Moving a repeatable website structure between WordPress installations does not always require rebuilding every page by hand. Elementor website templates can package selected parts of a site so an agency, freelancer or site owner can reuse them in another project. The important point is to define exactly what should move: reusable templates, source content, global site settings or a combination of these elements.
The workflow is useful for repeatable deployment, but it should not be confused with a complete hosting-level migration. An Elementor template export can include substantial site components and selected dependencies, yet it does not automatically establish that domains, DNS, server configuration, email, user accounts, payment data, external credentials or every third-party plugin database table have been transferred. A controlled process therefore starts with scope, a recoverable backup and a trusted export file.
What an Elementor Website Template Can Contain
Elementor’s website-template export workflow can package several groups of site components. The available scope includes Content, Templates and Settings & Configurations. These groups are useful for different deployment goals, so reviewing them before exporting helps prevent an unnecessarily broad transfer.
- Content can include pages, posts, custom post types, menus, taxonomies and media.
- Templates can include headers, footers, Theme Builder templates and Global Widgets.
- Settings & Configurations can include global fonts, global colors, theme style, layout, lightbox, background settings and active experiments.
- The export interface can also include selected plugins, custom fonts, icons and custom code, as well as the theme where available.
Some export options depend on the Elementor subscription plan. The documented material does not provide a complete plan-by-plan feature matrix, so agencies should confirm which choices are available in the specific installation rather than assuming every kit has the same scope.
A template ZIP is a configurable transfer package, not automatically a full backup. It should not be presented as proof that hosting configuration, domains, DNS, email, accounts, payment data, external service credentials or all third-party plugin data have moved. Plugin selection in an export also does not establish that third-party licences, activations or integrations will transfer automatically.
Choose the Right Import Scope for the Project
During import, Elementor separates the available scope into Templates, Content and Site Settings. This separation gives agencies a practical way to match the import to the project instead of importing every available component by default.
- Choose Templates when the goal is to reuse the site structure, such as headers, footers or saved templates, while adding different client content.
- Choose Content when the destination should receive the source kit’s pages, posts, custom post types, text and images.
- Choose Site Settings when the destination should reproduce the source site’s global visual system and layout behaviour.
- Choose all three when the documented Elementor workflow is being used to import the site as-is within that workflow.
This decision matters because the categories affect different parts of the destination. Importing Site Settings may change global typography, colours, layout, lightbox and background behaviour. Importing Content may add or modify pages, posts and custom post types. Importing Templates may introduce headers, footers or other reusable structures that interact with the existing theme and content.
Before confirming, compare the selected scope with the project brief. A client redesign may need Templates and Site Settings but not the original pages. A content transfer may need Content while preserving the destination’s existing visual system. Existing plugins, theme styling and integrations should also be reviewed. Elementor’s categories provide the transfer options, but they do not provide a universal compatibility guarantee for every combination of Elementor, WordPress, theme and third-party plugin.
Prepare the Destination Site Before Importing
Create the backup before importing the template file, not after the change has already been made. Elementor explicitly recommends backing up the destination site before importing. The purpose is to establish a restore point in case the selected settings, content or templates create an unacceptable result.
The suitable backup method depends on the hosting arrangement. Elementor’s backup guidance identifies possible approaches including hosting tools, cPanel server archives or a trusted WordPress backup plugin. No single method is universal for every installation, so the practical requirement is that the backup can actually be restored. Where possible, verify the process on staging before changing production.
Preparation should also include a review of the destination’s current theme, plugins, content, integrations and licensing requirements. If the kit includes selected plugins, custom code, custom fonts or icons, determine how those elements will be handled after import. The reviewed documentation does not establish that third-party licences, activation states or external service credentials are transferred automatically. Treat those items as separate checks rather than assumed outcomes.
Export an Elementor Kit as a ZIP
On the source site, open Elementor’s website-template export interface and define the components required for the project. Select the content, templates, settings and any available dependencies or custom assets that the destination genuinely needs. A narrower package can make the intended deployment easier to review and reduces the risk of changing unrelated areas on the destination site.
When the kit needs to move as a file, choose the ZIP export option. The resulting Elementor template ZIP can then be moved to the computer or workflow used to access the destination site. This is different from saving the template to Elementor’s virtual library for cloud-based import. Elementor states that when media is saved to the cloud, the template cannot also be saved as a ZIP, so the agency should choose the transfer method before completing the export.
Keep a record of what the package is intended to contain, including selected plugins and custom assets where applicable. Confirm that the ZIP was created by the agency or comes from a source it trusts. The file should be treated as a site change package, not as a complete hosting backup or migration archive.
Import the Elementor Template ZIP
After the destination backup is complete, open Elementor’s Website Templates import interface. Choose the ZIP-upload option, then drag the exported file into the interface or select it from the computer. Continue to the selection step rather than confirming immediately.
- Open the Website Templates import interface on the destination site.
- Choose the option for uploading a ZIP file.
- Drag the exported ZIP into the interface or select it from the computer.
- Continue to the import selection step.
- Choose Templates, Content, Site Settings or the required combination.
- Review the selection and confirm the import.
The categories are intentionally separated. Templates represent reusable site parts, Content represents source pages, posts and custom post types, and Site Settings represent global visual and layout behaviour. This lets an agency transfer a structure without necessarily replacing destination content, or transfer content without necessarily applying the source site’s global styling.
Continue with ZIP import only when the file was created by the user or comes from a trusted source. If the kit contains SVG files, review Elementor’s warning and enable SVG imports only when the export kit is trusted. Custom code, plugins and SVG files can have consequential effects, so the import should be assessed as a change to the destination site rather than as a neutral file upload.
Post-Import Verification Checklist
Import completion is not the same as deployment verification. Review the destination against the selected scope and the project requirements. If the import was tested on staging, compare the result there before applying the same process to production.
- When Site Settings were imported, check global fonts, global colours, theme styling, layout, lightbox and background behaviour.
- When Content was imported, review pages, posts, custom post types, menus, taxonomies and media.
- When Templates were imported, check headers, footers, Theme Builder templates, Global Widgets and other reusable structures.
- Test responsive layouts, navigation, forms, dynamic content and plugin-dependent widgets.
- Confirm plugin activation, licensing and configuration separately.
- Review external integrations and credentials rather than assuming they transferred.
- Compare the result with the project scope and use the restore point if the changes are unacceptable.
Testing is especially important when the destination already contains global styling, content or plugin configurations. An imported Site Settings selection can change the visual system across the site, while imported Content can add or modify existing content types. Templates may also interact with the destination theme and other templates.
The reviewed Elementor documentation does not establish universal compatibility across all Elementor, Elementor Pro, WordPress, theme and third-party plugin combinations. It also does not define complete migration coverage for domains, DNS, hosting, email, users, payment data or external services. Those areas require separate migration planning and verification.
An effective agency handoff should therefore record the exported scope, the selected import categories, the destination backup and the post-import checks. This creates a repeatable process without claiming that every installation will produce an identical result.
Elementor website template export and import works best as a controlled transfer of selected site components. First define whether the project needs reusable structure, source content, global settings or all three. Then create and verify a restorable backup, export a trusted ZIP and select only the categories required by the destination. Finally, check styling, content, templates, responsive behaviour, plugins and integrations separately. This approach supports repeatable deployment while keeping the limits clear: an Elementor template kit is not automatically a complete hosting migration or full backup. Explore our WordPress plugins, WooCommerce extensions, themes and membership plans to find the right tools for your website.