How to write your first post on Ghost

beginner 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Writing your first Ghost post involves accessing the Ghost admin panel, creating a new post, adding content using the editor, and publishing it. The process is straightforward with Ghost's intuitive block-based editor.

Try Ghost Full Ghost Review

Prerequisites

A Ghost site set up and running
Admin access to your Ghost site
Basic understanding of writing and formatting
A web browser

Step-by-Step Instructions

Access the Ghost Admin Panel

Navigate to your Ghost site's admin panel by going to yoursite.com/ghost and log in with your admin credentials. Once logged in, you'll see the main dashboard with various options including Posts, Pages, and Settings.

Bookmark your admin URL for quick access in the future

Create a New Post

Click on Posts in the left sidebar, then click the New post button in the top right corner. This will open the Ghost editor with a blank post ready for you to start writing.

You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt+N (or Cmd+Alt+N on Mac) from anywhere in the admin panel

Add Your Post Title

Click on the Post title field at the top of the editor and type your title. Make it descriptive and engaging as this will be the main headline readers see. The title will automatically generate a URL slug below it.

Keep titles under 60 characters for better SEO and social media sharing

Write Your Content Using the Editor

Click in the main content area and start typing your post. Ghost uses a block-based editor where you can add different content types by typing + or / followed by the block type you want (like /image, /heading, or /quote). Use the formatting toolbar that appears when you select text for basic formatting like bold, italic, and links.

Press Enter to create a new paragraph, or Shift+Enter for a line break within the same paragraph

Add Images and Media

To add an image, type /image and press Enter, or click the + button and select Image. You can upload images by dragging and dropping them directly into the editor or clicking Click to select an image. Images can be resized by clicking on them and using the resize handles.

Use high-quality images under 1MB for faster loading times

Configure Post Settings

Click the Settings gear icon in the top right corner to access post settings. Here you can add a Post excerpt (meta description), upload a Feature image, set Tags, change the Publication date, and customize the Post URL. Fill out these fields to optimize your post for SEO and social sharing.

Tags help organize your content and make it discoverable - use 2-5 relevant tags per post

Preview and Publish Your Post

Click the Preview button next to Publish to see how your post will look to readers. When you're satisfied with your content, click the Publish button in the top right corner. Choose Publish right now to make it live immediately, or select Schedule for later to publish at a specific time.

Always preview your post before publishing to catch any formatting issues or typos

Share and Promote Your Post

After publishing, Ghost will show you the published post URL. You can copy this link to share on social media, in newsletters, or with friends. The post will also appear in your site's main feed and any relevant tag pages automatically.

Share your post within the first hour of publishing for maximum engagement

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Can't access the Ghost admin panel

Ensure you're using the correct URL format yoursite.com/ghost and that your Ghost installation is running. Clear your browser cache and try again.

Images won't upload or display

Check that your images are under the file size limit (usually 10MB) and in supported formats (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP). Verify your Ghost installation has proper file upload permissions.

Post content disappears or doesn't save

Ghost auto-saves as you type, but if content disappears, check your internet connection and try refreshing the page. Use Ctrl+Z to undo recent changes.

Published post doesn't appear on the site

Clear your browser cache and check that the post status is set to Published (not Draft). If using a custom theme, ensure it's properly configured to display posts.

Prices mentioned in this guide are pulled from current plan data and may change. Always verify on the official Ghost website before purchasing.

Visit Ghost View Ghost Pricing