Templates, Template Parts & Reusable Content

Consistency is an important part of creating a professional and user-friendly website.

Templates, template parts, and reusable content help maintain a consistent experience across pages while reducing the amount of work required to build and maintain content.

In this module, you’ll learn how these tools are used throughout MTSU websites and how they can help create organized, consistent, and easily maintained content.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Explain the purpose of templates and template parts.
• Identify the standard page templates available on MTSU websites.
• Understand how reusable content supports consistency.
• Recognize when patterns and reusable layouts should be used.
• Apply best practices for maintaining consistent page structures.

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Why Consistency Matters

Visitors should be able to move throughout your website without learning a new layout on every page.

Consistent design helps visitors:

• Find information more easily
• Navigate between related pages
• Understand page organization
• Focus on content rather than layout differences

Consistency also reduces maintenance and helps ensure branding standards are followed throughout a site.

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Page Templates

Templates control the overall layout and structure of a page.

When creating or editing a page, you may be able to choose from several standard templates. Each template is designed for a different content need.

Standard Page Templates

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Choosing the Right Template

When selecting a template, consider:

• Does this page need section navigation?
• Does this page need introductory content at the top?
• Will visitors benefit from additional context?
• Does the page belong to an existing section of the site?

Choosing the appropriate template helps maintain consistency throughout the website.

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Template Parts

Template parts are reusable sections that can appear across multiple pages.

Rather than recreating the same content on every page, template parts help maintain consistency throughout a section of a website.

At MTSU, the most commonly used template parts are:

• Top Banner
• Sidebar

Because template parts may appear on multiple pages, changes should be made carefully and reviewed before publishing.

Note: Some template parts are managed by the website theme and are not editable by Site Managers. This training focuses on the template parts commonly used when managing page content.

Accessing Template Parts

Template parts can be accessed through the Site Editor.

To access editable template parts:

1. Open Appearance → Design.
2. Select Patterns.
3. Choose All Template Parts.
4. Select the template part you want to edit.

Common template parts include:

• Top Banner
• Sidebar

Note: Changes made to a template part may affect multiple pages across your website. Review updates carefully before publishing.

Top Banner Template Part

Many MTSU websites use a Top Banner template part to provide visitors with context and orientation.

The Top Banner typically includes:

• Page or section title
• Introductory information
• Section-specific messaging

The banner should provide helpful context without distracting from the page content.

Sidebar Template Part

Many MTSU websites use a Sidebar template part to display supporting information that should remain visible across multiple pages.

The sidebar helps visitors:

• Contact information
• Office hours
• Important links
• Related resources
• Calls to action
• Department-specific information

A consistent sidebar creates a more predictable and user-friendly experience.

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Reusable Content

Reusable content allows the same layout or structure to be used repeatedly throughout a website.

Examples include:

• Call-to-action sections
• Contact information blocks
• Resource lists
• Frequently used page layouts
• Standard content sections

Reusable content reduces duplication and makes updates easier to manage over time.

Patterns

Patterns are predefined collections of blocks that can be inserted into pages and customized as needed.

Patterns help:

• Speed up content creation
• Maintain consistent layouts
• Improve visual consistency
• Reduce formatting issues

Common Uses

• Contact sections
• Resource grids
• Call-to-action blocks
• Content layouts
• Information cards

Using patterns can help create a more consistent experience for visitors while reducing the amount of manual formatting required.

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Choosing the Right Approach

Use the following guidelines when deciding how content should be managed.

Situation	Recommended Approach
Building a new page within an existing section	Use the established template and sidebar
Creating common page layouts	Use patterns whenever possible
Update the sidebar template part	Update the sidebar template part
Updating section-wide messaging	Update the top banner template part
Creating one-time unique content	Use standard blocks

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Best Practices for Consistent Content

When possible, reuse existing structures rather than creating new versions of similar content.

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Site Manager Checklist

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Remember

• Templates provide page structure.
• Template parts provide reusable site-wide or section-wide content.
• Patterns help create consistent layouts.
• Reusable content reduces maintenance and duplication.
• Consistency improves the visitor experience.

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Before Moving On

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Next Module: Forms & Data Collection

Learn how to:

• Understand the purpose of online forms
• Create and manage Gravity Forms
• Configure form notifications and confirmations
• Apply accessibility best practices to forms
• Review and maintain forms over time

→ Continue to Forms & Data Collection