Home » Tutorials » How to Edit Footer in WordPress Using Elementor
Learning how to edit footer in WordPress is an essential task for creating a cohesive and professional-looking website.
The footer is often the last thing your visitors see, making it a key area for displaying important information like contact details, social media links, and copyright notices.
With Elementor, one of the most popular page builders for WordPress, customizing your footer becomes a straightforward process, whether you’re using the free or pro version.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the steps on how to edit the footer in WordPress using Elementor, ensuring your site’s footer matches your brand and enhances the overall user experience.
Before starting we’ll mostly deal with the twenty twentyone or classic themes because block themes have limitations when it comes to Elementor so if you’re just starting out with Elementor it’s advised that you use classic themes or Elementor themes.
Before editing your WordPress footer using Elementor, it’s important to ensure that you have a few key elements in place. This will help streamline the process and avoid any potential issues.
1. WordPress Installation To begin, you need either a need fully functional WordPress site or a test site. You can use tools such as WP Local or InstaWP that come with WordPress preinstalled. In case you’re working on a live site ensure that WordPress is installed and running smoothly on your hosting environment. If you haven’t set up WordPress yet, you’ll need to do so before you can start editing your footer.
2. Elementor Plugin (Free or Pro Version) The next step is to have the Elementor plugin installed and activated. Elementor is available in both a free and a Pro version. The free version offers basic footer editing capabilities, but the Pro version unlocks advanced features and customization options. Make sure you choose the version that best suits your needs.
3. Theme Compatibility Considerations When editing your footer in WordPress using Elementor, it’s important to ensure that your theme is fully compatible with Elementor. Some themes may have limitations or pre-designed footer areas that could restrict your ability to customize the footer as you wish.
Additionally, consider how your theme interacts with other customizations across your site, particularly in the WordPress dashboard. Customizing your WordPress dashboard can enhance your workflow and provide a more cohesive experience when editing various elements, including the footer. If you’re looking to optimize your dashboard for better site management, you might want to explore WordPress dashboard customization.
If you’ve got all the prerequisites sorted out, it’s time to move on to the meat of the subject which is seeing how to change footer in WordPress Elementor.
Before we can do anything the first step is to know where to go to start editing the footer in Elementor. Here’s a guide on how to navigate to the footer editing interface and understand the Elementor editor layout for footers.
1. Navigating to the Footer Editing Interface To edit the footer in WordPress using Elementor, start by logging into your WordPress dashboard. From there, navigate to the “Templates” section by going to Templates > Theme Builder.
In the Theme Builder, you’ll find various template options, including headers, footers, and other sections. Click on the “Footer” tab to view your existing footers or create a new one. If you haven’t created a footer yet, you’ll see an option to “Add New Footer.” Select this to begin editing or designing your footer from scratch.
NOTE: You’ll need the pro version of Elementor to do this
2. Understanding the Elementor Editor Layout for Footers Once you’re in the footer editing interface, you’ll be greeted by the Elementor editor layout. The layout consists of several key components:
Understanding this layout is crucial for effective footer customization. It allows you to make changes that align with your design preferences and site requirements.
Changing your footer in WordPress using Elementor can be straightforward with the right approach. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you customize your footer effectively using Elementor Builder and Master Addons.
If you’re using Elementor Pro, you have access to advanced features that allow for detailed customization of your footer. Follow these steps:
1. Create or Edit a Footer Template Go to Templates > Theme Builder in your WordPress dashboard. Click on “Footer” and select “Add New” if you’re creating a new footer, or choose an existing footer to edit. Click “Edit with Elementor” to open the Elementor editor.
2. Add Widgets to Your Footer In the Elementor editor, drag and drop widgets from the Widgets Panel into your footer canvas. You can add elements such as text, images, buttons, and social icons. Elementor Pro offers additional widgets like post grids and forms, which can enhance your footer’s functionality.
3. Customize Footer Elements Click on each widget to customize its content and style. You can change text, adjust font sizes, and modify colors. For more advanced styling, use the settings in the “Style” tab to tweak margins, padding, and background options.
4. Preview and Publish After making your changes, use the “Preview” button to see how your footer looks on different devices. Once you’re satisfied with the design, click “Publish” to apply the changes to your site.
Master Addons is a popular plugin that extends Elementor’s functionality with additional widgets and features, which can be useful for footer customization.
Here’s how you can use Master Addons to edit the footer in WordPress using Elementor:
1. Access the Footer Editor: Once you’ve installed and activated Master Addons and Elementor, navigate to the page or template where you want to edit the footer. In most cases, this will be a template called “Footer” or “Footer.php”.
2. Use Elementor to Edit: Use Elementor’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface to edit the footer’s content and layout. You can add, remove, or modify elements like text, images, buttons, and more.
3. Leverage Master Addons Features: Master Addons offers a plethora of widgets and extensions that can be used to create custom footers. For example, you can use the Header & Footer Builder widget to design your footer from scratch, or use the Mega Menu widget to create a more complex footer navigation. 4. Customize with Dynamic Content: Use Master Addons’ Dynamic Content feature to display personalized or time-sensitive information in your footer, such as current date, weather, or social media feeds.
5. Apply Custom CSS: For more granular control over the appearance of your footer, use Master Addons’ Custom CSS feature to add your own CSS styles.
By combining Elementor’s powerful editing capabilities with Master Addons’ extensive features, you can create a footer that not only looks great but also enhances the user experience and functionality of your WordPress website.
Once you have accessed the footer editing interface in Elementor, it’s time to start customizing it to fit your needs. Basic footer customization involves adding and arranging widgets, modifying text, links, and images, and adjusting the layout and spacing. Here’s how you can achieve that:
1. Drag and Drop Widgets To begin customizing your footer, drag widgets from the Widgets Panel on the left side of the Elementor editor and drop them onto the footer canvas. You can choose from a variety of widgets such as text editors, image galleries, social icons, and more.
2. Arrange Widgets Once the widgets are added, you can easily rearrange them by dragging and dropping them into the desired position. Elementor’s intuitive interface allows you to see the changes in real time, making it easy to organize your footer elements effectively.
1.Edit Text Click on a text widget to enter the text editing mode. You can update the text content, change the font style, adjust sizes, and apply colors. Use the “Style” tab to further customize text appearance, including font weights, line heights, and letter spacing.
2. Modify Links For links within your footer, such as navigation links or social media profiles, click on the relevant widget and update the URLs in the settings. You can also style these links using the “Style” tab to match your site’s design.
3. Adjust Images If your footer includes images, click on the image widget to replace or modify the image. Use the options in the “Content” tab to upload a new image, and the “Style” tab to adjust its size, alignment, and spacing.
1. Configure Layout Use Elementor’s drag-and-drop editor to configure the layout of your footer. You can create multi-column structures by adding new sections or columns, and adjust the width and alignment of each element. 2. Set Spacing Adjust the margins and padding of each widget to ensure your footer looks well-organized. You can set these values in the “Advanced” tab for each widget to control the spacing between elements and the overall layout of your footer.
For a more sophisticated footer design, Elementor provides various advanced customization options. These include creating multi-column layouts, adding dynamic content, and incorporating forms or social media icons. Here’s how to enhance your footer with these advanced features:
1. Add New Sections To create a multi-column layout, start by adding a new section to your footer. Click on the “+” button to insert a section, and then choose the column structure that fits your design needs (e.g., two-column, three-column).
2. Configure Columns Once the columns are added, you can adjust their width and alignment. Hover over the column border to see the resize handles and drag to adjust the size. You can also customize the background color, padding, and margins for each column in the “Style” tab.
3. Add Widgets to Columns Drag and drop widgets into each column. This allows you to organize different types of content (e.g., contact information in one column, social media icons in another) for a well-structured and visually appealing footer.
1. Include Recent Posts To keep your footer updated with fresh content, add a “Posts” widget. This widget allows you to display recent posts, popular posts, or any other dynamic content. Configure the widget settings to choose which posts to display and how they should be styled.
2. Display Menus For easy navigation, add a “Nav Menu” widget to include your site’s menus in the footer. Select the menu you want to display from the widget settings and customize its appearance to match your site’s design.
3. Configure Dynamic Content Use Elementor’s dynamic content features to automatically pull in and display relevant information. For instance, you can display user-generated content, latest comments, or custom post types using the dynamic widgets available in Elementor Pro.
1. Add Forms To engage visitors, add a “Form” widget to your footer. This can be used for newsletter sign-ups, contact forms, or any other type of user input. Customize the form fields, buttons, and styling in the widget settings to match your footer design.
2. Integrate Social Media Icons Use the “Social Icons” widget to add social media links to your footer. You can choose from various icon styles and sizes, and link each icon to your social media profiles. Adjust the spacing, alignment, and colors to ensure they blend seamlessly with your footer design.
Styling your footer is crucial for ensuring that it complements your site’s overall design while remaining functional. Here’s how to effectively style your footer in Elementor:
1. Adjust Colors To modify the colors of your footer, click on the elements you want to style, such as text, buttons, or backgrounds. Go to the “Style” tab in the Elementor editor. Here, you can change colors for text, links, backgrounds, and borders. Choose colors that align with your site’s color scheme to maintain visual consistency.
2. Update Typography For text customization, navigate to the “Typography” settings within the “Style” tab. You can adjust the font family, size, weight, line height, and letter spacing. Ensure that the typography matches the overall aesthetic of your website and is legible across different devices.
1. Set a Background Image To add a background image to your footer, select the section or column where you want the image. Go to the “Style” tab and choose “Background” settings. Upload your image and adjust its position, size, and attachment settings. This adds a visual element that can enhance the footer’s appeal.
2. Apply Background Patterns If you prefer a background pattern, you can select a pattern or gradient from the background options. Adjust the opacity and positioning to create a subtle, stylish effect that complements your footer content without overwhelming it.
1. Preview Responsive Layouts Elementor provides a responsive design mode that allows you to preview how your footer looks on different devices. Click on the responsive mode icons at the bottom of the editor to switch between desktop, tablet, and mobile views.
2. Adjust for Mobile Ensure that your footer looks good on mobile devices by making necessary adjustments. This might include resizing elements, adjusting margins and paddings, or rearranging content for better accessibility. Elementor’s responsive settings allow you to tweak these aspects specifically for mobile and tablet views.
3. Test Across Devices After making adjustments, test your footer on various devices and screen sizes to ensure it’s fully responsive. Check for any design issues or usability concerns and make further refinements as needed.
When designing a footer in WordPress using Elementor, it’s important to include key elements that enhance the functionality and professionalism of your site. Here are some common footer elements you should consider incorporating:
Including copyright information in your footer is essential for legal reasons and to protect your content. Add a text widget or a dedicated copyright widget to display a copyright notice, typically including the year and your site’s name. For example, “© 2024 YourSiteName. All Rights Reserved.” This informs visitors of your ownership and provides a professional touch.
Navigation menus in the footer help visitors find important pages quickly but chances are you’ve asked yourself the question “How do I add a menu to a footer in WordPress Elementor?” Well, you wouldn’t be the only one. It is a bit of a tricky issue. Before adding a nav menu to your footer you’ll need to create a menu beforehand which you can put in the footer Here’s how:
First go to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance > Menus. From there you’ll need to create a menu.
After creating the menu, go to Elementor and add a “Nav Menu” widget to the footer. Include links to key pages such as About, Services, or Privacy Policy. This is particularly useful for improving user experience and ensuring that essential pages are easily accessible from any part of your site.
Displaying contact information in your footer is crucial for user engagement and support. Include details such as your email address, phone number, or physical address. You can use text widgets for straightforward information or add contact forms for a more interactive approach. Ensure that this information is up-to-date and easy to find.
Social media icons in the footer help connect your site visitors with your social profiles. Add a “Social Icons” widget to include links to platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Customize the icons to match your site’s design, and make sure they are easily recognizable and accessible.
Including a newsletter signup form in your footer is a great way to grow your email list and keep visitors engaged. Add a “Form” widget or use a specialized newsletter widget to collect email addresses. Ensure the form is simple and user-friendly, and clearly communicate the benefits of subscribing to your newsletter. You can also add specific forms from different plugins, just make sure that you have that contact form plugin installed before hand.
If your site has a login page for users or clients, consider adding a link in the footer. For those interested in customizing this experience, learning how to create a custom WordPress login page can help you maintain brand consistency across your site.
An effective footer design enhances the user experience and complements the overall look of your website. Here are some essential tips to ensure your footer is both functional and aesthetically pleasing:
1. Align with Branding Ensure that the footer design aligns with your site’s branding and color scheme. Use the same fonts, colors, and styling elements found throughout your website to create a cohesive look. This consistency reinforces your brand identity and enhances the visual harmony of your site.
2.Match Layout and Style The layout of your footer should be consistent with the rest of your site’s design. If your site features a modern, clean design, your footer should reflect that with a similar style. This helps create a seamless user experience from top to bottom of the page.
1. Prioritize Key Information Avoid cluttering your footer with too much information. Focus on including only the most essential elements such as contact details, navigation links, and social media icons. Prioritize information based on its importance and relevance to your visitors.
2. Use Clear Sections Organize your footer into distinct sections to make it easier for visitors to find what they need. Use headings or dividers to separate different types of content, such as navigation links from contact information. This approach helps balance information density and improves usability.
1. Choose Legible Fonts Select fonts that are easy to read and appropriately sized. Ensure that text in your footer is clear and legible, with sufficient contrast against the background. This improves readability and helps all users, including those with visual impairments.
2. Optimize for Accessibility Make sure your footer is accessible to all users by following web accessibility best practices. This includes providing alternative text for images, ensuring color contrast meets accessibility standards, and making sure interactive elements are keyboard-friendly.
While editing your footer in WordPress using Elementor, you may encounter some common issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot these problems effectively:
1. Clear Cache If your footer doesn’t seem to update after making changes, it might be due to cached data. Clear your browser cache, as well as any caching plugins you may be using, such as WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache. This forces your site to load the most recent version of the footer.
2. Check Global Settings Sometimes, global settings in Elementor or your theme might override individual footer changes. Double-check your global settings in both Elementor and your theme’s customizer to ensure they align with the changes you’ve made.
3. Re-save Footer Template If your footer still isn’t updating, try re-saving the footer template. Go back to the Elementor editor, make a small adjustment (even if it’s just a minor one), and then save the changes again. This can sometimes resolve issues with updates not being applied.
1. Inspect Theme Settings Conflicts between your theme’s default styles and Elementor’s customizations can cause your footer to display incorrectly. Inspect your theme’s settings and look for any footer-specific options that might be conflicting with your Elementor design.
2. Use Custom CSS If theme conflicts persist, consider using custom CSS to override problematic styles. Elementor allows you to add custom CSS to individual sections, columns, or widgets, which can help you maintain control over your footer’s appearance despite theme conflicts.
3. Disable Theme Footer Some themes have their own footer settings that might interfere with Elementor’s footer. If possible, disable your theme’s footer in the theme customizer or settings and rely solely on the footer you’ve created with Elementor. This can eliminate conflicts and ensure your footer displays as intended.
1. Optimize Widgets and Content A heavily customized footer with numerous widgets, images, or dynamic content can slow down your site. Review the elements in your footer and remove any unnecessary items that might be affecting performance. Consider optimizing images and minimizing the use of resource-intensive widgets.
2. Enable Lazy Loading For footers that include images or videos, enabling lazy loading can help improve performance. This technique loads these elements only when they are in view, reducing the initial load time of your pages.
3. Monitor Site Speed After making changes to your footer, monitor your site’s performance using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. These tools can help you identify any performance issues related to your footer and provide suggestions for improvement.
3. Improving Security Improving your site’s overall security can positively impact performance. One effective security measure is changing the default WordPress login page URL, which can help reduce the risk of brute force attacks and improve site speed.
To ensure a smooth and efficient experience while editing your footer in WordPress using Elementor, it’s important to follow some best practices. These practices help you maintain consistency, prevent issues, and optimize your site’s performance.
1. Backup Your Site Before making any significant changes to your footer, it’s crucial to create a backup of your entire website. This ensures that if something goes wrong, you can easily restore your site to its previous state. Use reliable backup plugins like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy, or utilize your hosting provider’s backup options.
2. Version Control In addition to regular backups, consider implementing version control for your Elementor designs. This allows you to revert to previous versions of your footer if you’re not satisfied with recent changes or if errors occur.
1. Implement Global Colors and Fonts To maintain design consistency across your site, use Elementor’s global colors and fonts. By setting these global styles, any changes you make will automatically apply to all elements using these settings, including your footer. This saves time and ensures uniformity in your site’s appearance.
2. Utilize Global Widgets If you have certain elements that you want to reuse across different parts of your site, including the footer, consider creating global widgets. This allows you to edit the widget in one place and have the changes reflect everywhere the widget is used, ensuring consistency throughout your site.
1. Minimize the Use of Heavy Elements While customization is important, be mindful of the elements you add to your footer. Overloading your footer with too many widgets, images, or animations can slow down your site. Stick to essential elements and ensure that images are optimized for web use.
2. Enable Caching and Compression To improve performance, make sure that caching is enabled on your site. Tools like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache can help reduce load times by storing copies of your pages and serving them to visitors more quickly. Additionally, enable GZIP compression to reduce the size of your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.
3. Test and Monitor Performance After editing your footer, test your site’s performance using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Pingdom. Regularly monitor these metrics to ensure your footer is not negatively impacting the overall speed and usability of your site.
4. Optimize User Experience Based on Roles For a more streamlined user experience, consider hiding the admin bar for certain users or roles that do not need access to it. This not only declutters the interface but also improves performance.
Editing the footer in WordPress using Elementor offers a powerful way to customize and enhance your website’s design. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a footer that not only looks great but also improves the functionality and user experience of your site.
Remember to apply best practices, such as making regular backups and optimizing for performance, to ensure your footer remains effective and consistent with your overall site design. With Elementor’s flexibility, you’re empowered to create a footer that truly reflects your brand and meets your site’s needs.
