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Building a Page

Overview

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Use this guide to understand how page building works in the UW Theme. It provides a high-level overview of the WordPress block editor and core concepts that help you build and publish pages.

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New to the block editor?

Watch a short video series that introduces the UW Theme, WordPress block editor, and common blocks.

Watch the intro training

Block Editor overview

The WordPress block editor is made up of a few key areas that open and close as you work, as shown below. It’s normal for the interface to change as you select blocks, open tools, or adjust settings. This is how the editor is designed to work.

WordPress block editor highlighting four primary areas of the interface: top toolbar, block inserter, main content area, and the settings sidebar.

The elements highlighted are:

  1. Top toolbar: Global tools for adding content, opening panels, previewing, and publishing
  2. Block Inserter: Browse and add blocks, patterns, and media
  3. Editor canvas: Where you write, edit, and arrange page content
  4. Settings sidebar: Page-level and block-level settings that change based on what’s selected

Top toolbar

The top toolbar contains global actions you’ll use while building and publishing pages. When you open a new page, the top toolbar will look like the image below. This list is meant to help you recognize what’s available as you explore the editor.

WordPress block editor top toolbar with numbered callouts highlighting key controls, such as adding blocks, opening settings, and publishing content.

The elements highlighted are:

  1. View posts / pages: Return to the list of posts or pages.
  2. Block Inserter (plus icon): Add blocks, patterns, and media to the page.
  3. Undo/redo: Reverse or reapply recent changes.
  4. Document Overview: Open List View to see all blocks on the page, or Outline to review heading structure.
  5. Command Palette: Search for editor actions and settings using the keyboard. Learn more about the Command Palette.
  6. Save draft: Save draft changes if the page is unpublished.
  7. View page: Preview how the page will appear on different screen sizes.
  8. Settings sidebar: Open the post/page sidebar settings and the block settings.
  9. Publish/Save: Make your page live or update an already published page with changes.
  10. More options (three-dot menu): Access additional editor options and preferences.

For detailed explanations of these editor tools and controls, visit the official WordPress block editor documentation.

Settings sidebar

The Settings sidebar displays a panel on the right that shows page/post-level settings or block-level settings depending on what is selected. Open the Settings sidebar from the top toolbar.

For a full overview of page and post settings, see the WordPress documentation on the Page/Post Settings sidebar.

page settings sidebar showing options for editing status, page link, accessing revisions, and more.
Example of Page settings
Block settings sidebar showing options for a selected UW Group of Links block, including style, column layout, spacing, and advanced settings.
Example of Block settings

Document Overview / List View

The Document Overview allows you to access List View and Outline sections.

List View helps you see all blocks on the page and reorder or manage them. You can group, duplicate, delete, or add blocks before or after a selection using More options (three-dot menu).

The Outline section allows you to review your page and confirm that heading levels follow a logical structure. Using headings in order (H1 > H2 > H3, and so on) makes content easier to read and helps assistive technologies interpret the page structure.

List View of blocks on the page including the Title block, paragraph, Heading, Stack, Group, and Image blocks.
Example of List View
Document outline of heading structure on a page and highlights the incorrect order of h4 after an h2.
Example of Document Outline

Tip: Keep List view open by default

You can set List View to open by default. Open More options (three-dot menu) in the top toolbar, select Preferences, then enable Always open List View under General settings.

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Create a page

Create a new page or post

Pages and posts in UW Theme are created from the WordPress admin screen and edited in the block editor. For step-by-step instructions, see the WordPress documentation on how to create pages.

Note: Page Templates not available in UW Theme

UW Theme does not include Site Editor features, so WordPress Page Templates are not available if mentioned in official WordPress documentation.

Use patterns to build pages

Pages in UW Theme work best when built as a series of sections. The recommended way to create sections is by using patterns, which let you start faster with ready-made, on-brand layouts and accessible defaults built in. Patterns are made up of a collection of blocks, and you can even create your own patterns to use across your site.

Learn more about using patterns in UW Theme, or explore how block patterns work in WordPress.

Starter full-page patterns

When you create a new page, WordPress may show a starter pattern modal with full-page layouts. Using a starter pattern is optional — you can edit it, remove sections, or start with a blank page.

Starter pattern selection modal displaying page layout patterns, with a toggle option to show or hide starter patterns when creating a new page.
Example of the starter patterns modal when creating a new page

If you prefer starting with a blank page, you can disable or re-enable the starter pattern modal in two ways:

  • Use the toggle in the lower right corner of the starter pattern modal, or
  • Open your editor preferences and manage this setting under the General tab

Learn how to manage editor preferences.

Tip: Rename blocks and page sections to stay organized

As pages grow, renaming sections and blocks in List View makes it easier to navigate your content in the block editor. Visit Block Fundamentals to learn more about renaming and managing blocks.

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Edit your page title

Pages and posts include a Title block by default, and it serves as the Heading 1 (H1) for your page.

Block toolbar above the Title block
New page with an empty Title block

Keep these general guidelines in mind when working with page titles and headings:

  • Every page should have only one main heading (H1)
  • The default Title block on new pages and posts is your H1
  • Avoid adding another Heading block set to H1 elsewhere on the page

In some cases, you may need a different H1 than your page title. If this applies to your page, visit Working with page titles and headings for guidance on replacing the Title block with a Heading block, and for more detail on how headings, page titles, and page URLs work together.

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Work with blocks

As you build your page, you’ll add and organize content using blocks, which are the individual pieces used to create page content such as headings, images, links, and buttons.

Visit the Block Fundamentals guide for more details about how to use blocks. Common tasks you may do often include:

  • Add blocks to your page and reorder them
  • Group blocks together to create custom sections or patterns
  • Rename blocks to organize content as pages grow more complex
  • Hide blocks from published view while you work on draft layouts or seasonal content
  • Adjust content width when something looks too narrow or too wide
block editor
The block editor includes tools for adding, organizing, and managing blocks as you build a page.

Tip: Use List View to see blocks on your page

Open List View from the top toolbar to see and manage blocks more easily, especially on long or complex pages.

SEO and social media settings

SEO and social media preview settings allow you to customize how a page or post appears when it’s shared on social media like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

These settings are available under the SEO and Social Media section of the Settings sidebar when a block is not selected.

You can use these settings to:

  • Set a custom social title and description
  • Choose the image that appears when a page is shared

Learn more about these sittings, along with best practices, by visiting the Customize social previews guide.

SEO and Social Media section expanded in the page settings sidebar.
SEO and Social Media section
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Preview and publish

Before publishing, it’s a good idea to preview your page and review its page-level settings.

Preview your page

Use the View option in the top toolbar (laptop icon) to preview how your page will appear on desktop, tablet, and mobile screen sizes, or open the preview in a new browser tab window. Previewing helps you catch layout issues, long line lengths, or missing headings before the page is visible to visitors.

Learn how to use the preview feature.

Dropdown selection of preview options for a page or post including Desktop, Tablet, Mobile, and previewing the page in a new tab.
Dropdown selection of preview options

Publish your page

When you’re ready, select Publish in the top toolbar. After a page is published, this button changes to Save for saving future changes.

Blue publish button in the top right of the top toolbar
Publish button in the toolbar of the editor

Publishing-related options live in the page/post Settings sidebar, including:

  • Publish status and date
  • Page excerpt
  • Page URL (slug)
  • Author and revisions
  • SEO and social preview settings

For a full overview of page and post settings, see the WordPress documentation on the Page/Post Settings sidebar.

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