How to Use Elementor with WordPress: A Getting Started Guide

How to Use Elementor with WordPress: A Getting Started Guide

Elementor is a hugely popular visual page builder that simplifies creating beautiful, custom designs within your WordPress website. If you’re new to Elementor, this guide will walk you through the essential first steps: installing the plugin, understanding the interface, building your first page, and exploring its core features like templates and the powerful Theme Builder (available in Elementor Pro).

How to Use Elementor with WordPress

Step 1: Installing Elementor

First, you need to add Elementor to your WordPress site:

1. Navigate to your WordPress Dashboard.
2. Go to Plugins > Add New.
3. In the search bar, type “Elementor”.
4. Find the “Elementor Website Builder” plugin by Elementor.com.
5. Click Install Now, and then click Activate.

The free version is now ready! If you’ve purchased Elementor Pro, you’ll download a separate `.zip` file from your Elementor account and upload it via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin.

Tip: Elementor works best with lightweight, compatible themes. Consider using the free “Hello Elementor” theme, Astra, GeneratePress, or OceanWP for optimal performance.

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Step 2: Editing Your First Page with Elementor

1. Go to Pages > Add New in your WordPress Dashboard to create a new page (or go to Pages > All Pages and hover over an existing page).
2. Give your page a title.
3. Click the prominent blue Edit with Elementor button.

This will launch the Elementor visual editor interface.

Step 3: Understanding the Elementor Interface

The Elementor editor has two main parts:

• The Sidebar (Left): This panel contains all the building blocks (widgets) you can use. You’ll find basic elements like Headings, Text Editors, Images, Buttons, Videos, Icons, etc. You can search for widgets or browse categories. Clicking a widget on the page opens its settings here (Content, Style, Advanced tabs).
• The Canvas (Right): This is the live preview area where you build your page. You drag widgets from the sidebar onto this canvas.

At the bottom of the sidebar, you’ll find icons for settings, navigator (shows page structure), history (undo/redo), responsive mode, and preview.

Step 4: Building with Sections, Columns, and Widgets

Elementor uses a hierarchical structure:

• Sections: The largest containers, represented by a blue border when hovered. Click the `+` icon on the canvas to add a new section and choose its column structure (e.g., one column, two equal columns, etc.).
• Columns: Reside within sections, indicated by a black dashed border. They define the horizontal layout.
• Widgets: The actual content elements (text, images, buttons) that you place inside columns. Drag them from the sidebar into a column.

Click on any element (section, column, or widget) to access its specific settings in the sidebar to customize its content, styling (colors, fonts, spacing), and advanced options (margins, padding, motion effects, responsive controls).

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Step 5: Using Elementor Templates

Elementor offers pre-designed templates to accelerate your workflow:

1. In the Elementor editor, click the grey folder icon within a section area.
2. This opens the Template Library.
3. You can browse:
   • Blocks: Pre-designed sections (like hero areas, contact forms, testimonials) that you can insert into your page.
   • Pages: Full-page layouts ready to be imported.
   • My Templates: Save your own designs as templates for reuse.
4. Hover over a template and click Insert. (You might need to connect a free Elementor account to access the library).
5. Once inserted, you can customize the template elements just like any other widget.

Step 6: Exploring the Theme Builder (Elementor Pro)

If you have Elementor Pro, the Theme Builder lets you design core parts of your website beyond individual page content:

1. Go to Templates > Theme Builder in the WordPress Dashboard.
2. Choose the site part you want to design (e.g., Header, Footer, Single Post, Archive).
3. Click Add New.
4. Design your template using Elementor’s visual editor, often incorporating dynamic widgets (like Site Logo, Post Title, Featured Image) that pull content automatically.
5. Set Display Conditions to control where this template applies (e.g., show this header on the entire site, show this post layout only for posts in the ‘News’ category).

Conclusion: Start Building Visually

Using Elementor with WordPress provides a powerful and intuitive way to take control of your website’s design. By following these steps, you can install Elementor, learn the basics of its editor, utilize templates, and even begin exploring advanced site-wide customization with the Theme Builder. Experiment with the widgets and settings, and you’ll soon be creating unique and professional layouts for your WordPress site.

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