Beaver Builder is one of my all-time favorite additions to the WordPress ecosystem (see our full Beaver Builder review here, or our full review of all WordPress page builders). It’s the first drag-and-drop WordPress layout builder I can really recommend, and use without resentment on my own clients’ sites. Given how helpful a good WordPress layout builder is, that feels a bit like saying it’s the first working teleporter—a big deal.
This Quick Guide shows you how to use Beaver Builder to create good-looking layouts that combine a single, readable text column with wider breakout images—much like Medium, the famously readable content platform. You’ll also get a good general sense how to use Beaver Builder as the flexible WordPress layout builder it’s designed to be, using different row and content width configurations. If you want a Medium style WordPress theme, this is a good way of getting it without having to choose from a narrow selection of “Medium-specific” WordPress themes.
How to Create Medium-Like Layouts in Beaver Builder
- If you don’t have it, get the Beaver Builder plugin. I can also recommend the free Understrap starter theme as a simple base to build from.
- For a narrow text column, create a row whose content is “Fixed” to a relatively narrow width: 700px to 800px.
- For each “breakout” image, create a new row whose content is “Fixed” to a relatively wide value, such as Beaver Builder’s default of 1100px.
- For a fullscreen “hero” image, you’ll need to be using a template that lets you design within the entire viewport, such as Understrap’s “Empty Page Template.” Create a full-width row and give the row a background image.
Having a WordPress layout builder we actually like opens up a tremendous number of possibilities, so we’ll definitely be doing more Beaver Builder tutorials in the future. I hope this helps you understand how to start using Beaver Builder row and content widths to make the layouts you’re looking for.
Can you do this with Themer and have the content flowing from a text module to the other?
Hi Fred,
Thanks for the article and video.
It’s worth pointing out that for those folks using Themer, you could use this technique to design templates for posts or any CPT’s for that matter!
Cheers, Dave
Hey guys! Thanks so much for doing this tutorial on Beaver Builder! Great work. We really appreciate it. 🙂
Cheers on a great plugin. 🙂