Beginners Guide to Themes, Templates, and Editors:

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Beginners Guide to Themes, Templates, and Editors: A Clear Guide for Building Your Website

Introduction

Hi All,

Having just gone through another “exciting” week of having to learn far more than I thought I would have to, only to end up farther behind in my planned schedule. I think I am going to have to come up with a new form of time estimate for this sort of work! Whatever I think it’s going be in hours spent, times it by 4 + 2 !

Starting a website is normally an exciting time but it also can be overwhelming, especially when navigating the differences between themes, templates, and editors. After six to seven months of building my sites, I realized how little I knew on this subject and how easy it is to confuse these terms—and how much smoother things become once you understand them.

I have been working with Chat on this subject, which turned into another “light bulb moment” when I realised because I wasn’t understanding the differences in these meanings, I was asking the wrong questions or giving the wrong prompts, so getting the wrong answers back, which was throwing me farther off track.

In this post, I'll explain these concepts in a beginner-friendly way and recap what gets automatically set up when you build your site through Wealthy Affiliate (WA) or SiteRubix. And because it does you don’t really think about these terms or meanings too much.

What WA and SiteRubix Set Up for You

1. Pre-Installed WordPress

  • WA provides a fully functional WordPress site, ready to customize.
  • Basic pages like a Sample Page and a default post ("Hello World!") are included.

2. Default Theme Activated

  • WA installs a starter theme to give your site a foundation.
  • This theme controls the overall look but can be changed anytime.

3. Essential Plugins

  • WA often pre-installs important plugins for SEO, security, and performance.
  • Examples: All-in-One SEO (AIOSEO), Spam Protection. (and that’s if you even understand what these mean or do when you start. 😂🤣

4. SSL and Site Security

  • SSL encryption is automatically enabled. Hmm yes, I am sure, but how many know what that is?
  • Regular site backups keep your content safe. This term I am sure a lot more know about.

5. Basic Site Settings

  • Permalinks are typically set to 'Post Name' for SEO-friendly URLs.
  • Some sample content is included to help visualize the site's structure.

But really, you just don’t realise how much else is done for you and included with WA, and your head is already spinning a little, so it's really a good job Kyle doesn’t say too much about it.

Breaking Down the Key Terms

Themes

  • Themes define the overall design, layout, and style of your website.
  • Example: The Impro theme provides a professional design framework.

Templates

  • Templates are pre-made layouts for individual pages or sections.
  • Example: "Home One" is a homepage template in the Impro theme.

Editors

  • Editors are tools used to create and customize content on your site.
  • Examples include the Block Editor (Gutenberg) and Elementor.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Confusing Themes and Templates
    • A theme is the site-wide design; a template is a layout for a single page.
  2. Over-Reliance on Editors
    • Editors can't fix a poorly chosen theme—they work within the theme's design.
  3. Ignoring Plugin Requirements
    • Some themes need specific plugins to unlock full functionality.
    • And virtually everyone you come across is trying to upsell you stuff you probably will never need, but it sounds like you do at the time.
    • Then there is the chance that you will fall into the plugin trap. Yes some of these vendors are very smart with their sales tactics, taking advantage of newbies learning this e-commerce skills.

That’s what Kyle, Carson, Jay and Eric plus others try to gently usher us away from such things, especially in the early days of training.

STAY OFF THE ROLLERCOASTER

Tips for Beginners

  1. Explore the Default Setup First
    Understand what WA has already provided before making changes.
  2. Choose a Theme that Fits Your Niche
    Not all themes are suitable for every type of website.
  3. Understand the Role of Each Tool
    • Theme = Overall design
    • Template = Page layout
    • Editor = Content builder
  4. Ask Questions Early
    Don’t hesitate to seek help when you’re unsure—it saves time!

Conclusion

Understanding the differences between themes, templates, and editors can save you countless hours of confusion. I learned this the hard way, but now I can navigate my site with confidence. For anyone starting with WA or SiteRubix, take the time to explore what’s already set up and build from there. Have any questions or similar experiences? Drop them in the comments! You never know who it might help.

Let's learn to build smarter, not harder! He says after falling in to this trap this week.

Rob

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Recent Comments

2

Some fantastic info here Rob, appreciate the share my friend! :-)

Great overview Rob.

Steve

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