This training is accurate as of writing, but future WordPress, plugin, or Bricks Builder updates may change how things look or where features are located. Because this is a multisite setup, some options may also vary from parish to parish. If you have questions or something appears out of date, please use the Contact Us button on your dashboard.
Getting Started
Learn where the main editing areas live before making changes.
▶️ Video Overview
Watch as Josh walks you through all the various parts of the backend of your site, see where things are, and become familiar with some terms used throughout this training.
Link to video:
WordPress Dashboard
The WordPress Dashboard is the main control center for your website. This is where you can access your pages, media, site-wide settings, navbar, and personal profile settings.
Most website updates will start from the dashboard. From there, you can choose the area you need based on what you are trying to update.
Pages
Pages are the main sections of your website, such as Home, About, Giving, Contact, and other parish-specific pages.
To edit a page, go to WordPress Dashboard → Pages, find the page you want to update, and click “Edit with Bricks.”
Look for pages that say “front page” in the listing. This is typically your homepage.
▶️ Theme Settings
Theme Settings controls site-wide information that may appear in multiple places across your website.
Use Theme Settings to update service times, holiday hours, contact email, phone number, physical address, and the Giving link.
The Giving link updates any buttons that have not been manually edited. The navbar still needs to be updated separately.
Want a guided tour? Watch as Josh walks you through all the theme settings and how to update them!
Video Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/clips/share/lHdA7JG4SLq7-UCUoEiC1Q
▶️ Navbar
The Navbar controls the main links visitors use to move around your website.
To update it, go to WordPress Dashboard → Navbar. From there, you can add, remove, reorder, or update links in your site’s navigation.
Keep the navbar focused on the most important pages so visitors can quickly find what they need.
Want a guided tour? Watch as Josh shows you how to update everything in your navbar!
Video Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/clips/share/z2c4i_LsRwi5K9MZ8Bi85g
Media Library
The Media Library is where your photos, videos, and PDFs are stored.
Uploading a file to Media does not automatically place it on your website. It simply makes the file available to use when editing a page.
Use folders to organize your files. This makes it easier to find photos, PDFs, and other uploads later when you need to update or swap content.
Your Profile
Your Profile is personal to your login and does not affect the public website.
From your profile, you can update your display name, password, profile picture, and dashboard color scheme.
To find it, go to the top right corner of the WordPress Dashboard and open Your Profile.
Bricks Builder
Bricks Builder is the visual editor used to update the content and layout of your website pages.
WordPress is where you manage the overall site. Bricks is where you edit what a specific page looks like, including text, images, buttons, sections, and spacing.
To open Bricks, go to WordPress Dashboard → Pages, find the page you want to edit, and click “Edit with Bricks.”
You can also open Bricks from the top admin bar while viewing your site. Hover over “Bricks,” choose “Pages,” and select the page you want to edit.
Managing Site-Wide Information
Update information that appears across the website from one place.
Theme Settings
Theme Settings controls site-wide information that may appear in multiple places across your website.
This is the best place to update information that is used throughout the site, instead of editing the same information manually on each page.
To find it, go to WordPress Dashboard → Theme Settings.
Service Times
Service times can be updated from Theme Settings.
Use this area to change regular service times, add holiday hours, or update service-related information that appears on your site.
After updating the information, save your changes and check the live website to make sure everything looks correct.
Contact Information
Contact information can be updated from Theme Settings.
This includes your contact email, phone number, and physical address.
Updating this information in Theme Settings helps keep the website consistent, because the same information may appear in multiple places across the site.
Giving Link
The Giving link can be updated from Theme Settings.
This updates any Giving buttons that have not been manually edited elsewhere on the site.
The navbar still needs to be updated separately. If the Giving link appears in the navbar, go to WordPress Dashboard → Navbar and update that link there as well.
Contact Form Email
The contact form sends visitor messages to the contact email listed in Theme Settings.
To change where contact form submissions are sent, go to WordPress Dashboard → Theme Settings and update the contact email.
After making the change, submit a test message through the contact form and check the inbox to make sure the message arrives correctly.
Editing Pages with Bricks
Use Bricks to update the content and layout of individual pages.
Opening a Page in Bricks
To edit a page with Bricks, go to WordPress Dashboard → Pages.
Find the page you want to edit, hover over the page title, and click “Edit with Bricks.”
The Bricks editor will open, allowing you to update the content and layout of that specific page.
The Bricks Editor
Bricks is the visual editor used to update your website pages.
When Bricks opens, you will see the page you are editing in the middle of the screen. You can click on text, images, buttons, and sections to select and update them.
Most basic edits start by clicking the item you want to change, then using the settings panel to update the content or style.
The Three Main Areas
Left panel: This is where settings and style controls appear after you click on something. You may use this area to update text, links, images, colors, spacing, or other settings.
Middle area: This shows the page you are editing. You can click directly on the page to select text, buttons, images, and other content.
Right panel: This shows the Structure tree. The Structure tree is an outline of the page and can help you select sections, containers, text, buttons, and images more easily.
Editing Text
To edit text, click the text you want to update on the page.
Once selected, use the settings in the left panel to change the text.
After making your changes, review the page carefully before saving.
Editing Buttons
To edit a button, click the button you want to update.
In the left panel, you can update the button text and the button link.
When adding a link, use the full URL. For example, use https://www.facebook.com/yourpage instead of just facebook.com.
Editing Images
To edit an image, click the image you want to update.
In the left panel, click the image preview or image field to choose a different image from the Media Library.
Select the image you want to use, insert it, and review the page before saving.
Copying and Pasting Sections
If you need to reuse a section, copy and paste an existing section instead of building one from scratch.
Use the Structure tree in the right panel to select the section you want to copy.
Once copied, paste the section where you want it, then update the text, images, buttons, and links as needed.
Copying Sections Between Pages
You can copy a section from one page and paste it onto another page.
Open the page that has the section you want to reuse, copy the section, then open the page where you want it to go and paste it there.
After pasting the section, update the content so it fits the new page.
Reordering Sections
You can reorder sections from the Structure tree in the right panel.
Click and drag a section to move it higher or lower on the page.
After moving a section, review the page to make sure the order makes sense before saving.
Additional Bricks Training
Bricks has its own training library with additional walkthroughs, tutorials, and documentation.
For more Bricks training, visit the Bricks Academy.
This is a helpful resource if you want to learn more about how Bricks works beyond the basics covered here.
Managing Images and Media
Use the Media Library to store, organize, and update photos, videos, and PDFs.
Media Library
The Media Library is where your website’s photos, videos, PDFs, and other uploaded files are stored.
To find it, go to WordPress Dashboard → Media.
Files in the Media Library can be used throughout the website when editing pages in Bricks.
Organizing Media with Folders
Your website uses folders in the Media Library to help keep files organized.
You can create folders for different types of files, such as photos, bulletins, forms, events, staff images, or other parish resources.
Organizing files into folders makes it easier for everyone with access to find and reuse the right files later.
Uploading Media
Uploading a file to the Media Library does not automatically place it on your website.
When you upload a photo, video, or PDF, it is stored in the Media Library until you choose to use it on a page.
After uploading a file, you can place it into the correct folder so it is easier to find later.
Swapping Images
To swap an image on a page, open the page in Bricks and click the image you want to change.
In the left panel, click the image preview or image field to open the Media Library.
Select the image you want to use, insert it, and review the page before saving.
Using PDFs
PDFs can be uploaded to the Media Library and linked from buttons, text, or other areas of the website.
After uploading a PDF, copy or select the file link when adding it to the page.
Review the link before saving to make sure it opens the correct file.
Alt Text
Alt text is a short written description of an image.
Alt text helps visitors using screen readers understand what an image shows. It can also help search engines better understand the content of your page.
When adding important images, include clear alt text that briefly describes the image.
Saving, Previewing, and Mobile Checks
Review your changes before making them live.
Making Changes Safely
You can click around, test edits, and explore Bricks without making changes live right away.
Changes only go live after you click “Save.” If you are just testing or exploring, do not save until you are sure you want to keep the changes.
Saving Changes
The Save button is located in the top right corner of Bricks.
Click “Save” when you are ready to make your changes live on the website.
Once saved, those changes are visible to visitors.
Unsaved Changes
When you make a change in Bricks, a small dot appears above the Save button.
This dot means you have unsaved changes.
Save the page to make those changes live, or refresh the page to undo them.
Undoing Unsaved Changes
If you make changes and decide you do not want to keep them, click “Refresh” before saving.
Refreshing the page will undo unsaved changes and return the page to the last saved version.
This is helpful when you are testing something and want to start over.
Previewing Changes
The eyeball icon opens preview mode.
Preview mode lets you see what your changes look like before saving.
You cannot edit while in preview mode, but you can use it to review the page before making changes live.
Viewing the Live Website
“View on Front End” opens the live website in a new tab.
Use this to see the page the way visitors will see it.
After saving changes, it is a good idea to view the page on the front end and make sure everything looks correct.
Checking Mobile View
Many visitors will view your website on a phone, so it is important to check the mobile view before saving major changes.
In the top middle of the Bricks editor, you will see device icons for desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Click the mobile icon to review how the page looks on a phone.
Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile Views
Desktop: Shows how the page looks on a computer.
Tablet: Shows how the page looks on a tablet or iPad-sized screen.
Mobile: Shows how the page looks on a phone.
Use these views to check that text, images, buttons, and sections still look good at different screen sizes.
When to Ask ArtSpeak for Help
Some updates are easier to handle with help from the web team.
Ask for Help with Permissions
If you are trying to make a change and the dashboard says you do not have permission, contact ArtSpeak for help.
Some parts of the website are intentionally limited to protect the site from accidental changes.
If you are not sure whether you should have access to something, ask before trying to work around it.
Ask for Help with New Pages
If you need a brand new page added to your website, contact ArtSpeak for help.
Editing an existing page and creating a new page are different tasks. New pages may need to be added to the navbar, styled correctly, and checked on desktop and mobile.
If you only need to update content on an existing page, you can usually do that in Bricks.
Ask for Help with Layout Problems
If something on the page looks broken, out of place, or difficult to fix, contact ArtSpeak for help.
This could include spacing issues, mobile layout problems, sections that are not lining up correctly, or anything that does not look right after editing.
It is better to ask for help than to save changes that may make the page harder to fix later.
Ask for Help When You Are Unsure
If you are unsure about a website update, contact ArtSpeak before saving major changes.
The dashboard includes options for reaching out to the web team for support.
A quick question can help prevent accidental changes and keep the website working correctly.