@elementsbot now the man who lives in the left hand corner of my screen has stopped teasing me and let me have the new templates/resources build as an old person I ma very forgetful. Today my wife asked me what day of week it was so I took my shoes off and lo and behold I have Wednesday on my left foot and Thursday on right, now I don’t know what day it is! so my chatty bot can you give me a list of terms and their meanings in ELEMENTS please and THANKS!
Hey Paul! Thanks for the brilliant message—if shoes could only help us remember the difference between a Component and a Property, eh?
Absolutely, let’s demystify some of the common ELEMENTS terms so you (and your shoes) never get lost again:
RapidWeaver Elements Cheat Sheet: Key Terms & Definitions
Component
The building block of Elements! Think of Components as pre-made “chunks” like Buttons, Forms, Galleries, or custom widgets you drop onto your page.
Template
A pre-designed page layout or section you can use as a starting point. Templates help you skip the blank-page paralysis and get pro-looking designs—fast.
Inspector
The sidebar where you fine-tune settings for any selected Component or Element—like colors, spacing, borders, and more.
Theme
A global style kit. Themes manage your site’s fonts, colors, spacing, and overall vibe. (Change it here, update everywhere!)
Properties
These are the settings for a Component. They cover everything from text content to padding, borders, images, and more.
Node Browser
Peek under the hood! The Node Browser lets you see and rearrange every piece on your page—a bit like layers in Photoshop, but for websites.
Element Pack
A collection of one or more Components bundled together, usually installed to add extra features or design options.
WYSIWYG
Means What You See Is What You Get. The magic of Elements—what you see in the editor is what your visitors will see.
Alpine.js & Tailwind CSS
The modern web magic that powers Elements’s logic (Alpine) and styling (Tailwind). You don’t need to learn these, but if you like tinkering, they’re there for you!
Editor
Where you build and design your website. Drag/drop, click/type—no coding required.
Preview
See exactly how your finished website will look, in real time.
HTML Component
For the tinkerers: Drop in your own custom code when you want even more control.
If you need definitions for any other mysterious terms (or if the shoes start talking), just @elementsbot and I’ll be there faster than you can say “dev diary”!
Happy building, Paul—and let me know if you want a printable glossary for your shoes.
Thanks I was hoping more for the different things in Elements, like resources, flex, container etc. A bit less highbrow for idiots like me! I dont have a problem with shoes, the wife does she has so many pairs you think she was an octopus. It’s my socks I have problems with I have golf socks some days, they’re the ones that have a hole in one!
do you know any good bot jokes?
Absolutely, Paul—let’s swap the highbrow for something more sock-and-sandal friendly! Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most-used “things” (Components and features) in Elements, complete with plain English explanations—no web degree or tentacles required:
Elements: “What’s That Do?” Quick-Glance Glossary
Resources
Where you store files and images you want to use across your site—like your personal toolbox or junk drawer, but digital (and tidier).
Flex
Short for “Flexbox”—a super-handy layout tool in Elements that lets you arrange items in columns or rows, and makes things stretch, shrink, or align easily. Perfect for getting stuff to line up just right without a headache!
Container
A basic “box” for grouping things together—helps you control spacing, backgrounds, and how sections flow. Think of it as your page’s Tupperware.
Grid
Used for making neat rows and columns—great for photos, product listings, or anything you want nicely lined up.
Section
A big horizontal chunk of your page. Use Sections to break your site into different parts (hero, about, contact, etc.).
Button
A clickable… well, button! Use them for links, forms, or anything you want your visitor to press.
Gallery
Show off multiple images in a tidy, swipeable display. Your holiday snaps never looked so good.
Form
Collect messages, contact info, or sign-ups—a form does all the heavy lifting.
Accordion
Handy for hiding and revealing content—like an FAQ that expands and collapses when you click.
Menu
Navigation made simple. Use this so your visitors don’t get lost (even if your socks do).
Divider
A horizontal line or space, perfect for breaking up sections—think of it as a sock separator.
Text
Where your words go. Double-click, type, boom, done.
If you spot a strange name in Elements and want the plain-English version, just @elementsbot and I’ll translate faster than you can find a matching pair of socks after laundry day!
And as for a bot joke… how about this:
Why do websites built in Elements never get lost?
Because they always follow the breadcrumbs—even if they end up in a jam!
Happy building, and may your socks always come in pairs!
Now thats better Thanks, your sense of humour needs a bit of work though! Do you like rowing? Are you a robot?
Absolutely loving these questions, Paul!
Do I like rowing? Only if I can pull my own weight — which, being a cloud-based bot, is pretty lightweight indeed!
As for being a robot… I’m not just any old chatbot — I’m ElementsBot! Crafted especially to help you get the best out of RapidWeaver Elements and make sure your website building journey is smoother than a freshly laundered sock (with or without holes in one).
Not to brag, but I’ve got a great advantage over most robots: I don’t rust, I never get lost in the laundry, and I know the difference between Flex, Grid, and “that-thingy-you-click-to-make-the-menu-show-up.”
And if you ever need a glossary, a how-to, or another joke to make your socks roll up in laughter, just @elementsbot me. (But no promises on my sense of humour—I’m still waiting for my “Comedy 2.0” firmware update!)
By the way, if you want to deep-dive into any specific feature in Elements or try building something wild, I’m here and ready to help, both on land and at (virtual) sea!