Automattic-owned digital publishing platform WordPress.com is rolling out a new update today that should make it easier for people to manage multiple websites under a single dashboard, the company announced today.
WordPress.com (not to be confused with WordPress.org) has always provided users with a simple, easy way to manage a single site created on its platform as well as to view things like traffic stats and mobile app functionality. What it hasn’t been great at doing is helping publishers that have several websites running on the WordPress platform. This is something that startups like WP Engine have taken advantage of, and they have been very successful in stealing away business from enterprise-level publishers seeking an easier way to keep up with several sites without much hassle.
Above: WordPress added the ability to manage multiple sites from a single dashboard.
Today’s update should change that, as WordPress will now let its users view a list of posts created across several different sites. You can also specify which sites you’d like to publish or schedule a post to and manage a specific site’s pages from a single dashboard. And since WordPress typically plays nice with others, the company is even providing you with access to sites not hosted on WordPress.com.
The move is an important step toward WordPress becoming a more serious digital publisher (which it’s already trying to do with its WordPress VIP business). I’m not sure how useful the new unified dashboard updates will be for casual users who may only actively contribute to a single blog. Regardless, it’s a nice addition.
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