Common Elementor mistakes to avoid
The most common editing mistakes people make in Elementor — and exactly how to avoid each one.
Most problems in Elementor come from a small set of common mistakes. This guide covers the ones we see most often so you can avoid them from the start.
Quick summary
The most common mistakes are: uploading oversized images, changing global styles accidentally, deleting elements instead of hiding them, editing the wrong page, and publishing without previewing on mobile. This article explains how to avoid each one.
Mistake 1: Uploading huge, uncompressed images
This is the single most common performance mistake. An uncompressed photo from a phone or camera can be 5–20 MB. On a web page, the same image should ideally be under 200 KB.
How to avoid it:
- Always compress images before uploading. Use a free tool like TinyPNG.
- Use JPG or WebP for photos, not PNG.
- Resize images to the maximum size they will actually appear at — a small thumbnail does not need to be 3000px wide.
Mistake 2: Editing the wrong page or template
Elementor has regular pages and Theme Builder templates (headers, footers, post templates). It is easy to accidentally open the wrong one.
How to avoid it:
- Double-check the page title at the top of your browser tab before editing.
- If you are in the Theme Builder, the editor will show "Header" or "Footer" or another template name. Be extra careful with those — changes affect the whole site.
Mistake 3: Overriding global colors or fonts locally
If your site uses global styles, changing a color or font on a single element "breaks" the global connection. Later, when the brand colors are updated globally, those overridden elements will not update.
How to avoid it:
- Use the Global Colors palette instead of custom hex codes when setting element colors.
- Only override locally when you have a specific reason for one element to look different.
- See Global colors & fonts.
Mistake 4: Deleting instead of hiding
When you delete a section or widget, it is gone (unless you undo or restore from history). Many people delete something they simply wanted to temporarily hide.
How to avoid it:
- Use the eye icon in the Navigator to hide an element rather than deleting it.
- If you want to remove something from mobile only, use the "Hide on Mobile" setting in the Advanced tab — do not delete it.
- When in doubt, save a copy as a template before deleting.
Mistake 5: Not publishing after making changes
Sometimes people make edits, close the editor, and wonder why the changes are not live. The editor auto-saves drafts but does not publish automatically.
How to avoid it:
- Always click Update or Publish before closing the editor.
- Do a final check on the live page after publishing to confirm the changes appear.
Mistake 6: Publishing without checking mobile
A layout that looks great on a desktop can look broken on a phone. Many people forget to check.
How to avoid it:
- Before every publish, switch to mobile view in the editor and review the page.
- Open the preview link on your actual phone for the most accurate test.
- See Making your page look good on mobile.
Mistake 7: Pasting formatted text from Word or Google Docs
Pasting from Word or Google Docs brings invisible formatting — custom fonts, colors, spacings — that can make your text look inconsistent.
How to avoid it:
- Paste using Ctrl+Shift+V (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+V (Mac) to paste as plain text.
- Or paste into a plain text editor (like Notepad or TextEdit) first, then copy from there.
Mistake 8: Using too many fonts
Adding multiple font families to a page (or site) slows it down and makes the design look inconsistent.
How to avoid it:
- Stick to one or two font families across the site. Your global font settings should define these.
- Do not install fonts in individual elements unless there is a strong reason.
Mistake 9: Ignoring the Navigator for complex pages
On pages with many sections and widgets, clicking elements directly on the canvas is error-prone. You may click the wrong thing and change the wrong settings.
How to avoid it:
- Open the Navigator panel for complex editing work.
- Use the Navigator to select exactly the element you want, especially for sections and columns.
Mistake 10: Not using revision history when needed
Some people work in Elementor for 30 minutes, realize a change made earlier was wrong, and cannot undo that far back with Ctrl+Z.
How to avoid it:
- Save (click Update) more frequently — each save creates a revision checkpoint.
- If Ctrl+Z cannot reach far enough back, open the revision history (clock icon) to restore an earlier save.
Common questions
Related guides
- Undoing changes with revision history
- Global colors & fonts
- Making your page look good on mobile
- Using the Navigator to find elements
- Troubleshooting Elementor problems
Need a hand?