How to Walk Through a WordPress Plugin’s Page Layout
You’ve found a plugin that you think is perfect for your site, but as you begin trying it out you realize the page layout doesn’t fit the way you want it to. The good news is you can fix it! In this article we’ll discuss how to walk through a WordPress plugin’s page layout in order to make it fit the way you want.
Understand The Page Layout’s Functionality
Before you begin making any drastic changes, it’s a good idea to understand exactly how the page layout works and what it’s capable of.
To start, it’s important to remember that WordPress comes with a lot of features out of the box, including the famous drag-and-drop page builder that allows you to build the website with minimal effort. Because of this, it’s often challenging to find a WordPress plugin that doesn’t conflict with the layout you’ve created with the page builder.
Fortunately, many WordPress plugins have a layout editor that allows you to specify the styling of each individual page within the WordPress admin area. This is where you go to change the colors, fonts, and position of each element on the page.
Check Out All The Consequences
It’s also a good idea to look at how certain changes affect the page as a whole. Even if you change the positioning of an element on the page, it doesn’t always mean it will look the same throughout the rest of the content because of the way content is structured within the WordPress admin area. For example, posts are displayed in a grid format.
This makes it easier for someone who is browsing the website to find the content they want. However, it also means that if you change the placement of an element in one spot it may affect the entire page and its presentation. This is why it’s important to take the time to experiment with the changes you make within the plugin’s layout editor before you actually go live with the website.
Determine What You Need
Before you begin making any major changes to the layout, it’s important to determine what you need in order to make it work for your site. Sometimes this can be as simple as removing a few features the plugin offers and adding a bit more compact content to get the layout you want.
Other times it can be a bit more complicated. In those cases, you may need to contact the plugin’s developer and have them help you figure out what’s causing the issue. This can be extremely time-consuming and difficult if you’re not careful, but if you’re determined to make the layout work for your site it’s usually worthwhile.
Try Different Things
When you find a WordPress plugin that seems perfect for your site, but the page layout doesn’t work the way you want it to, the best thing to do is to try and figure it out. Even if you’ve been using WordPress for years and know exactly what you’re doing, it’s important to keep exploring new tools and technologies that can help improve your site’s functionality and appearance. This is because inevitably, there’s always something new that can be done to enhance a website’s performance.
If possible, find the plugin’s source code and study how it works. Chances are you’ll figure out a way to make it work for your site and be able to provide your own solution. This is a much better option than simply replacing the plugin because then you’re stuck with whatever they have to offer unless you want to go through the trouble of un-installing and re-installing it.
Be Careful
Last but not least, it’s important to be careful while using any tools that can be found on the web. Because there are so many scammers out there who try to trick you into installing malware onto your site, it’s important to be extremely careful about what plugins you use and how you use them. Never install a plugin unless you have the developer’s permission and make sure you always check for updates prior to use.
In many cases, the plugin’s author will provide instructions on how to use their plugin properly, but it’s still important to study how to use these kinds of tools so you don’t end up using them incorrectly.
This can lead to all sorts of issues, from the obvious (the plugin does something you didn’t ask it to do) to the more obscure (your site gets hacked because someone exploited a vulnerability in the plugin’s source code). In those cases it’s usually not worth the trouble, so it’s better to find a new plugin or fix the one you have if you’re facing any problems at all.
With that said, let’s get back to basics. Sometimes the layout of a WordPress plugin just doesn’t work well with the way you want your site to look. Luckily, there’s an easy fix: just change a few things around and voila! Your new, perfect WordPress website!