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). Changes to global styles, headers, footers, and templates apply to every page that uses them. It works like the block editor for pages, but for the outer shell of your site.

What you'll need

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 there's no Editor item (you'll usually see Customize instead, and often Menus and Widgets), your site uses a classic theme — the Site Editor isn't available. Classic themes show Design or Patterns in that spot, but that isn't the full Site Editor.

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 preview of your site's home page.

You'll see a left sidebar with the Site Editor's menu 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
Identity	Set your site title, tagline, logo, and site icon
Styles	Change global fonts, colors, and spacing for the whole site
Pages	Browse and open any page to edit its content
Navigation	Browse your menus and make basic changes
Patterns	Manage synced patterns and template parts — the reusable pieces like your header and footer
Templates	Edit page-type layouts (e.g., how single blog posts look, how your homepage template is structured)

Editing your header

In the Site Editor left sidebar, click "Patterns." Under Template Parts you'll see a list that usually includes "Header" and "Footer" (the exact names depend on your theme).

Click "Header," then click the header you want and the pencil (edit) icon. Your header opens in the editor.

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 panel lists everything you changed, so you can choose what to save. Click "Save" again.

The process is exactly the same as editing the header:

Go to Patterns → Template Parts → Footer, then open your footer with the pencil (edit) icon.

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. (While you're editing, you can also open Styles with the half-shaded circle icon at the top right.)

The Styles options open. You'll see sections for Typography (fonts), Colors, 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 Posts" (blog posts), "Pages" (standard pages), "All Archives," and "Search Results." Your theme may not include all of these.

Edit the template layout using blocks, just like editing a page.

Click "Save." Your changes apply to all content using that template.

Undoing changes

WordPress keeps revisions of your global styles. 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 (its icon looks like a clock) to browse your earlier global styles. Pick one, click Apply, then Save.

Common questions

I can't find Appearance → Editor. Where is it?

The Site Editor only appears if your site uses a block theme. If your theme is a classic theme (you'll usually see Customize in the Appearance menu instead), the Site Editor isn't available for your site. See WordPress themes explained.

I accidentally changed a font across the whole site. How do I undo it?

Go to Appearance → Editor → Styles, then click the Revisions icon (it looks like a clock). Choose an earlier version of your styles, click "Apply," then click "Save." This rolls back the global style change without affecting page content.

What's the difference between a Template and a Template Part?

A Template is the full layout for a type of page (like "all blog posts" or "the archive page"). A Template Part is a reusable section that appears in multiple templates — like your header or footer. Editing a template part updates it everywhere it's used.

The Site Editor looks overwhelming. Do I need to use it?

Not necessarily. Most day-to-day content changes (editing page text, updating blog posts) are done in the regular page editor — you don't need the Site Editor for those. The Site Editor is mainly for design-level changes: updating the header, footer, or site-wide fonts and colors. If you're unsure, reach out and we'll make the change for you.

Can I break my site using the Site Editor?

You can make things look wrong, but most changes can be undone: global styles keep revisions, and a template or template part that came with your theme can be reset to the theme's original design. That said, global changes affect every page, so it's worth being cautious. When in doubt, ask us.

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.