Ghost CMS Tips and Tricks to Use It Like a Pro

Introduction

Ghost CMS, an open-source blogging platform, is a favourite among bloggers and content creators for its speed, simplicity, and focus on what matters most: creating content.

Designed to deliver a smooth publishing experience, Ghost CMS stands out for how easy and efficient it is to use.

In this article, we'll explore tips and tricks to boost your productivity and get the most out of Ghost CMS.

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned blogger, these tips will help you improve your workflow, save time, and produce high-quality content more easily.

Get ready to discover how to use Ghost CMS like a pro!

Understanding Ghost CMS

• Overview

Ghost CMS was launched in 2013 by John O'Nolan, a former WordPress employee. Unhappy with WordPress's growing complexity, he set out to build a blogging platform that was simple, lightweight, and efficient.

That's how Ghost CMS was born, with a clear mission: to offer a publishing experience focused on content and performance. Today, Ghost is used by millions of bloggers and businesses around the world.

• Key features

Ghost CMS stands out thanks to several key features:

1. Speed: Thanks to its optimised structure and use of Node.js, Ghost delivers exceptional performance, ensuring a smooth, fast user experience.

2. Simplicity: The clean, intuitive interface lets you focus on writing without distractions.

2. Flexibility: Ghost supports customisable themes and integrations with various third-party tools, making it easy and efficient to personalise your blog.

2. Built-in SEO: The built-in SEO features help you optimise your articles for search engines without needing extra plugins.

3. Member management: Ghost offers tools to manage your subscribers and send newsletters directly from the platform.

These features make Ghost CMS an appealing option for anyone looking to create and run a professional blog without the complications often associated with other platforms.

Tips and tricks for using Ghost CMS

• Editing a post

Editing a post on Ghost CMS is simple and intuitive. Here's how to do it:

Just go to the page or post on your site that you want to edit. Then, in your page's URL, add "edit" and press the Enter key on your keyboard. You'll be taken straight to the editor for that page or post.

• Duplicating a post

1. Why it's useful

Duplicating articles is a really handy feature for bloggers. It saves time, especially when you're working on recurring themes or want to reuse existing article templates.

It can be particularly useful for article series, content updates, or creating new articles based on tried-and-tested structures.

2. How to do it

• Go to the articles page in the dashboard by clicking "Posts".
• Hover over the article you want to duplicate, hold cmd or ctrl, then right-click.
• Select "Duplicate".

• An identical new article will appear in your content list.
• Click on this new article to edit and customise it to your needs.
• Change the title, edit the content, and adjust the tags to reflect the new topic.

While managing my own blog, I've found the duplication feature incredibly useful.

Duplicating an existing article lets me keep a consistent layout while focusing on the unique content of each new review.

It streamlines my creative process and saves me valuable time.

• Creating a Snippet (reusable code)

1. Definition and importance

A Snippet is a reusable piece of code that you can easily insert into your articles.

They're particularly useful for recurring elements such as call-to-action buttons, author bios, or styled quotes.

Using snippets saves time and helps keep your articles' design consistent.

2. Creating the snippet:

• In the Ghost editor, select the text or code you want to turn into a snippet.
• Click the three vertical dots icon next to the selected content block.
• Select "Create snippet".

3. Naming and saving the snippet

• Give your Snippet a descriptive name so you can find it easily later.
• Click "Save" to add the Snippet to your library.

4. Inserting a Snippet into an article:

• In the Ghost editor, place your cursor where you want to insert the snippet.
• Click the "+" button to add a new block.
• Select "Snippet" from the options menu.
• Choose the Snippet you previously saved from the list.

5. Managing snippets:

• To see all your saved snippets: click the "+" symbol or type "/" followed by the name of the Snippet.
• To delete a Snippet: simply click the delete symbol next to the Snippet.

6. Examples of common Snippets

• Call-to-action button:

Click here

• Author bio:

7. Best practices

• Organisation and naming: Make sure you organise and name your Snippets well. For example, use prefixes like cta- for call-to-action buttons, bio- for biographies, and so on.

• Reuse: Place your Snippets in strategic spots on your site where they'll be easy to access and edit.

• Adding a code block: + JS + Enter or + CSS + Enter

1. Purpose

Adding JavaScript (JS) or CSS code blocks to your articles can be essential for customising the look and functionality of your blog.

Whether you want to add animations, widgets, or specific styles, Ghost CMS makes this easy using Markdown shortcuts.

2. How to do it

Inserting a CSS, JavaScript, HTML, etc. code block:

• Place your cursor where you want to add the code.
• Type ```css then press Enter to insert a CSS code block.
• Type ```js then press Enter to insert a JavaScript code block.
• Type ```html then press Enter to insert an HTML code block.

Adding CSS or JavaScript code:

• Write or paste your code into the inserted block.

Tips to make sure your code Snippets are functional and error-free:

• Test your code: Make sure the code works as intended by previewing the article.
• Validate your code: Use online validation tools to check for potential errors in your JavaScript or CSS code.
• Modularity: Keep your code modular to make updates and maintenance easier.

• Using TK (To-Come)

1. Definition and purpose

The TK (To-Come) feature is used to mark sections of your article that need additions or changes before publishing.

It's an effective way to flag incomplete parts or sections to revisit, letting you finalise your content without forgetting any important edits.

2. Adding and managing TK in your articles

• As you write your article, simply add "TK" at specific spots where information or content needs to be added or revised.

• Before publishing your article, search for "TK" to locate every instance where you've flagged content to complete or change.

• Use your editor's search function (Ctrl + F or Cmd + F) to quickly find all occurrences of "TK".

• Replace each "TK" with the necessary information or planned edits.

3. Benefits

• Preventing errors and oversights: TK creates a notification that appears when you try to publish the article before removing all the TKs, reducing the risk of publishing unfinished or incorrect content.
• Organisation: TK helps you organise your ideas and remind yourself of sections to improve.
• Efficiency: You can quickly write your first draft and come back later to polish the details without risking forgetting important elements.
• Collaboration: If you work with a team, TK lets collaborators know which sections still need work.

6. More tips and advice

• Ghost contact page

Having an effective contact page on your blog is essential to let your readers reach you easily. Here's a detailed guide to creating a contact page on Ghost CMS.

1. Adding a contact page:

• Create the page: Go to your Ghost CMS dashboard, head to the "Pages" section, and click "New page". Give this page the title "Contact".
• Structure the content: Use headings and subheadings to organise the information clearly.

2. Adding a contact form:

• Simple HTML: Use a basic HTML form to collect visitor information.
• Third-party services: Integrate form services like Formspree, Google Forms, or Typeform for advanced features and easy submission management.

3. Best practices:

• Clarity and concision: Make sure the instructions are clear and concise.

• Accessibility: Use labels for each form field to make your form accessible.

• Security: Use CAPTCHA or reCAPTCHA to protect your form against spam.

• Tip Jars

A tip jar lets your readers support you financially. Here's how to add and optimise a tip jar on your Ghost CMS blog.

Source: Theperfectfrench.com

1. Adding a tip jar:

• Choose a service: Use services like Ko-fi, Buy Me a Coffee, or Patreon.
• Embed the button: Add the donation button to your site by embedding a widget or a link.

Example with Ko-fi:

<a href="https://ko-fi.com/your-profile" target="_blank">
<img src="https://ko-fi.com/img/githubbutton_sm.svg" alt="Buy Me a Coffee">
</a>

2. Encouraging tips:

• Explain why donations matter: Spell out how contributions help you maintain and improve your blog.

• Thank people publicly: Thank your donors publicly or offer exclusive perks such as premium content.

3. Best practices:

• Transparency: Be transparent about how the funds are used.
• Engagement: Build an engaging relationship with your donors.

FAQ

How can I embed widgets in Ghost CMS?

You can embed widgets using HTML or JavaScript code blocks in your articles or pages.

Can I use plugins with Ghost CMS?

Ghost CMS doesn't use plugins like WordPress, but you can add extra functionality through third-party integrations and code snippets.

How can I migrate my blog to Ghost CMS?

This Abstract27 guide gives you all the details to migrate from various platforms such as WordPress, Medium, and others.

Conclusion

In this article, we've explored various tips and tricks to get the most out of Ghost CMS. Here's a recap of the main points covered:

• Editing a Post: Use the Markdown editor for smooth, well-structured writing.
• Duplicating a Post: Save time by reusing article templates.
• Creating a Snippet: Simplify the management of recurring elements with reusable pieces of code.
• Adding a Code Block (JS + Enter or CSS + Enter): Customise your blog with JavaScript or CSS code blocks.
• Using "TK" (To-Keyword): Flag sections to revisit for more efficient writing.
• More Tips: Create an effective contact page, set up a welcome email, add a tip jar, and use an alternative logo for different sections.

We encourage you to try these tips and see how they can improve your experience with Ghost CMS. Feel free to share your own tips and experiences in the comments.

Your feedback is valuable to us and to the Ghost community.

💡

Additional Resources
To deepen your knowledge of Ghost CMS, here are a few useful resources:
Ghost CMS article on Abstract27
Official Ghost CMS Documentation
Ghost CMS Tutorials