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 are shared across many pages — 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. Building and editing these templates requires Elementor Pro.

What you'll need

Elementor Pro must be installed on your site
WordPress administrator access (other user roles may not be able to open the Theme Builder)

What the Theme Builder controls

The Theme Builder manages templates (Elementor calls them "site parts") that are applied across your site — not just a single page.

Template Type	What it controls
Header	The navigation bar at the top of your pages
Footer	The content at the bottom of your pages
Single Post	How individual blog posts look
Single Page	How individual pages look (for pages set to the Default page layout)
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 page that uses it, which is often the whole 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 Elementor > Theme Builder in the left sidebar. On older versions of Elementor, it's under Templates > Theme Builder. From inside the Elementor editor, you can also click the Elementor logo at the top left and choose Theme Builder.

Click the type of template you want (for example, Header) in the Theme Builder's list of site parts. You will see the templates of that type.

Click "Edit" on the template you want to change (for example, your Header template). The Edit link is in the upper-right corner of the template's card.

The Elementor editor opens with that template. Edit it the same way you would edit any page.

Click "Update" (it may say "Publish") when done. The change is immediately live on all pages that use this template.

Changes are immediate and site-wide

As with a regular page, clicking Update on a header or footer template puts the change live straight away. The difference is that it goes live on every page that uses the template. Always double-check your work before clicking Update.

Display conditions

Each Theme Builder template can have "display conditions" — rules that control which pages the template appears on. In the Theme Builder, a green dot on a template means it is live (it has display conditions), and a gray dot means it is a draft (no conditions yet).

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.

You can manage display conditions in two places: in the Theme Builder dashboard (the Edit Conditions link on a template's card), or inside the Elementor editor (click the arrow next to the Publish or Update button, then Display Conditions).

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

How do I find out which template my header is using?

Go to Elementor > Theme Builder in your WordPress dashboard (on older versions, Templates > Theme Builder) and click Header. You will see your header templates listed there. Each card has an Instances label showing where that template is used. Click Edit to open it.

I accidentally saved a bad change to the header — how do I fix it?

Open the header template in the Theme Builder. Click the History icon (a clock with a counter-clockwise arrow) on the left of Elementor's top bar, and use the Revisions tab to roll back to a previous version. If you cannot find the revision, contact us immediately.

Can I have different headers on different pages?

Yes, using display conditions. This is an advanced setup that requires creating multiple header templates with specific rules. Contact us to set this up.

Look under Elementor > Theme Builder. Elementor moved several menu items in January 2026, so on sites that haven't been updated it may still be under Templates > Theme Builder. Building and editing Theme Builder templates requires Elementor Pro. With only the free version of Elementor, the Theme Builder just shows which site parts Pro would add.

Need a hand?

If you're stuck, email support@chykalophia.com and we'll help. Include your website address and a screenshot if you can.

Learn more

Elementor: What is the Theme Builder?