The Customizer, also called the theme customizer, is a WordPress tool that lets you change your site's appearance with a live preview. You see every change on the right side of the screen before you publish it.
It has been part of WordPress since version 3.4, and most classic themes put their design options here. Think of it as a fitting room for your website: you try things on, check the mirror and only then decide.
Where to find the Customizer
Go to Appearance → Customize in your dashboard. You can also click Customize in the toolbar at the top when you view your site while logged in. Nothing goes live until you click Publish, so you can experiment freely.
What can you change in the Customizer?
The options depend on your theme, but you will usually find these panels:
- Site Identity: Logo, site title, tagline and site icon.
- Colors and Header Image: Basic colors and header images, if your theme supports them.
- Menus: Create menus and assign them to locations.
- Widgets: Add content to your sidebar and footer areas.
- Homepage Settings: Show your latest posts or a static page on the front page.
- Additional CSS: Add your own CSS rules.
For example, you can upload your logo under Site Identity, as shown in our guide to add a logo to your WordPress header.
How to use the Customizer
- First, open a panel from the menu on the left.
- Now, make your changes and watch the live preview update.
- Next, use the device icons at the bottom to check desktop, tablet and mobile views.
- Finally, click Publish. The gear icon next to it also lets you save a draft or schedule your changes.
If your active theme is a block theme, you usually won't see Customize under Appearance. Use Appearance → Editor instead.
If your changes refuse to stick, read what to do when the Customizer is not saving changes.
The Customizer is a safe way to try design changes before visitors see them. That's all for today. If any setting gives you trouble, mention it in the comment box below.