How Do I Apply an Elementor Template to a Page

In Elementor, the word “template” covers a few different things. Understanding which type you’re working with avoids confusion:

Template Library templates are pre-built page and block designs provided by Elementor. You can browse and insert them directly from inside the editor without downloading or importing anything. The free version gives access to a smaller selection; Elementor Pro unlocks the full library including more advanced layouts.

Saved templates are designs you’ve built yourself and saved for reuse. Once you save a page or section as a template, it appears in the “My Templates” tab of the template library. This is useful for reusing a consistent layout across multiple pages, or maintaining design consistency on client sites.

Template kits are collections of pre-built templates with a shared visual style, usually downloaded as a ZIP file and imported into WordPress via the Template Kit Import plugin. Once imported, the individual kit templates appear in your saved templates list. If you haven’t imported your kit yet, there’s a separate process for that step.

Global sections and headers/footers (Elementor Pro only) are a different category, managed through the Theme Builder rather than the page template library. These apply site-wide rather than to individual pages.

Each non-global template type is applied the same way: through the template library panel inside the Elementor page editor.

Here’s how to apply a template to any page in Elementor:

1. Open the page in Elementor. From your WordPress admin, go to Pages, hover over the page you want to edit, and click “Edit with Elementor.”
2. Click the folder icon. In the Elementor editor, look for the folder icon (Templates) in the middle of the top toolbar. Click it to open the template library panel.
3. Choose your template type. The panel has tabs: Pages, Blocks, and My Templates. Browse Pages or Blocks for pre-built designs from Elementor. Go to My Templates for saved designs or imported kit templates.
4. Preview before inserting. Hover over any template and click the magnifying glass icon to preview it full-screen. This shows the layout before you commit.
5. Click Insert. The template’s sections are added to your page canvas. You can then edit any element to match your content.
6. Save your page. Click Publish (or Update for an existing page) to make the changes live.

Troubleshooting common issues:

• Template not showing in My Templates: Make sure the import completed successfully. Go to Templates > Saved Templates in your WordPress admin to confirm the template is listed there.
• Template looks different after inserting: The template uses its own fonts and colors, which may not match your theme’s global styles. In Elementor Pro, you can update the template’s colors and typography to match your site’s Style Kit settings.
• Insert button is grayed out: Some Pro templates require an active Elementor Pro subscription. If you’re on the free version, filter by “Free” templates in the library.

If you’re working with an imported template kit and your templates aren’t showing up in My Templates, make sure the kit was fully imported. See our guide on how to upload an Elementor template kit if you need to complete that step first.