Learn about WordPress Posts

 NOTE: The ‘Learn about the WordPress Posts’ video tutorial is currently undergoing updates. 

What are WordPress Posts?

Posts are very similar to pages in WordPress. They are added, edited, and managed in identical ways. The primary differences between WordPress posts and pages are that posts, by default, allow for the assignment of two taxonomies: categories and tags, and that posts are intended to be part of a blog or other information feed.

WordPress Posts Admin Menu

WordPress Posts Admin Menu

What are WordPress Post Categories?

As you might imagine, post categories are used to categorize posts. Not unlike the chapters of a book, a category should be named so that it defines the topic of the posts it contains. Using post categories provides numerous benefits. In addition to creating a more clear content structure, they allow easier access for website visitors desiring to find more posts on a similar topic.

What are WordPress Post Tags?

Post tags are used in much the same manner as the index of a book. They are typically assigned to a post based on the contents of that specific post. When a list of tags is displayed on a website a visitor is able to click on a tag and be taken to a list of all posts that have been assigned that tag.

Category and Tag Proper Usage

Let’s imagine we’ve just written a blog post about Honeycrisp apples (my favorite) with a title of “My Favorite Snacks: Honeycrisp Apples”. Within that blog post we have mentioned and discussed Fuji apples, oranges, and bananas. An appropriate category name for this post would be ‘Favorite Snacks.’ Appropriate tags for this post would be: honeycrisp apples, fuji apples, oranges, bananas, and favorite snacks.

The category should be descriptive of the overall topic of the post. The tags should be used to indicate the individual points discussed within the post.