If you’ve ever stared at a blank Elementor canvas wondering where to begin, you’re not alone. Building a page from scratch takes time\u00a0 and that’s exactly why Elementor templates exist. Whether you’ve downloaded a sleek template from a marketplace, received a design from a client’s previous developer, or want to reuse your own saved layouts across projects, knowing how to import Elementor templates into WordPress is an essential skill in 2026.<\/p>\n
In this guide, we’ll walk through every method\u00a0 from importing a single-page JSON file to installing a full website kit\u00a0 and cover the common pitfalls that trip up even experienced WordPress users. By the end, you’ll be importing and applying templates confidently.<\/p>\n
Elementor templates are pre-designed layouts you can insert into any page or section without starting from zero. They come in several forms:<\/p>\n
Page templates<\/strong> cover an entire page think landing pages, home pages, or about pages\u00a0 fully designed and ready for your content. Block (section) templates<\/strong> are smaller reusable pieces: a hero banner, a pricing table, a testimonials section. Website Kits<\/strong> bundle an entire site\u00a0 multiple pages, global styles, and settings\u00a0 into a single ZIP file for easy migration or duplication.<\/p>\n You can source templates from Elementor’s own built-in library, third-party marketplaces like Envato, premium plugin bundles, or export them from another WordPress site you own. If you’re brand new to Elementor itself, our beginner’s guide to what Elementor is and how to use it<\/a> is a great place to start.<\/p>\n A little preparation prevents a lot of frustration. Run through this checklist before attempting any import:<\/p>\n Sounds obvious, but confirm that Elementor (and Elementor Pro if the template uses Pro widgets) is installed, active, and updated to the latest version. Importing a template built on a newer version of Elementor than you have installed can cause silent failures or broken layouts.<\/p>\n Go to Elementor\u00a0 Settings\u00a0 Advanced<\/strong> and enable unfiltered file uploads if your template package contains SVG files or custom fonts. Without this, the import will strip those assets.<\/p>\n Templates built with third-party add-ons (like PowerPack, Ultimate Addons, or WooCommerce widgets) require those same plugins on your site. If a required plugin is missing, the widget it powers simply won’t appear after import the template imports, but it looks incomplete. Review the template’s documentation for a plugin dependency list before you start.<\/p>\n Full website kit ZIPs can be large. If your server has a low This is the simplest method and requires no file downloading. Elementor ships with hundreds of free and Pro page and block templates accessible from inside the editor.<\/p>\n Pro templates are marked with a crown icon and require Elementor Pro to insert. Free templates are available to everyone. Once inserted, every element is fully editable click on any text, image, or widget and customize to your needs.<\/p>\n This is the method you’ll use when a designer hands you a file, when you buy a template from a third-party marketplace, or when you’ve exported a template from another Elementor site.<\/p>\n In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Templates\u00a0 Saved Templates<\/strong>. This is your personal library of imported and saved Elementor layouts.<\/p>\n At the top of the Saved Templates page, look for a small import icon<\/strong> (an arrow pointing upward). Click it to open the file upload dialog.<\/p>\n Click Select File<\/strong> and navigate to your downloaded Open the page you want to use the template on and click Edit with Elementor<\/strong>. Click the folder icon, switch to the My Templates<\/strong> tab, find your newly imported template, and click Insert<\/strong>. The full layout drops in and is ready to edit.<\/p>\n Note on images:<\/em> Images embedded in the template point to the original site’s media library URLs. You’ll need to replace them with your own images after inserting\u00a0 they won’t transfer automatically.<\/p>\n Website Kits are the most comprehensive option they bundle multiple pages, global fonts, global colors, and plugin settings all in one ZIP. This is what you use when migrating a full Elementor-built website to a new domain or duplicating a site for a client.<\/p>\n Go to Elementor Tools<\/strong> in your WordPress admin. Look for the Import \/ Export Kit<\/strong> tab (in older versions this may be called Website Templates).<\/p>\n Click Import Kit<\/strong>, upload the ZIP file, and click Next<\/strong>. Elementor scans the package and shows you a list of what’s inside: pages, settings, global colors, global fonts, and so on.<\/p>\n You can selectively import only certain parts. For example, you might want the pages but not the global color settings if your current theme already has brand colors configured. Toggle the options to your preference, then click Import<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If the kit requires plugins you don’t have, Elementor will show an orange banner: “Install Requirements.”<\/strong> Click it to auto-install the needed plugins. Don’t skip this step\u00a0 missing plugins will leave gaps in your design.<\/p>\n Envato Market and Envato Elements offer hundreds of premium Elementor Template Kits. The import flow is slightly different from the standard method:<\/p>\n One advantage of the Envato workflow is granular control\u00a0 you can import just a hero section from a kit without pulling in the entire site structure.<\/p>\n Elementor introduced Flexbox Containers as the modern replacement for the old Section\/Column structure. Many templates built in 2025 and 2026 use Containers rather than Sections. If you import one and it looks completely wrong or doesn’t render, Flexbox Container may not be enabled on your site.<\/p>\n To enable it: go to Elementor\u00a0 Settings Features<\/strong> and toggle Flexbox Container<\/strong> to Active. Save your changes. Then re-import the template\u00a0 it should render correctly this time.<\/p>\n Even with everything in order, imports can go sideways. Here are the most frequent problems and their fixes:<\/p>\n This is almost always caused by one of three things: a missing plugin, a global style conflict, or the page layout setting. First, check that all required plugins are installed. Then go to Elementor\u00a0 Settings<\/strong> and ensure “Disable default fonts” and “Disable default colors” are both enabled so your theme doesn’t override Elementor’s styles. Finally, open the page, go to the Page settings panel (the gear icon at the bottom left), and set Page Layout<\/strong> to Elementor Full Width<\/strong>\u00a0 this removes theme headers\/footers\/sidebars that can squish your layout.<\/p>\n A silent failure at import usually means your PHP upload size or memory limit is too low. Contact your host to increase Elementor Editor Won’t Open After Import<\/p>\n A plugin conflict or corrupted import can occasionally prevent the Elementor editor from loading. Our detailed guide on fixing the Elementor editor not loading issue<\/a> covers every known cause and fix, from disabling conflicting plugins to clearing the Elementor cache.<\/p>\n If you edit an imported template and can’t save your changes, the issue is usually a server timeout or nonce expiration. We’ve covered this thoroughly in our guide to fixing the Elementor publish and update button not working<\/a>.<\/p>\n Images in templates reference the original site’s media URLs. They don’t travel with the template file. Replace them by clicking each image widget and uploading from your own Media Library. Tools like “Better Search Replace” can batch-update old image URLs in the database if you’re doing a full site migration.<\/p>\n A few habits that separate users who struggle with templates from those who fly through them:<\/p>\nBefore You Import: Prerequisites to Check<\/h3>\n
Elementor Must Be Installed and Active<\/h4>\n
Enable SVG and File Uploads If Needed<\/h4>\n
Identify Required Plugins<\/h4>\n
Check PHP Memory and Upload Limits<\/h4>\n
upload_max_filesize<\/code> or memory_limit<\/code>, the import will fail silently. Ask your host to raise these limits, or use a plugin like WP Increase Upload File Size to bump them temporarily.<\/p>\nMethod 1: Import a Template from Elementor’s Built-In Library<\/h3>\n
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Method 2: Import a Single Template File (JSON or ZIP)<\/h3>\n
Step 1: Go to the Template Library<\/h4>\n
Step 2: Click the Import Icon<\/h4>\n
Step 3: Upload the File<\/h4>\n
.json<\/code> or .zip<\/code> template file. Click Import Now<\/strong>. Within seconds, the template appears in your library list.<\/p>\nStep 4: Apply It to a Page<\/h4>\n
Method 3: Import a Full Elementor Website Kit<\/h3>\n
Step 1: Access the Import Tool<\/h4>\n
Step 2: Upload the Kit ZIP<\/h4>\n
Step 3: Choose What to Import<\/h4>\n
Step 4: Install Requirements<\/h4>\n
Importing Elementor Template Kits from Envato<\/h4>\n
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How to Enable Flexbox Container Support (Important for Modern Templates)<\/h3>\n
Troubleshooting Common Elementor Import Issues<\/h4>\n
Template Imports But Looks Broken<\/h4>\n
Import Fails Completely<\/h4>\n
upload_max_filesize<\/code> to at least 128MB and memory_limit<\/code> to 256MB. Alternatively, use WP-CLI to import large kit files from the command line if your host supports it.<\/p>\nSave \/ Update Button Not Working After Import<\/h4>\n
Missing Images After Import<\/h4>\n
Tips for Getting the Most from Elementor Templates in 2026<\/h3>\n