The way content on your website appears in areas on the browser screen is controlled with the Theme and Templates. Plugins and Widgets are optional types of content that can be enabled to display. Widgets can be assigned to different areas of the Template.
On this page:
Theme
Please do not change the Theme.
By default the majority of the COFA WordPress sites use the UT WordPress Theme. This theme meets UT branding and accessibility standards and is the preferred theme for campus based projects, COFA departments and Colleges.
Note: As of 09/2021 the UT Responsive theme has been retired by the University Blog Service and is no longer available. All sites in this theme have been migrated to the new default UT WordPress Theme.
A list of available alternative themes can be found
Please contact us if you have concerns about the Theme.
Theme Customization
The web team is here to help. It’s best to contact us if you want to change any of the following since there could be unexpected consequences.
A demonstration of some of the basic
Header Image
If you have an image that is 960 pixels wide you can change the header image by selecting Header in the left column menu under Appearance.
Background
Also, under Appearance in the left column menu you can select Background to change the background color or upload a background pattern.
More advanced stylizing should be discussed with the COFA Web team and must adhere to the legal requirements and policies of the university.
Grid layout
“Teams” is a plugin that allow you to create rows and columns in a responsive grid layout. The typical use of the plugin is for creating a directory of people but it can be used creatively to solve many other layout needs.
Column Layout
UT WordPress theme has an available fully responsive column layout option available in the page layout editor. With this tool content builders can create up to 6 column content, as either a full page layout or along with regular content.
Templates
Several templates are available with different areas where Plugins display or Widgets can be assigned. The template you select will determine the layout of your web page. It’s a bad idea to change the “default” template since this may unexpectedly break some styling and layout throughout the site.
Plugins
Several different plugins are currently available. New plugins are being reviewed by the university Information Technology team. We will let you know as new functionality becomes available. You do not control where in the Template the Plugins display.
Widgets
Advanced editors have access to a drag and drop Widgets page where they can assign blocks of content to different Template areas. Unfortunately, there is not a link to the Widgets interface. You can try adding /wp-admin/widgets.php to the end of your website root path to see if you have access. Several Widgets are available including a site search box and text area in which you can put any information.
Sidebars
All sites will have a Default Template which usually includes a special content-area on the right-hand side of each page called the Sidebar. Most pages, including blog and news posts, will use the Default Template unless another template is selected. It’s a bad idea to change the “default” template since this may unexpectedly break some styling and layout throughout the site. In the example screen-shot below, the Sidebar area is outlined in Red and the Widgets assigned to the Default Template are outlined in Blue.
If you desire more Template options for different content on your website we will be happy to help. The Widget area, Sidebars and Template names can be confusing so please contact us for assistance.
Unlike non-University of Texas versions of WordPress, the sites.utexas.edu service offers only pre-selected and pre-installed Plugins and Widgest that have been vetted by our campus’s information technology staff to ensure that they are secure, reliable, and accessible to all users.
Learn More
The university blogs service provides more details on Using Plugins and Widgets.
