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At a quick glance, you can see two menus. The menu to the left includes most of the configuration and publishing tools that you’ll use on a day-to-day basis. At the top of the screen, there’s a navigation menu that enables you to jump back and forth between the front end and the dashboard.

We’ll talk about each option later in the post. For now, let’s discuss how to log into the WordPress admin.

How do you access your WordPress admin dashboard?

When you install WordPress, the CMS automatically sets up an admin area for your website. You can access the dashboard by going to yoursite.com/wp-admin.

If you set up WordPress manually, you’ll create an admin user during that process, with a username and password. These are the same credentials you’ll use to log into your website and gain access to the WordPress admin panel.

Depending on your web hosting provider, they might set up WordPress for you. In that case, you might be able to choose your admin credentials during the signup process.

Keep in mind that you may not be the only user with access to the dashboard. As the administrator, you can enable registration and provide users with access to some of the same tools and configuration options on your site. 

If you lose access to WordPress, you can use the login screen to reset the password — as long as you have access to the email associated with that account.

Understanding the WordPress admin interface and menu

By default, the WordPress admin includes a broad number of links and tools. Although you may not use all of them on a daily basis, it’s essential that you understand where to go for each task.

As soon as you log into WordPress, you’ll see the Home screen under the Dashboard section.