Last updated April 7, 2026
How and When to Use WordPress Editor & Elementor Editor
When to Use the WordPress Editor
Use the WordPress editor when adding or editing the following content types:
- Team
- Our Stories
- Board of Directors
- Careers Quotes
- Events
- Programs & Operations Mgmt
- Senior Leadership
Some content types can use either the WordPress editor or the Elementor editor, depending on if the content needs a more complicated layout or not. If your post is complicated and you want to add images and columns, use the Elementor editor. These content types are:
- Press Releases
- PostsÂ
- Events
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When to Use the Elementor Editor
Use the Elementor editor when editing Pages.
Some content types can use either the WordPress editor or the Elementor editor, depending on if the content needs a more complicated layout or not. If your post is complicated and you want to add images and columns, use the Elementor editor. These content types are:
- Press Releases
- PostsÂ
- Events
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Elementor Tips
Edit an Elementor page by choosing Edit with Elementor from the top menu. Don’t choose the items below Edit with Elementor since those are templates and changes to them will effect multiple pages.
When you have opened the Elementor editor, note that the top of the page is grayed when you hover over it and is actually the header template which will open if you click on it. Try not to edit the header template or the page template but edit the main part of the page instead. The footer template is at the bottom of the page. Templates can also be embedded in widgets on the page if they are used on other pages in the site as well.
Click on the item you wish to edit and it will show up in the left editor. Or select the element by clicking the top left pen icon. IMake changes in the column to the left.
To duplicate an item, right click the pen icon to see the options.
Add an image, heading or text field widget by accessing widgets from the plus sign + in the top menu on the left.
You can also access history from the round arrow and clock icon in the top menu to revert back to earlier versions of your edits.
Watch the Elementor Editor basics video for more tips.
Elementor Tips
See tips on using the Elementor editor in this introductory video.
Undoing Changes
Elementor saves revisions as you publish your page. You can revert back to an earlier version if something goes wrong.
In the Elementor editor, Then go to the left editor and select the History (round arrow icon) at the bottom. Here you can select Actions or Revisions and choose an earlier version to restore earlier versions of your page.
WordPress Tips
Use the WordPress editor for posts and custom post types like Our Stories, Slides, etc. See more about custom post types below.
The WordPress editor is also easier to use to add Featured Images and Yoast seo page title and description information as well.
General Tips
Video Tips
Don’t upload videos directly to the site. The file size is usually too big and can really slow your site down. Instead, post videos to your YouTube channel and add them with a link. Videos need with audio need to have captions and provide a link to a transcript for accessibility or provide the transcript on the page where the video link is posted, directly under the video.
Image Tips
Optimize the images for the web before you add them to the site. Large file size images load slowly especially on mobile devices. This will slow down the website loading speed and visitors might leave. Images should be set to 72 dpi with a file size under 100kb.
Tinypng.com will generate smaller size images with similar quality from images you upload.
Search Engine Optimization
Go to the WordPress editor and scroll down under the post area, you will see the Yoast editor for the keyphrase, title and page description meta tag.
Write SEO meta tags for your post including title and description that describe what its about. When your title and description are the correct length you will see a green circle. In the Elementor editor, Yoast settings are found when you click the page settings above the top left of editor.
Text Editing
Avoid copy and paste from Word,
it brings in extra code that changes the way the text looks.
If possible, copy from a text editor like TextEdit or Notepad set to plain text.
If you have to copy from Word, then place into the “Text” tab in the editor window. Then change the tab back to “Visual.”
Clearing Website Cache
Caching is used to speed up the loading of the website. But it can sometimes cause problems with seeing updates.
After updating, if your changes don’t appear on the site. Select Purge SG Cache from the top editor bar and then reload your browser page. This clears the cached version of the website. The cache updates every few hours so new changes won’t appear immediately unless you clear the cache. Your changes should be visible now.Â
Log out and check the site after logging out to see if the changes are made. Check in incognito mode or another browser to be sure.
Problem with A Page, It Turns White with Text at the Top
Switching to WordPress Editor from Elementor Editor by Mistake
If you try to edit a page and then the page turns white with text at the top, it might have been switched from the Elementor editor to the WordPress editor. To switch it back and restore the page, go to Edit Page in the top menu. Once in the editor, choose Edit with Elementor.
Once the Elementor editor opens, you should see the page the way it used to look. Save the page and view it by clicking on the hamburger icon on the top left and choosing View Page. It should look fine. To make edits to this page, choose Edit with Elementor at the top versus Edit Page.
Site Maintenance and Backups
Your site has regular maintenance done to update plugins and software. The website is backed up daily and copies are saved for 90 days. If you notice any issues with a plugin or update, trying clearing the cache. If this doesn’t help, please contact us for assistance.
Editing Custom Post Types
Custom content post types are set to display in different areas of the website automatically. Some of them have custom fields below the WordPress post area where you can add information that is set to appear in certain areas of the page without you needing to worry about formatting it.
Slides (Display on the Home Page)
The slides at the top of the home page are displayed with a custom post type called Slides. To add a new slide or remove a slide, go to the WordPress Admin area and select Slides in the left column. View all slides or Add New Slide. Â
Adding Headline to Slide
Add the headline in the WordPress post title area. Limit the length so it fits nicely in the circle shape.
Adding Text to Slide
Add text to the WordPress post edit area. Limit the length to about 20-25 words so it fits the circle shape nicely.
Adding Call to Action and Call to Action Link to Slide
Below the WordPress edit area there are Call to Action link and Call to Action button text fields to add link and text for the call-to-action button that appears on the slide. Limit the length of the text so the button is not too big.
Adding an Image to a Slide
When you add a new image, in the Slide’s edit window, go on the left towards the bottom. There is a Slide Image field. Click the X on the right to delete the current image, if changing the image. The new image should be 960px wide by 600px high.
Add it here and Update the page and the Featured Image will be auto-added.
Events
Add a new event from the top or left menu. You can duplicate an existing event and edit that to help with setup,
Go to the WordPress editor, add the event title and then go to More Fields below the editor, add the event start and end date information. Add a featured image for the event. Add Yoast title and description. Save the event as a draft. Then, open the Elementor editor and add details about your event.Â
Publish it.
If an event has passed and you no longer want it to be visible, use Quick Edit and change it to a draft and save. This way you can keep it in case you have a similar event in the future and want to refer to it. But, it won’t be visible.
Board of Directors, Senior Leadership and Programs & Operations Management
Adding a new team member or changing the order in which team members appear is much easier now.Â
To add a new team member, choose their role from Board of Directors, Senior Leadership or Programs & Operations Mgmt. Add a new post with that role.
Edit the post and add the image of the team member in the More Fields section at the bottom of the WordPress edit area. Images should be in a square format with the face centered at the size 750px wide. Name the image file the Member’s name separated by hyphens. Save in JPG format. Include alt text only of the name. The title field should be blank versus repeating the alt text field.
Add the member’s title in the Member’s Title field. Publish the post.
View all posts of that type by selecting it from the left in the WordPress admin area. Move your new post by dragging it to the position it should appear in on the page,
Webinars (Community Enrichment Series)
Add a new Webinar or Community Enrichment Series. Select New+ and then Webinar from the top menu or in the WordPress Admin area in the left column select Webinars and Add New Webinar. Add the Webinar title and description in the post edit area. Below the edit area in More Fields add the Presenter(s), Date of Webinar, Webinar Start Time, Webinar End Time and Registration Link. Don’t add the video link until the webinar is recorded and it is available. Then below in the Yoast section, add the Page Title and Meta Description. Publish the webinar.
When the webinar is over and you have the video link add it to More Fields and Video and Publish.
Careers Quotes (Display on the Careers Page)
Add a new Careers Quote by selecting +New Careers Quote from the top menu or left side menu in the WordPress admin area. Use the WordPress editor to add your content.Â
In the More Fields below the editor window, add the Team Member’s Title.
In the right column, Add a Featured Image. The image should be square, up to 900 pixels wide and under 100mb in file size.Â
Publish and the quote will display on the Careers page in a slider.
Our Stories (Display on Multiple Pages)
Add a new Our Story from the top menu or left side menu in the admin area.
Open the WordPress editor.
Categorize the Our Story by choosing the category(ies) in the right column. This will determine on which pages the Our Story will appear.
Add a featured image. It should be a square format to look best in a circle.
In More Fields, Add a Quote this will appear on the Our Story page
Add an Excerpt to appear on the home page in the slider. Limit the length of the excerpt.
Press Releases
Add a new Press Release by selecting new press release from the top menu or left side menu in the WordPress admin area. Use the WordPress editor to add your content. If you have subheadlines, make sure to set them as H2 tags versus P (paragraph) tags. See accessibility tips below for headline order information.
You can change the author in the right column and add a Featured Image. Featured images work best if they are a square format that will look good in a circle. If you don’t set a featured image the default image will be added.
Adding New Events to the Megamenu, Mobile Menu & Page Menu
Note, editing this menu involves three steps. if you need help, contact us. The site uses a separate menu for mobile visitors and desktop/tablet visitors, if changes are needed then both menu must be updated. You also need to update the menu that appears in the News and Events section in the content. Remember to remove events from the menus once they have passed unless you want to keep the link to them active.
Edit the Desktop Mega Menu for Events and News
On a page, mouse over the Edit with Elementor tab in the top menu. From the dropdown menu that appears, select News and Events megamenu post template. This opens the Mega menu. From here select the icon list widget you wish to which you want to add or remove an event. Click the pen icon and add or delete the event and the link for it. Publish the change. View page to see the change.
Edit the Page Menu that Appears in the News and Events Section
To Add an Item to the News and Events Menu:
Go to Appearance / Menus. Then Select a menu to edit and choose News and Events and click Select. When the menu loads, go to the left column and find Events. Select your new Event and click Add to Menu. Once it is in the menu, drag it to the correct position and level indent in the menu and Save Menu
Once it has saved, Purge SG Cache by selecting this item in the top menu.
Go to view the site by selecting The Coordinating Center in the top menu and then Visit Site. Go to the News and Events section and find the menu on the page and check to see if it’s up to date.
To Remove an Item from the News and Events menu:
Open this menu and select the item that you want to remove. When the item opens up you will see Remove at the bottom. Select and remove. Then Save the menu to update it.
To edit the Mobile Menu events
Go to Appearance / Menus. Then Select a menu to edit and choose Primary V2 and click Select. When the menu loads, go to the left column and find Events. Select your new Event and click Add to Menu. Once it is in the menu, drag it to the correct position and level indent in the menu and Save Menu
Once it has saved, Purge SG Cache by selecting this item in the top menu.
Go to view the site by selecting The Coordinating Center in the top menu and then Visit Site. Resize the page to mobile size and look at the menu to check it.
How to Remove an Event from the Mobile Menu
Go to Appearance / Menus. Then Select a menu to edit and choose Primary V2 and click Select. When the menu loads, go to the left column and find Events. Find the Event you want to remove and select it. Choose Remove from the options that appear. Save the menu to update it.
Forms
Form Notifications
To change or add emails to the form notifications you receive, go to the WordPress admin area. On the left, you’ll see Forms.Â
Find the form you want to edit and hover over Settings and then select Notifications. Select the notification and Edit. Here you can change the email address or keep it and add more email addresses. Separate the addresses with a comma.
Then, scroll down and click Update Notification to save it. Send a test submission of the form and check to see if it was received by the new email address.
Form Entries
Form entries are set to email to addresses specified in Notifications. Entries can also be seen in the WordPress Admin area by going to Forms on the left and then selecting Entries. Find the form whose entries you wish to view from the dropdown menu at the top.
Updating the Annual Report Page
The Annual Reports are displayed on this page https://coordinatingcenter.org/about/annual-reports/
Making an Accessible Flip Book
If your PDF is made from an InDesign document, follow the steps to make it accessible. Test it to see if it passes.Â
I recommend taking the class offered here-Â https://creative-boost.com/indesign-pdf-accessibility-course/ to learn more about the process or hire a service like Grackle Docs https://www.grackledocs.com/en/ to create it for you.
Add a New Flip Book
Go to FlipSnack.com to add a new flip book. We are currently using a free account which can have up to three flip books in it. The benefit of having a flip book on an external service is for accessibility. If your PDF does not pass testing for accessibility, it should not be on your website. Add a new flip book and upload your accessible PDF.
Add the Flip Book to the Page
Update the year of the annual report
Upload the cover image. Make an image that is 600 px square. Use this size for a consistent look. Take a screenshot and then edit it with an image editor to the square format. Save as a web JPG. Be sure to add alt text to describe the image.Â
Update the button link to the new FlipSnack flipbook.
Next under: Select an Annual Report to View or Download a PDF:
1. Upload the PDF of the new annual report to the Media library. Copy the link to the PDF.
2. Duplicate the first widget and update the cover image with the image from last year’s report, and update the link to last year’s report.Â
Contact us if you need help with any of this update process.
Accessibility Tips & Resources
Using the Accessibility Checker Plugin
Go to the Accessibility Checker plugin in the left column of the WordPress admin area. Choose Open Issues to see any issues that the last scan detected. Errors should be fixed as soon as possible. Warnings should also be fixed or set to ignore if a human check shows that they are not really a problem. Learn more about when and how to ignore accessibility warnings.
How to Add Accessible Images
First name your image file so it describes your image before uploading it to the site. For example, instead of a default file name that provides no description use a name like front-view-of-large-house.jpg. Separate words with hyphens and not blank spaces. Note that other file types like PDF documents should also have descriptive names.
Second, once you upload your image, provide a description of the image in the alt text field. Leave the title and caption fields blank instead of repeating the alt text. If an image is decorative and provides no additional meaning, check the box that says Decorative – All images must either have an alt attribute or be declared as decorative.Â
Using Descriptive Links
When linking to something from a post or page, be sure to use descriptive text to help the user understand where they will go when they click. So, don’t use links such as “Click here” where the word here is the link since this doesn’t provide enough information to the user.
Headline Order
Headings help all users—especially those using screen readers or keyboard navigation—understand the structure of the page. Skipping heading levels can create confusion and make it harder to follow the content hierarchy or navigate efficiently.
How to fix it:
Revise your headings to follow a logical order without skipping levels. For example, if a <h1> is followed by a <h3>, change the <h3> to a <h2> or add an intervening <h2> section to preserve proper structure. If needed, use CSS or block/page builder settings to style headings rather than setting the incorrect level.
Readability Level
Under the WordPress edit window, you will see Accessibility Checker’s score of the page where it tells you if there are any errors or warnings. It also provides a Readability Grade for the page. It recommends that content be at Grade 9 or lower to be accessible to more adults.
Manually Testing Your Website
You should manually test pages with a screen reader and by tabbing through content to determine if there are any issues for users. Ask users with disabilities to provide feedback on their experiences navigating the site to get suggestions for improvements.
Adding Accessible PDFs
All PDFs on the site should pass accessibility testing. Limit uploading PDFs to staff members who understand that the PDFs need to be accessible and have checked them. Check the media library for the PDFs currently on the site. If a PDF can’t be made accessible, consider presenting the content as a webpage instead.
Color Contrast
Install the Colour Contrast Analyzer to help you test color combinations on the website for accessibility. You can also check documents with it and social media posts. Or use an online checker
Ongoing Testing
Checking for accessibility is an on-going process. Since new content is being added to your website often be aware to check for accessibility issues as updates are made.
