Welcome! This training will get you comfortable with the fundamentals of building pages on the NC State Web Platform. No prior WordPress experience is required. If you’re comfortable with Word, Google Docs, or any modern content editor, you already have the instincts you need. This training shows you how those instincts apply here.

Each video below builds on the last, so it’s best to watch them in order if you’re new to WordPress and the NC State Web Platform. A few short practice tasks are sprinkled in so you can try things yourself before moving on. There’s no quiz for this training; it’s available to everyone, anytime, and there’s an optional self-check at the end if you want to gauge your own readiness before tackling one of our required trainings.

Estimated time to complete: about 20 minutes of video, plus practice time.

What Is the NC State Web Platform?

Completion Time: 2 minutes

New to the platform entirely? Start here. This video gives you the lay of the land by discussing what the NC State Web Platform actually is and how your site fits into the bigger picture.

Want more detail on what’s available at each tier? See Free, Pro, and Premium Tiers for a full feature comparison.

WordPress Basics

Completion Time: 2.5 minutes

Let’s open WordPress and get oriented. This video walks through logging in, finding your way around the Dashboard, and the key difference between Pages and Posts, which is a distinction that matters more than it might seem.

Want to go deeper on Pages vs. Posts? Read Pages vs. Posts: Understanding Content Types in the NC State Theme.

The Block Inserter and Editor

Completion Time: 2.5 minutes

Time to get hands-on. This video shows you how to actually add and arrange content using blocks — the building blocks (pun intended) of every page.

Try it yourself: Open a page in WP Playground, add a Heading block and a Paragraph block, then use List View to reorder them.

For a full rundown of every block available to you, see our Block Directory.

How Users Read on the Web

Completion Time: 2 minutes

Before we go further, it’s worth pausing on something more important than any block: how people actually read web pages. This shapes every decision you’ll make from here on out.

This concept comes up again and again throughout our training system, so it’s worth keeping in mind. Once you’re ready to build more advanced pages, Writing a Utility Page and Writing a Marketing Page put this thinking into practice.

Images and Media

Completion Time: 2 minutes

Images are everywhere on your site, so let’s make sure you’re using them well. This video covers sizing, format, and one of the most important (and most often skipped) accessibility practices: alt text.

Try it yourself: Upload an image to your WP Playground media library at the recommended 1500×844 size, and write meaningful alt text for it before placing it on a page.

Heading Structure

Completion Time: 1.5 minutes

Headings aren’t just for visual style. They provide important structure on a page or post. This short video explains why getting heading levels right matters for every single user on your site, not just the ones using assistive technology.

Try it yourself: Review [this example page] and identify everywhere the heading structure breaks the rules covered in this video.

Deep dive: Heading Block documentation
Broader context: Accessibility and the NC State Theme

Linking in WordPress

Completion Time: 1.5 minutes

You’ll be adding links constantly in paragraphs, buttons, and several Base-tier blocks. Here’s how to do it well, including a shortcut for linking to your own content.

Try it yourself: In WP Playground, write a sentence with one link to an external site and one internal link to another page on your test site.

Working Outside the Editor

Completion Time: 2 minutes

A few important settings live outside the page editor entirely. This video gives you a quick tour of WordPress Settings and our custom NC State Settings page, plus where to go when you need help.

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Explore site-wide configuration further: Global Settings
Need help beyond what’s documented? Get Support

Creating Your Homepage

Completion Time: 2.5 minutes

Let’s bring it all together. Your homepage is the most important page on your site. This video walks through building one from scratch, including the special homepage-only blocks you haven’t seen yet.

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Try it yourself: Build a homepage in WP Playground: apply the Homepage template, add a Split Content block with two inner blocks of your choosing, and assign it as your site’s homepage.

Full reference: Homepage Configuration
Background on the concept: Creating a Homepage

You’ve Completed the Base Training

At this point you should be comfortable navigating WordPress, building a basic page with core blocks, writing for how people actually read online, and putting together a simple homepage.

Want to check your understanding? Take our optional five-minute self-check. It’s not scored and won’t affect your access, but it’s a good way to see if anything didn’t quite stick before moving on.

What’s next? If you’re ready to build more visually rich pages, tell stories through posts, or set up forms and feeds, explore our required trainings:

• Advanced: Building Pages That Work
• Storytelling: Creating News Content and Telling NC State’s Story
• Engagement and Events: Lead Generation, Events, and RSVP Management
• Dynamic Content: Let Your Site Work While You Sleep

Completing any of these unlocks additional blocks for you to use on your site.