Full Site Editing basics in Wordpress - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Full Site Editing basics

Open WordPress Admin

↓

Go to Site Editor

↓

Select Template or Template Part

↓

Edit Blocks (Header, Footer, Content)

↓

Customize Styles (Colors, Fonts)

↓

Save Changes

↓

View Updated Site

This flow shows how you open the WordPress Site Editor, select parts of your site, edit blocks and styles, then save and view changes.

Execution Sample

Wordpress

1. Open WordPress Admin
2. Click 'Editor' under Appearance
3. Select 'Header' block
4. Change site title text
5. Save changes

This example edits the site header block by changing the site title text and saving the update.

Execution Table

Step	Action	UI Element	User Input	Result
1	Open WordPress Admin	Dashboard	N/A	Dashboard loads
2	Navigate to Site Editor	Appearance > Editor	Click Editor	Site Editor opens showing templates
3	Select Header Template Part	Template Parts list	Click Header	Header block loads for editing
4	Edit Site Title Block	Site Title block	Change text to 'My New Site'	Site title text updates in editor
5	Save Changes	Save button	Click Save	Changes saved and published
6	View Site	Site front-end	Reload page	Site shows updated header with new title
7	Exit	Close editor	N/A	Return to dashboard or front-end

💡 User finishes editing and saves changes, then views updated site.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 4	After Step 5	Final
Site Title Text	Original Title	My New Site	My New Site	My New Site
Editor Mode	Closed	Open	Open	Closed
Save Status	Not Saved	Not Saved	Saved	Saved

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why doesn't the site title change immediately on the live site after editing?

Because changes are only saved and published after clicking the Save button (see Step 5 in execution_table). Until then, edits are only visible in the editor.

Can I edit any part of the site using Full Site Editing?

You can edit templates and template parts like header, footer, and content blocks that are available in the Site Editor (Step 3). Some theme parts may not be editable if not supported.

What happens if I close the editor without saving?

Your changes will be lost because saving is required to publish edits (Step 5). Unsaved changes do not affect the live site.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the Site Title Text after Step 4?

A Original Title

B My New Site

C Site Title

D Not Changed

💡 Hint

Check variable_tracker row 'Site Title Text' after Step 4.

At which step does the Save Status change to 'Saved'?

A Step 5

B Step 4

C Step 3

D Step 6

💡 Hint

Look at variable_tracker 'Save Status' column after each step.

If you skip Step 5 and close the editor, what happens to your changes?

A Changes are saved but not published

B Changes are saved automatically

C Changes are lost

D Site crashes

💡 Hint

Refer to key_moments about saving and closing without saving.

Concept Snapshot

Full Site Editing lets you edit your whole WordPress site visually.
Open the Site Editor from Appearance.
Select templates or parts like header/footer.
Edit blocks and styles directly.
Save changes to publish.
View updates live on your site.

Full Transcript

Full Site Editing in WordPress allows you to change your entire website's look and structure using a visual editor. You start by opening the WordPress admin dashboard and navigating to the Site Editor under Appearance. Inside the editor, you select parts of your site such as the header or footer to edit. You can change text, add or remove blocks, and adjust styles like colors and fonts. After making your changes, you must save them to publish the updates to your live site. If you close the editor without saving, your changes will be lost. This process makes site design easier and more flexible without needing to write code.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of Full Site Editing (FSE) in WordPress?

easy

A. To build and customize the entire website layout using blocks visually

B. To write PHP code for custom themes

C. To manage plugins from the WordPress dashboard

D. To create posts and pages only

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Full Site Editing concept

   FSE allows users to build the whole site layout using blocks instead of coding.

2. Step 2: Compare options with FSE purpose

   Only To build and customize the entire website layout using blocks visually describes building and customizing the entire site visually with blocks.

3. Final Answer:

   To build and customize the entire website layout using blocks visually -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Full Site Editing = Visual site layout building [OK]

Hint: FSE means editing the whole site visually with blocks [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing FSE with plugin management
• Thinking FSE is only for posts or pages
• Assuming FSE requires coding PHP

2. Which of the following is the correct way to open the Site Editor in WordPress for Full Site Editing?

easy

A. Go to Posts > Add New

B. Go to Appearance > Site Editor in the WordPress dashboard

C. Go to Plugins > Add New

D. Go to Settings > General

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify where Site Editor is located

   The Site Editor for Full Site Editing is accessed via Appearance menu.

2. Step 2: Match correct menu path

   Only Appearance > Site Editor opens the FSE interface.

3. Final Answer:

   Go to Appearance > Site Editor in the WordPress dashboard -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Site Editor location = Appearance > Site Editor [OK]

Hint: Site Editor is under Appearance menu [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Looking for Site Editor under Plugins or Posts
• Confusing Site Editor with plugin or post creation
• Trying to find Site Editor in Settings

3. In Full Site Editing, if you add a Header block and then add a Navigation block inside it, what will happen when you save the template?

medium

A. The header with navigation will appear on all pages using that template

B. Only the current page will show the header and navigation

C. The navigation block will be saved but not the header

D. The template will not save due to block nesting errors

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand template saving in FSE

   Templates saved in Site Editor apply site-wide to all pages using that template.

2. Step 2: Analyze block nesting effect

   Adding Navigation inside Header means both are saved together in the template.

3. Final Answer:

   The header with navigation will appear on all pages using that template -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Template save = site-wide layout change [OK]

Hint: Templates apply site-wide, not just one page [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking changes affect only one page
• Assuming nested blocks won't save together
• Believing block nesting causes save errors

4. You tried to add a Footer block in the Site Editor but it does not appear on your site after saving. What is the most likely reason?

medium

A. Footer blocks only work on posts, not pages

B. The Site Editor does not support Footer blocks

C. You need to install a plugin to enable Footer blocks

D. The Footer block was added but not included in the active template part

Solution

1. Step 1: Check how Footer blocks work in FSE

   Footer blocks must be part of the active template part to show on the site.

2. Step 2: Identify common mistake

   Adding Footer block outside the active template or not saving template part causes it not to appear.

3. Final Answer:

   The Footer block was added but not included in the active template part -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Footer block must be in active template part [OK]

Hint: Footer must be in active template part to show [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking Footer blocks need plugins
• Believing Site Editor lacks Footer support
• Assuming Footer blocks only work on posts

5. You want to create a custom page template with a unique header and footer using Full Site Editing. Which steps should you follow?

hard

A. Install a plugin that disables Full Site Editing and use classic templates

B. Edit the theme's PHP files directly to add header and footer code

C. Create a new template in Site Editor, add custom Header and Footer blocks, then assign it to the page

D. Create a new post and add header and footer blocks inside the post content

Solution

1. Step 1: Use Site Editor to create a new template

   In Full Site Editing, custom templates are created visually in the Site Editor.

2. Step 2: Add custom Header and Footer blocks to the new template

   Blocks let you build unique headers and footers for that template.

3. Step 3: Assign the new template to the desired page

   Assigning applies the custom layout to that page only.

4. Final Answer:

   Create a new template in Site Editor, add custom Header and Footer blocks, then assign it to the page -> Option C

5. Quick Check:

   Custom template = new template + blocks + assign [OK]

Hint: Create and assign templates visually in Site Editor [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Editing PHP files instead of using Site Editor
• Trying to add header/footer inside post content
• Disabling FSE plugins unnecessarily