Why are website builders so bloated and fiddly?
Page builders suffer from afterthought UI/UX, forcing users to navigate nested containers that turn infrequent website updates into a frustrating game of memory. Annoyances like floating toolbars that block text and hidden settings sidebars even prevent professionals from recommending these tools to their clients.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Switching from third-party page builders to default WordPress themes and native blocksDid this help you?
- 2Using lightweight minimal themes like GeneratePressDid this help you?
- 3Recreating layouts with default blocks and custom CSS instead of complex buildersDid this help you?
- 4Fixing or pinning the toolbar to the top of the screen so it stops floating over text.Did this help you?
- 5Disabling the native editor completely and activating an alternative page builder like Bricks.Did this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“It's fine but can be really fiddly for the non techy to update with containers in containers and it's just a game of memory when you don't update something for a while.”source ↗
“I've explored different themes and builders, I hate the big bloated builders.”source ↗
“First thing I do in the block editor is fix the toolbar to the top. Too often it manages to float in the way of something I'm trying to read.”source ↗
“The biggest thing holding me back from full-throatedly recommending this to clients was how the settings sidebar could be hard to find if it wasn't already open.”source ↗
“I've always believed the concept of Blocks was great, but the UI/UX was always a complete afterthought.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 10Why does a WordPress site need a plugin for everything?
- 5Why am I spending more time on WordPress maintenance than publishing?
- 2Why does my hero banner image keep getting cut off?
- 4Why is classroom quiz software so cluttered now?
- 2How do clients edit static websites without knowing code?
- 3How to convert web templates into native Gutenberg blocks?