What do we mean by header and footer?
On any given page of your website, there will be a portion at the top of the page that is called the header and a portion at the bottom that is called the footer. These tend to be the same on every page of your website (global headers and global footers), but sometimes your website may have headers or footers unique to certain pages.
The contents of the header and footer will vary by website, but they tend to follow some typical conventions: headers will usually have your logo, a navigational menu, and maybe a call to action while footers hold information like copyright, contact details, and sometimes legal disclaimers.
How to make changes to the header or footer
There may be changes to your website or brand that require you to make changes to your header, footer, or menu. All these changes can be done in the WordPress admin area. The header and footer will be found in the same location while changing the menu options will require its own set of steps, which we’ll cover below.
Step One: Select Templates
Once you’re logged into the WordPress admin area, select Templates on the left-hand side of the screen, then Theme Builder. This will open a new screen where you’ll see several options, including Global Header and Global Footer. Click on the one you want to change and then click on Edit in the upper right-hand corner of the preview.
Step Two: Update Styling
You’ll find yourself in Elementor where you can edit all the widgets or containers in your header or footer the same way you would edit any of your other pages. You can also select the mobile and tablet views in the top middle to see the mobile designs and make changes there.
Note: You can change the styling of your menu here, but you won’t be able to change the items in your menu here.
✅ If you are changing your logo, we always recommend using an SVG file and giving consideration to the format of your logo (horizontal vs. vertical layout, etc.).
Making changes to the logo in your header will take you to the Site Settings page where you will be able to change the logo sitewide.
Step Three: Publish
Be sure to click Publish in the upper right-hand corner after you’ve made your changes so that they will appear on your site.
How to change the menu
Making changes to the menu is a different process since your site pulls menu items from WordPress. From the WordPress admin area, select Appearance on the left-hand side and then Menus.
Note: Your website may have more than one menu, but they will all be displayed here. Making changes to any of your menus will follow these steps.
Adding items to the menu
On the left, you’ll see Add menu items. Your pages will display here, and you’ll be able to check the box next to the item(s) you want to add and then click Add to menu. If you want to add a post or a link, those options are found in their respective accordions underneath.
Renaming menu items
If you want a page to display on the menu as something other than the default page name, you can select the page under Menu Structure in the center and change the Navigation Label which will define how the page is labeled within the menu.
Reordering the menu
If you want to change the order items appear in the menu, you can do so by clicking and dragging the pages. If you want to make one item appear under another as a sub-item, you can do so by indenting the items; this will create a drop-down menu.
Removing an item
When you have an item selected, there will be an option to Delete at the bottom of that item’s information. Simply click this to take the item out of the menu. You can always add it back in.
✅ We recommend…
Under Screen Options (upper right-hand corner), we recommend turning on Link Target, which will allow you to specify if you’d like a menu option opened in a new tab. This can be especially important if your menu includes any items that would take a visitor off your website (e.g. to an external resource, a customer portal, etc.). Leaving your website open in its original tab makes it easy for your visitors to return to your site if they need or want to. If you want any of your menu items to open this way, simply select the box next to Open link in a new tab.
☝️ Don’t forget…
You’ll need to click Save Menu in the lower right-hand corner to save the changes and allow them to be reflected on your website.
🚨 Caution: There are no drafts when it comes to your menu. Changes will not be stored if you navigate away without saving, and clicking on Save Menu makes those changes immediately to your live site.