Elementor
The free plugin: the editor, containers and the basic widgets. Enough for many simple pages.
Elementor in plain words
Elementor is a visual page builder for WordPress. You place containers, text and images on the page and see the result as you work, on desktop, tablet and phone. Learn containers and responsive settings and you can build almost any layout.
- Drag and dropno code needed
- 3 devicesdesktop, tablet and mobile
- Freecore plugin, Pro adds more
Lay out a container
In Elementor everything sits in containers. These are the same layout controls, with one twist that confuses most beginners: tablet and mobile take their settings from the device above, until you change them. Complete the three goals.
ContainerLayout
Direction
Justify content
Align items
Wrap
Behind the scenes
Sunset kayak tourTwo hours on the calm side of the island.
See dates
0 of 3 goals done
Desktop: a row, spread out with space between, everything centred vertically
Tablet: still a row, but let the widgets wrap onto a new line
Mobile: one column, centred, with a gap of at least 16 px
Free, Pro and the theme
Three names you will see often, and what each one does.
Elementor Pro
A paid yearly licence. Adds the Theme Builder for headers, footers and templates, popups, motion effects and many more widgets.
Hello Elementor
A light, free theme made to pair with Elementor, leaving the design to you. It is what we build on.
The basics in plain words
Learn these eight and the Elementor editor stops being a maze. Hover or tap any item to see the details.
- Row or column
- Containers inside containers
- Flexbox or Grid
- Heading, text, image, button
- Dragged in from the panel
- Pro adds many more
- In Site Settings
- Change one colour, the site follows
- No more lookalike shades
- Tablet inherits from desktop
- Mobile inherits from tablet
- Change only what is different
- Save a section as a template
- Same layout on many pages
- Import ready-made kits
- One header for every page
- A template for all posts
- Display conditions
- Every container and widget
- Drag to reorder
- Rename to stay organised
- Fewer nested containers
- Globals instead of custom styles
- Compressed images
Build a page in five steps
The order matters. Settings made early save hours later.
- Step 1
Set the globals
Colours and fonts in Site Settings, before you build a single page.
- Step 2
Plan the sections
One container per section, with containers inside it for columns.
- Step 3
Add the widgets
Headings, text, images and buttons, using the global styles.
- Step 4
Check every device
Switch to tablet and mobile and change only what needs to be different.
- Step 5
Save it as a template
Reuse the layout for similar pages instead of building it again.
Four habits that slow Elementor down
- Containers inside containers inside containersEvery extra layer adds code. Keep it flat.
- A custom colour on every widgetUse global colours, so one change updates everything.
- An add-on pack for one widgetEach pack loads its own code on every page.
- Huge imagesCompress and resize before uploading.
Questions about Elementor
Is Elementor free?
The core plugin is free and covers the editor, containers and basic widgets. Elementor Pro is a paid yearly licence that adds the Theme Builder, popups and more widgets.
Does Elementor slow down a website?
It adds some code, but a well-built Elementor website can still be fast: few nested containers, global styles, compressed images and good hosting. See speed optimisation.
What is the difference between sections and containers?
Older Elementor pages use sections and columns. Containers replace both, use flexbox and add fewer layers to the page. Elementor can convert old sections into containers.
Can I edit an Elementor website myself?
Yes. You click the text or image you want to change, edit it and press Update. We set up global styles so your changes always match the rest of the site.
Can you build our website with Elementor?
Yes, it is how we build most websites, on the light Hello Elementor theme. See Elementor development.
Want it built properly from the start?
Tell us about your website. We come back with a plan, a fixed price and how you will edit it yourself afterwards.