In this quick post I’ll show you how to activate Elementor for use with a WordPress page or post.
The default editor for pages and posts on a fresh WordPress installation is the Gutenberg block editor. This means you must activate Elementor on a page or post you want to use it on.
In this tutorial we’ll only activate Elementor for a page, but activating Elementor for a post requires exactly the same steps.
This tutorial assumes you’re logged into your WordPress admin area.
Let’s take this tutorial from the dashboard and activate Elementor.
This is how you activate Elementor when you’ve got the Gutenberg block editor installed.
(If you want to activate Elementor for a post (not recommended; read on to see why), click on Posts in the left hand sidebar.)
This is how you activate Elementor when you’re using the WordPress classic editor.
(If you want to activate Elementor for a post (not recommended; read on to see why), click on Posts in the left hand sidebar.)
I install the WordPress Classic Editor plugin on all my own websites (and on client websites) so I don’t have to deal with Gutenberg. (Read my plugin installation guide if you’re not sure how to install a WordPress plugin.)
Despite Gutenberg having been around for a long time, reviews for it remain abysmal.
Gutenberg is a clunky tool at best. I hope they get it working but I’m not holding my breath.
The Classic Editor plugin lets you use WordPress the old fashioned way: a simple blank canvas.
But if you’re torn between the classic editor and the block editor, the Classic Editor plugin comes with two handy settings. It lets you choose:
You can also deactivate Elementor once you’ve activated it for a page or post.
This is not recommended, since switching back to the WordPress editor from Elementor might break your Elementor layouts, which you might want to use again.
It’s easy to revert from Elementor to the WordPress default editor when you’re using the Gutenberg block editor. You must be on the edit screen for the page or post you wish to change back from Elementor.
It’s easy to revert back from Elementor to the WordPress default editor when you’re using the classic editor. You must be on the edit screen for the page or post you wish to change back from Elementor.
Although you might be tempted to activate Elementor for posts too, the better setup would involve the use of a single Elementor template for WordPress posts. (Requires Elementor Pro.)
This ensures a consistent look and feel across your blog posts.
For instance, you can have a two-column layout with your main content (the article) on the left hand side, while you have a number of important widgets (like a newsletter signup box) on the right hand side.
This lets you focus on adding valuable content, not fiddling with layouts, which means you can be confident that all your articles will have the exact same layout.
If you make each post unique using Elementor you’ll create a disjointed experience for users who read multiple posts on your site.
For instance, you might design one blog post with the main content on the left, while your next blog post has no sidebar.
Readers might experience discomfort from the major change in layout.
But you might also forget to add important Calls-To-Action, like a newsletter signup button or a contact form.
That means you’re missing out BIG time.
And when you decide upon a single layout for all blog posts in future, you’ll need to go through all blog posts to deactivate Elementor and apply the global Elementor blog template, which could cause further layout breakage.
Elementor is a great page builder.
It makes building WordPress pages as easy as munching a piece of delicious pie stolen from a baby. (Shame on you!)
And the price isn’t half bad for the Pro version.
What I like most about Elementor are the plugins available for it.
One of my favorite plugins is the PAFE Piotnet plugin, which lets you build powerful forms and comes with a host of other funky widgets too.
View my Piotnet tutorials section to see the amazing things this plugin lets you accomplish.
That was just a quick post showing you how to activate the Elementor page builder, whether you’re using the Gutenberg block editor or the classic editor.
I highly recommend you take a look at Elementor. But also take a look at the Piotnet plugin to add serious functionality to your Elementor install.