How to switch your website template or theme

Your website’s overall design is defined by two things: the template you choose and the theme applied to it. Together, these control your site’s layout, colors, typography, and other site-wide design settings.

When setting up the Website Builder, you select a template and theme during onboarding. You can change either one later, depending on whether you want to change your site’s structure or simply refresh its visual style.

In this article, you’ll learn the difference between templates and themes (sometimes referred to as ‘global settings’), when to change each, and how to update them in the Website Builder.

A template defines the overall structure and layout of your website, including how pages and sections are organized. 

A theme controls your site’s global design settings, such as colors, typography, and border radius. A default theme is applied when you select a template.

• Primary: Highlights key elements like buttons and callouts.
• Background: The background color of your site.
• Text on Background: Main text color used for headings and paragraph text.
• Text on Primary: Accent color for text elements like links or borders.
• Border: Used for borders and dividers.

• Heading font: Used for titles and section headers.
• Text font: Used for paragraphs and general content.
• Button font: Used for call-to-action buttons.

Change your website template if:

• You want to significantly change your site’s layout or structure.
• You’re recreating a legacy site using the 1-click migration tool.

Change your theme if:

• You want to update colors, fonts, or styling.
• You want a visual refresh without rebuilding pages.
• You want to use the Theme button in the editor for a faster, real-time preview of changes across your entire site.

1. From your account dashboard, go to Website > Builder. 
    
2. Click the Settings icon in the left panel, then select All general settings.
   
   
   
3. Your site settings will open on the General page. From the left panel, go to Themes, then click Switch Templates on the right.
    
   
   
4. You’ll be guided through the Website Builder onboarding flow, starting with the Purpose of your site, which determines the templates you’ll see.
   
   Choose from:

• Link in bio: A landing page with links to your content.
• Simple blog: A streamlined site focused on posts or newsletters.
• News site: A full-featured content website.
• Migrate from legacy beehiiv site: Keeps legacy settings when moving to the new builder.
  
  For a full walkthrough of this process, refer to Getting started in the Website Builder.

1. From your account dashboard, go to Website > Builder. 
    
2. Click the Settings icon in the left panel, then select All general settings. 
   
   
   
3. Your site settings will open on the General page. From the left panel, click Themes.
   
   
   
4. On the Themes page, go to the Primary Theme section. Click the 3 dots menu next to the theme and select Edit.
    
   
   
5. In the modal that pops up, you can update your colors, fonts, or border radius as desired. 
   
   Once completed, click Save to apply your changes, or Cancel to exit without updating. 
   
   
   

You can update your site's theme directly from the Website Builder without navigating to site settings. This method gives you a real-time preview of changes as you make them, and lets you apply updates across all pages in one step.

1. On any page in the Website Builder, click the Theme button at the bottom of the editor.
   
   
2. Make your changes to colors, typography, or other theme settings. Changes cascade across the entire site in real time so you can preview how each update looks.
3. When you're satisfied, click Save theme to apply the changes to all pages.
4. To exit without saving, click the exit option instead of applying.

Is there a faster way to update my theme without going through site settings?
Yes. You can click the Theme button at the bottom of the Website Builder to enter a theming mode directly. From there, you can adjust colors and typography with a real-time preview, then click Apply site-wide theme to push changes across all your pages. This is the same as editing your theme through Settings > Themes, just with a more visual workflow.
How are theme global settings different from the Globals icon in the Website Builder?
Theme settings control your site's global design, such as colors and fonts. The Globals icon in the Website Builder controls recurring layout elements like the navbar and footer, as well as modal settings for Login, Signup, and Recommendations.
What is the Secondary Themes option?

Most users won't need a secondary theme. This option was designed for advanced use cases and is currently not supported for active use.

While you may still see the option to create secondary themes during a transition period, they can't be applied without help from support. Improvements to this functionality are on our roadmap.

Will switching my theme affect existing pages?
Yes. Theme changes apply globally, so updates to colors, fonts, or styling will affect all pages using that theme.
Will switching templates delete my content?
No. Your posts and pages are not deleted, but switching templates may change how content is displayed. We recommend reviewing your site after switching templates to make any necessary adjustments.
Can I switch back to my previous template or theme?
You can switch templates again at any time. Theme changes aren't versioned, so if you want to preserve a specific look, take note of your settings before making updates.
Why do some people call theme settings 'global settings'?
'Global settings' is a common term used to describe site-wide design controls. In beehiiv, these settings are managed through your site's theme, while layout-specific global elements live under the Globals icon in the Website Builder.