Focus Keyword: Astra Theme
When it comes to building a professional-looking WordPress website without being a coding wizard, the pairing of the Astra Theme and the Elementor page builder is a top-choice combo. In this article, we’ll dive deeply into how these two tools work together, what compatibility features you should know about, how to set them up for maximum effect, and how to avoid common pitfalls. If you’re a digital marketer, content creator, or online business consultant (just like you!), this guide will be your full-fledged roadmap.
Why Combine Astra Theme + Elementor?
- Astra Theme is built for page builders. Astra is designed from the ground up to play nicely with tools like Elementor. According to the Astra team: “Astra is one of the few themes that are fully compatible with Elementor 3.0 Theme Builder.” (Astra)
- Elementor gives you visual design power. With Elementor, you can drag-and-drop sections, create custom layouts, and design without code. Pairing it with Astra means you get both the flexible design of Elementor and the structural foundation of a theme optimized for speed, SEO, and layout control. (Web Help Agency)
- Performance + flexibility. Astra’s lightweight code, clean structure, and builder-friendly settings mean you won’t end up with a slow, bloated site just because you used a builder. And that’s gold for SEO, conversion, and user experience. (Astra)
If you’re building websites for clients or your own brand, leveraging the Astra + Elementor combo means you can launch faster, customize more freely, and still maintain strong performance and SEO foundations.
Key Compatibility Features to Know
1. Full-Width / Stretched Layout for Elementor
When you use Elementor to design pages, you often want that full-width canvas: no sidebar, no distractions, full design control. Astra supports this out of the box. In fact, the Astra docs recommend using the Full Width / Stretched container layout for Elementor pages. (Astra)
Steps:
- Edit the page → Astra Settings (sidebar)
- Choose “Full Width / Stretched” under Container Layout
- Disable sidebar and/or page title if needed
This ensures your Elementor canvas behaves exactly as designed.
2. Automatic Page Title & Sidebar Removal for Elementor Pages
Astra makes it easy to turn off things like the page title and sidebar just for pages you’ll edit in Elementor. From the Astra meta-settings panel, you can choose “No Sidebar” or hide the title. This is especially helpful so Elementor content isn’t constrained by unwanted elements. (Astra)
3. Starter Templates Built for Elementor
Instead of building every page from scratch, Astra offers a library of Starter Templates that are compatible with Elementor. Choose one, import the site, and then customize with Elementor. This speeds up delivery and keeps the design consistent. (Astra)
4. Header & Footer Flexibility: Astra or Elementor?
One important question: Should you use Astra’s Header & Footer builder, or let Elementor handle it?
- With Astra, you get header/footer building in the Customizer (even in the free version) and full integration with Elementor content. (Astra)
- With Elementor Pro, you can use its Theme Builder to build headers/footers as templates. Astra supports that too: “Astra is fully compatible with Elementor Pro and its Theme Builder.” (Astra)
So you have both choices — pick the workflow that fits your comfort level.
5. Elementor-Ready Global Settings in Astra
Astra gives you global typography, color, and layout settings in the Customizer. Even when using Elementor for page-by-page design, those global settings ensure design consistency across the site. Plus, Astra intelligently detects when you’re using Elementor and adapts layout options accordingly. (Astra)
Setting Up: Astra Theme + Elementor in 5 Easy Steps
As someone who helps others build and consult on online business sites, these are the steps I’d recommend to ensure a smooth setup:
- Install the Astra Theme
- In WP Dashboard → Appearance → Themes → Add New → Search “Astra” → Install → Activate.
- Astra’s lightweight structure ensures a strong foundation.
- Install & Activate Elementor (and optional Elementor Pro)
- Plugins → Add New → Search “Elementor Page Builder” → Install & Activate.
- If you plan to use Theme Builder or advanced widgets, go for Elementor Pro later.
- Import a Starter Template (optional but recommended)
- Plugins → Add New → Search “Starter Templates” (by Astra) → Install & Activate.
- In Appearance → Starter Templates → Select Elementor as builder → Pick a template → Import Complete Site.
- You now have a full site scaffold you can customize.
- Adjust Astra Global Settings
- Appearance → Customize → Global > Colors & Typography → Set your brand fonts and palette.
- Customize → Layout → Container → Set default width, etc.
- Make sure the site-wide styling aligns with your brand and marketing goals.
- Edit Pages with Elementor
- Create a new page or edit an existing one → click Edit with Elementor.
- In the page’s sidebar (Astra Settings), ensure Container is “Full Width / Stretched”, Title & Sidebar disabled if needed. (Astra)
- Use Elementor’s widgets to build your layout: hero section, CTAs, testimonials, blog posts, etc.
- Preview on mobile, tablet, and desktop and ensure everything is responsive.
This workflow gives you the best of both worlds: Astra’s structural and performance strength, plus Elementor’s design flexibility. As your digital marketing consultancy, you’ll appreciate that you can build fast, branded, optimized sites your clients will love.
Best Practices & Tips for Marketing-Friendly Sites
✅ Keep Performance in Mind
Even though both Astra and Elementor are optimized, you still need to watch your site load times, imagery, plugin bloat, and hosting quality. Good foundations here directly impact your SEO and user experience.
✅ Use Global Styles & Reusable Blocks
Define your brand fonts, colors, and spacing once in Astra and Elementor Global Settings. Then, recycle templates and sections across pages to maintain consistency and speed up production.
✅ Leverage Starter Templates Smartly
You don’t have to build every page from scratch. With Astra Starter Templates for Elementor, you can launch a site fast (which is great when demonstrating results to clients). Then customize and optimize further.
✅ Optimize for Mobile
Elementor provides mobile/tablet preview modes. Astra’s settings also let you fine-tune layouts per device. In a mobile-first world (and especially relevant for SEO and conversions), this cannot be ignored.
✅ Build With Marketing Funnel in Mind
Because you’re into digital marketing and consulting, make sure the page builder/ theme combo is configured to support key funnel pages: landing pages, sales pages, blog posts, webinar registrations, and e-commerce. Astra + Elementor support all of those when set up right.
✅ Regularly Test & Update
Page builder themes and plugins are constantly evolving. Astra and Elementor both receive frequent updates. Ensure that you keep them updated, test after major updates, and maintain compatibility.
Note: Some users have reported issues with Elementor not loading under certain Astra configurations. E.g., one user on WordPress.org reported:
“Elementor loads if I change the theme to Twenty Twenty-Three … using the Astra parent theme does not solve the problem” (WordPress.org)
This underscores the importance of staging sites and testing after updates.
When Might You Consider Alternatives?
While the Astra + Elementor combo is very strong, there are situations where you might evaluate other tools or configurations:
- If you require an ultra-minimal base theme with zero extra styling, the Hello Elementor Theme (by Elementor) might be considered. However, compared to Astra, Hello provides much less built-in customization. (Astra)
- If you prefer using the Gutenberg block editor rather than the page builder, you might evaluate alternatives built primarily for Gutenberg. Astra does support Gutenberg, but your workflow would differ.
- If you’re on a very tight budget and need only a very basic site, free versions of both Astra & Elementor may suffice—but you should still plan for an upgrade as needs grow. (Astra)
For most marketers, consultants, and content creators, however, Astra + Elementor is a smart, scalable choice.
Final Word
The combination of Astra Theme and Elementor gives you structure, performance, design freedom, and marketing-ready functionality all in one package. Whether you’re building your personal brand site, launching client websites, or scaling digital offerings, this pairing supports your content, SEO, and conversion goals.
As someone who provides digital marketing and online business consulting services, you’ll appreciate that this setup allows you to deliver high-quality websites quickly—not just visually pleasing sites, but ones built for speed, SEO, and growth.
Ready to build your next site? Let me know, and we can help you draft a full step-by-step tutorial, or even tailor a checklist for your client work using Astra + Elementor.
Let’s build something that converts and looks great!
