In this guide we will walk you through the process of installing and setting up the Shorthand for Wordpress plugin.
Note: This feature is available only on some plans. To discuss adding this feature, please get in touch.
1: Download the plugin
Download the Shorthand for WordPress plugin ZIP file here:
2: Access WordPress dashboard
Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
3: Install the plugin
Go to Plugins, Add Plugin:
Then Upload Plugin, and select the zip file you downloaded earlier:
Click Install Now:
Then click Activate Plugin:
4: Connect to Shorthand
Note: Only Shorthand users with a workspace role of "Owner" are able to connect the plugin.
Once activated, click Connect to Shorthand :
Choose your Shorthand workspace if you already have one, or create a new workspace if you don't have on or if you want a new workspace:
Then create a new WordPress site within that workspace:
Then confirm that you want to connect your Wordpress site with your Shorthand workspace:
5: Access stories
Once connected, a new Shorthand tab will appear in your side menu called Stories:
Note for users of our previous plugin (Shorthand Connect): Shorthand for WordPress is designed for creating new stories natively within WordPress. Existing stories from Shorthand Connect will not appear here automatically — even if they are already published. Both plugins can coexist, with your existing stories continuing to be managed through Shorthand Connect. If you want an existing story to appear in Shorthand for WordPress, see Copying stories from non-WordPress Shorthand to WordPress below — this lets you create a copy of the story that will show up here.
6: Create your story
Click Add Story to open the Shorthand editor and start creating:
When you're done editing, click Finish Editing to return to WordPress:
7: Publish
Once you're ready, just click the Publish button on the right of the page, and your story will go live:
8: Edit your story
To make further edits, navigate back through the Stories menu to find your story, then click the Edit with Shorthand button to return to the editor:
That's it! Connect, create, and publish Shorthand stories in WordPress.
Once you've installed the plugin, you can only create new Shorthand stories from WordPress. See section below for instructions on copying existing stories to WordPress.
Shorthand made an alternative WordPress plugin available prior to 2026. For information on the use of that version, see this document.
Copying stories from non-WordPress Shorthand to WordPress
If you've created any stories in Shorthand prior to installing the WordPress plugin, or from a Shorthand team that isn't associated with the plugin, the stories will not be visible in WordPress, however, you can create copies of any such stories in WordPress by following these steps:
Login to your account at shorthand.com (as opposed to accessing the Shorthand editor via WordPress).
Go to the team that the story was created from and create a copy of the story in the team associated with your Shorthand-connected WordPress site.
Login to WordPress and select Recover Stories from the navigation on the left. If you don't see it you will need to update the plugin.
Hover the story and select Create draft post.
The story should then be available under All Stories, but keep in mind that it will be a completely separate copy of the story.