How do I edit the text on my website myself?

What do I need before I start?

1. Your own login. Don’t share one login around the office. If you don’t have one, see how to add or remove a person’s access.
2. The login page. It’s usually your address followed by /wp-admin. If that doesn’t work, see how to log in to your website.
3. The exact new wording. Write it out first, so you’re not composing inside the editor.

The short version

• You need your own WordPress login with an Editor or Administrator role.
• Pages, hover over the page, Edit, click the words and type. Preview at phone width, then Save.

How do I change the words on a page?

These steps use the standard WordPress block editor, following WordPress’s Pages screen and Paragraph block guides.

1. Log in and select Pages in the left sidebar. A list of your pages appears.
2. Find the page. Use the search box at the top of the list if you have many.
3. Hover over the title and select Edit. The page opens in the editor.
4. Click into the text you want to change. A small toolbar appears above it with options like bold, italic and link.
5. Type your change. To add a link, select the words and choose the link button in the toolbar.
6. Preview it. Open the View menu and choose Mobile to see it at phone width, or Preview in new tab to see it as visitors will. WordPress explains this in How to use the View feature.
7. Select Save at the top right. Older versions say Update.

Expected result: open the live page in a private window and your new wording is there.

What if my site uses a page builder?

Many business sites are built with a page builder. If your site uses one, its edit button replaces the block editor. You’ll usually see a button such as “Launch” or “Edit with” the builder’s name when you open the page, or at the top of the live page when you’re logged in.

1. Open the builder on the page.
2. Hover over the section with the text. An outline and small icons appear.
3. Select the edit icon (often a pencil or a wrench) to open that section’s settings.
4. Change the text in the settings panel, and check the live preview beside it.
5. Save, then publish, using the builder’s buttons.

In most page builders the steps are the same: hover, select the edit icon, type, then save and publish.

Why bother doing it yourself?

Small fixes like a typo, a new date or a changed name are quick to do yourself and go live as soon as you save. That’s handy when it’s urgent.

The trade-off is that there’s no second check. When E-3 makes a change, a person at E-3 does the work, and bigger changes are tested on a staging copy first. When you edit it yourself, you are the review.

What are the common mistakes and edge cases?

The text isn’t on the page

Header and footer text usually lives in a site-wide area, not on the page. On classic themes it may be under Appearance, then Widgets. On block themes it’s in the Site Editor. If you can’t find it, ask.

The same detail is in several places

Hours, phone numbers and prices often repeat. Search the site for the old wording and change every copy. Our guide to changing contact details and hours lists the usual hiding places.

Pasting from Word or email

Pasted text can bring odd fonts and spacing with it. Paste, then check it looks like the text around it. If it doesn’t, paste it into a plain text app such as Notepad or TextEdit first, then copy it from there.

Something moved that you didn’t touch

It’s easy to drag a block by accident. Use the Undo button at the top of the editor before you save.

What if this didn’t work?

• You saved a mistake. WordPress keeps revisions of each page. Open the page, find Revisions in the settings sidebar and restore an earlier one, as WordPress describes in its Revisions guide. See how to undo a change.
• Your change doesn’t show on the live site. Reload in a private window. If it’s still old after a few minutes, the site cache may need clearing.
• There’s no Edit link. Your role may not allow editing that page. Ask the site’s administrator.
• The layout broke. Stop editing and tell whoever looks after the site. Don’t keep rearranging blocks to fix it.

How does E-3 handle this?

You’re welcome to edit your own wording; ask us for a login if you don’t have one. If you’d rather not, send us the change: a person at E-3 makes it, and website care includes daily backups. See can you update the text on my website, or call 814-399-4655.

Related questions

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