How to Rearrange the Post Edit Screen in WordPress: A Simple Guide

WordPress is a popular platform for creating and managing websites and blogs. One of its standout features is the ability to customize your editing experience. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of rearranging the post-edit screen in WordPress. By the end, you’ll be able to organize your editing workspace to suit your needs, making your content creation process smoother and more efficient.

How to Rearrange the Post Edit Screen in WordPress: A Simple Guide

Why Rearrange the Post Edit Screen?

Before we dive into the how-to, let’s understand why you might want to rearrange your post-edit screen. WordPress offers a default layout for editing posts, which is great for many users. However, everyone has different preferences and needs when it comes to their workflow. Here are a few reasons why you might consider rearranging the post-edit screen:

1. Custom Workflow: If you have a specific way you like to work, you can customize the post-edit screen to fit your unique workflow. This can save you time and effort in the long run.
2. Enhanced Focus: By rearranging elements on the screen, you can put the most important tools and features front and center, reducing distractions and helping you concentrate on your content.
3. Accessibility: Tailoring the edit screen can improve accessibility for you and your team. You can ensure that necessary tools and options are easily accessible to everyone involved in the content creation process.

Now that we know why it’s essential, let’s move on to the practical steps of rearranging the post-edit screen.

Understanding the Default Post Edit Screen

Before making any changes, it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the default post-edit screen in WordPress. The key components include:

1. Title and Content Area: This is where you enter your post’s title and content. It’s the heart of your post.
2. Publish Settings: Here, you can control when your post will be published, its visibility, and more.
3. Categories and Tags: Assigning categories and tags helps organize your content and improve discoverability.
4. Featured Image: You can set a featured image for your post, which often appears as a thumbnail on your website.
5. Permalink: This is the URL structure of your post. WordPress generates it automatically, but you can edit it if needed.
6. Excerpt: The excerpt is a brief summary or teaser of your post.
7. Discussion: Manage comments and trackbacks on your post here.
8. Custom Fields: These allow you to add extra information to your post.
9. Slug: The slug is the part of the URL that identifies your post.
10. Author: This shows the author of the post.
11. Screen Options: A dropdown menu that allows you to enable or disable various post-edit screen elements.

Now that you’re acquainted with the default layout let’s start rearranging it according to your preferences.

Rearranging the Post Edit Screen

Step 1: Access the Screen Options

1. Login to Your WordPress Dashboard: To begin, log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Navigate to the Edit Post Page: Go to the post you want to edit or create a new one by selecting “Add New” under the “Posts” menu.
3. Open Screen Options: In the upper right corner of the edit screen, you’ll see a tab labeled “Screen Options.” Click on it to reveal a dropdown menu.

Step 2: Choose the Elements to Display

1. Select Your Elements: In the “Screen Options” dropdown, you’ll see a list of checkboxes representing various post-edit screen elements. Check the boxes next to the elements you want to display on your edit screen.
2. Unselect Unnecessary Elements: Conversely, you can uncheck the boxes for elements you don’t need. This declutters your edit screen, keeping only what’s essential for your workflow.
3. Save Your Selections: After making your selections, click the “Apply” button to save your changes.

Step 3: Rearrange Screen Elements

1. Drag and Drop: Now that you’ve chosen which elements to display, you can rearrange their order. Simply click and drag an element to move it to your desired location on the edit screen.
2. Column Width Adjustment: You can also adjust the width of columns by dragging the borders between them. This allows you to give more space to elements that require it.

Step 4: Customize the Editor

1. Fullscreen Mode: If you prefer a distraction-free writing environment, click the “Fullscreen Mode” button (it looks like four arrows pointing outwards) in the top-right corner of the content editor. This expands the editor to fill the entire screen.
2. Visual and Text Editor: You can switch between the Visual and Text (HTML) editor modes using the tabs at the top-right of the content editor. Choose the one that suits your editing style.

Step 5: Save Your Layout

1. Remember to Save: WordPress automatically saves your layout changes as you make them, so there’s no need to save them separately. However, make sure to click the “Save Draft” or “Publish” button at the top right when you’re done editing your post content.

SEO Optimization and Best Practices

Now that you’ve successfully rearranged your post edit screen, it’s time to consider some SEO optimization tips to enhance your content’s visibility and accessibility to search engines.

1. Keyword Research: Before you start writing, conduct keyword research to identify relevant keywords and phrases related to your content. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to discover popular search terms in your niche.

2. High-Quality Content: Ensure your content is valuable, informative, and well-written. High-quality content is more likely to rank well in search engines.

3. Keyword Placement: Incorporate your chosen keywords naturally within your content, including in the title, headings, and throughout the body. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can harm your SEO.

4. Optimize Images: If your post includes images, optimize them by adding descriptive alt text. This helps search engines understand your content and can improve your rankings.

5. Internal and External Links: Include relevant internal links to other pages on your website and external links to authoritative sources. This can improve your site’s credibility and SEO.

6. Meta Tags: Customize your meta title and meta description to accurately reflect your content and include your target keywords. Many SEO plugins, like Yoast SEO, make this process straightforward.

7. Header Tags: Use header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to structure your content. These tags provide a hierarchy that search engines use to understand the importance of different sections of your post.

8. Mobile-Friendly Design: Ensure your website and content are mobile-responsive. Google considers mobile-friendliness when ranking websites.

9. Page Speed: A fast-loading website is more likely to rank well. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify and fix speed issues.

10. Schema Markup: Implement schema markup to provide structured data to search engines. This can enhance your content’s appearance in search results.

Conclusion

Rearranging the post edit screen in WordPress is a simple yet effective way to tailor your content creation workflow to your specific needs. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can customize your editing environment and make it more efficient.

Additionally, incorporating SEO best practices into your content creation process can help your posts rank higher in search engine results, increasing their visibility and accessibility to your target audience.

Remember, the key to success in WordPress is not just about rearranging screens but also creating valuable, well-optimized content. With the right approach and a user-friendly editing setup, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your content goals. Happy editing!