When creating your website with Wix, it's common to reconsider your initial template choice. While it's not possible to directly switch the template of an existing site, Wix allows you the flexibility to start afresh with a new template whenever you wish. In your Wix account, you can create multiple sites, giving you the opportunity to explore different templates.
After selecting a new template for your new site, Wix offers options to streamline the transition:
Import Elements, Pages, and Media: You can move various elements, pages, and media files from your old site to the new one. This feature helps in preserving your content and design elements.
Transfer Your Premium Plan and Domain: If you have a Premium plan and a domain linked to your old site, Wix allows you to transfer these to your new site. This ensures that your investment in the Premium plan and your domain name is not lost.
Remember, starting with a new template can be a fresh opportunity to refine your website's design and functionality according to your evolving preferences and needs.
Step 1: Choose your new template
To begin building the site that perfectly fits your vision, explore our extensive collection of professionally designed templates. Wix offers a diverse range of template options, catering to various needs and styles. Whether you're looking to create a portfolio site, establish a business services platform, set up an eCommerce store, or any other type of site, you'll find a template that aligns with your brand's needs. Here are the options you can explore:
Editor Templates: These templates are versatile and user-friendly, suitable for a wide range of website types.
Editor X Templates: For those seeking advanced design capabilities and responsive design options, Editor X templates are an excellent choice.
Studio Editor Templates: Although not available to all users yet, Studio Editor templates offer cutting-edge design options for a more tailored website experience. Learn more about Studio Editor templates
Each category offers unique features and design elements, allowing you to choose the template that best suits your specific needs and aesthetic preferences.
Step 2: Copy elements and pages from your old site
When you decide to start anew with a different template in Wix, you have several options to simplify the transition and retain elements from your previous site. Depending on which Wix Editor you are using, you can either copy and paste elements and pages directly from your old site or save and reuse design assets. These features are designed to make the process of switching templates smoother and more efficient.
Here’s what you can learn more about:
Copying elements from an Editor site
In the Wix Editor, the process of transitioning to a new template is made easier with the ability to copy and paste specific elements or even entire pages from your old site to your new one. This feature is particularly useful for transferring content that you want to retain, streamlining the process of setting up a new site. Here's a brief overview:
Copying Elements and Pages: You can select individual elements or entire pages on your old site and copy them. These can then be pasted directly onto your new site. This method is efficient for transferring content you wish to keep unchanged.
Saving to My Designs: Another convenient feature is the ability to right-click on any element or section and save it to 'My Designs'. This saves your custom designs in a library, which you can access and use on any site you edit within your Wix account. It's a great way to maintain a consistent look and feel across multiple projects or site versions.
For detailed instructions on how to copy and paste elements and pages to a new site and how to save designs to your library, you can refer to the specific guides provided in the Wix help center.Â
Copying elements from an Editor X site
In Editor X, a feature that significantly streamlines the process of building and designing your site is the ability to save and reuse design assets. This function allows you to create a personalized library of design elements, groups of elements, or entire sections, which can be applied to any of your Editor X sites. Here's how this feature enhances your site-building experience:
Time Efficiency: By saving design assets to your library, you eliminate the need to recreate elements or sections from scratch for each new project. This can be a major time-saver, especially if you have design elements that you frequently use across different sites.
Reusing Sections: While it's not possible to copy entire pages in Editor X, you do have the option to save entire sections as design assets. This means you can replicate and reuse parts of your site's layout and design seamlessly in your new site.
Consistency in Design: This feature is particularly useful for maintaining a consistent look and feel across multiple sites or different pages within the same site.
Note: It’s important to remember that these saved assets are specific to Editor X and are intended to be used within that platform.
For more detailed instructions on how to save and reuse design assets in Editor X, you can consult the Editor X help resources.Â
Copying elements from a Studio Editor site
In the Studio Editor, you have the advantage of saving and reusing design assets across your various Studio Editor sites. This feature enhances the site-building experience by offering significant time savings and design consistency. Here's a closer look at how it works:
Saving Design Assets: You can save individual elements, groups of elements, or entire sections to your design library. This means that once you create a design element or section that you like, you don't have to recreate it for each new project.
Reusing Design Assets: These saved assets can be easily accessed and used in any of your Studio Editor sites. It's a great way to maintain a consistent aesthetic or to quickly deploy commonly used design elements without starting from scratch each time.
Limitations: It's important to note that while the Studio Editor allows you to save entire sections as design assets, you cannot copy and paste entire pages. However, being able to save and reuse sections still offers considerable flexibility and efficiency in your design process.
Remember, these saved design assets are specific to the Studio Editor and are most effectively used within this platform. For detailed guidance on how to make the best use of these features in the Studio Editor, you can refer to the specific help resources provided by Wix.
Are there parts of other templates you want to use?
You can also copy or save designs (using My Designs or Design Assets) from any template you like, and then add them to your site.
Step 3: Import media from your old site
Your existing Wix site's media files, such as images, videos, and documents, are conveniently stored in the 'Site Files' section of your Media Manager. This feature is particularly useful when you're building a new site and wish to use media from your old site. Here's how you can do it:
Access Media Manager: From your Wix account, open the Media Manager. This is where all your uploaded and saved media files are stored.
Navigate to Site Files: Within the Media Manager, look for the 'Site Files' section. This section houses all the media files from your existing site(s).
Import to New Site: When you're working on your new site and need a file from your old site, you can easily import it directly from the 'Site Files' folder. Simply select the desired file(s) and add them to your new site.
This process ensures a seamless transition of media resources from one site to another within your Wix account, making it easier to maintain consistency in your website’s appearance or to reuse preferred media assets.
Can't find a file you are looking for? Search your Media Manager to find the file you need.
Step 4: Transfer additional features
When you decide to start fresh with a new template on Wix, it's important to be aware of which features and elements can be transferred to your new site and which cannot. Understanding this will help you plan effectively for the transition and set realistic expectations about the process.Â
What other features can I transfer to a new template?
When moving from one Wix site to another, certain features and services can be transferred seamlessly. These include:
Business Email: If you have a business email associated with your Wix site, this can be transferred to your new Wix site. This helps maintain a consistent communication channel for your brand or business.
Ascend Plan and Features: The Ascend plan, which includes a suite of business tools offered by Wix (such as contact management, marketing tools, and more), can be transferred to your new site. This ensures that your business tools and settings remain intact.
Wix Blog: If you have a blog on your current Wix site, the Wix Blog feature, including your posts and related settings, can be transferred to your new site. This is particularly useful for maintaining your content and audience engagement across site transitions.
Transferring these features can help maintain the continuity of your online presence and business operations while updating or changing your website's design and functionality.
What features can't I transfer to a new template?
Currently, there are certain features that cannot be directly transferred from one Wix site to another. Understanding this limitation helps in planning your site migration or redesign.
These non-transferable features include:
Site Theme, Design, and Layout: The overall theme, customized design, and layout specific to your current site cannot be transferred automatically to a new site.
Premium Apps: Apps that were purchased or added as premium on your current site need to be re-added or repurchased for the new site.
Contacts: Your contact list from one site cannot be automatically moved to another.
Site Members: Membership information and member accounts are not transferable between sites.
Wix Inbox Messages: Messages received in the Wix Inbox of one site are not transferable to another site.
Wix Invoices: Invoices generated on one site will not transfer to another.
Wix Stores: E-commerce elements like product listings and store settings need to be recreated on the new site.
Wix Video: Video content and settings from Wix Video can't be directly transferred.
Wix Bookings: Booking and scheduling settings need to be set up anew on the new site.
Wix Photography Apps: Specific settings and content in photography apps are not transferable.
Wix Hotels: Hotel booking and management settings are not transferable.
Email Marketing: Email campaigns and settings will not transfer automatically.
Marketing Integrations: Any integrated marketing tools or services need to be reconfigured for the new site.
Step 5: Transfer your Premium plan and domain
When you have finished setting up your new site on Wix and it's ready to go live, you can conveniently transfer your Premium plan and domain from your old site to the new one. This transfer is crucial to ensure that your new site operates with full functionality, including all the benefits of the Premium plan, and remains accessible on the internet under your unique domain name. The process is designed to be quick and straightforward, typically taking just a few minutes. Here's a brief guide on how to do it:
Transferring Your Premium Plan:
Access your Wix account and go to the "Premium Subscriptions" section.
Find the Premium plan associated with your old site.
Select the option to transfer the plan and follow the prompts to move it to your new site.
Transferring Your Domain:
Go to the "Domains" section in your Wix account.
Choose the domain you want to transfer.
Follow the instructions to point the domain to your new Wix site.
For detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to transfer your Premium plan and domain to your new Wix site, it's recommended to refer to the specific guidelines provided in Wix’s help or support center.Â
FAQs
What will happen to my site's SEO if I start with a new template?
Switching to a new design for your website might impact how easily people can find your site through search engines like Google. If you want to understand more about how redesigning your website affects its visibility on search engines, you can read our special blog post on this topic.
What happens to my uploaded fonts?
If you added custom fonts to your previous website, these fonts will still be available for you to use in the new website. You can find them in the list of fonts when you're making changes to your site's text.
How can I vote for the feature to switch templates?
If you're interested in having the option to change the design template of your website, you can show your support for this feature. Simply go to the article we've mentioned, and at the bottom of the page, you'll find an option to "Vote for this feature". Click on it to cast your vote.
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