How to Get Your Wix Studio Templates Accepted into the Marketplace
Submitting a template to the Wix Studio Marketplace can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. As a designer, I know how much time, effort, and love goes into creating something that you want others to use and appreciate. It’s a chance to showcase your creativity and offer something truly valuable to businesses worldwide.
But let me be real with you—getting your template approved can be a detailed and sometimes challenging process. Getting your template approved is not as simple as hitting “submit.” It took me a couple of tries to really understand what the reviewers were looking for. It felt overwhelming to meet all the specific requirements, but I quickly realized that attention to detail and persistence pay off.
I want to share what I’ve learned through my own experience. Whether you’re just starting out or have been at it for a while, this guide will walk you through the process, with practical tips and examples to help make sure your template ticks all the right boxes. Trust me, the effort is worth it!
Why the Submission Process is Worth It
Before we dive into the details, let’s talk about why submitting a template is worth your time. For me, it wasn’t just about seeing my work on the Marketplace—it was knowing that my design could help someone start their business, promote their brand, or achieve their goals. Plus, getting feedback really helped me grow as a designer.
That said, the process can feel like jumping through hoops. But once you understand what the reviewers are looking for, it’s much easier to get it right.
Key Areas to Focus On
1. Start with Strong Design Principles
When I first submitted a template, I thought “If it looks good, it’s good enough.” I quickly learned that’s only part of the equation. Your design needs to be more than pretty—it should follow solid design principles.
- Consistency is key. Make sure your colour palette, fonts, and buttons all feel like part of the same story. For example, if you’re using a modern, minimalist style, don’t suddenly throw in a funky script font or overly bright colour.
- Originality matters. Wix doesn’t want templates that look like they’ve been cobbled together from stock elements. Try adding your own twist. For one of my templates, I spent extra time creating custom icons to make it stand out.
Tip: Check your images—they should be high-quality and add value. Avoid pixelated photos or generic stock images. Use AI to generate unique image to refelect you templates style.
2. Nail the User Experience (UX)
The reviewers will go through your template with a fine-tooth comb to check usability. Here are some things I wish I’d paid more attention to from the start:
- Make it responsive. Test your template on all screen sizes—from desktops to mobile. My first template looked great on my laptop, but on a phone, the text was squished and the buttons were off-centre. Not a good look.
- Hover states for buttons. It’s such a small thing, but it’s crucial. A button should change slightly when you hover over it—maybe the colour darkens or the text becomes bold. This shows users that the button is interactive.
- Breadcrumbs are a must. I thought breadcrumbs were optional at first, but they’re a requirement. They help users navigate your site, especially on larger templates with lots of pages.
3. Get the Content Right
One of my biggest mistakes early on was not proofreading my content properly. Trust me, even a small typo can make your template feel unprofessional and will be picked up on my the Wix template team.
- Editable text. All text should be fully customisable. For example, don’t embed text into an image—that’s a huge no-no.
- No placeholders. Replace lorem ipsum with something that fits the theme of your template. If it’s a template for a bakery, write text about cakes and pastries.
Example: For a plumbing template, I wrote captions like “Trusted Heater & PLumber” instead of leaving generic filler text. This helps buyers immerse themselves in the template, it will help them see what their website could look like.
4. Don’t Forget Accessibility
This is something I learned later on, and it’s really important. Accessibility isn’t just about meeting standards; it’s about making your template usable for everyone.
- Contrast is crucial. Make sure your text stands out from the background. If you’re unsure, use a colour contrast checker online.
- Font size. Keep text at least 12px on all screen sizes, but don’t be afraid to go bigger for readability.
- Headers: Each page should have one H1 heading. This helps users (and search engines) understand what the page is about.
5. Test, Test, and Test Again
I can’t stress this enough: test your template at every breakpoint. I’ve had templates rejected because something looked great at 1024px but completely broke at 1001px.
Example: On one of my templates, I noticed the footer links were overlapping at smaller screen sizes. I fixed it by tweaking the grid layout and testing it again.
Here’s a quick list of screen sizes to check:
- 2000px
- 1001px
- 900px
- 750px
- 400px
- 320px
My Handy Submission Checklist
To help you avoid the mistakes I made, here’s a checklist I now follow religiously before submitting:
Design & Content
-
Buttons Linking -
Buttons have defined hover states -
URL slug matches the page name -
H1 Headers (only one per page) -
Colour palette saved in the library -
No spelling errors -
The copy is fully editable -
Colour contrast meets standards -
Images don’t contain text (unless it represents a hypothetical brand or product)
Functionality
-
Forms are fully functional and required fields are set
-
Breadcrumbs are included and functional -
Alt text is added to all images. -
Header and footer are consistent -
No brand names or trademarks are included. -
Desktop and mobile menus (including burger menus) have the same content.
Responsive Testing
-
Footer and all elements display correctly at: -
1001px -
900px -
750px -
400px -
320px
Final Thoughts
Submitting a template isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s about creating something you’re proud of. Yes, the process takes time, and you’ll probably get feedback to address. But with each revision, your template will improve, and you’ll grow as a designer.
If you’re feeling stuck or unsure, take a step back and review this guide. Remember, the effort you put in now will pay off when your template makes it to the Marketplace. Good luck—you’ve got this!
Got any questions or want to share your experience? Drop a comment below!