WordPress is a remarkable Content Management System (CMS) which is why there are so many good WordPress courses available online. It’s powerful and flexible enough to create almost any kind of blog or website you could imagine. However, the vast world of WordPress might seem daunting at first, and you may not know how to go about learning all its ins and outs.
Fortunately, the WordPress community is thriving, and there are many people out there willing to help you learn the ropes. A quick Google search reveals thousands of articles and tutorials, along with dedicated YouTube channels such as WPCrafter, Tyler Moore, and WPBeginner. These resources are fantastic, but often you’ll find the best way to make progress is to take part in a more structured course.
That’s why we’re going to recommend some truly excellent online WordPress courses for beginners in this article. Each is designed with new users in mind and will arm you with the knowledge you need to start creating your own websites. Let’s get started!
1. FREE WordPress Training PDF by Dedrick Jordan ‘WordPress Junkee”
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Time to Complete: 3 hours
Price: Free beginner courses ($199/yr to include SEO training, $499/yr for access to all current and upcoming courses)
Want to get started with WordPress fast? Well who better to learn from than one of the best known names in the industry. Yoast Academy offers 4 free courses to cover the basics. The first, WordPress for beginners, walks you through the steps to get started (installation, themes, plugins, security, etc). Then videos on the block and classic editor will help you choose which is right for you. And finally a free course on WordPress SEO for beginners will help point you in the right direction to start ranking in search results.
Beyond these free courses, Yoast does offer two premium packages which are a great resource for beginners as well as established WordPress users. This is your chance to get exclusive SEO tips from the #1 WordPress SEO expert. It’s a great investment in the future of your website if you have the time and budget available.
Pros
- 4 quick, easy and free videos to digest videos to get you started with the basics.
- Options to upgrade for access to premium SEO courses you simply won’t find anywhere else.
- There is a Yoast certificate and a badge when you complete the courses to add to your website or resume.
Cons
- Because there are only 4 courses, you won’t go into any niche topics like e-commerce, newsletters, etc.
- The premium SEO courses are expensive (though as mentioned above, I’d personally consider them an investment).
2. Joy of WP: WordPress Training
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Time to Complete: 5 hours 30 minutes (WP A to Z is about 4.5hrs, while How to WordPress comes in at just about 1 hr)
Price: Free
Bud over at Joy of WP has put together not one but two helpful WordPress course series to get you started on your journey. These easy to follow along with guides cover Getting Started, Links, Themes, Plugins, Blogging, Hosting, Gutenberg and a few other extras (under the Potpourri section). If you complete the videos you’re sure to have a good handle on WordPress basics.
Pros
- Both series are completely free (you may be asked to signup for a free account to watch some of the videos though).
- Each video covers a specific topic in detail, so if you only want to learn how to “Add Media to Your Header” you can skip ahead and watch just that one video.
Cons
- If you’re watching both, this series is a bit on the long side. You will need to carve out an afternoon, or better yet a full day, to complete all of the videos.
- There are a few videos that you can skip as they’re very specific (mainly in the plugins section).
3. WordPress Quick Start Course by WP Apprentice
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Time to Complete: One hour
Price: Free (lifetime access to WordPress Essentials for $47, or all of their courses for $147)
This first course is a quick and simple tutorial meant for absolute beginners. The WordPress Quick Start Course focuses on the basics: how to find a web host, install WordPress, use the dashboard, and start creating content. All the platform’s central features are explained, such as themes, plugins, and widgets. By the time you finish watching these ten videos, you’ll be ready to start setting up your first site.
Pros
- The course is short and free, so you aren’t risking anything by trying it out.
- It stays at an introductory level, perfect for someone who’s never used the platform.
- You’ll get a general overview of all the primary features of WordPress.
Cons
- The fact that the course is so so short can also be a downside – there’s no room for in-depth explanations.
- Only entry-level topics are covered. If you want to create anything other than a simple site, you’ll probably need further information.
4. Complete WordPress Training for Beginners by Udemy
Time to Complete: 4 hours
Price: $19.99
Complete WordPress Training for Beginners is currently priced at just under $20, and it’s relatively comprehensive. Like any good WordPress course, this entry from Udemy covers the basics of setting up a website or blog. It also focuses on the bigger picture, explaining the overall framework of the platform and how it works. Near the end, there is some discussion about using SEO to improve your site’s visibility and rankings.
Pros
- A lot of topics are covered in just a few hours.
- The course includes a step-by-step guide to getting your website up and running.
- It takes a conceptual approach to WordPress, teaching you how and why things work rather than just giving instructions.
- Most of the explanations are simple and beginner-friendly.
Cons
- Some of the later material is fairly advanced, covering complex topics like creating your own themes (in fairness, you may see this as a pro!).
- The course is a little older. So while most of its information still applies, a few things are out of date.
5. WordPress 101: The Basics by WP101
Time to Complete: 90 minutes
Price: $19/yr (the first 7 videos are free – so you can get started for $0)
Sometimes a free course doesn’t provide everything you’re looking for, and you’re willing to pay for something a little more professional. WordPress 101: The Basics comes with a price, but provides more support and viewing options than the above courses. It also manages to cover all the basics – themes, plugins, setting up a site – as well as some more advanced material about website settings and customization. Scattered throughout the 20 videos are plenty of helpful tips for WordPress beginners.
Pros
- The course is more accessible than most. It’s closed-captioned, and there is a Spanish language option.
- When you buy the course (or a subscription), you get access to a forum where you can ask questions and get support.
- Once you have the beginner course, the intermediate level course is free.
Cons
- When it isn’t on sale, the course is a little pricey, given its short length.
- It assumes you already have WordPress set up, so it doesn’t cover how to host and install the platform.
6. Be Your Own Boss WordPress Course by BitDegree
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Time to Complete: 75 minutes
Price: $34.99
Want to learn how to start your own website? And how to make money from it? And manage it over time? Easy – the Be Your Own Boss series of 17 short and to the point tutorials is for your. BitDegree has done a great job putting together a quick and easy to understand guide that explains all the basics of starting your own website with WordPress. Additionally, the course covers key tips and skills for improving your business, marketing, passive income and (of course) becoming your own boss. All you need is internet access and you could have all the knowledge you need to start your own site by the end of your lunch break.
Pros
- Created by software and app developer Alex Genadinik.
- This quick, 75 minute course is easy to fit into any schedule.
- Helpful and direct tutorials cover key points of website creation so you can build a site in a day.
- Added tips for running your website as a business are helpful to those new to the industry.
Cons
- The course could cover the business side more, however you can follow up this tutorial with the BitDegree monetization course (currently just $9.99).
- Along the same lines as the last point, this course is an overview so it doesn’t go into depth on any one subject in order to fit all the important points into the compact 75 minute schedule.
7. Various WordPress Courses at Lynda.com
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Time to Complete: Depends on the course, but most are about 2 hours long
Price: One month free, after that a subscription to Lynda.com starts at $24.99 per month
Maybe you already know a little about WordPress or website creation in general, and you feel like some of the above courses will be to simple for your needs. Or perhaps you just like the idea of being able to learn at your own pace, instead of being led through a structured set of lessons. Lynda.com is a site where anyone can upload their own WordPress courses, which means there’s a lot of information available. You can find courses on setting up WordPress, the basics of creating a site, how to use themes and plugins, specific tips and tricks, and more advanced subjects.
Pros
- You get access to a lot of content for a pretty low price.
- It’s possible to find courses targeted specifically at what you’re trying to learn.
- Once you feel ready for it, certain courses will provide more advanced information and techniques.
- Lynda.com is a more self-directed platform – you can jump from course to course as the need arises.
Cons
- Using this kind of site is not as straightforward as learning through a single course. You’ll have to do some searching to find the information you need.
- The quality of the courses is varied, since each has a different creator.
8. Beginning WordPress by Treehouse
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Time to Complete: 3 hours, start to finish
Price: A subscription to Treehouse starts at $25 per month (there is also a seven-day free trial option)
This course covers the essentials such as what WordPress is, how to install WordPress locally for testing, basics (content, media, customization and more), user roles and migrating from local to live. It’s split into easy to manage sections, except for the WordPress basics section, which is just about 1/2 of the entire course time (but no worries – you can easily pause at any time). It’s a great option to get started in an afternoon.
Pros
- Overall very easy to follow along with.
- Simple, step-by-step instructions help guide you through key WordPress aspects.
Cons
- Things move pretty quickly in the local installation, so you may to need to re-listen.
- Building on the last point – the section on migrating to your live site is a bit quick.
9. WordPress Development by Treehouse
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Time to Complete: 27 hours for the full course, with 2 hours to cover the ‘beginner’ material
Price: A subscription to Treehouse starts at $25 per month (there is also a seven-day free trial option)
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more thorough course than WordPress Development. The entire track covers almost anything you can think of that’s related to WordPress. There is a very clear progression from beginner content – downloading WordPress and building your first site – to intermediate and advanced material, such as working with plugins and code customization.
Pros
- There is a ton of content, organized in a way that’s easy to follow.
- Step-by-step instructions walk you through building a WordPress website.
- Working through even the beginning of this course provides a pretty clear picture of what WordPress can do and how it works.
Cons
- Once you get past the first couple of videos, it’s more advanced than the other WordPress courses on this list.
- Some videos assume prior technical knowledge, especially later in the track.
If you’ve never used WordPress before, you might be concerned that you don’t have the experience or technical know-how necessary to make effective use of the platform. However, its outstanding community and the wide variety of WordPress courses and tutorials available make it very approachable for anyone willing to put in a little learning time.
These WordPress courses will help you understand and start applying the basics in no time. But perhaps we missed a good one. Do you know of any other awesome resources for learning about WordPress? We’d love to hear about them in the comments section below!