Block templates control the layout around WordPress content: the header, footer, post title, featured image, post content, archives, search results, and other structural elements. In a block theme, open Appearance > Editor > Templates, choose a template, edit its blocks, and click Save. Every post or page using that template receives the layout change.
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For a different layout on just one page or post, create a custom template, assign it from the post or page settings, and leave the shared template unchanged. The distinction between a shared template and a one-off assignment is the key to avoiding accidental site-wide edits.
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What a block template is
A block template is a layout made from blocks. WordPress describes it as a list of block items that can include predefined attributes, placeholder content, and static or dynamic blocks. The template supplies structure; the individual post or page still supplies its own content.
For example, a Single Posts template can place a Header template part, Post Title block, Featured Image block, Post Content block, metadata, comments, and a Footer template part in a particular order. An Archives template can use a Query Loop block to display a list of posts. A Pages template might use a simpler title-and-content arrangement. Navigation, headers, footers, and other reusable sections can be represented by blocks as well.
The Template Editor is the WordPress interface for editing and creating these layouts with blocks. It is different from editing the text of one post: changing a template changes the shared frame around the content, while editing the post changes that post’s words, images, and embeds.
Requirements and where the editor appears
Use a block theme for the full Site Editor
A block theme uses blocks for all major site areas, including navigation, header, content, and footer. After activating one, the dashboard normally exposes Appearance > Editor, with sections such as Templates, Styles, and Template Parts.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe official Learn WordPress lesson lists a block theme with WordPress 5.9 or later as the normal prerequisite for the Template Editor. A classic theme may expose template editing only when it has the necessary backend support, and access is generally limited to the post or page editor route. Labels and available template types can vary by theme and WordPress release, so use the labels shown in your installation.
Check before changing anything
- Open Appearance > Themes and confirm that the active theme is a block theme if you expect the complete Site Editor.
- Make sure you have permission to edit the site design and save templates.
- Identify whether you need a change for every item using a layout or for one specific post or page.
- Note the current template name before editing so you can recognize the scope of the change.
| Situation | Likely entry point | Scope of the change |
|---|---|---|
| Block theme and a shared layout | Appearance > Editor > Templates | All posts, pages, archives, searches, or error views using that template |
| One post or page needs a different layout | Post or Page Settings > template name | Only the item assigned to the custom template |
| Classic theme with backend template support | Post or page editor template control | Depends on the theme and the template assignment |
| Theme developer editing source files | Theme /templates directory |
The layouts delivered by the theme, subject to saved editor customizations |
Edit a shared template in the Site Editor
Use this route when the same structural change should apply everywhere a template is used.
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- Open Appearance > Editor in the WordPress dashboard.
- Choose Templates.
- Select the template that matches the view you want to change, such as Single Posts, Pages, Archives, Search, or 404. Your theme may use different names or offer additional types.
- Select the block or area you want to change. Add, remove, move, or configure blocks such as Post Title, Post Content, Query Loop, Navigation, and Template Part.
- Arrange the blocks to create the required structure. Keep the Post Content block in the position where the page or post body should appear; removing it removes the normal content output from that layout.
- Click Save and confirm the changes when WordPress asks. The saved layout is then used by every item assigned to that template.
Choose the correct template
Templates are view-specific. A change to Single Posts affects individual posts using that template, not necessarily Pages or archive listings. A change to Pages affects pages assigned to that layout. Archives and Search control listing views, while 404 controls the not-found view. If the result is not what you expected, return to Templates and check that you edited the view actually used by the URL you are testing.
Understand dynamic blocks while editing
Many template blocks are placeholders for data that WordPress supplies at display time. Post Title displays the current item’s title, Post Content displays its body, and a Query Loop can display a set of posts. The template defines their position and presentation; it does not replace the underlying title, content, or archive records.
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Edit a template while editing a post or page
This route is useful when you are already working on content and want to inspect or modify the layout associated with it.
- Open the post or page in the Block Editor.
- Open the Post or Page Settings sidebar.
- Click the current template name in the template control.
- Choose Edit template.
- Make the layout changes with blocks.
- Use Publish and then Save when WordPress prompts you to save the template change. The exact confirmation wording can vary by release.
While editing the content, use View > Show template to preview the template around the post or page. This helps distinguish a problem in the content from a problem in the surrounding layout. Return to the normal content view before changing the post’s text or media.
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Create a custom block template
A custom template is appropriate when one layout should be available for selected content without altering the default layout used elsewhere.
Create it from the Site Editor
- Go to Appearance > Editor > Templates.
- Click Add Template.
- Select the applicable content type, or choose Custom Template when your installation offers that option.
- Give the template a descriptive name, such as Post with sidebar. A name that describes the layout is easier to identify later than a generic name such as New Template.
- Build the layout with blocks. Add the dynamic blocks required for the content type and arrange any static elements around them.
- Save the template.
Create it from a post or page
- Open the post or page in the Block Editor.
- Open the template control in the Post or Page Settings sidebar.
- Click the add icon and choose New.
- Name the template and create it.
- Build the layout with blocks, then save it when prompted.
- With the post or page still selected, open the template selector and choose the new custom template.
Creating a template does not automatically apply it to every item of that type. Assignment is a separate step. Select the custom template on each post or page that should use it.
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Shared template or custom assignment?
| Decision factor | Shared template | Custom template assigned to selected content |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Every item using the template | Only posts or pages you assign |
| Best entry point | Site Editor Templates screen | Template selector in the post or page editor, or Add Template in the Site Editor |
| Typical user | Site owner or editor standardizing a site-wide view | Editor creating an exception, campaign page, landing page, or special post layout |
| Risk | A small change can affect many URLs | The new layout has no effect until it is assigned |
| Content behavior | Each item keeps its own content inside the shared structure | Each assigned item keeps its own content inside the custom structure |
Use a shared template for a consistent site-wide rule, such as moving the post title above the featured image on every single post. Use a custom template when the requirement is an exception, such as a single post that needs a sidebar or a page that should omit the usual header arrangement.
Why one template change can affect every post
A template is shared by design. When several posts use Single Posts, they all read the same saved layout. Editing that template changes the structure around every one of those posts. It does not copy one post’s text into the others, and it does not rewrite their content; it changes the common arrangement in which their dynamic content is displayed.
If only one item needs a different arrangement, create or select a custom template and assign it to that item. Do not edit the shared template as a shortcut, because the edit will remain global for all users of that template.
How theme files provide block templates
Theme developers can store block-theme templates as block markup in the theme’s /templates directory. index.html is the minimum required template file for a block theme. More specific files can cover particular views, including single.html for individual posts, page.html for pages, archive.html for archives, search.html for search results, and 404.html for not-found responses.
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Database edits take precedence over bundled files
When someone saves a template in the Site Editor, the customization is saved in WordPress rather than remaining only in the theme’s bundled file. Saved editor customizations take precedence over the theme file. Consequently, replacing or updating a theme file may not visibly change a template that already has a saved editor version. Developers and site owners should check for an existing saved customization when a file edit appears to have no effect.
Keep developer and editor responsibilities separate
- Theme files define the layouts delivered by the theme.
- The Site Editor lets site owners modify those layouts without editing theme files.
- The template hierarchy determines which applicable layout WordPress selects.
- The post or page editor supplies the individual item’s content and assignment.
Prevent accidental site-wide edits
- Read the template name before opening it and confirm that it matches the view you intend to change.
- Before saving, ask whether every post, page, archive, or search result using this template should receive the change.
- For a single exception, use New or Add Template and assign the result to the specific item.
- Keep structural blocks in the template and write the actual article or page text in the content editor.
- After saving, check a representative URL that uses the template and, when appropriate, a second URL to confirm the scope.
- If the site has both theme-file layouts and Site Editor changes, check for a saved editor customization before assuming the theme file is active.
Troubleshooting common template problems
There is no Appearance > Editor menu
First check the active theme. The full Site Editor normally requires a block theme. A classic theme may expose only limited template controls through the post or page editor when it provides backend support. Also check the WordPress version and the labels supplied by the theme, because available controls vary.
The template I need is not listed
The active theme determines which templates are available in the interface. Look for a differently named equivalent, such as a singular or archive view, and check whether the theme supplies a more specific template. If you are developing the theme, verify that the intended file is in the theme’s /templates directory and that a valid index.html exists as the required fallback.
My change appears on more pages than expected
You edited a shared template. Reopen the template selector on the affected item and determine whether it is using the same layout. For a narrower result, create a custom template and assign it only to the intended post or page.
The post text did not change after editing the template
That is expected. A template changes layout and dynamic block placement; it is not the place to rewrite the post or page body. Edit the content in the normal Block Editor. Use View > Show template when you need to inspect how that content sits inside the layout.
A theme-file edit is not visible
Check whether the template was previously saved in the Site Editor. A saved database customization takes precedence over the bundled theme markup. The visible layout will continue to use the saved version until that customization is changed or removed through the available editor controls.
The controls have different names
WordPress releases and themes can change the exact labels and available template types. Look for the documented concepts: Appearance > Editor, Templates, the current template name in the post or page settings, Edit template, Add Template, New, and Save.
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Quick Recap
A practical workflow for a safe layout change
- Describe the desired scope in one sentence: every single post, all pages, or one specific page.
- Confirm whether the active theme is a block theme and open the appropriate editor route.
- Identify the current template from the Site Editor or the post/page template control.
- Choose a shared edit only when the scope is genuinely global.
- For an exception, create a descriptively named custom template and assign it to the target item.
- Use dynamic blocks for data that should come from each post or page, and leave the item’s prose in the content editor.
- Save, then preview both the edited item and another item that should or should not share the change.
- If the result conflicts with a theme-file change, look for a saved Site Editor customization and the applicable template in the hierarchy.
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