The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide on How to Use Joomla

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how to use joomla

Hoping to learn how to use Joomla?

Joomla is an underrated content management system. It’s often overshadowed by the likes of WordPress and Drupal. However, one cannot deny that it’s one of the five most powerful content management systems around today.

Using Joomla will allow you to build beautiful and optimized websites. Using the decade-old content management system allows you to perform things that you can’t do in other content management systems like WordPress. For instance, you can use any coding language you wish on the system, and Joomla will interpret it with no problem whatsoever.

There are many more benefits when you use Joomla, but to get them, you must first learn how to use it. Below, we’ve prepared a Joomla tutorial to teach you how to use one of the most versatile content management systems around.

1. What are the Requirements to Run Joomla?

Joomla doesn’t demand much from you. All you need is an SQL database to be able to run it. This is because Joomla is a system that’s driven by databases. Having an SQL database will help Joomla to install its tables and run its functions.

Having this also ensures that your website will be smooth when it runs. Joomla is one of the fastest working content management systems out there. This is because it uses a lot of resources to run all its functions.

So, having a fast-running server will help Joomla to do what it does best.

2. How to Install Joomla

Installing Joomla is simple, needing only minimal input from you. There are two ways you can go about doing this.

Both ways ask you to input a username and password for future use. Keep these in mind as you will need to use them later on.

Automatic Installation

You can install Joomla with the help of software made for installations like C-panel. Doing this allows you to use the Joomla with its settings in default. Also, this choice installs Joomla straight into your server.

This is a much easier option for installation. It features a one-click installation type of process. So, you can sit back while waiting for Joomla to upload itself into your server.

Manual Installation

Another way you can install Joomla is by doing it yourself. The manual installation process allows you to have more input on the settings for this CMS. If you opt for a manual installation process, you will need to download Joomla and install it on your website on your own.

First, you need to create an SQL database for your server. This will allow you to do everything else faster and easier later on. Next, you should upload Joomla’s files from the directory into your server.

After that, all that’s left to do is to run the configuration wizard on your website. You can access this wizard by going to your website’s URL and running it there.

While it may be a bit trickier, doing this allows you to customize your settings for Joomla. This means that you can enable additional features for your website. Most people tend to miss these features in the automatic installation process.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to reinstall Joomla every 30 days regardless of which process you choose. Doing this allows you to have a smooth-running website. This is not a problem because you can download and install Joomla for free every time.

3. How Do I Configure my Settings?

After you install Joomla, you will encounter a pop-up asking you to log in. Use the username and password you had to input a while ago during installation to proceed. You can change them later on as you progress.

Once you get in, you will see different settings for you to mess around with. Here are a few of the important ones you should take note of.

User Manager

One of the things that makes Joomla a hidden giant in web development is that many people can be administrators for one website. In the “User Manager” tab, you can create new users for the website you’re in. You can also set their permissions in this tab.

Site

Under the “Global Configuration” tab, you can find more tabs to explore. One of these tabs has the label “Site” on it. This is where you can edit your website’s name, meta description, and the site’s meta keywords.

You can also set your website’s offline message here. It will display the message you wrote while you perform maintenance on it.

SEO Settings

This is the area where you can boost your SEO through Joomla. Here, you can choose whether SEO compatible URLs will remain on your website for long. Choosing yes will allow other websites to build links within your website.

You can also set whether URLs have suffixes here. Setting the option to yes will make it so links all end with things like “.html” and the like.

Server

Here, you will be able to choose whether users will need to register with your website to visit it. You can also set the privileges of each registered user. It’s also here that you can edit your “From Name” which people can see when they get an e-mail from your website.

4. How Can I Publish Content on Joomla?

How Joomla works is that it requires you to create sections and categories for your content. This makes it easier for your visitors to find the content they’re looking for on your website. Also, it helps you keep your website neat and organized.

You can also manage your existing categories on Joomla. You can do so in the Menu Manager. In this menu, you can also link tabs, transfer articles, and manage many more components regarding your content.

5. How Can I Add Extensions to my Joomla Website?

There are many ways you can personalize your website using Joomla. Like WordPress, Joomla also has plugins and extensions available online. While there are fewer add-ons available for Joomla vs WordPress, there should be enough to allow you to create a unique website.

If you find an extension you want to use, all you need to do is to download it from its page. Once the downloading, you can install it on your website. You only need to run it through your website’s control panel to do this.

A message window should appear once you’re done. This will notify you whether your installation was a success or not.

Learn How to Use Joomla Today

When it comes to simplicity and ease of use, nothing beats Joomla. Learn how to use Joomla and customize your own website today!

Do you have any questions about CMS? Why not check our other tips and guides? Here’s one showcasing how to create original content once you’ve got your Joomla site up and running.