Wix Editor - I'm Distraught (A month of hard work, ruined)

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1

**Please can you help?
**
I must admit I’m writing this when I’m quite angry and upset so apologies for the tone but I’m utterly distraught.

I’ve been building websites on Wix since 2012 and I’ve never had this issue before.

I’ve completely overhauled my companies website with a fresh look and design, THANKFULLY I’ve created the new version of the website in a separate space so as not to disrupt the current live version.

For the past 4 weeks I’ve built the new look site from scratch and I must admit I was super pleased with it, the desktop version, all the pages, links, design elements and features are ready to go.

So now it’s time to design the mobile and tablet versions of the site accordingly. I’ve never had problems with this previously but it seems that Wix’s automatic “Mobile Optimisation” is way off!

Instead of being intuitive enough to understand sections that have been split vertically would need to be split horizontally for mobile devices, to understand things need to be resized to fit the new devices screen dimensions etc, it just simply throws it together like a half finished Picasso painting.

Never the less I fully expected, as I’ve done previously, that I’d have to manually redesign the site for both a tablet and mobile and started to do so. With the understanding (as has been the case for the last 14 years!!!) that each version of the site, dependent upon the device and platform, will have a degree of its own autonomy.

I completed the home page for the tablet version of my site and saved it accordingly. I then return to the desktop version to find that everything on my desktop has been changed and, quite frankly, ruined!

Rather than Wix’s software understanding the amendments I was making on the tablet version of the site would solely be for this device it changed everything across the board, container resizing, text resizing, element resizing and placements all changed on one platform instantly ruins the other!

This has NEVER happened to me before and I’m now left not only really disheartened that I’m now going to have to spend so much time fixing everything but am I really going to have to compromise the quality of my site just so it becomes some sort of poor multi-platform version of itself rather than being able to optimize the site fully for each device?

I’m genuinely upset as I feel I will have to build a really poor version of the site just for it to become device-friendly. As if I have to have a 5 out of 10 website just so it is “okay” for each device, rather than being able to have a bespoke 10 out of 10 site that is specifically tailored and optimised for each device.

Someone, please, tell me all is not lost?

2

I’ve looked at the generic breakpoint video that seems to be posted on similar threads but I’m struggling here, am I able to make a site for each breakpoint range and do I have to select EVERY element and turn overide off so that it doesn’t change when cascading down?

Please tell me I dont have to select every image, container, line, piece of text, button etc and undo overiding? That’ll take me forever!

3

I completely understand why this feels so frustrating, especially after putting weeks into a rebuild.

The good news is that all is probably not lost, but the workflow in Wix Studio is different from the older Wix Editor experience. In Studio, the site is responsive by structure, not separate desktop/tablet/mobile versions. Desktop acts as the main/base breakpoint, and changes can cascade down through tablet and mobile depending on what is being changed.

The first thing I would do is go to Site History and restore or duplicate a version from before the tablet edits damaged the desktop layout. Wix keeps saved versions, so you may be able to recover the desktop work rather than manually rebuilding everything.

Have a read here as it may help

as a tip I mostly design using advanced CSS grids so I can totally edit the design per breakpoint without affecting other breakpoints.

I don’t think you necessarily need to settle for a poor “one size fits all” website. But in Wix Studio, the best results usually come from building a strong responsive structure first, then refining each breakpoint, rather than treating desktop, tablet, and mobile as completely separate designs.

I’d strongly recommend duplicating the site now before doing anything else, then checking Site History for a version before the tablet changes. That should at least give you a safety net while you recover the desktop layout.

4

Hi Dan,

I’ve watched the video and see I can change the breakpoint ranges for each device but I’m unsure how that helps me as no matter the sizes, if every change to each element is going to cascade anyway why bother?

Also it seems like you’re better off building a site from the mobile version first then undoing override on every element then building up each breakpoint.

Although I genuinely appreciate your answer and eagerness to help Dan, and maybe it’s because I’m still “in my feelings” but what it seems like you’re saying is, we removed the older version of the Wix Editor which was quite user friendly and now I have to completely change how I build sites and use CSS grids and a totally new method?

You say I need to build a “strong responsive structure first, then refining each breakpoint” I’d have pressumed, perhaps stupidly, that Wix’s software would have understood screen sizes, breakpoints and the fact elements would change across devices without me having to go in and sort of manually explain this process, you know, like the Wix software has done for over a decade?

I wouldn’t mind if I was a professional website designer but I’m not, hence why people use a WYSIWYG such as Wix

5

No, I completely understand where you’re coming from, and to be honest I don’t think your frustration is unreasonable.

You’re right that for someone who has used Wix for years, this feels like a major change in how the editor behaves. The older Wix Editor gave the impression that desktop and mobile were much more separate, whereas Wix Studio works more like a responsive design system.
Note that the Classic Wix Editor is still available to use.
That means it is more powerful in some ways, but it is definitely less forgiving if you’re expecting each device view to behave independently.

The key point, which I probably should have explained better, is this:

Changes made on a larger breakpoint can flow down to smaller breakpoints.
Changes made on a smaller breakpoint should not normally affect larger breakpoints, unless the change is to something structural or shared, such as the section, grid, container, global text style, theme style, or layout relationship.

So, for example, changing a text size or position at tablet should usually create an override for tablet and below. But changing how a parent container, section, stack, grid, or layout is structured can have wider effects because those elements are part of the responsive structure of the page.

6

I’ve had another read of the article and have noticed this section…

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image1000×327 34.9 KB

“but changes on smaller breakpoints don’t affect larger breakpoints.” Well that’s clearly not true is it or else there wouldn’t have been any changes to my Desktop version (a higher breakpoint) when amending the Tablet version (a lower breakpoint)

I’ve then read the following under “Changes that apply to all breakpoints”

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image941×172 19.2 KB

But surely structural/layout changes is the NUMBER ONE most important difference and distinguishing factor when moving between devices?

Surely you can appreciate the ability to change where things are placed and how they are sized is such a silly thing not to be able to change easily between breakpoints/device optimisation, compared to whether or not the colour of a button is different on mobile as opposed to desktop.

I genuinely do appreciate your help Dan and really do understand it’s not your fault directly, I’m just upset.

I’ve been able to retrieve my site from the point it once was, thankfully I only amended the home page on the tablet version and not the entire site.

A quick question if I’m reading this correctly if (as it states above) changes to a sites structure occur across all breakpoints is something as simple as having a section of a page that is split vertically on my desktop unable to be amended to split horizontally on other devices?

7

Hi Dan,

Thank you for your second response, it’s put me more at ease.

I’m glad to hear the older version of the editor is still available, is there a way in which I can transfer what I’ve done so far to the old editor tool or will I have to build it all from scratch using the older simpler version which is probably more user friendly for a less savy designer like myself?

8

Hi Dan,

I’ve been able to get my site back before I went rogue and wrecked the joint! Thank goodness!

Not to sure what to do now though, I’ve made a copy of the site at this point thankfully and I’m hoping you’ll tell me I can switch the site to the older editor to make it easier for me when tackling the other device versions… (fingers and toes crossed)

9

I’ve just seen switching a site to the older editor is not possible… (sigh) :confused:

So now I have to decide if I want to create the site completely from scratch all over again or struggle with breakpoints, having to override everything so they don’t change and if truth be told (for an inexperienced designer) it might take just as long as building it all over again on the old editor…

It’s a shame the differences with each editor versions aren’t explained prior to people (I imagine most Wix clients aren’t skilled designers) start building so they don’t end up in the same position as this.

10

@Dan_Suhr

A quick question if I’m reading this correctly if changes to a site’s structure occur across all breakpoints does that mean something as simple as having a section of a page that is split vertically on my desktop mean I am unable to amended the same section to be split horizontally on other devices/breakpoints?

Thank you

11

it all depends on the structure you have designed.
eg if you stack 2 elements you can change from vertical to horizontal, but if you have 2 cells then adjusting will change on all breakpoints.

that is why i use advanced CSS grids. it allows you to make what ever structural changes and it does not affect other breakpoints. but I still design from largest to smallest breakpoint.

12

Thanks @Dan_Suhr

It’s still baffling as to why something as simple as wanting to change the layout for each device has been made so much more difficult, convoluted, and awkward when Wix’s whole purpose and ethos was to make website building open to anyone, especially those without the tech skills to build a website from scratch. If you had all of these tech skills, people wouldn’t be using a WYSIWYG system they’d be coding things in HTML and so on themselves.

Even something as simple as changing one section from vertical to horizontal is now a far more in-depth process.

Looks like my company will be putting our relaunch back indefinitely, or we’ll have to pay to hire a Wix expert to help us do all of this…

I genuinely do appreciate all of your support Dan, but it seems like Wix’s pursuit of providing more control over website design has now come at a cost of changing it’s target audience from what it once was, to more skilled site-building professionals.

I’ve also noticed I’m one of several people who’ve posted about the same issue, I doubt Wix will change anything because of little old me but I’m sure you can appreciate it’s clearly had a huge impact on customers’ experience.

Wix would do better giving a far clearer explanation to customers as to the pro’s and con’s of the different editors before people decide which one to use and find themselves in the same situation me and many others seem to have found themselves in.

13

Sorry to end the chat on what seems such a “sour note” and perhaps a slightly unfair remark but I’ve just noticed @Dan_Suhr you run the business DCI Designs, which is literally a whole bespoke web design business.

It sort of proves my entire point really… when you say “that is why I use advanced CSS grids” that sounds great for yourself… the experienced, PROFESSIONAL website designer… but I thought Wix was aimed at those without a professional web background.

Perhaps the clue’s in the name “ADVANCED CSS Grids” you need to have a level of advanced skill to even change the layout of one simple container section now.

Shame.

Apologies if that seems unfair to you Dan I just found that bit of info out, and it seemed a bit of a kick in the teeth.

In all honesty, I’m just sad and upset because all of this impacts mine, and seemingly numerous others’, livelihoods and businesses. What was once a user-friendly way of helping people across the world build great websites without the knowledge and training required seems to have disappeared and it’s clearly left people in very difficult situations.

14

I completely understand where you’re coming from, and I’m sorry this has felt like such a frustrating change.

Yes, I do run my own web design business, and I have been designing and coding websites since long before I started using Wix (back in the Flash days for anyone who remembers). I only mentioned advanced CSS grids because that is the workflow I personally use, not because I think every Wix user should have to work that way or suddenly become a professional developer.

My role here as a Community Leader is simply to try and help people in the community, share what I know, and point people toward practical solutions where I can. I’m not employed by Wix, and the help I provide here is voluntary.

I do agree that Wix Studio can feel like a big shift, especially for people who were comfortable with the Classic Editor. It is more powerful, but with that comes a steeper learning curve, and I completely understand why that feels overwhelming.

For users who don’t need the extra responsive control or more advanced layout tools, the Classic Editor may still be a better fit. Wix also has newer AI-assisted options such as Harmony, which may suit people who want more guidance during the build process.

I genuinely wasn’t trying to dismiss your concerns. I was only trying to explain how Wix Studio approaches responsive structure differently, and why building with a stronger layout structure first can help avoid issues later.