Troubleshooting Beginner Roadblocks
Even with a clean setup, beginners run into problems. This is normal. Most members experience the same issues that JDGresham described. The difference is simple: when you know what to expect, these roadblocks no longer slow you down. Use this guide to solve the most common problems before frustration builds.
Step 1: Headline Won’t Move or Align
This usually means the block is inside the wrong container.
Fix:
• Click the List View icon (top left).
• Drag your headline block into the correct container.
• Check alignment again.
List View is your friend. It shows the real structure of your page.
Step 2: Too Much Space or Not Enough Space
Spacing problems happen when margins and padding fight each other.
Fix:
• Click the container.
• Set margin to 0 for now.
• Adjust padding only.
Padding controls the inside spacing.
Margin controls outside spacing.
Beginners should stick to padding.
Step 3: Mobile Layout Looks Broken
Rows sometimes collapse strangely on small screens.
Fix:
• Select the Row block.
• Look for Mobile Controls.
• Change “Stack direction” to vertical.
This makes your columns appear one above the other on phones.
Step 4: Images Won’t Resize Properly
Images often look too large or stretched.
Fix:
• Select the image block.
• Change the width to 50% or 75%.
• Add a max-width setting (optional).
Consistent image sizes keep your layout stable.
Step 5: Menu Items Don’t Show Up
If your navigation menu is empty, the menu isn’t assigned.
Fix:
• Go to Appearance → Menus.
• Select your Main Menu.
• Assign it to “Primary.”
Your menu will appear immediately.
Step 6: Footer Widgets Keep Showing Content You Don’t Want
Beginners are often confused by random footer elements.
Fix:
• Go to Appearance → Widgets.
• Delete all widgets inside Footer areas.
GeneratePress keeps things clean once empty.
Step 7: Homepage Shows Sample Posts Instead of Your Layout
This means your homepage settings switched back.
Fix:
• Go to Settings → Reading.
• Select “A static page.”
• Choose Home for Homepage.
Your custom homepage will reappear.
Step 8: Text Looks Too Small or Too Large
This is a global styling issue.
Fix:
• Go to Appearance → Customize → Typography.
• Set Body text to 16–18px.
• Leave headings at default.
Your entire site updates instantly.
Step 9: Buttons Don’t Match Your Style
If buttons look inconsistent, global styling is missing.
Fix:
• Go to Customize → Colors → Buttons.
• Set your accent color once.
All buttons will follow it.
Step 10: Blocks Keep Stacking in the Wrong Order
This is usually a structure problem.
Fix:
• Click List View.
• Drag blocks up or down to reorder them.
This avoids the frustration of dragging inside the page view.
Step 11: The Page Looks Different From Editor to Preview
This is normal.
Fix:
• Use Preview every time.
The editor shows the structure.
Preview shows the final layout.
Step 12: Don’t Panic — Everything in WordPress Can Be Undone
The best mindset for beginners:
Nothing is ruined. Nothing is permanent.
You can always delete a block, remove a container, or restart a section.
These simple fixes cover most beginner frustrations. Once you know how to solve these issues, your confidence grows and your site becomes easier to build.
In the next post, we’ll talk about when and how to switch themes later — but only after you understand the basics.
That’s all for today! Did you like this post? Let me know in the comments below.
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Recent Comments
24
This looks really useful, John. I will come back to it and use it in conjunction with Eric's Wordpress Wisdom videos.
Isabella
Yes, and those videos are gold. I watched most of then now. I really recommend them and other videos. I'll think of adding relevant ones to this series as well. Thanks for the reminder, Isabella.
I totally agree. Before I was so familiar with ChatGPT and other AI and how it can help, Eric's videos saved me lots of time and frustration. And I love that they tell you what you need in about 4 minutes.
Yes, and that's the point. We need to do the same even with our blog posts: answer questions, solve problems people have in the first 1 - 4 minutes. Thanks for the feedback on Eric's videos. We all need them, new or seasoned.
Hi John, they say change is great and I agree 100% except that after exploring a lot following the guidance to build a simple, clean homepage as per Lesson 3, and after following almost all the steps, my navigation menu has been empty. I just tried step 5 above, to assign the Main menu to Primary, but with no luck of the menu appearing. Is there a way to recall the original theme and start afresh. I suspect that I might have by omission or comission done something wrong in the process.
I suggest you type into the search bar - the magnifying glass at the top next to the chat icon - and type in 'Wordpress Wisdom Menu Eric Cantu' and lots of 'Wordpress Wisdom' videos will show up. Scroll down and see if there are things that will be helpful. Eric Cantu's Wordpress Wisdom videos have saved me lots of time and frustration. They are only a few minutes each and really helpful.
Here is one of them that may help. How To Add a Dropdown Menu to Your Main Menu in Wordpress Here is another one How to Move Your Main Menu's Location in Your Website Isabella
Ah, did this happen as a result of following some of the posts' guidance in the series? Was the menu there before? I don't think you have to undo what you already have done right. In other words, don't make all the changes all at once. You don't need to follow all the steps, only those that you need, at least at a time.
I hope I'm not causing trouble instead of guiding and helping others fix issues or avoid them in the first place. Let me know if you restored your menu since it has been 8 hrs after you posted this comment.
Thank you Isabella, I will take my time and go through this videos as you suggest and I will share with you how it all went.
Hi John, I am gradually getting some stuff back in position and I doing it one step at a time considering that the new theme is slightly different from the original one. I should report progress in the next couple of hours. The unintended benefits of this exercise for me is to learn other ways of achieving the same result.
Ah, good to know that things are getting back to normal, gradually. Let's know when things look better. Waiting here...
John,
Super informative.
I had always wondered about the difference between margins and padding. Thanks for yhe clear explanation.
Mike G
You're welcome, Mike G. We have to be learning from here, each day. I learn something new almost every day, either from other people's blogs or vlogs. Keep going!
Thanks George, and I'm glad you found the post to be easy to follow. Let me know if you have a question, or need help with these blocks.
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Thank you John for this practical guide.
Your methodology, which consists of breaking down each problem into simple steps, is really reassuring for beginners. I particularly appreciated the distinction between margin and padding, as well as the reminder that List View remains our best ally. These practical tips are reassuring when designing your site.
I can't wait to read your next breviary
Thanks, Claude for reading and leaving a summarized comment. Go ahead now and play with the Block Editor on WordPress. You can create a page to play on, trying all kinds of blocks to learn how to use/control them to your liking. I do that, and that's how I learn web design.
It's amazing (in a bad/negative way) that it's difficult to find a tech/computer science student who knows how to work in WordPress to create websites, even though that's what they are, or in line with what they are studying in school. I am looking for an intern who could manage my other websites, hosted here on the WA, but I still can't find one for this very reason.
It seems to me they are taught from textbooks that are outdated in 2025 because they were written decades ago. Even my Windows 7 guide is old enough (though I keep adding modern tricks and tips each year) simply because that's what happens to textbooks.
Thank you John for the depth and depth of your advice that comes from your experience acquired over the years. Thank you expert!
Ah, thanks again for the compliments. We are all students, anyway.