Page Templates

A page template controls the frame around a page’s content: whether it shows the site header and footer, how wide the content area is, and how much WordPress adds around what you build. Choosing the right template per page is the difference between a page that fits your design and one that fights it.

You set the template in two places that work together: the Page Attributes panel in WordPress and the Elementor page settings when editing with the builder.

Where to choose a template

When you edit or create a page in WordPress, look for the Page Attributes box (in the block editor it’s under the Page tab in the settings sidebar). The Template dropdown there lists the layouts available from Shock and Elementor.

If you design the page with Elementor, you can also set the layout from inside the builder: open Settings (the gear icon at the bottom-left of the Elementor panel) and choose a Page Layout. The Elementor setting takes effect for that page and is the most common way to pick a template when building visually.

Reference image — replace before publishing16:9

Elementor editor with the panel's Settings tab open (gear icon, bottom-left of the Elementor panel), showing the Page Layout dropdown with the Default, Elementor Full Width, and Elementor Canvas options.

Common templates and when to use each

The exact names can vary slightly depending on your Elementor version, but these are the layouts you’ll reach for most often:

Template	What it does	Use it for
Default	Renders the page with your theme’s normal frame — including the Navbar and Footer Global Sections — and the theme’s standard content width.	Most content pages: About, Services, Contact, blog-style pages.
Elementor Full Width	Keeps the header and footer but removes the theme’s content-width constraint so sections can stretch edge to edge.	Landing pages and marketing pages with full-bleed hero sections and backgrounds.
Elementor Canvas	A completely blank page — no header, footer, or theme styling. Just your Elementor content on a bare canvas.	Standalone landing pages, coming-soon / maintenance pages, popups, or anything that must not show the site chrome.

How to decide

• Want the normal site header and footer? Use Default (or Full Width if you also need edge-to-edge sections). Your Global Sections handle the header and footer automatically.
• Building a self-contained page with its own header and footer, or none at all? Use Canvas and add whatever chrome you need directly in Elementor.
• Designing a Global Section itself (Navbar, Footer, Popup)? Those are edited on their own and don’t need a page template — see Global Sections.

Tip

Because the Navbar and Footer are Global Sections, the Default and Full Width templates will show them automatically wherever their display conditions apply. If a page unexpectedly has no header or footer, check that you’re not using the Canvas template.

Caution

The Canvas template strips the header and footer entirely. If you switch a normal content page to Canvas, its navigation and footer will disappear — only choose it for pages that are meant to stand alone.