Subsites in Website Builder
Build a Subsite layout and understand how Website Builder applies it across a page branch
With a Website Builder theme, a Subsite can automatically apply a shared layout to one branch of your page tree. The pages keep their own body content. The layout gives the branch a distinct header and footer, including its navigation, logo, links, colors, and footer content.
For theme-independent configuration, including choosing the homepage and arranging the page branch, see Subsites.
Create the layout
Open Layouts
Under Design, open Layouts. Create a new layout. Give it a title that identifies the section it belongs to.
Build the header
Add and configure the header blocks the Subsite needs. The header can have its own logo, navigation, calls to action, and appearance.
Build the footer
Add the footer groups and blocks for the Subsite. Include any links, contact details, social accounts, or legal information that should differ from the rest of the site.
Publish the layout
When its header and footer are ready, publish the layout. Changes to a published layout update every page that uses it.
Assign it to the Subsite
Under Website, open Subsites. Select this layout for the Subsite. See Create a Subsite for the complete steps.
Which layout a page uses
The Subsite layout applies to its homepage and descendants while those pages use the site's default layout.
Two page-level choices take priority:
- A layout supplied by the page's Website Builder template.
- A non-default layout selected directly on the page.
If neither applies, a page inside the Subsite uses the Subsite layout. Pages outside every Subsite continue to use the site's default layout.
This lets most pages inherit the Subsite's shared header and footer. A particular template or page can still use a different layout when needed.
Nested Subsites
When Subsites are nested, the closest Subsite homepage controls the layout. A page inside the inner Subsite uses the inner layout. Pages elsewhere in the outer Subsite continue to use the outer layout.
Example: a festival
For a Summer Festival Subsite, create a layout with the festival logo and a header menu linking to its events and visitor information. Add its own footer links and contact details. Assign that layout to the Subsite whose homepage is Summer Festival.
The Summer Festival homepage and its descendants now share that header and footer. A page template or an individual page can still select another layout. The pages remain on the site's existing domain and keep their existing web addresses.
Change a Subsite layout
To change the shared header or footer without replacing the layout, edit the assigned layout in Layouts, under Design.
To switch the whole branch to another layout, open the Subsite in Subsites, under Website, choose the replacement, and publish the change. Pages with a template layout or their own non-default layout remain unchanged.
Where to go next
Blueprints vs templates
How blueprints, templates, and reusable sections differ when you edit them later: a blueprint copies blocks once, while a template and a reusable section stay in sync.
Build your first page
Build a working landing page for a fictional theatre from blocks: a banner opener, an intro, a grid of upcoming events, then publish.