Registering to Use an Existing WordPress Blog
In order to write comments and create posts that will appear on an existing WordPress blog, you must first become a registered user if the blog requires you to do so. This page includes basic insturctions for registering and managing your account information once you register. Please be aware that some of the screenshots on this page might vary slightly from the actual appearance of the WordPress blog.
1. How do I register and create a WordPress login?
Although you can read existing blogs, before you can begin adding content, you will need to become a registered user of many blogs. To do this, click on the Register link circled in the picture below. The link should usually appear in the list of Meta links in the lower right of the home page, but please note that should the blog's creator decide to use a different template for the blog, the location and appearance of the Register link might change.
After clicking on the Register link, a new window will appear where you enter a user name and e-mail address. You can create your own user name, but use something that is easy for you to remember because you will need to enter this every time you login. Also be sure to choose an e-mail address you regularly check as the password will be mailed to that account. Once you have entered a user name and e-mail address, click on the Register button.
You should receive the following message verifying the successful completion of the registration process.
Once you have retrieved the system-supplied password from your e-mail, you may then begin the login process.
2. How do I login to WordPress once I've registered?
From the home page of the blog, you can access the login screen from the Login link circled in red below. As with the Register link, the location and appearance of the link might change depending on the template the creator chooses to use for the blog.
The WordPress login screen appears to the right. In the appropriate boxes, enter the user name created during the registration process and the password e-mailed to you by WordPress. Clicking on the Login button will complete the process and take you to the Dashboard, the control panel for the blog from which you can begin writing posts. |
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3. How do I change my password or update my user profile?
Once completing the WordPress login, you will be taken to the WordPress Dashboard screen from which you can begin adding content to the site by clicking on the appropriate links. However, before adding content to the blog for the first time, please update your user profile so that the blog's creator can correctly identify your contributions to the blog. From the Dashboard, click on either one of the Profile links circled in red.
After the screen entitled Your Profile and Personal Options appears, please add your first and last names to your profile. This is especially important for those users having user names and e-mail addresses that bear no relationship to your real name. You may also change your password if you so choose. After providing the needed information, click on the Update Profile button in the lower right of the screen.
4. How Do I Use WordPress?
At present, UCLA and Ecampus only provide minimal support for using the most basic WordPress features, such as adding a post, adding a link, and adding an image. To see this help, return to the WordPress home page and click on the link for How to Blog with WordPress.
WordPress also has extensive support at wordpress.org.
Last updated Aug 2, 2006 by initials