Wordpress - Blogging - INI101: Blogging the just city - Research Guides at University of Toronto

INI101 requirements for your WordPress Blog

LOGIN WordPress.com

WordPress.com has great series of YouTube videos to help you get started, but there are some steps that we'll be adding in
Be sure to select options that focus on writing, creating a blog, and setting up free WordPress.com account.

Requirements for INI101

Slides from Library Session 2025

The video below will review the steps set up your account and blog, but INI101 students are asked to:

1) Create an WordPress.com Account

Visit https://wordpress.com and please create your account using your UofT email.

2) Set up your Domain Name and Include your course code INI101

WordPress free accounts can only customize part of the web domain or URL (e.g., example.wordpress.com).

INI101 students are asked to incorporate the course code into their domain name but it's possible to change the URL later on.
1. ini101NameofBlog (e.g., ini101torontoaccessibility.wordpress.com)
2. ini101nametopic (e.g., ini101katelibraries.wordpress.com)
WordPress will check to see if the URL has been used before and offer an adaption if needed.

Choose the FREE plan for your site and blog

Select the FREE domain option. Be sure to choose to 'start with a free site' link.
Select to 'Start Writing' and enter your Blog Name (tagline is optional)

3) Set your Site's Privacy Settings & Add your Instructor

Update your privacy settings to set the site as private
Control who can see your posts or pages.
- When you set your site as private, please be sure to add your instructor as a viewer or editor so she can view your posts.

4) Set up Your WordPress Profile

Access WordPress Profile. Upload the photo you selected and the write up completed for the first weeks’ assignments
- Optional - You could also set up an Author page by manually adding a Page to your site or selecting a Theme with that format.

Design Your Site (Themes, Template) & Create Blog Posts

Select a Theme (Design) for your Site and Blog

Access the WordPress Themes (Go to the Dashboard, select Appearance, choose Themes)

Learn About WordPress Themes
- Browse the Available Themes
  - Free Themes for Blogs
  - Free Themes for Author & Writer Portfolios
- Identify free themes that allow you to:
  - Change Your Site’s Colors Using Styles (Important,not available for all free themes so check first)
Activate a Theme
Set Up your Theme and experiment:
- Change Colors and Fonts, Customize Header or Footer of Site
Change your Theme

Templates

Where Themes deal with the design of your site, template provide layouts to the individual pages or sections (home page, blog posts). You can design your own, using a pre-made template, or even edit a template.

Learn about the different types of templates including Single template which styles your blog posts.

Use the WordPress Editor & set up Blog Post using Blocks

Edit in WordPress

Add Blocks to your Pages, Add Lists
Change your Settings (Access the short link/URL for the page, Update page privacy)
Edit Preferences (Publishing, Blocks and more)

WordPress Editor for Blog Posts

Create a new Post, Add an Image, Setting (Publish Post & set Privacy, Permalink for sharing, Templates for posts, Featured Image that will appear on home page)

WordPress - Improve Your Site’s Accessibility

Includes best practices and procedures and an online webinar:
- Alt-text for Images
- Using Heading Blocks, Fonts and Colour Choices,
- Video/Audio transcripts

Images and Copyright

When you are posting material in a public site, you need to be careful about violating other people's copyright. Generally, you should be using public domain or Creative Commons images.

Learn more about Copyright Guidelines for Public Domain and Creative Commons: