Full Site Editing (FSE) is a modern WordPress feature that allows you to design and customize every aspect of your website directly from the WordPress interface. Unlike traditional themes where you might need to edit code or use separate customizers, Full Site Editing provides a unified, visual editing experience for your entire site.
DigiFlash is built as a block theme, which means it fully supports Full Site Editing capabilities. This gives you complete control over your site’s appearance and layout, from headers and footers to individual page templates, all through an intuitive block-based interface.
What is Full Site Editing?
Full Site Editing transforms the way you build WordPress websites. Instead of being limited to editing just your post and page content, you can now design your entire site using the same block editor you use for creating content.
With Full Site Editing in DigiFlash, you can customize templates, template parts, and global styles without touching a single line of code. Every element of your site becomes editable through blocks, giving you unprecedented flexibility and control.
Key Components of Full Site Editing
The Full Site Editing system consists of three main components that work together:
Templates define the overall structure and layout for different types of pages on your site. DigiFlash includes pre-designed templates for pages, posts, archives, and special layouts like 404 pages. You can modify these templates or create new ones to match your specific needs.
Template Parts are reusable sections that appear across multiple templates. These include your site’s header, footer, and other recurring elements. When you edit a template part, the changes apply everywhere that part is used, ensuring consistency across your site.
Global Styles control the visual appearance of your entire website, including colors, typography, spacing, and other design elements. DigiFlash’s Global Styles system allows you to set these options once and have them apply site-wide, maintaining a cohesive design throughout.
Accessing the Site Editor
To start using Full Site Editing with DigiFlash, navigate to Appearance → Editor from your WordPress dashboard. This opens the Site Editor interface, where all Full Site Editing functionality is located.
The Site Editor interface displays a preview of your site on the right side and navigation options on the left. From here, you can access templates, template parts, styles, pages, and patterns. The interface is designed to be intuitive, allowing you to click on any element to edit it directly.
Understanding the Site Editor Interface
The Site Editor interface is divided into several sections. The left sidebar provides navigation to different editing areas, while the main canvas shows a live preview of what you’re editing. The top toolbar contains options for saving changes, accessing the list view, and switching between different editing modes.
When you’re editing a template or template part, you’ll see the same block inserter and block settings panel that you use when editing posts and pages. This consistency makes the learning curve minimal if you’re already familiar with the WordPress block editor.
Benefits of Full Site Editing with DigiFlash
Full Site Editing in DigiFlash offers several advantages. You gain complete visual control over your site’s design without needing to write code or hire a developer. All customization happens in one place, eliminating the need to switch between different admin screens.
The block-based approach means you can see your changes in real-time as you work. DigiFlash’s optimized code ensures that your site remains fast despite the flexibility Full Site Editing provides. You can experiment with different layouts and designs knowing you can always revert to the default templates if needed.
Working with Blocks in Full Site Editing
The Full Site Editor uses the same blocks you’re familiar with from the content editor, plus additional blocks specific to site building. These include site logo, site title, navigation menus, post lists, and query loops. DigiFlash is optimized to work seamlessly with all WordPress core blocks and adds its own patterns for faster site building.
When editing templates and template parts, you can insert any block, adjust spacing and layout settings, and arrange elements exactly how you want them. The block-based system makes it easy to add, remove, or rearrange sections without affecting other parts of your site.