Lesson 1 | Using WordPress Categories to Organize Your Website and Mobile App

Lesson 1 – Using WordPress Categories to Organize Your Website and Mobile App

Learn how Author Jonathan David organizes courses and podcasts into WordPress categories. This lesson demonstrates a simple parent-and-child category structure, individual video posts, navigation menus, featured images, and alternating free and member content.

The Organization Used in This Lesson

Each lesson or podcast episode gets its own post. Related posts are grouped into a specific category, which sits beneath a broader parent category. Visitors can browse an entire content type or open a particular course or podcast series.

Step-by-Step – Build Your Category Structure

1. Choose a few broad parent categories.

   Begin with the main types of content your website offers. Jonathan uses categories such as Courses and Podcasts. Keep the structure simple enough that visitors can understand where to go without searching through many layers.

2. Create the parent category in WordPress.

   In the dashboard, open Posts → Categories. Enter the parent category’s name, leave its parent selection as None, and click Add New Category. Confirm that it appears in the category list before continuing.

3. Create a child category for each course or series.

   On the same Categories screen, enter a specific name such as How to Write a Book. Select Courses as its parent, then add the category. Repeat for other courses. For a podcast series such as The Daily Upset, select Podcasts as the parent.

4. Move existing categories beneath the appropriate parent.

   Find an existing category, click Edit, and change its parent selection. Jonathan moves The Daily Upset beneath Podcasts. Click Update to save the change, then return to the category list to check the hierarchy.

5. Open the category archive.

   Use the category’s View link to see its public archive. This is the page that will display the posts assigned to that category. Copy its address when you need to connect a homepage link or navigation item to the library.

Step-by-Step – Create Individual Lesson and Podcast Posts

6. Create one post for each lesson or episode.

   Open Posts → Add New. Give the post a clear title containing the lesson or episode number and its subject. Jonathan replaces playlist-based library pages with individual posts so visitors can select a specific video from the category archive.

7. Insert the corresponding video.

   Add the video to the post using its embed or a responsive HTML player. Preview the post to check that the video fits the available width and displays correctly on a smaller screen.

8. Add the written content that matches the video type.

   For a practical lesson, include a summary and detailed, itemized instructions extracted from the transcript. For a podcast, Jonathan prefers the original transcript beneath an Original Transcript heading so readers can follow his words while listening. Review automated transcripts for transcription errors before publishing.

9. Create a recognizable thumbnail.

   Use a consistent visual theme and an easily readable title. Jonathan uses clean red-themed thumbnails and distinguishes podcasts by including his picture. His lesson thumbnails can focus on the subject without his portrait. He demonstrates using ChatGPT and Canva as design options.

10. Name the image before uploading it.

    Give the exported image a descriptive filename that reflects the episode or lesson. Jonathan aligns the thumbnail title with the post title to keep the assets recognizable and consistent. Add accurate image alternative text when uploading it.

11. Set the featured image.

    Open the post’s Featured Image controls, upload or select the correct thumbnail, and confirm the selection. Replace an outdated image if necessary. Check the category archive afterward to see how your theme crops and displays it.

12. Assign the post to its specific category.

    Select the course or series category, such as How to Write a Book or The Daily Upset. Check that unrelated categories are not selected. Publish or update the post, then open the category archive to confirm that it appears.

13. Keep the website and video thumbnail consistent.

    When updating an episode’s title or image, also update its video listing where appropriate. Jonathan uses the same thumbnail for the video and the website post so visitors recognize the content in both places.

Step-by-Step – Connect the Libraries to Your Navigation

14. Replace older library links with category links.

    Edit homepage links or course buttons that previously opened a separate playlist page. Change their destinations to the corresponding category archives. This allows newly categorized posts to appear in the library without manually adding each one to the homepage.

15. Update the navigation menu.

    In the menu controls demonstrated, Jonathan opens Customize → Menus, selects category links, and arranges them beneath the appropriate menu headings. Add the course and podcast series visitors need to reach. Save or publish the menu changes. Your theme may provide a different navigation editor.

16. Test each route through the website.

    Open the homepage, select a course or podcast from the menu, and click an individual post. Confirm that the correct archive opens, the expected posts appear, and each post contains the matching video and written content.

17. Use the hierarchy when planning a mobile app.

    Jonathan’s approach prepares parent and child categories for an app integration that can use WordPress categories as navigation. Before connecting an app, check how your chosen app service handles category archives, membership restrictions, and content synchronization.

Step-by-Step – Alternate Free and Member Content

18. Publish a free introductory episode.

    Jonathan leaves the first podcast episode accessible without membership restrictions. Add its video, original transcript, featured image, and series category, then save the post. View it while logged out to confirm that visitors can access it.

19. Apply membership restrictions to the next episode.

    Create the next post and use your membership controls to select the eligible membership levels. Jonathan distinguishes recurring memberships from his separate, one-time How to Study course access. Check the selected levels carefully before publishing.

20. Prepare the member video’s visibility.

    In the demonstration, Jonathan sets the member video to Unlisted and embeds it in the restricted post. Unlisted visibility reduces public discoverability, but anyone with the video link can still access it; it is not a substitute for video access controls.

21. Continue the alternating release pattern.

    Alternate free posts and member posts while keeping them in the same course or podcast category. Clearly identify the lesson or episode number and explain the access arrangement so visitors understand how to reach the full library.

22. Check both visitor and member access.

    Review a free post and a restricted post while logged out, then check the restricted post with an eligible member account. Confirm that the video and transcript follow the intended access settings and that visitors see a useful explanation of membership.

Additional Production and Marketing Steps

23. Organize the public video channel.

    Jonathan groups his channel into podcasts, lessons, courses, shorts, and past live streams. He uses public videos to introduce his work and directs viewers to the website for the organized library and member content.

24. Create short clips from longer recordings.

    Jonathan describes uploading recordings to Substack and using its clipping workflow to prepare short videos for social media. Review each clip’s framing, captions, and context before sharing it. This is his promotional workflow, not a guarantee of reach or sales.

25. Combine interrupted recordings before publishing.

    When a recording stops unexpectedly, Jonathan imports the separate parts into iMovie and places them in sequence. He selects Fit to address cropped framing, adds the second recording, and prepares the combined lesson as one video.

Disclaimer: My videos and podcasts share personal experiences and opinions and are intended for entertainment. Commentary may include speculation, hearsay, satire, or fiction and should not be treated as verified fact or professional advice. No income or audience growth is guaranteed. Fiction may contain mature themes; ages 18+ recommended.