Create a template

Create a new template when you want a custom layout for specific pages, posts, or archive pages on your site. This guide explains three ways to create a template on your site.

WordPress gives you three ways to create a template. The right method depends on what you are doing when you want to create it:

• Create a new template in the Site Editor: Best when you want a reusable template for a specific purpose, such as a layout for all category archive pages or all author pages. Start here if you are not currently editing a page.
• Create a new template in the page editor: Best when you are already editing a page or post and want to create a custom template for it without leaving the editor.
• Duplicate an existing template: Best when you want to start from the design of a template you already have and change a copy of it instead of the original.

Create a new template when you want a custom reusable template that you can apply to multiple pages or posts. If you want to create a copy of an existing template and modify that one instead, follow the steps to duplicate a template.

To create a new custom template, take the following steps:

1. Visit your site’s dashboard.
2. Navigate to Appearance → Editor.
3. Click the Templates option in the left sidebar.
4. Click the “Add Template” button at the top right to create a new template.
5. Select a specific purpose for the new template, or select the “Custom template” option at the bottom to create a template that you can apply to any page or post:

6. Give your template a name and click the Create button.
7. Choose an existing pattern or click Skip to start with a blank template.
8. Click the + block inserter icon to insert any blocks or patterns you want to have in your template.
   • Make sure the Content block is part of the template so that the page content appears.
9. Once you have finalized your design, click the Save button. Your new template is now available on the site and can be applied to pages or posts.

When creating a new template in the Site Editor, you can select what the new template should apply to, which will create a template to be used for that purpose only:

The templates you can create are:

• Front Page: To use as your site’s homepage.
• Pages: To apply to a specific page on your site.
• Author Archives: To apply to posts by a specific author (or as the default template for all authors if not already set by the theme).
• Category Archives: To apply to posts with a specific category (or as the default template for all categories if not already set by the theme).
• Date Archives: To apply to pages that display posts by date.
• Tag Archives: To apply to pages that display posts by tag.
• Archive: Project: To apply to pages that display a collection of projects.
• Archive: Testimonial: To apply to pages that display a collection of testimonials.
• Single item: Post: To apply to a specific post on your site (or as the default template for all posts if not already set by the theme).
• Custom Template: A template that you can apply to any post or page.

Plugins installed on the site may add additional template types, such as product templates in WooCommerce.

If you are already editing a page or post and want to create a custom template for it right away, you can create a new template directly from the page editor. Once you save the template, you can use it on other pages or posts.

Follow these steps to create a new template in the page editor:

1. In the page settings sidebar, click the template name, then select the “Create new template” option.

2. Give your new template a descriptive name, such as “Post with sidebar”, and click the Create button.
3. You can now edit the structure in which your page is displayed.
   • Make sure to include a Content block so that the template will include the individual page or post content.
4. When you are done, click the Save button in the top-right corner. Your template is now saved and can be applied to other pages or posts.

You can create a new template by copying the design and layout from an existing template. To create a new template by copying an existing one, follow these steps:

1. From your site’s dashboard, go to Appearance → Editor and select Templates in the left sidebar.
2. Click the thumbnail image of the template you want to copy to open it for editing.
3. Click the ellipses menu (⋮) at the top right and select “Copy all blocks“.

4. Click the site icon at the top left to return to the Templates panel.
5. Click “Add Template” and choose “Custom template“.
6. Give your template a name, then click the Create button. If prompted to select a pattern, click Skip.
7. Click inside the new template’s editing area and paste the copied blocks with Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac).
8. Make any changes you want, then click the Save button. Your duplicated template is now saved and ready to apply.

After you create a template, you are taken to the template editor where you can build its layout. If you chose a pattern during creation, you will see that pattern’s design ready to customize. If you clicked Skip, you will start with a blank canvas.

Open List View to see the structure of your template. Click the icon at the top left of the screen (the icon looks like three horizontal lines). This is especially useful for selecting and rearranging blocks as you build the layout.

A typical template includes the following elements:

• A header and footer, which you can add as template parts so they stay consistent across your site.
• A Content block, which displays the individual content of whatever page or post uses this template. Without it, your pages will appear empty.
• Any additional blocks or patterns you want in the layout, such as a sidebar, a navigation menu, or a subscription box.

For detailed guidance on editing the layout, customizing the header and footer, and more, see Edit a template.

Saving your template adds it to your site. Here is what to do next:

• Apply the template to a page or post: Assign your new template to specific pages or posts so it controls their layout.
• Edit the template: Change the layout, add blocks, or adjust the header, footer, or sidebar at any time.
• Check that your template includes a Content block: Without a Content block, the individual content of each page or post will not appear inside the template. If your pages look empty after you apply the template, this is usually the cause.
• Fix content added to a template instead of a page: If you added content directly to the template that you meant to add to a single page, this guide explains how to move it.