How to Change the Width of a Blog Post on WordPress

Customizing the width of your blog posts in WordPress is an essential part of creating a visually appealing and user-friendly website. Whether you’re looking to enhance readability, match a specific design aesthetic, or simply make your content more dynamic, adjusting the width of your blog posts can help achieve those goals.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through several methods to change the width of a blog post in WordPress. These methods cater to beginners, intermediate users, and advanced designers, ensuring there’s something for everyone.

Methods to Change the Width of a Blog Post on WordPress

1. Using the WordPress Customizer

The WordPress Customizer is by far the simplest and most novice-friendly method for making alterations to the layout of your blog. It is also realised as a tool that provides an interface through which the changes are visible in the process of their execution.

Steps:

1. Access the Customizer:
   • Go to your WordPress dashboard.
   • Navigate to Appearance > Customize.

1. Locate Layout Settings:
   • In that panel look for a section called Layout Options, Blog Settings, or something similar.
   • Depending on your theme, the naming may vary.

1. Adjust Content Width:
   • Look for ways to change the width of content or the width of the sidebar or overall page designs.
   • Width should be set with sliders or simply input fields to specified width you would like to have.

1. Preview and Save Changes:
   • Preview how your blog post appears with the new settings.
   • Once satisfied, click Publish to save changes.

Pros:

• Ideal for beginners.
• Real-time preview of changes.
• No coding required.

Cons:

• Limited customization depending on your theme.

2. Editing Templates in the Block Editor

For more control over your layout, you can modify templates using the WordPress Block Editor. This method is suitable for users familiar with the arrangement of the WordPress editor’s setting options.

Steps:

1. Access the Block Editor:
   • Go to Pages in your dashboard.
   • Either create a new page or edit an existing one.
2. Switch to Template Mode:
   • To do this, locate the Block Editor where you need to go to the Template tab.
   • Depending upon your need select which template you want to alter like Single Post Template.
3. Adjust Content Width:
   • Select the Group Block or the main element enclosing your blog post content.
   • To set the element size, scroll down the block settings panel to the Content Width section.
   • Set your desired width (e.g., pixels or percentages).
4. Save Changes:
   • Next, you will need to adjust the width of the template.

Pros:

• Greater control over layout.
• No need for additional plugins.

Cons:

• Requires familiarity with the Block Editor.
• Mistakes may affect the overall site layout.

3. Using the Cover Block for Visual Emphasis

The Cover Block is a versatile option for users looking to create visually striking blog posts. This method works well if you want specific posts to feature a unique width or background.

Steps:

1. Add a Cover Block:
   • Go to your WordPress blog post and open it in the WordPress Block Editor.
   • To do this you want to add a Cover Block from the block library.
2. Upload an Image or Set a Background:
   • Choose a picture or set the background as plain color.
3. Adjust Content Width:
   • Within the Cover Block settings, find the Content Width option.
   • Change the width according to your designs.
4. Customize Text and Elements:
   • Add headings, text, or other blocks within the Cover Block.
   • Make sure that the content is just the width that you want it to be.

Pros:

• Helps make blog posts visually a little more interesting, as well as engaging.
• It is very easy to personalize individual posts.

Cons:

• Not ideal for global width adjustments.
• Limited functionality for advanced layouts.

4. Plugins for Greater Control

In case you would like to add extra features, or you are an advanced user, WordPress plugins are perfect for you. Some useful plugins which allow users to edit blog layouts and width are SeedProd and Elementor.

Using SeedProd

SeedProd is a versatile WordPress plugin specifically created to build custom page templates.

Steps:

1. Install and Activate SeedProd:
   • In WordPress naviget to Plugins > Add New option.
   • Type SeedProd in the search bar and hit on Install Now.
   • Activate the plugin.
2. Create a New Layout:
   • Go to SeedProd and make a new layout for the blog posts to be displayed on your online platform.
3. Adjust Content Width:
   • Make changes to the content area width with SeedProd by using an editor.
4. Assign the Layout:
   • Custom layout can be applied using the plugin settings for your blog posts.

Using Elementor

Elementor is one of the best-paid page builder plugins that allow users to have full control of content sections.

Steps:

1. Install and Activate Elementor:
   • Go to Plugins > Add New.
   • Simply type Elementor and then install it.
   • Activate the plugin.
2. Edit a Blog Post:
   • Open a blog post in the Elementor editor.
3. Modify Content Width:
   • To change the content width you can do this using Elementor’s drag-and-drop editor.
4. Save Changes:
   • Save your changes and preview the updated layout.

Pros:

• Extensive customization options.
• No coding required.

Cons:

• May cause your site’s speed to reduce if many plugins are installed.
• Learning curve for new users.

Best Practices for Changing Blog Post Width

When customizing the width of your blog posts, it’s essential to follow best practices to maintain a professional and user-friendly design.

Maintain Responsiveness

• Make sure your changes are responsive, and they should look as good on a desktop browser, as on a tablet or a mobile device.
• Check it on various resolutions and densities.

Keep Readability in Mind

• Do not select a very broad or too specialized area of content.
• Ideal line length for text is 50-75 characters.

Optimize for Performance

• Heavy plugins should be used as little as possible since they may cause the site to take long to load.
• Use optimized images and clean code.

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Conclusion

You do not have to worry while trying to change the width of your blog posts on WordPress. Whether you have a basic level of experience whereby you are just using the Customizer to quickly make changes; if you are a slightly advanced user who works with templates; or if you are an advanced user constructing plugins there is a way to accomplish the task in question.

By following the steps outlined above, you can create a blog layout that not only enhances readability but also aligns with your site’s overall design.