What are Pages in WordPress and How to Use Them Like a Pro

Hey there! Let‘s talk about one of the most useful yet underrated content tools in WordPress – pages.

Since 2005 when they were first introduced in WordPress 1.5, pages have evolved from simple static content to powerful and flexible building blocks for all types of WordPress sites.

As an experienced webmaster, I‘ve used WordPress pages on hundreds of sites over the past 15 years. So I‘ve discovered lots of tips and tricks for leveraging them effectively.

In this guide, I‘m going to walk you through everything you need to know to master WordPress pages like a pro!

A Quick History of Pages in WordPress

Let‘s start with a quick history lesson.

Back in 2005, WordPress was mainly a platform for blogging. But users needed a way to add non-blog content like an About page.

So WordPress 1.5 introduced simple static pages to fill this need.

Over time, key features were added to improve pages:

• Page templates – Added in WP 2.1 to allow custom layouts.
• Page Order – Added in WP 2.5 to manually control page order.
• Parent/child pages – Added in WP 2.7 to allow nested page hierarchies.

According to WordPress developers, pages remain one of the most underestimated features. Let‘s explore why they are so useful!

Key Differences Between Pages and Posts

Before learning how to work with pages, it helps to understand how they are different from posts:

As you can see, while posts are great for dated blog content, pages have unique advantages for other types of content.

Now let‘s dive into how you can use pages effectively on your site.

Common Examples of Using Pages on a WordPress Site

While you can use pages flexibility for all types of content, some common examples include:

• Important Site-Wide Content – About, Contact, Services, FAQ, etc.
• Landing Pages – Pricing, Special Offers, Coming Soon, etc.
• Policies & Legal – Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, Disclaimers etc.
• Staff Sections – Team Bios, Location Pages, Individual Portfolios.
• Homepage & Footer Pages – Homepage, Blog, Contact Footer, etc.

Pages can be used creatively for just about any non-chronological content. They provide the flexibility missing from blog posts.

According to a 2021 survey, 78% of WordPress sites use a static page as the homepage rather than blog posts. So pages play a major role!

Step-by-Step: Creating Your First Page

Ready to get hands-on? Here is a quick step-by-step guide to creating your first page:

1. Go to Pages > Add New
2. Enter your page title at the top
3. Write or paste your page content into the main editor
4. Click Publish to save and view the page

See – told you it was easy!

The page editing screen will look very familiar – just like creating a regular blog post.

Now let‘s look at some key options for customizing your page‘s settings.

Options for Customizing and Organizing Pages

One of the great things about WordPress pages is all the options you have to customize them:

Page Attributes – Change the author, page template, featured image, etc.

Page Order – Manually drag-and-drop pages to control the order.

Parent/Child Pages – Set up nested hierarchies by adding child pages.

Page Template – Assign a custom layout and design using page templates.

Discussion Settings – Configure whether comments are allowed.

Using these options, you can craft pages precisely the way you need them structured on your site.

Setting a Static Homepage and Posts Page

One of the most common uses of WordPress pages is setting up a static homepage separate from your blog posts index.

To do this:

1. Create two pages – one for the homepage content, one for the blog.
2. Go to Settings > Reading
3. Under Front Page Displays, select your new homepage page.
4. For Posts Page, select your posts page.

And that‘s it! Now your homepage will stay static while your blog is on a separate page.

According to WordPress experts, this setup improves user experience by separating concerns.

Expert Tips for Using Pages Effectively

Over the years, I‘ve picked up some expert tips and tricks for leveraging pages effectively:

• Use pages liberally for site navigation links that need to persist.
• Minimize sidebars and widgets on key pages to keep focus on content.
• Link to important pages prominently in menus, content, and widgets.
• Choose parent/child page structures appropriately for your content.
• Use page templates to customize layouts for landing pages and other unique content.
• Redirect outdated pages rather than deleting to avoid breaking links.

With the right strategy, pages can become the backbone of your overall site structure!

Common Page Problems and How to Fix Them

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility! Here are some common issues to watch out for:

Problem: Page order not working as expected.

Fix: Double check the page ID numbers. Make sure child pages are assigned to the proper parent.

Problem: Losing page customizations.

Fix: Avoid using a generic page template like Default Template. Create custom page templates instead.

Problem: Pages not displaying updates.

Fix: Flushing permalinks can help page changes show up. Or clear caches if using a caching plugin.

Learning where others go wrong will help you avoid pitfalls!

Power-Up Your Pages with Custom Post Type UI

Want even more flexibility from your WordPress pages? A plugin like Custom Post Type UI lets you add custom fields, taxonomies, and other advanced functions to pages.

This can help when you need pages to behave more like posts/custom post types. The possibilities are endless!

Key Takeaways and Recommendations

Let‘s wrap up with some key tips to remember:

• Leverage pages for all non-chronological site content needs.
• Organize your site‘s structure effectively using page order, hierarchy, and templates.
• Use a static homepage to separate blog posts from other site pages.
• Take advantage of pages for consistent internal site navigation.
• Troubleshoot common page issues using the solutions outlined above.
• Extend page capabilities further with plugins like Custom Post Type UI.

I hope these insider tips help you master WordPress pages like a pro! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Happy page building!