When building a website, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is how to structure your page layout. A good layout ensures your content is presented clearly and efficiently, improving functionality and design.
Elementor offers two powerful container layout options: Flexbox and Grid. Both are great for creating modern, responsive designs but work differently. If you’re a developer and ever used Flexbox CSS or Grid CSS, you’ll find these options in Elementor familiar and design your layout visually without needing to write a single line of code.
In this guide, we’ll break down how Flexbox and Grid Container in Elementor works and explain which is better for different situations so you can make an informed choice.
What is Grid Container in Elementor
A Grid Container in Elementor is a versatile layout option that helps you organize your website’s content easily. It arranges elements into clean rows and columns, making it easy to structure your page. This layout mirrors the functionality of CSS Grid, making it a familiar option for users. Instead of manually coding properties like grid-template-rows, grid-template-columns, or gap, Elementor lets you visually adjust these settings with ease.
Each cell in the Grid Container acts like a grid area that can hold content such as images, text, or widgets. You can precisely define the number of rows and columns and align-items using properties equivalent to justify-items and align-items.
Whether you’re working on a standard page or a custom design, this layout allows you to arrange content so that it looks great everywhere. It’s perfect for designers who want to control their page structure while ensuring a smooth, user-friendly experience across devices.
Example
Imagine you’re building a blog page where you want to display recent posts in a grid format. With the Grid Container, you can show posts in 3 or 4 columns, ensuring each post thumbnail, title, and description align perfectly. It’s great for keeping the page organized and easy for visitors to see.
Benefits of Using Grid Container in Elementor
A clean, organized, and responsive layout is essential for a great user experience when designing a website in Elementor. Here are the key benefits of using the Grid Container layout.
- Grid containers help you display content in clean, structured rows and columns, making pages visually appealing.
- A grid container enables you to align and distribute elements consistently, making the design process faster and more efficient.
- It reduces the need for complex structures by simplifying the way content is arranged on the page.
- With even spacing and alignment, grid layouts give your website a polished and professional appearance.
- A neat and organized grid makes it easier for visitors to check and navigate through your content, improving overall usability.
- You can easily manage columns and rows, giving you better control over the placement of elements.
- It’s ideal for displaying similar items like blog posts, product listings, or image galleries, ensuring a consistent and visually balanced design.
What is Flexbox in Elementor
The Flexbox Container layout in Elementor offers unmatched flexibility for arranging your content. It is based on Flexbox CSS principles and streamlines the process of dynamically aligning, spacing, and arranging items. Developers familiar with properties like display: flex, justify-content, and align-items will recognize the same functionality here—now accessible without writing a single line of code.
Unlike traditional layouts that rely on rows and columns, Flexbox allows you to arrange items in a single direction—either horizontally (in a row) or vertically (in a column). It’s a flexible and dynamic way to organize elements while keeping everything balanced, no matter the size or number of items.
With Flexbox, you can align items to the start, center, end, push them to the edges, or add even spacing between them. This makes it especially useful for creating responsive designs that adjust perfectly to any screen size.
Example
Let’s say you’re creating a navigation bar, Flexbox is ideal for keeping menu items spaced evenly across the top of the screen. On the other hand, a vertical column of call-to-action buttons can be perfectly aligned and spaced using Flexbox settings.
Benefits of Using Flexbox Layout Container in Elementor
- It allows you to create responsive layouts that automatically adjust to different screen sizes without needing complicated CSS.
- Flexbox gives you more control over your layout, making it easier to align and space out content within a container.
- It automatically adjusts the size of the content to fit the available space, so your layout stays responsive and adapts effortlessly to different screen sizes.
- You can place multiple containers inside a single container, giving you more flexibility in design.
- Using Flexbox in Elementor speeds up the design process. You can easily adjust the spacing, order, and alignment of elements in one place.
- It allows for better positioning of elements vertically and horizontally, saving time on alignment issues.
Grid vs. Flexbox: What’s the Difference
When it comes to creating web layouts, both Grid and Flexbox are powerful, but they serve different purposes. Understanding the differences between them can help you choose the right layout for your design needs. Here are the differences:
| Feature | Grid | Flexbox |
|---|---|---|
| Layout Type | Works in two-dimensional (rows and columns) | Works in one-dimensional (either rows or columns) |
| Main Focus | Creating complex layouts with both rows and columns | Focus on aligning items in a single direction |
| Content Alignment | More control to align items both horizontally and vertically | Easy to align items along a single axis (row/column) |
| Responsiveness | Offers more precise control over the layout on different screen sizes | Flexible and adjusts to the available space |
| Ease of Use | Can be more complex to learn due to its two-dimensional approach | Easier to use for basic layouts, with fewer concepts to manage |
| Use Case | Can be used to make galleries, portfolios, and more | Ideal for simpler layouts, like navigation bars or single rows |
Using Flexbox and Grid Container in Elementor
In this section, we’ll show you how to use both Grid and Flexbox Containers in Elementor. Below are the simple steps to add these layout options to your page. Just follow the steps, and you’ll be able to use both layouts easily in Elementor.
- Go to your WordPress Dashboard, click on Pages, and select Add New Page. Then, edit the page using Elementor.
In the Elementor editor, you’ll find the Container option at the top of the widgets panel. Simply drag and drop the Container onto your page.
Using Flexbox Container in Elementor
- When you add a Container in Elementor, it uses the Flexbox layout by default. However, you can easily switch it to a Grid layout from the Container settings.
- Another way to add a container is while editing the page. Simply click on the “+” icon, and you’ll see two options: Flexbox or Grid. Pick the one that works best for your layout needs.
- When you select Flexbox, you’ll need to decide on the direction of your content. The first two options let you decide whether the content should be displayed vertically or horizontally. Then, you can add content to the container using widgets.
- If you choose “vertical,” the content will stack in a vertical direction. If you choose “horizontal,” the content will line up side by side. You can easily change the direction from the Container Settings.
- After that, you can customize the container settings. You can choose to set the content width as boxed or full width and adjust the preferred width and minimum height.
- In the alignment options, you can align and justify the items however you like. You can also set the gap between the content and decide whether to wrap the container content or not.
Using Grid Container in Elementor
- When you choose Grid as the layout option in Elementor, you’ve to select the structure for Grid.
- Then, you’ll notice some similar settings to Flexbox, such as adjusting the width and height of the content.
- For the items, you can choose whether to show the outline on the Grid cell or hide it. You can also set how many columns and rows you want to add to your content. Additionally, you can adjust the spacing between the columns and rows.
- Use the auto-flow dropdown to choose a Row or Column. If you choose row, widgets are placed left to right, then move to the next row. If you select a column, widgets are placed top to bottom, then move to the next column.
Getting Started with Grid & Flexbox Layout in Elementor
In conclusion, both Flexbox and Grid containers in Elementor offer great flexibility when creating layouts. Flexbox is ideal for simple, one-dimensional layouts, while Grid is better for more complex, two-dimensional designs. Choosing the right container type and adjusting the alignment and spacing allows you to create clean, responsive layouts that adapt well to different screen sizes.
