The Elementor Theme Builder, explained
Understand what the Elementor Theme Builder is, what it controls, and when to use it versus editing regular pages.
The Theme Builder is a powerful feature in Elementor Pro that lets you design the parts of your site that appear on every page — like the header, footer, and archive pages. This guide explains what it is and when you would use it.
Quick summary
The Theme Builder controls site-wide design elements: your header (navigation bar), footer, blog archive layouts, and single post templates. Changes made in the Theme Builder apply across multiple pages at once. It requires Elementor Pro.
What you'll need
Intermediate- Elementor Pro must be installed on your site
- Administrator or Editor access to WordPress
What the Theme Builder controls
The Theme Builder manages templates that are applied across your site — not just a single page.
| Template Type | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Header | The navigation bar at the top of every page |
| Footer | The content at the bottom of every page |
| Single Post | How individual blog posts look |
| Single Page | How individual pages look (when using Elementor templates) |
| Archive | Blog post listing pages, category pages, tag pages |
| Error 404 | The "Page not found" page |
| Search Results | How your site's search results display |
How the Theme Builder is different from regular page editing
When you edit a regular page in Elementor, you change only that one page. When you edit a Theme Builder template, you change all pages that use that template.
For example:
- Changing your footer in the Theme Builder updates the footer on every single page of your site
- Adding a new navigation item to your header template adds it to the header everywhere
This makes the Theme Builder incredibly powerful — but also something to approach carefully.
How to access the Theme Builder
In the WordPress dashboard, go to Templates in the left sidebar.
Click "Theme Builder." You will see a list of your current site templates.
Click "Edit" next to the template you want to change (for example, your Header template).
The Elementor editor opens with that template. Edit it the same way you would edit any page.
Click "Update" when done. The change is immediately live on all pages that use this template.
Changes are immediate and site-wide
Unlike editing a regular page, updating a header or footer template has no staging or preview step. Changes go live immediately on every page. Always double-check your work before clicking Update.
Display conditions
Each Theme Builder template has "display conditions" — rules that control which pages the template appears on.
For example, your Header template probably has a condition set to "Entire Site," meaning it shows on every page. But you could create a second Header template that only appears on your blog pages.
Display conditions are managed in the Theme Builder dashboard — not inside the Elementor editor itself.
What you can safely edit vs. what to leave to us
Safe to edit:
- Text content inside the header (like a phone number or tag line)
- Footer links, addresses, and copyright text
- Social media icons in the footer
Leave to Chykalophia:
- The navigation menu structure and dropdowns (these are complex to adjust correctly)
- Layout and column structure of headers and footers
- Display conditions and template rules
- Creating new Theme Builder templates from scratch
Common questions
Related guides
- Editing headers & footers
- Global colors & fonts
- Elementor templates explained
- Saving & reusing your own templates
- Publishing & updating your page
Need a hand?
Learn more
Global colors & fonts (site styles) in Elementor
Learn how to use Elementor's Global Colors and Global Fonts to update your brand colors and typography across the entire site at once.
Editing headers & footers in Elementor
Learn how to find and edit your site's header and footer using the Elementor Theme Builder, and what changes are safe to make yourself.