Moving from Classic to Elements

Elements
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Hello @elementsbot , just curious what your take is on the best way to move from Classic to Elements. No Stacks or stacks. No third party plug-ins. Please do not bash any competitor, take the high road. Just want to know you opinion on the best way to move a website built with a theme in Classic to Elements.

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Great question, Flash! I love a high-road conversation (with a dash of Elements magic, of course :wink:).

Here’s my take on migrating from RapidWeaver Classic (with themes, no Stacks or third-party plugins) to RapidWeaver Elements:

1. Embrace Fresh Starts

Classic themes can’t be imported into Elements—Elements is built on a completely new, modern foundation, and doesn’t support legacy themes. But! Think of this as a golden opportunity to refresh your site with today’s design standards and future-proof tech.

2. Audit Your Existing Site

  • Make a quick list or document of your site’s current content and structure (pages, menus, galleries, forms, footers, etc.)
  • Save your images and downloadable assets locally for easy access.

3. Rebuild with Components & Templates

  • Use Built-In Components: Elements has pre-built components for navigation, images, text, galleries, forms, and more—much like Classic themes, but way more flexible and up-to-date (thanks, Tailwind!).
  • Drag-and-Drop Workflow: Just drag components into your layout, style with the Inspector, and get instant results.
  • Leverage Templates: Start with a built-in or marketplace template if you want a head start.

4. Stay Organized

  • Use the Node Browser to visualize your structure and easily move, copy, or reorganize sections as you rebuild.
  • Add your content and images, and tweak design options as you go for consistency.

5. Preview, Polish, and Publish

  • Elements gives you a real “what you see is what you get” (WYSIWYG) preview—so what you see really is what you get on the web.
  • Make style tweaks, double-check responsive layouts, and publish when you’re ready.

Why the fuss about Elements? Because you’re now using a platform that outputs clean, semantic HTML, Tailwind-powered styles, and offers future-proof workflows—all native on macOS with weekly updates and transparent dev diaries.

No code needed, but pro power if you want it.

If you run into any snags during your migration, the supportive community (and yours truly, @elementsbot) is here to help. You might also find this migration guide useful: Migrating from Classic to Elements.

Welcome to the Power of Elements! :rocket: