Learning Full Site Editing Part Two

This is the second in the series. You can get to the first article, entitled simply Learning Full Site Editing, by clicking the link.

If you are using a full site editing theme and you are getting yourself tied in knots in the back end, take a look at this annotated diagram with the numbers and arrows on it. I also showed it in the last post and explained what the arrows were referring to.

This time, look at the small word ‘Index’ at the top, above where it says Flying Twigs. This little word is what tells you which template or template part you are in.

Last week, before I learned this stuff, I couldn’t find the query loop that I had seen previously. The reason was that I had gone into the page of templates and template parts and switched from ‘Index’ to ‘page’ without realising it.

So that little ‘index’ at the top, or whatever other words appears there, is an important signpost.

Recommendation to WP: Highlight the word in the middle of the top of the page in neon lights with flashing arrows pointing to it. Or something like that.

Here is what is looks like if you are in ‘page’ and you click the little disclosure arrow.

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If you click ‘Browse all templates’, it takes you to a page with templates and template parts. As far as I can see, you have to figure out for yourself which are full templates and which are template parts.

It’s not so hard – the header and footer are template parts. You would edit a template part when you want the edit to appear throughout the site.

If you just want to change a complete page,then would edit that page template and the changes would only affect that page.

Here is a list of the templates and template parts that you see when you click on ‘Browse all templates’.

• Index: Displays posts.
• Search: Displays search results.
• Header and Footer Only
• 404: Displays when no content is found.
• Single: The default template for displaying any single post or attachment.
• Page: Displays a single page.
• Footer Only
• Blank
• Archive: Displays post categories, tags, and other archives.

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I am not sure which of the WordPress.com themes are full site editing themes, but as I showed in the last post, you can easily tell whether the theme you are currently using is a full site editing theme. When you click on ‘Appearance’ with a full site editing theme, you see ‘Editor’ (and the word Beta in a little flattened elipse shape) and below that you see ‘Customise’. Look at my last article for a little picture showing what it looks like.

Who To Read About Full Site Editing

Read JenT for stuff about full site editing. I think she may have posted a list of the FSE themes. Actually, read the WPCOMMAVEN blog by JenT for good,,authoritative stuff about WP on WordPress.com generally.

Will There Be A Part Three?

That’s it for part two of this series and, this article may already be the last in the series, depending on what else I find out.