WordPress Help and How-To

• Access the login screen by adding wp-admin to the end of your site URL. 
• Off‑campus access requires a GatorVPN connection. 
• WordPress may prompt you to confirm the administration email (wordpress@clas.ufl.edu). Select “This email is correct.” 
• After logging in, you will land on the WordPress dashboard. A black admin bar appears at the top of the site. 

• Use the site name in the black bar at the top to toggle between your admin dashboard and the homepage or front end of your site. 
• From any front‑end page, select Edit Page in the top admin bar to open the editor. 
• The block editor may display a welcome message; it can be ignored. 
• When you are in a Page (or Post) editing window, your menu bars disappear and you can return to your home base (the admin dashboard) by clicking on the icon in the upper left corner. 

• Header and footer elements are largely locked for consistency across CLAS sites.
• You may edit the dropdown menus in the top right and the site navigation.
• For Unit sites only (not People sites):
  • The unit navigation menu in the footer mirrors the top navigation menu.
  • CLAS resources and information sections are standardized.

Clearing Errors So You Can Make Simple Edits

• Go to edit a page on a page that has been migrated into Mercury from your old site. 
• Click “Attempt Recovery” above the content you wish to edit. 
• Make your edit and save the page. 

Clearing Errors and Converting Content to Blocks

• Go to edit a page on a page that has been migrated into Mercury from your old site. 
• Click “Attempt Recovery” above the content you wish to edit. Does the content look like a jumble of HTML code? Click on the three dots above your content and click “Convert to Blocks”
• If the conversion is satisfactory, make your edit and save the page. 
• If the conversion breaks your layout, see the next section, “Clearing errors, editing complex html, and reverting to previous versions”

Clearing Errors, Editing Complex code, and Reverting to Previous Versions

• Go to edit a page on a page that has been migrated into Mercury from your old site. 
• Click “Attempt Recovery” above the content you wish to edit. Does the content look like a jumble of HTML code? Click on the three dots above your content and click “Convert to Blocks”
• If the conversion doesn’t seem to remove the HTML code, it’s likely that it will break your layout. You can reverse the change by clicking on Revisions.
• Once you’ve reverted the changes, click  “Attempt Recovery” again, but this time just edit the HTML code. NOTE: It’s recommended that you convert HTML content to a comparable Mercury block of your choosing in the long term.

• The Full Width Text Block provides proper content structure and prevents text from appearing flush left. 
• The Document Overview panel displays an outline of all blocks on the page and is essential for managing complex layouts. 
• Page titles do not automatically display on the front end; add a header manually within the block. 
• Blocks can be added by typing / and entering the block name. 
• Paragraph blocks are recommended over the Classic block for consistency and flexibility. 
• Blocks can be converted (e.g., paragraph to list) and rearranged in the editor or via the Document Overview. 

• Before launch, sites are hidden from search engines; only users with the direct URL can view them. 
• After launch, search visibility is enabled. 
• To preview unpublished changes on a launched site, use the View > Desktop preview option. Only logged‑in editors can see this preview. 
• Draft pages and posts cannot be easily shared for external review before publishing. 

• Access menus via Appearance > Menus. 
• If multiple menus exist, select the correct one from the dropdown. 
• Newly created pages appear under Most Recent and can be added to the menu. 
• Menu items can be reordered or nested one level deep. 
• Avoid creating sub‑sub‑items, as this breaks menu formatting. 
• Removing the top navigation menus shifts the search bar to the right and removes those menu items. 

• You can edit the Footer Contact Column and the footer Social Icon Section 
• Go to Appearance > Widgets and expand these areas 

• Mercury blocks provide structured layouts for CLAS sites. Look at https://webservices.it.ufl.edu/mercury-theme/ for a block you like. 
• Add blocks by placing the cursor in a paragraph block and typing / followed by the block name. 
• The editor provides a simplified preview; final appearance is more polished on the front end. 
• The Document Overview is essential for managing complex Mercury layouts. 
• If a needed block is not visible, assistance may be required to identify or enable it.