18+ Great Resources to Learn How to Use WordPress Like a Pro

WordPress is the content management of choice that many people use to build professional looking, highly customized blogs without having to spend years learning to code. WordPress is an open source platform which makes it easy for people at all skill levels to build a website from the ground up.

Here are 18 of the best websites that will help you learn WordPress, all the ins and outs. There are both free and paid options represented on this list. also included a number of video-based suggestions for people who learn best visually, and even books for those of you who are more tactile learners.

1. Team Treehouse (Freemium)

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A subscription-based service that offers a free trial, Team Treehouse features access to over a thousand videos that focus on various topics, referred to as tracks. One of these tracks includes WordPress training. Pro members get access to workshops and interviews, and talks from industry professionals. With information broken down into small bites, the lessons are easily digestible. Each track features a list of courses. Once the courses in that track are complete, a user has all the information necessary to master that new skill.

Treehouse is about helping you learn WordPress, including complex skills in a manageable way. In addition to the core lessons, you can participate in a full WordPress-themed curriculum. Like the individual lessons, everything is broken down into bite-sized mini-programs. Not only does that help with time management, but it can also make things easier to understand.

To cement those skills, Team Treehouse also offers interactive quizzes. WordPress website coding challenges, and more. There are multiple ways to learn. Plus, you get access to tons of free tech resources, the opportunity to network with others, and more. Whether you’re an Internet entrepreneur looking to boost your own site or someone wanting to build WordPress skills for more career opportunities, Team Treehouse is a great place to learn.

If you want to learn more about them you can read my Treehouse review.

2. Official WordPress Lessons (Free)

A good starting point for learning to use WordPress is to use the resources offered on the official site. These lessons go over all the basics, including picking a theme, customizing the site, creating pages and menus, making posts, using multimedia features to enhance a site, and even instructions on how to update a blog using a mobile device. This site also includes a page that explains a lot of the lingo associated with webpages and blogs so that even beginners can quickly dive into the world of blogging without feeling completely lost. All the content at the official site is free.

The content is well-organized and easy to follow, too. Everything is split into flexible topics, letting newer WordPress developers jump between pages to find the solutions they need. There’s also a handy search function for even quicker navigation. Learn how to install WordPress, how to take advantage of widgets, and so much more.

If you’re looking for something a little more structured, WordPress.com does have a Blogging Basics Course. It comes with a fee, but that fee provides a full year of access. The courses in this program go over the fundamentals as well as some more advanced features that you can use to take your site to the next level.

3. WordPress TV (Free)

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WordPress TV offers visual learners comprehensive video lessons and tutorials that help both beginners and experienced WordPress users. It features videos that are relatively short. They address diverse topics that range from basic questions about site building to very specific questions relating to the use of WordPress features and addons. The site has lots of active users that are willing to offer help and advice related to questions about topics addressed in the videos. The site relies on videos made by actual users of WordPress, so anyone can submit a video (as long as it follows the submission guidelines) to have it reviewed for use on the site.

The community-based content adds a more personal touch. While every video is informative, the fact that you’re learning from real-world users provides a unique perspective that some structures courses fail to match. Hear from people who experience the same struggles as you do! It’s a great way to get some inspiration while learning about topics that might not come up in standard courses.

You can find multi-part series and one-off videos on a wide range of topics. Learn how to use popular page builders, understand the more complex parts of SEO, and more. The videos are accessible on the core website. However, you can also view many of them on YouTube and other social media platforms.

4. WPBeginner (Free)

WPBeginner is a free web-based resource that provides resources to help beginners improve their sites. It features tips and tricks, along with in-depth training and consulting. The site features a glossary of terms that are frequently confusing for new WordPress users. This makes understand all the site lingo much easier. The site blog provides lots of useful articles that relate to building a site, using all the features that are available, and dealing with problems that arise in the blogosphere. It also features plug-ins that are compatible with WordPress sites, and coupons that offer discounts on themes.

WPBeginner has been around for more than decades and continues to pump out educational content. You can find evergreen resources like WordPress tutorials and step-by-step guides. Additionally, WPBeginner stays up to date on changes that affect bloggers around the globe.

Discover in-depth videos on complex topics and look over guides that help you find additional services like web hosting and website builders. All of the content on WPBeginner is free to WordPress beginners and seasoned web developers alike. You can access the video tutorials and guides on the WPBeginner website. However, there’s also a YouTube channel with plenty of great content to discover. There, you’ll find punchy videos that cover many subjects. From short clips with to-the-point information to binge-worthy series and in-depth tutorials, there’s something for everyone!

5. Hongkiat (Free)

Hongkiat.com is a site devoted to design technology, and it has an entire section dedicated to all things WordPress. There are lots of articles on the site that explain the basics of using WordPress, in addition to in-depth articles that teach users about things like utilizing specific functions of various editors, and creating customized short codes. This site is regularly updated with new ways to increase efficiency and proficiency with WordPress design. This is a good place for beginners to start learning the basics, or for experts to continue adding to their knowledge base.

The blog is free and covers a myriad of topics. Some cover subjects you might have never considered. For example, several surface-level web design guides dive into things like font, color choice, and more. Those who want more in-depth information can also find guides covering everything from CSS tips to unique scripts for back-end developers.

Hongkiat is also a great place to get inspiration. Uncover new WordPress skills while staying up to date on all the latest trends. You can also learn about WordPress security features, technologies to improve site performance, and so much more.

6. Lynda.com (Paid)

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Lynda.com offers online courses on thousands of various topics, and their courses include WordPress training. Members get access to all courses, and the site offers a free trial membership. WordPress Courses Range from beginner tutorials to intermediate and advanced classes. Subjects cover a large range of topics including web, development, design, business, marketing, and photography. Instructions are self paced, and website and video courses make learning interesting.

You can complete the Lynda online courses at your own pace. Not only that, but you’re free to pick and choose which skills you want to learn. You’re free to start on the WordPress basics or jump into more complex courses. How you use the site is entirely up to you.

The unique thing about Lynda.com, which is now called LinkedIn Learning, is that it also offers a feature called Learning Paths. This option is more structured. They feature curated courses that are specifically designed to help you land a new job or further your career. Some of the available WordPress Learning Paths focus on eCommerce development, junior development, and advanced WordPress development.

A yearly premium subscription costs $375, a basic yearly subscription is $250, and monthly subscriptions are $25. Each video course features closed-captioning for the hearing impaired, and course files for those who prefer reading.

7. MakeaWebsitehub (Free)

I may be a little biased but over the past few years I have created lots of WordPress tutorials to help people get started with WordPress and even help more advanced users with projects too.

Here are a few of my personal favourites:

We offer tons of valuable resources to help you get started. Whether you’re a complete novice or an experienced blogger looking to hone your skills, there’s always something to learn at MakeaWebsitehub. Start with the beginner’s guide and launch your first website in only an hour!

Then, find WordPress guides to set up a blog, master WordPress SEO, and more. We also have detailed reviews on additional services that may benefit your website. For example, we can help you find the best WordPress web host for your needs, a registrar to get the domain name you’ve always wanted, and marketing tools to help you make the most out of your site.

8. WordPress Codex (Free)

Hosted by wordpress.org, the WordPress codex is an authoritative resource for information and documentation regarding WordPress sites. It is an online manual that covers all the basic information that relates to creating wordpress sites. This free and very technical resource is invaluable for both beginning and experienced users. It includes information about downloading and installing WordPress, getting started, and upgrading to a newer version. It also provides the access to support forums, links to other useful resources, and troubleshooting. There are individual, detailed sections in the codex that are devoted to beginners, design, theme development, and site development.

WordPress Codex is one of the more technical WordPress resources available. Don’t expect to see a ton of interactive lessons or visual content. The site is relatively basic and prioritizes the information above all else. It’s meant to be a compendium of knowledge that you can continually refer to as your skills improve.

Every page is incredibly detailed and provides examples to illustrate points. It can be a bit overwhelming for those who rely on interactivity or visual content. But if you have the patience to read through a lot of text, there’s a goldmine of information to learn at WordPress Codex. Learn how to code HTML, use unique WordPress plugins, and more.

9. WP101 (Paid)

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As the name suggests, WP101 covers all the basics of using WordPress. It uses premium video tutorials, and touts itself as “the fastest way to learn WordPress.” The site promises that users will understand the basics in the first hour. It also offers personalized help, and answers to users’ questions. The video lessons can be watched using any device, and videos are recorded again each time WordPress releases an update so that content always stays current.

The lessons go beyond WordPress basics. WP101 also offers tutorials to operate WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, and WP Rocket, and other valuable WordPress tools. Learn how to install these plugins and enhance the performance of your site.

Those looking to connect with a larger WordPress community can do so at WP101. A dedicated forum page lets you ask questions and get additional help. Staff members and forum participants can chime in with advice. You’re free to ask about everything from PHP to block builders like Gutenberg and Elementor! With the forum search engine, it acts as yet another valuable resource for WordPress information.

The service does cost money, and users have the option of paying upfront or paying a monthly subscription fee.

10. WP Apprentice (Paid)

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Like WP101, WP Apprentice is a WordPress helper that employs the use of videos to teach lessons on individual topics, and promises a basic understanding within an hour. The site features an in-depth training library that allows users to explore individual topics at their leisure, while offering basic overviews that help users get started quickly. Their goal is to help beginning users waste no time in getting a feature-filled WordPress site up and running. It clears up a lot of confusion beginners experience by offering simple, but detailed, explanations that make creating a new customized site easy.

The WordPress courses at WP Apprentice are well-structured and easy to follow. They’re self-paced, allowing you to learn new skills around your busy schedule.

With a membership to WP Apprentice, you get access to several structured courses. They cover topics like WordPress Essentials, SEO Fundamentals, Theme Building, Marketing Funnels, and more. Most of the courses are several hours long and feature an extensive collection of videos to help you learn.

Using WP Apprentice does cost money. You can pay monthly or quarterly. Either way, membership comes with full access to all of the courses.

11. Siteground (Free)

A sponsor of several open source communities, Siteground is a hosting company which is home to a quarter of a million domains worldwide. The site offers a free collections of in-depth tutorials that help users understand everything they need to know to create a new WordPress site from scratch. It also offers a large collection of free themes for WordPress designs. The company offers WordPress site hosting, and free theme installation, support, and automatic updates. Its tutorials include lessons about optimization, backing up a site, and other very useful lessons that will help make the most of WordPress.

Of course, Siteground includes some in-depth WordPress tutorials for features that are exclusive to its service. For example, you can find step-by-step guides for the Siteground Optimizer plugin and implementing Siteground security technology. That said, the basic resources are applicable to all WordPress users whether they use Siteground or not. The service provider prioritizes user education, and it shows in the constant upkeep and regular updating of the free tutorial knowledgebase.

12. The Tao of WordPress (Paid)

The Tao of WordPress is a complete, comprehensive, 300 page guide to using the open source platform. Covering topics like hosting and software in addition to WordPress itself, it helps users create exactly the website they want. With a clean layout, and text that is easy to read, The Tao of WordPress guides users through the entire process so that they can create beautiful sites in no time. The publisher also offers a book called “WordPress Themes in Depth” that provides 450 pages of tips, tricks, and practical advice for developing any theme.

The Tao of WordPress is beautifully designed. Each lesson includes beautiful artwork, explanatory graphics, and actual screenshots to help illustrate points. The design solidifies the capabilities of WordPress and represents the kinds of aesthetic principles you’ll learn.

The core guide is split into 13 separate chapters. It begins with preliminary information to familiarize yourself with WordPress, standard terms you’ll come across, and the overall fundamentals. Then, it moves onto WordPress installation, themes, plugins, and more. Eventually, you’ll learn more advanced skills like SEO, customization, and security.

To gain access to the guide, you must pay a one-time fee. It provides full access to the existing guide as well as all future updates. You can also purchase a bundle to save on other WordPress book guides.

13. iThemes (Paid)

iThemes is a great resource for learning about adding different themes to a WordPress site. Themes provide the basic foundation for how information is presented on a website. Some themes allow for complete customization, while being user-friendly for the most inexperienced site developers. iThemes offers plugins, themes, and training that removes the guesswork for new users.

iThemes covers both basic and advanced WordPress skills. Many of the courses are designed by professional WordPress developers. These aren’t your garden-variety user-generated courses.

A paid membership grants access to an extensive library of WordPress resources. You can review old courses, download videos to study offline, and more. An iThemes membership also comes with access to an exclusive Slack channel. There, you can get feedback on your site, ask for advice, and learn quick tips from a growing community. You’ll also get access to the iThemes annual WordPress Developer course and any premier lessons that become available.

For less than $200, users gain access to 500 hours of WordPress video training. While this isn’t exactly cheap, a well-designed site can be worth its virtual weight in gold, so some users will gladly pay that much to learn how to effectively utilize all the features of a WordPress site.

14. Tuts Plus (Free & Paid)

This site features lots of video tutorials and more to help learn WordPress. Basic access costs $15 per month, and there are free tutorials, too. The site offers courses on all sorts of topics that, of course, include WordPress training. Some of the courses include topics related to basic theme development, and some cover more advanced topics like working with meta boxes and widgets. All their courses use best practices and standards so that students know they’re getting the highest quality training.

Tuts Plus is similar to other learning platforms such as LinkedIn learning. It covers a wide range of subjects beyond WordPress. But don’t let that fool you: The WordPress courses are plentiful. Using the search bar shows more than 200 pages of WordPress-related content and tutorials.

Tuts Plus also has detailed courses. They have structured lesson plans that are split up into bite-sized sections. Using a combination of video content, animations, and audio, the lessons are surprisingly engaging. They cover topics like PHP, widgets, plugin development, website building, and more. eBooks are up for grabs as well. They’re all behind a paywall, but the ebooks are a valuable resource you can reference for years to come. They’re downloadable and compatible with many devices for full flexibility.

15. Smashing Magazine (Free)

Smashing Magazine is an excellent way to stay up-to-date on new additions to WordPress. The nature of open source technology is that it is constantly being changed and updated to reflect newer ways of doing things. This digital publication has an extended category that features an entire section of its site devoted to WordPress. It includes sections that cover essentials, techniques, plugins, and themes. The focus is on creating clean, smart, and fast websites for intermediate level WordPress users.

The Smashing Magazine is well-designed and pretty easy to navigate. While the site offers resources for a wide range of topics, the WordPress content is accessible to all skill levels. The content updates regularly and helps to stay informed of all things blogging. From information about updated features to evergreen step-by-step tutorials, Smashing Magazine has it all.

You can also find comprehensive ebooks and interactive workshops. Those features have a broader appeal, so they don’t pertain to WordPress exclusively. However, they can give you some insight into topics like front-end web design, content strategies, and other things you might find pertinent to your WordPress blog. Those extras do come with added costs. Meanwhile, the WordPress-specific content is free for all to access.

16. WPHub

WPHub is a place to get beautiful WordPress themes, and features a WordPress 101 section that explains the basics of creating a site using the platform. Though the site is focused mainly on site themes and custom hosting, it also offers lots of help through its custom services options. Users who want some help creating their site will love the interactive way WPHub allows users to get assistance with anything related to WordPress – including personalized training. This is a great resource for people who prefer having someone walk them through learning.

The site offers a hands-on approach to learning the basics. The elements can help anyone create a custom site that meets their needs. Even those who need help with the core fundamentals can learn everything they need to get a site up and running. Understand what makes this content management system so great and learn how to harness its powers to create the best site possible.

WP Hub also has an informative blog. It’s separate from the WordPress 101 section and offers more detailed tips. Learn some essential HTML coding to make content editing a breeze or how to customize theme templates to your liking. You can also find out how to install WordPress locally so that you can access your site without an Internet connection! There’s a lot to discover at WP Hub to make your site reach its full potential.

17. WP Square

With themes, plugins, and tutorials, WP Square is another good resource for learning how to use WordPress. The site features page after page of tutorials that provide detailed instructions for performing all sorts of basic tasks: adding custom backgrounds, displaying social icons, adding fonts, and lots more. There is a selection of free themes on the site. This site also sells custom themes, and for beginners, buying or using a free theme is often a more realistic option than developing one on their own.

From an educational standpoint, WP Square has a lot to offer. The tutorials are well-designed to appeal to the masses. Whether you’re an experienced web developer or not, you can use the detailed guides to create the site of your dreams. You don’t need a ton of technical know-how to understand the lessons. If there is a nugget of technical prowess required, WP Square explains it thoroughly.

The content caters to modern bloggers and site owners. Learn about today’s trends and how to implement them onto your own site. Of course, customization and optimization are key! Get tips on how to make your platform your own while still meeting the expectations of modern web users.

18. Udemy

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Udemy is an online learning academy that offers over fifty free WordPress courses, and hundreds of others that only have to be purchased once, as opposed to requiring a subscription for ongoing access. In addition to thousands of other classes, it offers hundreds of WordPress courses on various related topics. Many of these come with quizzes to test learning. Courses range in difficulty from beginning level to intermediate and advanced. These classes provide detailed instructions that become a part of the student’s permanent digital library, so they can be used for reference again and again.

In addition to covering the basics, Udemy has courses that dive into PHP, Javascript, advanced theme development, and more. Many of the courses are created by a professional developer and are split up into different skill levels. Start easy and find lessons that cater to WordPress beginners before immersing yourself in complex masterclasses!

The cost of each course varies dramatically. Luckily, Udemy does a fantastic job of giving you some insight into what you can expect. See course breakdowns, previews, and more to ensure that you’re investing in classes that will help you become the best WordPress user you can be.

Learning WordPress is a rewarding time investment that makes it easy to create websites and blogs to serve any purpose or function. For many business websites, blogs, digital stores and online shops, a WordPress site is the driving force for a strong web presence.

With constantly expanding technology, learning how to use this open source platform means having foundational skills that will be relevant for as long as people use WordPress to build their sites. Whether by web tutorials, by video, or by using textbooks, there are lots of different ways to learn how to use WordPress to create awesome sites.

If you are interested in learning WordPress then there is no better way than starting a blog or website of your own. I created a tutorial that will help you start a blog of your own for cheap, starting at only $2.95 per month (this low price is only through my link) for web hosting.

In addition to the low pricing, you will receive a free blog domain (a $15 value) through my Bluehost link if you purchase at least 12 months of blog hosting. FYI, you want to be self-hosted. This is essential if you want to monetize your blog as you will appear more professional and this will help you monetize your blog tremendously.

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Jamie Spencer

My name is Jamie Spencer and I have spent the past 10 years building money making blogs. After growing tired of the 9-5, commuting and never seeing my family I decided that I wanted to make some changes and launched my first blog. Since then I have launched lots of successful niche blogs and after selling my survivalist blog I decided to teach other people how to do the same.

11 thoughts on “18+ Great Resources to Learn How to Use WordPress Like a Pro”

  1. Hi Jamie,

    I appreciate your information, very insightful.

    Which plugin are you using for your Bio and Latest Post Section immediately after your post?

    Thank you

    Reply
  2. Before learning WordPress I worked a lot with Joomla. Joomla is a good CMS but it’s a bit harder. WordPress is easy and very intuitive. In a few weeks I learned a lot and created my website. It’s not an impressive website but it’s something I like a lot and I continue to work on.

    Reply
  3. Hi, thanks for this article

    and my suggestions is WPBEGINNER, its free and useful
    but
    i think elegant themes should be in this list, section “Blog” elegant-themes and also wpmudev are the two option for beginners and professional in word-press

    Reply
  4. Thanks for including my Easy WP Guide. I really appreciate that. It’s great to be listed among these other fantastic resources

    Reply
  5. I love this article about learning WordPress! It’s really helped me to develop my WordPress theme and customise existing functions. Thanks Jamie. Keep up the good work!

    Reply
  6. Thanks dear for sharing the Resources to learn WordPress.You can also include sites like Coursea,Udacity etc.
    I learnt from TemplateToaster Blog,Its a hub for learning WordPress and about its plugins.

    Keep Sharing Knowledge !! :)

    Reply

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