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WordPress definitions have made a lot of fundamental changes over the last few years, and there is a lot of new terminology. Making matters worse, a lot of new terminology sounds similar to older terminology and terms can be easily confused. Also, there is a lot of older terminology that is used in coordination with new technology even though the old terminology was used to describe old technology, so the old terms are misleading. Confused? I’ll bet you are. Your solution to confusion is to keep reading.

It should be noted that this is not meant to be an exhaustive glossary of WordPress terminology. It is meant to serve as a reference for commonly used new terms and old terms that have new definitions. This post was first published shortly after the release of WordPress 6.4.

WordPress Definitions: Blocks

WordPress blocks are a user interface used to develop content with WordPress. There are a number of different ways to add content with WordPress such as the customizer, the classic editor, and third party page builders. However WordPress blocks are currently the primary content development technology for WordPress.

Blocks can be created using the block editor, widget areas, and the site editor. Those definitions are explained below.

WordPress Definitions: Gutenberg

Gutenberg is a plugin that serves as the cutting edge for WordPress block development. It provides the latest features of the block editor before they are integrated into the WordPress core. You are not required to install Gutenberg to run WordPress.

WordPress Definitions: Block Editor

The block editor is not to be confused with the site editor. I’ll explain about the site editor later. The block editor has become the primary way to add most of your content in WordPress. It automatically opens up whenever you start or edit a new page or post.

The block editor is used to manipulate content inside of WordPress pages. It offers controls that refine or override updates performed by the customizer or the site editor. You can read about the customizer and the site editor below.

Most of the block editor’s features are written by the WordPress core team, but parts of it may be extended by the WordPress theme that you have chosen.

The block editor replaced the classic editor as the primary way to add content through the WordPress core. The block editor has a higher learning curve than the classic editor, but the block editor is also more powerful.

WordPress Definitions: Customizer

The customizer is what you use to set up the layout and overall look of your website. It controls primary content containers for your site such as headers, footers, and sidebars. And it controls how your site is divided into different sections. The customizer is driven by a theme such as one of the Big Themes. Different themes have different looks and different customizer controls to manage the theme.

You must have a theme that supports the customizer if you wish to access the customizer. You can access the customizer through the admin center by selecting Appearance > Customize.

WordPress Definitions: Widgets Areas

Widget areas are one type of control used by the customizer to add content into your website in areas that are shown in certain reoccurring sections of your website or every page of your website. Widget areas are called widget areas because they used to be controlled by a user interface known as widgets. Today they still can be controlled by classic widgets. But the primary way to add content to widget areas is using blocks. Essentially you can inject the block editor ad hoc into the customizer.

Screenshot of a widget area from the admin center

You can add content to widget areas using the WordPress admin center or the customizer.

WordPress Definitions: Site Editor

The site editor is the newest method for managing the overall look of your WordPress website. The site editor refers to full site editing. I explain the complete definition of full site editing in the next section.

Unlike the customizer, the site editor manipulates content exclusively through blocks. Like the customizer, the site editor is controlled by WordPress themes. That means that unless you have a theme that supports the site editor, you won’t be able to find the site editor in your admin center.

The site editor has struggled to gain popularity. Only 2 percent of theme downloads comes from themes tagged with full site editing. Users don’t like the site editor because of its high learning curve, and developers tend to dislike it because of its underdeveloped API. In other words, it can be more difficult to use the site editor than the customizer, and it offers less power than the customizer.

It is also important to note that the site editor does not replace the need to use the block editor. However, the block editor and the site editor can perform redundant functions, and they have a similar user interface, so it can be easy to confuse what is the most appropriate control choice.

Full Site Editing

Full Site Editing is a bit of a misnomer because it implies that your WordPress website can not be fully edited without the full site editor. This isn’t true. Full site editing also implies that site editing is the most powerful way to edit a WordPress website. This is also not true. The term full site editing is generally regarded as a mistake, however since it proliferated into areas where it is now hard to remove, it is still referenced for legacy purposes.

Block Based Themes

“Block based themes” is a really misleading term because it doesn’t refer to any theme that uses blocks. If a theme is supported by the customizer (which is the majority of themes that use blocks), then it is still not considered a block based theme. Block based themes are only themes that use the site editor.

The Classic Editor and Page Builders

The classic editor and page builders are no longer necessary for building a WordPress site since the introduction of the block editor. However, many people are familiar and comfortable with them, so they are still used. They are all plugins, so you don’t need to learn how to use them if you are unfamiliar with them, however I did write a little bit more about those subjects in an older article.

Questions?

Hopefully if you are either new to WordPress, or if you have been relying on older versions of it, then this article has brought you up to speed. If you have any questions, then please feel to write them into the comments area.

Widget areas and menu areas in WordPress are features that have been around for a long time. And in the age of blocks, you might have the impression that they are no longer relevant. But that isn’t true. If you don’t understand WordPress widget and menu areas, then you are missing out on features that have a huge impact on your site.

Assumptions Before Reading About WordPress Widget and Menu Areas

You should understand the basics about setting up a website and using WordPress before reading this post.

The Basics of WordPress Widget and Menu Areas

WordPress widget and menu areas are theme driven. They are areas within the layout of your site designated by your theme where you can add content. If the area being designated is a menu area, then you can add a menu. And if the area being designated is a widget area, you can add what used to be known as widgets. Although today, it is more preferable to add blocks.

The Difference between Widgets, Menus, and the Block Editor

The block editor is used to add content to the body of individual pages and posts. Widgets and menus are added to areas of your pages that are global or semi-global. Menus and Widgets solve the problem of setting content onto every page or certain types of pages.

The Basics of Adding Content to WordPress Widget and Menu Areas

There are two basic ways that you can add content to a widget area or a menu area. You can use the designated admin sections on the admin page of your site, or you can use the customizer. Once you are used to adding to these areas, you may find that it is easier to just use the customizer because the customizer shows you your updates immediately. However, the customizer doesn’t offer as much working space, and it provides less information, so learning how the admin areas work can be a simpler way to understand all of the widget and menu features.

An Example of WordPress Widget and Menu Areas

Lots of WordPress themes use WordPress widget and menu areas. However, some use a lot of areas, some use a moderate amount, and some don’t use any. So today, we are going to use the free Big Themes to perform a demonstration of WordPress widget and menu areas. In particular, we are going to be using the free Big Chill theme.

Examples of Widget Areas

There are two major areas that tend be used for widget areas:

Sidebars: These appear next to the body of your page. They may be featured on every page of your site, or they may be segregated to certain sections of your site.
Footers: The same footer is usually shown at the bottom of every page. Although some sites may use different footers based on the section of the site that you are using.

Widgets could be used in other areas as well. For example, widgets may be available in your navbar, or there may be designated widget areas that are unique to a given theme.

Viewing the Widget Admin Page

The best way to get a summary of how your theme’s widgets work is to look at your theme’s widget admin page. I’ll use the Big Chill theme to demonstrate how this works.

You can find the Big Chill theme in the admin center by going to Appearance > Themes > Add New > then type “Big Chill” into the search bar. Once you install and activate the theme, you can go to Appearance > Widgets. When you click on one of the widget areas you will see a description of how the widget areas work on the right side of the screen.

Clicking on a widget area in the admin center

How to Read Widget Sections

The best way to understand how your widgets work is to read each widget section description. You should click on each section and read what it says while paying attention to how it is distinct from the other widget areas. It may be helpful to open up a second tab in your browser and look at the customizer. This will be discussed in greater detail below.

Inactive Widgets

The primary reason that you have inactive widgets is that you created widgets in another theme and your new theme no longer supports those widget areas. You can use the inactive widget section to copy and paste your widgets or blocks into your new widget areas.

Viewing Widgets in the Customizer

Once you become familiar with how your widgets are placed into the different sections of your site, you may find that you no longer need the widget admin area, and you can rely exclusively on the customizer for managing content in your widget areas.

You can find the Widgets section of the customizer from the admin center in the Big Chill theme by going to Appearance > Customize > Sidebar and Footer Blocks.

Screenshot of adding social media blocks to the widget footer area.

In the customizer you will find that there isn’t as much working space, and you will only see widget options that are actively available. I have written about how to add sidebars and how to add footers by using the customizer in other posts, including how to add an advertisement.

Examples of Menu Areas

There are three areas where menus tend to be displayed.

Navbar
Sidebars
Footer

The great thing about using menu areas is when you add a menu using a menu area (as opposed to using a block), the theme takes care of all of the styling for you based on where you set the menu.

Viewing the Menu Admin Page

Using the menu admin page is a great way to get an overview of how your theme sets up its menus.

The controls are pretty intuitive, but it is important to pay attention to which menu is going where. So it can be helpful to look at the manage locations tab.

The important takeaway is that each menu location utilizes a unique menu. If you set the same menu in two different locations, then the same menu will appear in two different places. For example when using the Big Chill theme, you can add one menu to your navbar, then add another menu to your Main Sidebar and Page Sidebar areas. This would create and an extended sticky navbar. And it would collapse into the slide panel on mobile.

Extended menu on a tablet with the slide panel open

Extended menu on a phone in the slide panel

Viewing Menus Through the Customizer

Once you have become familiar with how your menus are added by viewing the menu admin page, you can probably rely on the customizer menu section to manage your menus. The menu options in the customizer are a lot more extensive than the widget options.

Screenshot of Menu options in the customizer

The Relationship Between Widget and Menu Areas

You should pay attention to how your menus and widgets are juxtaposed against each other. The existence of one can impact the position of the other. Assess all of your options before you start adding most of your content.

Questions About WordPress Widget and Menu Areas?

If you have any questions, then please post them in the comments area.

Category: Menus

WordPress Definitions Update