Full Site Editing (FSE) is a groundbreaking feature in WordPress that offers a new approach to building and customizing websites. This article provides an introduction to Full Site Editing, explaining what it is, how it works, and how it can benefit your website creation process.
- What is Full Site Editing?
Full Site Editing is a feature introduced in WordPress 5.8 that enables users to design and customize their entire website using the Gutenberg block editor.
FSE allows you to edit not only the content of your pages and posts but also the overall site structure, including headers, footers, sidebars, and other layout elements.
This represents a significant shift from the traditional WordPress theme structure, which relies on PHP templates and limited customization options.
- How Full Site Editing works
Full Site Editing is built upon the Gutenberg block editor, which was first introduced in WordPress 5.0.
With FSE, the block editor is extended to cover the entire site, not just individual pages or posts. For example you can customize the Header and Footer as template parts. This is achieved by using the following components:
a. Site Editor: The Site Editor is a new interface in the WordPress Dashboard that allows you to edit and manage your entire site using blocks.
It provides a live preview of your site, making it easy to visualize changes as you make them.
b. Templates: In Full Site Editing, templates define the structure of different areas of your site, such as the header, footer, and content areas.
You can create, modify, and rearrange templates using blocks, providing you with complete control over your site’s layout and design.
c. Template Parts: Template parts are reusable blocks that can be included in multiple templates.
For example, you might create a template part for your site’s header, which can then be used across all templates that require a header.
d. Global Styles: Global styles enable you to define default styling options for your entire site, such as typography, colors, and spacing.
These styles can be applied to all blocks and elements on your site, ensuring a consistent design throughout.
- Benefits of Full Site Editing
Full Site Editing offers several advantages for both beginners and experienced WordPress users:
a. Ease of use: With FSE, you can build and customize your entire site using a single, unified interface—the Gutenberg block editor.
This makes it easier for users with little or no coding experience to create professional-looking websites.
b. Flexibility: FSE provides you with complete control over your site’s layout and design, allowing you to create unique, personalized experiences for your visitors.
c. Reusable components: By using templates and template parts, you can create reusable components that can be updated and managed in one place, simplifying site maintenance and ensuring design consistency.
d. Streamlined workflow: Full Site Editing reduces the need for custom code and third-party plugins, leading to a more streamlined website-building experience.
Full Site Editing represents a significant evolution in the way WordPress websites are built and managed.
By enabling users to design and customize their entire site using the Gutenberg block editor, FSE provides a more flexible, user-friendly, and efficient approach to website creation.
As Full Site Editing continues to develop and mature, it is expected to become an essential feature for WordPress users of all skill levels.