Full site editing (FSE) is revolutionizing WordPress theme design and customization. As a web developer with over 15 years of experience, I‘ve seen WordPress evolve rapidly from simple blogging platform to a sophisticated CMS.
The block editor first introduced in WordPress 5.0 was a major leap forward. It brought a "block-first" approach to content creation. But it still had limits – you could only customize within posts and pages.
Full site editing breaks down those barriers entirely. Now, everything on your site becomes a block for designing headers, footers, archives, search, 404 pages, and more.
Contents
- The Rise of Full Site Editing
- Benefits of Full Site Editing vs Page Builders
- Limitations to Be Aware Of
- 1. Kadence Block Theme
- 2. Stackable Premium – Modular Layouts
- 3. Canvas Block Theme – For Creatives
- 4. Shopify Dawn – For Online Stores
- 5. WooCommerce Daylight
- 6. Okehazama – For Restaurants
- 7. EduBlock – For Schools and Universities
- 8. Make Blog and Magazine Theme
- 9. Auditore – For Agencies and Freelancers
- 10. Sirius Blocks – For Developers
- Wrapping Up
The Rise of Full Site Editing
Full site editing was officially introduced in WordPress 5.9, released in January 2022.
Adoption has grown rapidly, with over 1 million WordPress sites and counting activating the feature according to WordPress data. The numbers will continue rising in 2024 as awareness spreads.
Full site editing brings WordPress inline with modern web design trends like headless CMS architectures. It represents an evolution beyond the constraints of traditional WordPress themes.
But to unlock its full potential, you need a compatible block theme built specifically for this new editing experience…
Benefits of Full Site Editing vs Page Builders
Many users wonder – how does full site editing compare with popular WordPress page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, Brizy etc?
There are pros and cons to each approach:
Benefits of full site editing:
- Seamlessly integrated into WordPress core
- Globally consistent branding and styles
- Lightweight without bloat
- Freedom to switch between themes
- Granular block level customization
Benefits of page builders:
- Work with any standard theme
- Massive collection of pre-built templates
- Visual drag and drop editing
- Animation effects and interactions
- Easy row and column layouts
Page builders are great for landing pages and conversion focused sites. Full site editing excels at global customization across all pages.
For maximum flexibility, many themes support combining both – building landing pages with Elementor or Beaver Builder, while customizing headers/footers with full site editing.
Limitations to Be Aware Of
While full site editing is powerful, it‘s also important to recognize its limitations:
- Switching themes can break site layout
- Restricts certain non-block theme functionality
- Less page builder-style flexibility for individual pages
- Non-technical users may find it challenging
For complex sites like ecommerce stores, page builders may still provide better individual page control. Developers can also leverage full site editing alongside custom code for advanced functionality.
Now let‘s look at some of the best themes for harnessing full site editing in WordPress.
1. Kadence Block Theme
Kadence is my top recommendation for a free full site editing theme. I‘ve used it extensively and been impressed by the wide-ranging customization options.
Some standout features of Kadence:
- Intuitive drag and drop header and footer builder
- Global typography controls
- Formulaic color palette generator
- 800+ font options
- Starter templates for pages, blogs etc
- Complete customization without code
Kadence is fast, lightweight, and suitable for any type of site including blogs, shops, portfolios, and more. It‘s beginner friendly but also has advanced options for experienced users. Highly recommended free theme.
2. Stackable Premium – Modular Layouts
Stackable Premium is a paid block theme built around stackable sections and modular layouts.
With Stackable, you can:
- Stack sections vertically or horizontally
- Drag and drop to rearrange columns
- Customize width and spacing of sections
- 600+ pre-designed sections and blocks
- Global colors, typography, borders, etc
- Import templates for blogs, shops, portfolios
If you want ultimate layout flexibility, Stackable is a great premium theme choice. It‘s perfect for marketing sites, online portfolios, and other visual heavy uses.
3. Canvas Block Theme – For Creatives
Canvas is a free block theme tailored for creative sites like artist portfolios and photography blogs.
It offers:
- Portfolio and gallery blocks
- Drag and drop blocks
- Parallax backgrounds
- Animated sections
- Responsive image grids
- Dark mode support
- Global typography controls
Canvas has a visually stunning design that really showcases photography and art. An excellent free option for creatives looking to leverage full site editing capabilities.
4. Shopify Dawn – For Online Stores
Dawn is a new block theme developed by Shopify specifically for WooCommerce stores. The best part – it‘s 100% free!
Shopify Dawn offers:
- Modular blocks for products, headers, content, footers, etc
- Create unique layouts for all pages
- Drag and drop design experience
- Global and section-specific colors
- Custom typography controls
- Fast loading optimized codebase
This makes Dawn a fantastic option for WooCommerce stores wanting to utilize full site editing. And the price can‘t be beat!
5. WooCommerce Daylight
In addition to Shopify Dawn, WooCommerce also has an official block theme called Daylight.
Daylight enables full site customization including:
- Custom logos, menus, product blocks
- Shop-specific blocks for sales, ads, widgets
- Complete design freedom
- Global color schemes
- Typography controls
- Header and footer builder
As the official block theme, Daylight is purpose built for WooCommerce. Another great free option for online stores.
6. Okehazama – For Restaurants
Okehazama is a premium block theme tailored for restaurants, cafes, bistros, and food blogs.
It includes specific features like:
- Menu and reservation blocks
- Clickable food images
- Multiple style and layout options
- Custom typography
- Animated sections
- Table booking integration
For $59, Okehazama provides a tailor-made solution to leverage full site editing in food-centric sites.
7. EduBlock – For Schools and Universities
EduBlock is a niche premium theme for educational sites like schools, universities, courses, and LMS platforms.
It offers:
- Instructor profiles
- Student testimonials
- Course modules
- Class schedules
- Responsive stats blocks
- Campus location maps
- Customizable layouts
- Google fonts
EduBlock simplifies creating education sites with WordPress and full site editing. Pricing starts at $75.
8. Make Blog and Magazine Theme
Make is a free blog and magazine theme built for the block editor. It‘s a good option for publishers and online magazines.
Make offers:
- Homepage sections and widgets
- Featured content blocks
- Customizable menus
- Trending posts modules
- Inline post images
- Dark mode support
- 400+ Google fonts
For a free theme, Make has an impressive set of features tailored to publishing sites. Well worth trying out.
9. Auditore – For Agencies and Freelancers
Auditore is a versatile premium theme for creative agencies, freelancers, and consultants to showcase services.
It provides:
- Hundreds of pre-made sections
- Page builder compatibility
- Drag and drop blocks
- Pixel perfect design
- White label installation
- Header and footer builder
- GDPR cookies consent
Priced at $59, Auditore is a robust premium theme for creative professionals.
10. Sirius Blocks – For Developers
Sirius Blocks offers a library of blocks, templates, and design tools for developers. It‘s available in free and paid versions.
Sirius provides:
- Modular blocks
- Section templates
- Flexbox layouts
- Custom styling options
- Global defaults
- Developer friendly docs
- Lifetime updates
For developers wanting to build custom sites, Sirius Blocks is an excellent toolkit.
Wrapping Up
Full site editing opens up new horizons in WordPress design flexibility. To tap into its potential, you need a compatible block theme.
This post covered some of the most popular options currently available. There‘s themes tailored for specific niches like restaurants, education, ecommerce, etc.
Choosing one that aligns with your industry and use case is important. Look for themes emphasizing modular blocks, design controls, and global customization.
With those capabilities, you can showcase your brand in WordPress like never before! The world of block themes is just getting started.
