Using WordPress Templates

Templates & Themes

One of the most powerful features of WordPress themes is their ability to offer multiple page templates, giving you control over how different content appears on your site. These templates are pre-designed layouts that come bundled with your theme, each serving specific presentation needs and user experiences.

The key question most users ask is: "How do I discover what template options are available?" The answer lies in WordPress's built-in page attributes system, which I'll demonstrate in the accompanying video.

When editing any page, navigate to the gear icon in the top toolbar and locate the Document panel. Scroll down to Page Attributes to reveal your template options.

Here's the crucial point: if your theme only includes one template design, this section won't appear. However, modern themes typically offer multiple layout choices. In this example, clicking the template dropdown reveals two distinct options, each optimized for different content strategies.

Contemporary themes almost universally include a full-width template option, recognizing that mobile and tablet usage now dominates web traffic. Many themes also provide sidebar layouts for content that benefits from additional navigation or supplementary information. The full-width option has become increasingly popular as responsive design prioritizes clean, uncluttered experiences across all screen sizes.

To demonstrate this in action: when I select the full-width template and update the page, the layout immediately transforms. Notice how the photo book page originally displayed with a sidebar in the default template, but after switching to full-width, the sidebar disappears entirely. Navigate back to the homepage, and you'll see the sidebar remains intact—because that page still uses the default template.

This template flexibility allows you to create varied user experiences throughout your site, using different layouts strategically based on content type and user needs.

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