pages are to both visitors and search engines.
- Try to give each important page a useful, unique title and meta description
- Write content that is clear, helpful and relevant to the page topic
- Use headings and lists to structure content rather than relying on large blocks of text
- Avoid copying large amounts of text from other websites; original, useful content is generally better for visitors and search engines
- Keep page content up to date where possible
- Use clear, descriptive link text rather than vague wording such as “click here” where practical
Search engines generally aim to show useful and relevant content to users. If your pages are clear, well structured and genuinely helpful to visitors, you’re already doing many of the most important things right.
If you need to add scripts or tracking codes, such as Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, chat widgets or other third-party tools, these can usually be added in the General → Advanced section of your admin area.
Site-wide code can be added to the appropriate Header or Footer box. Always follow the instructions provided by the service you are using, as different scripts may need to be placed in different locations.
If code is only needed on one particular page, you can use the Page Code box within that page instead. This avoids loading the code across the whole website when it is only required in one place.
Once any script or code has been added, it’s a good idea to check the website to make sure everything is still working as expected. Incorrect or incomplete code can sometimes affect how the site behaves.
Some third-party scripts may also use cookies or collect visitor data, so you may need to review your privacy and cookie settings when adding new tracking or marketing tools.
