Page & Layout Settings Guide

Astra provides a unified approach to managing page layouts and sidebar configurations through the WordPress Customizer. Starting with Astra 4.0.0, the Dynamic Customizer allows you to control content layout and sidebar layout options across all post types through dedicated sections in the Customizer.

Container Layout Options

The content area and sidebar are parts of the main container structure. The content area is technically called the primary container, while the sidebar is the secondary container.

Astra provides three container layout types that apply across all page types. When selecting a layout, you may consider how you want to display your content alongside the sidebar.

1. Normal: Default layout with standard content width with sidebar support and additional container style support for Boxed and Unboxed Layout.
2. Full Width: The “Fullwidth” layout sets the container to 100% width so content spans the entire browser, creating an immersive, edge‑to‑edge, visually impactful experience. Full-width container style does not support a sidebar.
3. Narrow: A more condensed content area for a focused reading experience is enabled by default on the single Blog Posts. It does not include sidebar support. If you set the Narrow Width Layout, the sidebar will not be displayed. However, you can choose the container style to make it Boxed or Unboxed.

Managing Container Layout Globally

To configure the container layout for your entire website, navigate to Customize > Global > Container.

Here, you can select the default content layout by modifying the container layout, container style, container width, and Site Layout (available with the Astra Pro Site Layout module).

Sidebar Layout Options

With Astra, you have three sidebar configuration options available across all content types with both Boxed and Unboxed styles for sidebars:

1. Right Sidebar – Places the sidebar to the right of the content area
2. Left Sidebar – Places the sidebar to the left of the content area
3. No Sidebar – Disables the sidebar completely for a distraction-free page content reading experience.

Managing Sidebars Globally

You can configure the sidebar settings for your entire website from Customize > General > Sidebar.

Here, you can select the default layout to Right Sidebar, Left Sidebar, or No Sidebar. This section also allows extra sidebar options such as Sidebar styles, Sidebar width, and Sticky Sidebar.

To add widgets for the sidebar, you can navigate to Customize > Widgets > Main Sidebar.

Content Layout Configuration for Various Post Types

Astra allows you to override global container and sidebar settings for individual pages and posts through dedicated options in the customizer.

For example, if you have selected the global container layout to Normal, you can still select a different layout only for the single blog posts or any other post type.

To do so, you can access the settings for a specific post type under Customize >> Post Types.

There, you can select default content layout configuration for Blog/Archive, Blog Single Post, Single Page, Search Page, or any Custom Post Type.

1. Blog / Archive

The Blog/Archive section controls the layout for the main Blog and the archive pages, such as Categories, Tags, Author, etc. The Blog/Archive layout includes several customization options along with container and sidebar controls.

Container and Sidebar Layout options:

Select the container and sidebar layout for Blog/Archive pages. Any selection made here will override the global container and global sidebar settings. To use the global settings for sidebar and container layout, you can select the default option.

Blog Layout Options

You can display your blog posts on the Blog/Archive pages in Grid Layout, List Layout, or Cover Layout.

Blog Post Structure

This feature allows you to manage and customize the display of blog post elements such as Featured Image, Title, Excerpt, Read More, Post Meta, Taxonomies, etc.

You can find more customization options for Blog/Archive available with the Blog Pro module of Astra Pro: Blog/Archive

2. Single Post

In this section, the single post settings control how individual blog posts are displayed on your website. You can control the title area, container and sidebar layout, etc.

Container and Sidebar Layout:

By default, the Narrow container layout is selected for single blog posts in Astra. When this is selected, no sidebar appears. Hence, you get the default layout for single posts with focused reading experience.

You can override the default settings to choose any other container and sidebar layout or styles. For the sidebar to appear, it is important to select the Normal container layout.

Additional Single Post Customization:

Apart from the container and sidebar controls, you can modify other design elements for your single blog posts, such as:

• Post Title Area: Allowing you to choose a banner layout for title area and customize the appearance of single post structure such as Post Title, Featured Image, Taxonomies, Author, Date, etc.
• Post Navigation: Enable of disable the single post navigation, choose the default style, or enable auto-loading of previous posts.
• Extras: You can further customize the appearance of Author Info, Social Sharing, Related Posts, or Comments.

For more details on the available single post customizations with the Blog Pro module of Astra Pro, please check this guide: Single Post.

3. Single Page

This section is dedicated to the single pages, so you can have specific container and sidebar layout controls for the single pages. The single pages use custom designs for landing pages, about, home page, and contact.

It requires extra control over the content width, so the default container layout is set to Normal, and the sidebar is selected to No Sidebar.

You may override this here in the single page settings for such pages.

4. Search Page

Next, you can control the Search Page layout by modifying the container, sidebar and default search page layout. Here are the available customization options for the search page:

• Search Page Title: Select any banner layout and customize the Search results heading, Breadcrumb or Subheading.
• Container layout and Container Styles: For Boxed and Unboxed style, keep the container layout default or choose from Normal, Narrow, or Full Width.
• Sidebar controls: Option to choose from default, No Sidebar, Left Sidebar, or Right Sidebar with sidebar styles.
• Results layout: Override the default Blog/Archive Post Layout to choose one from Grid, List, or Cover layout.

Additionally, you can control the Posts Per Page and Live Search on the Search page settings page.

5. Custom Post Types

In this section, you can control the container and sidebar layouts for the Custom Post Types such as courses, lessons, directories, events, etc.

This supports the post types added with the Custom Post Types plugin, code, or any specific post type added by the plugins such as LMS, Directories, Events, etc.

For every post type, you get the options to customize the layout for both Archive and Single posts.

For example, if you have a CPT named Courses, you can customize the content layout controls individually for both the Courses Archive page and the Course Single Post.

Page Specific Post/Page Content Layout Controls:

In addition to the above-mentioned content layout controls for different pages and post types, you can control the page content layout individually for a page or post using the Astra Meta Settings.

These settings are available in the page/post editor, allowing you to disable or enable the sidebar for any specific page or post.

This is helpful when a page/post design requires changes in the layout without affecting other posts or pages.

Learn more about using the Astra Meta Settings:Astra Page Meta Settings

Additional Resources

For more information on specific topics:

• Enhanced Blog/Archive Experience
• Enhanced Single Post Experience
• Enable Blog Page Banner Title
• Dynamic Customizer Controls