Overview
This article provides further information about the Astra theme and how to install it to quickly build and customize a website without the need for coding.
Background
Astra is a fully customizable WordPress theme suitable for blogs, personal portfolios, business websites, and eCommerce sites (Ecwid and WooCommerce). It is pre-configured with all WordPress installations allowing you to use any of the free ready-made starter templates designed by professionals.
Watch the following video for more information about using an Astra theme on your DreamHost WordPress plan:
FAQs
What is a WordPress website builder?
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A WordPress website builder is a plugin that allows you to easily create a website. There are various types of website builders, such as Gutenberg, Elementor, and Beaver Builder.
The Starter Templates plugin is installed automatically when you install WordPress in the panel. This plugin gives you access to pre-made website templates you can use with any of the website builders below.
Which website builders can I use with Astra?
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There are three website builders you can use with the Astra theme and the Starter Templates plugin: Gutenberg, Elementor, and Beaver Builder:
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Gutenberg — also known as the Block Editor (or Default WordPress Editor), Gutenberg is a user-friendly builder that enables you to design your posts and pages more easily. It replaced the WordPress Classic Editor to offer a more intuitive web-building experience.
The Spectra plugin powers up the Gutenberg editor with advanced blocks that help you speed up the process of website building with easy-to-use settings and customizations for intuitive visual styling. See this page to learn more about Spectra and Astra.
- Elementor — a drag-and-drop page builder for WordPress. This plugin helps you create beautiful dynamic pages using a visual editor.
- Beaver Builder — a flexible drag-and-drop page builder that works on the front end of your WordPress website. It allows you to easily create websites and landing pages without writing any code.
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Gutenberg — also known as the Block Editor (or Default WordPress Editor), Gutenberg is a user-friendly builder that enables you to design your posts and pages more easily. It replaced the WordPress Classic Editor to offer a more intuitive web-building experience.
How do the various website builders compare?
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You can visit the following links for a comparison between the three website builders:
Which website builder should I use?
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You can consider the following criteria to make your choice:
- If your goal is performance, Gutenberg is your best choice.
- If your goal is to have broader functionality and ease of use, then Elementor or Beaver Builder is a better choice.
- If you don’t know how to build a site using any of these builders, you can get started using a starter template, which is covered in the following section.
Using a template to build a website
To get started with the Astra Theme, watch the following video for more information and then use the steps below to create a new template:
- Click the Get Started button on the WordPress Dashboard page.
- Click the Build Your Website Now button that appears on the following page.
- The Page Builder opens.
- Select a Page Builder.
DreamHost recommends using the Block Editor (Gutenberg) builder because all of its available templates are free, and there are numerous types to choose from.
- After selecting the Block Editor, a list of available templates appears.
- Select a template that you wish to use. You can filter all templates by their popularity, date, or industry. You can then edit the following options before making your new layout live:
- Upload a logo (suggested Dimensions: 180x60 pixels)
- Edit the logo width
- Change colors
- Change fonts
- Enter additional details about your business when prompted.
DreamHost recommends leaving all of the options under Advanced Options checked (except Shared Non-Sensitive Data, which you can uncheck if you wish).
- Click the Submit & Build My Website button.
The installation process should take no more than a few minutes to complete. Once it finishes, click the View Your Website button to navigate to your website. You can then edit its content as desired.