Site Footer

The Footer is a shared section that appears at the bottom of pages across the site. It supports secondary navigation, trust-building content, and supporting actions that help users who reach the end of a page.

Footer designs vary by project, but most include a combination of the following components:

  1. Logo or brand images
  2. Description or contact text
  3. Call to action button
  4. One or more navigation menus
  5. Social media links
  6. Legal menu
  7. Copyright

Not every Footer includes all of these elements, and placement may vary depending on the design. The overall structure and editing approach, however, remain consistent.

The Footer is managed as a template part in the Site Editor. While its design, layout, and content can vary greatly between sites, it’s always edited in the same location and changes here affect every page that includes the Footer.

Footer editing happens in the Site Editor.

  1. From the WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance → Editor
  2. Select Patterns, then All template parts
  3. Click footer to begin editing

You are now editing a template part. Any changes you make will apply everywhere the Footer is used.

The Footer is built using a flexible collection of blocks, similar to building content on a page.

Commonly used blocks include:

  • Group blocks
  • Columns blocks
  • Text and media blocks
  • Navigation blocks

Editor experience

While the Footer editor is largely visual, there are a few important differences to keep in mind:

  • Template parts do not have a preview option
  • The editor allows resizing the viewport width, but responsive behavior is not fully represented
  • Layout changes may behave differently across screen sizes on the front end

Because of this, Footer updates should be made carefully and always reviewed on the front end after saving.

Use List View to understand structure

It’s strongly recommended to use List View when editing the Footer.

Footer layouts often rely on:

  • Nested Group blocks
  • Columns blocks with specific width and alignment settings
  • Carefully structured hierarchy for responsiveness

List View helps you:

  • Select the correct block more easily
  • Understand how layout blocks are nested
  • Avoid accidentally breaking structure

In many Footer designs, the top-level Group block controls global Footer styles such as background color and padding.

Logo or brand images

Footers often include a logo or other brand-related imagery, such as certification or trust badges.

  • Use Image blocks for logos or brand images
  • Images are usually smaller than header logos
  • Placement and sizing are controlled by surrounding Group or Column blocks

Images should be used selectively to maintain a clean, readable Footer.

Description or contact text

Many Footers include a short text description positioned near the logo.

This may include:

  • A brief company description
  • Contact information
  • Location details

This content is typically added using Paragraph blocks and often uses a smaller font size to remain visually secondary.

Call to action button

Some Footers include a single call to action.

Common examples include: Apply now, Donate, Schedule a demo, Join a newsletter

Best practices:

  • Use only one call to action in the Footer
  • Position it near the logo or description content
  • Add it using a Button block

Most sites include one or more navigation menus in the Footer.

How footer menus are used

Footer menus should be treated as secondary navigation:

  • They support users looking for specific information
  • They should never be more complex than the Primary Menu
  • They focus on high-value or utility pages
  • Multiple menu may be used when grouping content such as Products, Resources, Company information
  • A maximum of three menus is recommended

Building footer menus

Each submenu uses a Navigation block.

If the menu does not yet exist, the editor will display a message indicating the Navigation Menu is unavailable. In this case, click Create a new menu link in the editor and the Navigation block will be added.

  1. Select the Navigation block
  2. Use the block settings sidebar to build the menu (recommended)

Adding menu links from the sidebar

  1. In the sidebar, click +
  2. Choose a link type:
    • Page Link (for existing site pages)
    • Custom Link (for internal or external URLs)
  3. Enter the page name or URL
  4. Click Submit icon or press Enter

Repeat this process to add all submenu links. Menu items can be reordered as needed.

Social media links are commonly included in the Footer.

  • Use the Social Icons block
  • Each icon links to a corresponding social media profile

The Legal menu is a small navigation menu focused on compliance-related content.

It typically includes links such as Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, Accessibility statement

This menu is built using a Navigation block and is usually positioned near the bottom of the Footer, close to the copyright.

The Footer often includes a Copyright block.

This block automatically displays the copyright symbol and current year

Block settings include:

  • Copyright text — typically the company name
  • Show starting year — allows formatting like 1980–2026

Layout and styling

Footers rely heavily on Group and Columns blocks to achieve layout and responsiveness.

  • The top-level Group block generally controls the footer:
  • Background color
  • Padding and spacing
  • Inner Group and Column blocks manage layout and alignment

To update overall Footer styling, select the top-level Group block and adjust settings in the Styles panel.

Publishing changes

The Footer is a template part, and previewing changes is not available.
Once updates are complete click Save to publish your changes
Changes will take effect immediately wherever it’s used.

Making changes safely

Before editing the Footer:

  • Use List View to understand structure
  • Avoid removing or restructuring Group or Column blocks unless necessary
  • Make small, intentional changes
  • Save and review on the front end

Because the Footer appears across the site, even small edits can have a wide impact.

Tips for editors

Keep content focused

Footers work best when content is concise and purposeful. Avoid adding large blocks of text.

Use hierarchy intentionally

Visual hierarchy helps users scan Footer content quickly. Keep secondary content visually subtle.

Limit navigation complexity

Footer menus should support discovery, not replicate the Primary Menu.

Always review on the front end

The editor view is helpful, but the front end is the source of truth for layout and responsiveness.