How To Edit Header In WordPress With Site Editor & Customizer

Your WordPress website’s header is one of the most important parts of your WordPress website. It’s the first thing people see when they visit your site, and it can include important elements like your logo, site title, and navigation menu. Editing your header in WordPress helps you create a unique look that matches your brand and makes your site easy to use for visitors. Moreover, customizing your header can improve the overall user experience and make a great first impression.

There are two main ways to edit your header on your WordPress site, depending on the type of theme you’re using. If your theme is built with blocks (known as Block Themes), you’ll use the Site Editor to make changes. However, if using a more classic theme, you will edit your header through the Theme Customizer. Both methods allow you to make your site’s header look the way you want it.

Here, we show you both methods for editing your WordPress header. You’ll learn how to use the Site Editor for block themes and the Theme Customizer for classic themes. By the end, you’ll be able to easily change your header to suit your website’s style and branding.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. To edit header in WordPress helps you create a unique look that aligns with your brand and improves user experience.
2. You can use the Site Editor for block themes or the Customizer for classic themes to edit header in WordPress.
3. The Site Editor lets you rearrange elements such as your logo, site title, and menu with blocks and drag-and-drop functionality.
4. The Customizer offers a simpler way to change your header, including adding a logo, editing the site title, and adjusting the menu layout.
5. Always preview your changes to ensure your header looks good on desktop and mobile devices.
6. A well-designed header improves navigation, branding, and SEO, helping visitors find key information easily.
7. Save your changes after editing to ensure your customized header is live on your website.

Why a Custom Header is Important

A custom header plays a huge role in making your website easier to navigate and more appealing to visitors. It’s the first thing people see when they land on your site, so it needs to represent your brand well.

A good header helps visitors know they are in the right place by showing your logo, site name, and main menu. With a clear and well-organized header, users can easily find their way around your website, which improves their experience and keeps them coming back.

Beyond helping visitors, a well-designed header can benefit your website’s SEO. Remember, search engines like Google pay attention to how your site is set up, including your header.

If your header makes it easy for users to explore your site, it can help improve your rankings in search results. Plus, having important links in the header, like key pages on your site, can help search engines better understand what your site is about. This leads to more visibility and traffic to your site.

How to Edit WordPress Header

To edit header in WordPress depends on your theme and the core software version. These are important because they affect the tools and features available to customize the header. There are two common ways to edit the header:

1. Using the Site Editor for block themes.
2. Using Theme Customizer for classic themes.

For both approaches, we edit header in WordPress version 6.6.2.

Use Site Editor to Edit Header in WordPress

The Site Editor is a powerful tool used for WordPress block themes. Starting from version 5.0, WordPress comes with the default editor that includes the Gutenberg.

This editor allows you to use blocks to add several elements to your site, such as headings, paragraphs, lists, and images. Remember: Gutenberg is only compatible with block themes, so not all themes will work with this editor.

Use the Site Editor to edit header in WordPress when you want full control over every part of your website. This method is ideal for people using block-based themes, where the entire design is made of blocks that can be easily rearranged or customized when you edit header in WordPress.

The Site Editor allows you to edit the content of your posts and your site’s structure and design, giving you more flexibility than older theme styles. If you’re using a block theme, this is how to make your header look exactly how you want it.

Here are step-by-step instructions on how to edit header in WordPress using Site Editor:

First, log into your WordPress dashboard. Once you’re in, go to the menu on the left-hand side and hover over Appearance. From there, click Editor. This will open the Site Editor, where you can change different parts of your site, including the header.

Once inside the Site Editor, click Patterns in the sidebar menu. This is where you’ll find different pre-designed parts of your site.

Now, click Header to see a list of available header templates based on the block theme you are using.

Once you’ve selected the header template you want to customize, click ⋮ next to the header template name and select Edit. This will open the full site editing mode, where you can change the header. Here, you’ll see different blocks representing the various elements of your header.

Now, you can tweak existing blocks, replace them with new ones, or add additional blocks depending on your design needs. For example, you may replace the default logo with yours or add a search bar to the header.

Remember, every Gutenberg-compatible theme uses different default components on the header template parts. Click List View for a detailed view of all the blocks currently in your header, allowing you to select and edit them quickly.

In this section, we’re using the Twenty Twenty-two theme to edit header in WordPress; its default header uses a group of blocks. If your selected header template also uses this, click the downward arrow (v) to see all the grouped blocks.

If the existing default header is not what you want and you wish to remove it entirely, select Group from the list and click Options (represented by ⋮ ). Then, choose Delete to remove the header. Alternatively, press Shift + Alt + Z to delete it.

However, if you’re satisfied with the template and want to adjust it, click Plus (+) in the top-left to add new elements.

Next, search for the available blocks to add to your header. Drag and drop the new elements into your desired position. Alternatively, use the List View panel to adjust the layout while previewing the changes in real-time on the right side of the screen.

In our example, the Twenty Twenty-two theme already includes the key header elements, and we keep them as is. However, in the upcoming steps, we focus on customizing the website title, logo, and navigation menu using the full Site Editor to edit header in WordPress.

Customize Site Title

To edit your website’s title, select Site Title in the header and update the text directly within the block.

Alternatively, you can change the site title by navigating to Settings → General menu on the WordPress dashboard, which will automatically adjust the title block in your header.

Change Site Logo

There are numerous ways to upload your website logo, including Site Editor. For this WordPress theme, select Site Logo, then click on the arrow inside this logo block.

You’ll be prompted to upload your logo; do this by choosing a logo from the Media Library or manually uploading it from your computer. You may also modify the alt text, title, caption, and description to improve your site’s SEO. Finally, click Select to upload the chosen item as your site’s logo.

After uploading, you can adjust the logo size and position by dragging the resize points or using the directional keys in the block toolbar.

Modify Navigation Menu

The Navigation block controls the menu that appears in your header. To change it, click on Navigation to edit the menu items, add new links, or change the order of the menu. You can also click Add block to create new links or drop-down menus.

This will automatically create a link placeholder that you can easily connect to any page on your website.

To navigate easily, select Navigation and click Settings to open the configuration panel.

Here, you can adjust the link settings, including modifying the label, URL, attributes, and overall design. You can also apply custom CSS if you need to style the menu further.

To create a dropdown menu, visit Options → Add submenu link. Alternatively, you can add a submenu directly from the block inserter.

Lastly, click Save in the top-right to save your changes.

Important:

The above method can only be used if yours is a block theme. Otherwise, you need to move the following approach and use Theme Customizer to learn how to change header in WordPress.

Use Theme Customizer to Edit Header in WordPress

The Theme Customizer in WordPress is a built-in feature that lets you make real-time changes to your website’s appearance without knowing any code. It provides an intuitive interface where you can modify various aspects of your site, including the header, footer, colors, fonts, and more, depending on your theme’s options.

The changes you make using the Customizer are visible immediately in the preview pane, allowing you to see exactly how your site will look before you publish the changes.

Use the Theme Customizer to edit header in WordPress if your theme is incompatible with the Site Editor or if it offers more straightforward controls for customization. Many classic themes do not support the Full Site Editor; however, they allow you to make edits through the Customizer, which is why it’s the go-to tool for header adjustments in these cases.

Also, the Customizer is particularly useful for altering your header quickly. Since the Customizer provides live previews, you can confidently experiment with different settings and layouts, knowing you won’t accidentally publish an incomplete or incorrect design.

Here’s how you can edit header in WordPress:

Go to WordPress Dashboard → Appearance → Customize. This will open the WordPress Customizer interface, where you can make live changes to your website.

Within the Theme Customizer, locate and click Header Builder. In Astra, this displays a visual representation of your site’s header layout.

Here, you’ll see three distinct areas: the Above Header, Primary Header, and Below Header.

Most users focus on the Primary Header, but you can customize the additional header sections if your site uses them. To do this, hover over the desired header and click the + button to select your required section.

Change Site Title & Logo

To edit the Site Title and Logo, click Site Title & Logo within the Header Builder.

Under the General tab, you’ll see options for setting your Site Title, Tagline, and Site Logo. If you want to upload a custom logo, click Select Logo to upload an image from your Media Library.

Now scroll down to set a Site Icon (favicon) if required.

If you’re also using the Astra theme, you can adjust the Logo Width with a slider, providing control over how large or small you want the logo to appear in the header.

You can also change the font size, spacing, and color of the site title, tagline, and logo by navigating to the Header Builder → Site Title & Logo → Design tab.

Update Navigation Menu

 Now, click Primary Menu under Header Builder to customize your navigation.

You can select which menu to display the header in (if you have more than one menu in WordPress). If you haven’t created a menu yet, click Configure Menu from Here in the Customizer.

Alternatively, you can create your menus by navigating to WordPress Dashboard → Appearance → Menus.

Customize Header Layout & Style

Astra’s Header Builder provides drag-and-drop functionality. You can move elements around, like placing the logo to the left and the menu to the right. Just click and drag the blocks in the visual layout preview.

You can also control header height to ensure your header looks clean and appropriately spaced. To do this, click on the gear icon of your header (in the example here it is the Primary Header) and update the Height of the header as per your requirements.

Mobile Header Customization

Over 60% of site traffic comes from mobile devices, so make your WordPress site mobile-friendly when you edit header in WordPress. To do this, go to Header Builder and select the Mobile view in Customizer.

In the visual header builder, you’ll notice a dedicated area where you can configure the mobile header. The Off Canvas Menu section allows you to organize header elements within the toggle button.

On the right side, the visual builder offers flexibility to adjust every aspect of the mobile header, including the Primary Header and the Above and Below headers.

Typically, you would place your logo and toggle button within the Primary Header, but you’re free to position elements anywhere in the mobile header to suit your design preferences.

In the OFF CANVAS section, click the + plus icon to add header elements such as a primary menu, buttons, widgets, HTML, and more. This section becomes visible when the user clicks the toggle button.

You may also click the gear icon in the OFF CANVAS section to update Header Type, Dropdown Target, and Content Alignment.

After that, you can click on the Toggle Button to edit and configure it to your specifications. Also, adjust the icon color, size, font, and spacing under the Design tab.

Furthermore, you can enable Transparent Header for mobile devices from the Theme Customizer under Header Builder → Header Types. Choose to display this on mobile and configure it.

Once you’re happy with the header customizations, click Publish at the top-right of the Customizer. This will make all your changes live on your website. However, if you’re not ready to go live, click the gear icon next to Publish and select Save Draft or Schedule to schedule the changes to publish later.

By following these steps, you can fully customize and edit header in WordPress site using the Astra theme’s built-in tools in the Theme Customizer. The live preview component ensures you can see how each change affects your site before committing, giving you full control over your header’s appearance and functionality.

Important: The default navigation menu setup can vary between classic themes. If necessary, refer to your theme’s documentation to learn how to customize its navigation menu.

Tips for Creating an Effective Header

Creating a good header is important to making your website look clean and professional. First, keep it simple. Don’t clutter your header with too many elements, like multiple menus, images, or buttons. A clean, easy-to-read header helps visitors focus on its most important parts, like your logo and main menu, so they can easily navigate your site.

Another tip is to use high-quality images. Ensure your logo and any header images are clear and sharp. A blurry or pixelated logo can make your site look unprofessional. By using high-quality images, you help build trust with your visitors and make your website look good.

Finally, always think about mobile responsiveness. Many people visit websites on their phones, so your header must look great on smaller screens. A mobile-friendly header will improve the user experience and help with SEO by making your site more accessible to a wider audience.

Therefore, it’s essential to ensure you select responsive WordPress themes or use page builders when creating your website. This will make it easier to maintain the responsiveness of your custom header.

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