What is WordPress 101?

“WordPress is easy,” they said.

If you’re like most people looking to build their first website, you probably asked a friend where to begin. And they probably recommended WordPress because “it’s easy!”

But when you dive into it, you realize it’s a lot more complicated than you thought. You need a web host… the WordPress software itself… a theme… and maybe some plugins. And making it all work together (especially if you’re not a professional coder) well, it’s just not as easy as they made it sound.

And these days, who’s got time to waste scouring Google or YouTube for homemade videos filled with ‘uhs,’ and ‘ums?’

The good news is that WordPress 101 is different!

Whether you want to build a personal blog, a business site for your company, or even an online store, you’re in the right place!

On this site, you’ll learn how to use WordPress to build your website… today.

Every tutorial video on our site has been carefully scripted with the beginner in mind. No technical jargon. No ‘uhs,’ and ‘ums’. Just easy-to-understand video tutorials with step-by-step instructions on how to use WordPress to build your website. When you’ve mastered the WordPress basics, continue learning with more advanced courses, or return anytime for a quick refresher.

Each video lesson is just 5 minutes or less. While we recommend that you watch the videos in order, you’re more than welcome to pick and choose. And when you need a break, just pause and return later to pick up right where you left off.

By the time you finish the WordPress 101 course, you’ll know how to build and manage your own WordPress website. You’ll be comfortable using the Block Editor (a.k.a. ‘Gutenberg’) in WordPress to create custom page layouts, with audio, video, images, or other media. And you’ll know how to personalize the design of your site to make it unique.

Best of all, you’re not alone. You don’t have to learn in a vacuum. Every day, we answer WordPress questions from our members in our help forum. So when you need help, just reach out and we’ll do our best to get you back on your way!

Since 2008, we’ve helped more than three million people around the world learn how to use WordPress!

Since we launched the original WordPress 101 tutorial video series in 2008, more than three million people around the world have watched our video tutorials. And today, WP101^® has become one of the most popular WordPress tutorial sites in the world, and has been widely praised as the gold standard for WordPress video tutorials. We are proud to be a WP Engine Recommended Solution, and our videos have been licensed by hundreds of notable companies, including GoDaddy, Namecheap, Nexcess, Pressable, Media Temple, WooCommerce, StudioPress, WPBeginner, Seth Godin, Jeff Goins, and even NASA!

The WP101 Story: How WordPress 101 got its start…

My name is Shawn Hesketh, and I’m the founder and creator of the WordPress 101. But, for the first 26 years of my career, I worked as a freelance designer creating logos, websites, and branding materials for my clients in and around the Greater Houston Area.

I started building WordPress-powered websites for my clients in 2006, because it was relatively easy to use, compared to other options like Joomla or Drupal. Then, to help my clients get up to speed as quickly as possible, I also provided one-on-one WordPress training. I found that I could teach my clients how to use WordPress in about an hour.

But in-person WordPress training isn’t practical at scale. After delivering the same training dozens of times, it dawned on me to create a series of video tutorials that I could furnish to my clients. Then, they could watch the videos at their own pace, and return anytime they needed a refresher. And as a bonus, I would free hours of my time.

So in September of 2008, I recorded the first WordPress 101 video tutorial series. My clients loved the video tutorials. And so did my friends, many of whom were also WordPress developers. Soon, they began sending their clients to watch the WordPress 101 videos on my site.

I never imagined that this site would become one of the most popular WordPress tutorial sites in the world, or that millions of people all around the world would one day watch these videos. But to this day, I still love helping people learn how to use WordPress to create beautiful websites. And every day, I answer WordPress questions from our members in our help forum. So if you need help with WordPress, please reach out and I’ll do my best to get you on your way!

I’m happy you’re here, and I look forward to seeing you around the site!

Shawn Hesketh
Founder and Creator of WP101^®
Get in touch!

Who is WordPress 101 for?

If you want to learn how to use WordPress to create a blog, build a business website, or manage your organization’s WordPress-powered website, this site is for you! The WordPress 101 video tutorials will help you quickly learn how to use WordPress to create, edit, and manage your own website. But we don’t stop there!

You can continue learning with more advanced courses for Elementor, Beaver Builder, Ninja Forms, and more. Plus, we’re always standing by to answer your WordPress questions in our members-only help forum. You don’t have to learn WordPress alone!

Need to download the WP101^® logo?

WP101^® is a registered trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. If you are an affiliated partner or a member of the press, feel free to download the WP101 logo from the link below: