Using the WordPress site editor
A practical guide to the WordPress Site Editor (Full Site Editing) — how to navigate it, edit your header and footer, and make site-wide design changes.
The WordPress Site Editor (sometimes called "Full Site Editing" or FSE) is a newer way to control every part of your website's design — including the header, footer, and global styles — all in one visual editor.
If your site uses a block theme, this is where you make design-level changes.
Quick summary
The Site Editor is available on block themes only. Go to Appearance → Editor to open it. From there you can edit your header, footer, individual page templates, and global styles (fonts, colors). Every change you save applies across your whole site. It works like the block editor for pages, but for the outer shell of your site.
What you'll need
10 minutes to explore Intermediate- Administrator access to your WordPress site
- A site running a block theme (if you see Appearance → Editor, you have one)
Is the Site Editor available on your site?
Go to Appearance in your dashboard sidebar. If you see Editor, your site uses a block theme and the Site Editor is available. If you see Customize, Menus, and Widgets instead, your site uses a classic theme — the Site Editor isn't available.
Not sure what type of theme you have? See WordPress themes explained.
Opening the Site Editor
Go to Appearance → Editor in your dashboard. The Site Editor loads, showing a visual canvas with your full site design.
You'll see a left sidebar with navigation options and the main canvas showing your site. Take a moment to orient yourself — it looks different from the normal page editor.
The Site Editor layout
The Site Editor has several main sections, accessible from the left sidebar:
| Section | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Navigation | Edit your site's menus and navigation links |
| Styles | Change global fonts, colors, and spacing for the whole site |
| Pages | Browse and open any page to edit its content |
| Templates | Edit page-type layouts (e.g., how single blog posts look, how your homepage template is structured) |
| Template Parts | Edit reusable pieces like your header and footer |
| Patterns | Browse and manage saved block patterns |
Editing your header
In the Site Editor left sidebar, click "Template Parts." You'll see a list that usually includes "Header" and "Footer."
Click "Header." The canvas zooms in to show your header.
Click any element in the header to select it. You can click on the logo, navigation links, or any other element.
Make your changes. Edit text, swap the logo image, add or remove blocks. Everything works the same as the block editor for pages.
Click "Save" in the top right corner. A dialog appears confirming what will be saved. Click "Save" again.
Editing your footer
The process is exactly the same as editing the header:
Go to Template Parts → Footer.
Click elements to edit them — text, links, images, and blocks all work the same way.
Click "Save" when done.
See editing your footer & widget areas for more detail on what you might want to change.
Changing global styles (fonts, colors)
The Styles section lets you change the look of your entire site at once — fonts, colors, and spacing — without editing individual pages.
In the Site Editor, click "Styles" in the left sidebar.
The Styles panel opens on the right side. You'll see options for Colors, Typography (fonts), Layout, and more.
Click any category to expand its settings and make changes. For example, click "Typography" to change the site-wide font family or heading sizes.
Click "Save" to apply your changes to the whole site.
Global style changes affect every page
When you change a global font or color, it changes everywhere on the site. Test changes carefully. If something looks wrong, the Site Editor has a "Revisions" button in the Styles panel that lets you revert to an earlier version.
Editing page templates
Templates control the layout structure for different types of content — for example, how a single blog post is framed, how the archive page looks, or how the search results page appears.
Click "Templates" in the Site Editor sidebar.
Choose the template you want to edit. Common ones include "Single" (blog posts), "Page" (standard pages), "Archive," and "Search."
Edit the template layout using blocks, just like editing a page.
Click "Save." Your changes apply to all content using that template.
Undoing changes
The Site Editor tracks revisions. If you make a change and regret it:
- Press Ctrl+Z (Windows) or Cmd+Z (Mac) to undo during the current editing session.
- In the Styles panel, click the Revisions button (a clock icon) to browse and restore a previous version of your global styles.
Common questions
Related guides
- WordPress themes explained
- How to edit your navigation menu
- Editing your footer & widget areas
- Changing your logo, site title & favicon
- Getting started with the block editor
Need a hand?
Learn more
WordPress themes explained
Understand what a WordPress theme is, the difference between classic and block themes, and what changing a theme actually means for your site.
WordPress user roles explained
Understand the five WordPress user roles — Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber — and know which role to assign to each person on your team.