A well-designed WordPress header is crucial for any website’s overall user experience. It typically displays the site’s logo, a navigation menu, and often a title or tagline. But what if you want to add more text in your header and split it into two lines? Whether it’s for branding purposes, readability, or to convey more information, having two lines of text in your WordPress header is relatively easy to accomplish.
In this guide, we’ll explore different ways to add two lines of text to your WordPress header. We’ll cover using the WordPress Customizer, utilizing HTML and CSS, and employing page builder plugins. All steps will follow Google’s Helpful Content Guidelines, ensuring clarity and practical guidance.
Why Add Two Lines of Text to Your Header?
Before diving into the methods, let’s explore why you might want to add two lines of text to your header:
Branding: Many websites feature a tagline alongside their logo to convey a brand’s mission or slogan. Splitting this into two lines can ensure better readability and organization.
Enhanced Communication: If your website header includes essential details like contact information or a call to action, placing them on two lines can help break up the content and prevent clutter.
Mobile Optimization: Having two lines of text ensures that longer text fits better across devices, especially on smaller screens, without looking cramped.
Method 1: Use the WordPress Customizer
If your theme allows it, the easiest way to add two lines of text to your header is through the WordPress Customizer. Many WordPress themes have options to modify the header text and formatting.
Steps:
- Access the Customizer: Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance > Customize. This opens the Customizer where you can make live changes to your website.
- Go to Site Identity: Under the Customizer panel, navigate to the “Site Identity” section. Here, you’ll find options to add a site title and tagline.
Edit the Site Title and Tagline: The “Site Title” and “Tagline” fields are typically placed in the header area of most themes. To have two lines of text, you can:
- Use the Site Title as one line.
- Use the Tagline as the second line.
- Preview and Publish: Once you’ve added your desired text, check the preview to see how the two lines of text appear in your header. Adjust the text as needed and click “Publish” to make the changes live.
Limitations
Some themes may not give you full control over how the text is displayed, and you might need to adjust the styling further using custom CSS.
Method 2: Add Two Lines of Text with Custom HTML and CSS
For more control over your header’s appearance, you can directly modify your theme’s header file and apply custom CSS. This method allows you to create two lines of text with precise control over spacing, font size, and other styling.
Steps:
- Access the Theme Editor: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Theme File Editor. Before making changes, ensure you have a backup of your theme, as editing core theme files can cause issues if done incorrectly.
- Edit the Header File: In the Theme File Editor, look for the header.php file. This file controls the layout and content of your site’s header. Find the section where your site title or header text is displayed.
Insert HTML for Two Lines of Text: In the HTML, wrap your header text in a div or span with custom classes. For example:
html
<div class=”header-text”>
<h1>First Line of Text</h1>
<p class=”subline”>Second Line of Text</p>
</div>
This code creates a primary header text (h1) and a secondary line of text (p) beneath it.
Add Custom CSS: After editing the header file, you can use custom CSS to style the text. Go to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS, and add CSS to style the text:
css
.header-text h1 {
font-size: 24px;
margin-bottom: 10px;
}
.header-text .subline {
font-size: 16px;
color: #666;
}
Adjust the font size, color, and spacing as needed to make the two lines look cohesive.
- Preview and Publish: Check how the changes look on the front end and adjust as needed. Once satisfied, publish the changes.
Method 3: Using Page Builders Like Elementor or WPBakery
If you are using a page builder plugin like Elementor or WPBakery, creating two lines of text in your header becomes even simpler. Page builders provide drag-and-drop functionality that allows for quick customization without any coding.
Steps for Elementor
- Edit the Header Template: Go to Templates > Theme Builder > Header. If you haven’t already created a header template, you can add one.
- Add a Text Block: In the Elementor editor, drag a “Heading” widget into the header section. Input the first line of text in the heading block.
- Add a Second Text Block: Drag another “Text” widget below the first heading. This second text block will serve as the second line of text. You can adjust the font size, style, and color using Elementor’s options.
- Style the Header: Use the style options in Elementor to control the spacing between the two lines, set typography, and more. This provides a live preview, so you can see exactly how it looks before publishing.
- Publish the Changes: Once the header looks as desired, click “Publish” to apply the new design to your website.
Steps for WPBakery
- Edit the Header Section: Open your header in WPBakery’s front-end editor. If you don’t have a header section, you may need to create one.
- Add Text Blocks: Insert two text blocks into your header section. Each block will represent one line of text. Customize the content and appearance using WPBakery’s styling options.
- Adjust Layout and Spacing: WPBakery lets you control the margins, padding, and alignment of each text block. Adjust these settings until the two lines look balanced.
- Save and Publish: Once everything looks good, save your changes and update your page to apply the new header style.
Best Practices for Displaying Two Lines of Text in Your Header
- Clarity: Ensure that both lines of text are easy to read. Avoid using overly decorative fonts that may make the text harder to understand.
- Responsive Design: Always check how the two lines of text look on different screen sizes, particularly on mobile devices. Use media queries in your CSS to adjust font size and spacing for smaller screens.
- Hierarchy: Establish a visual hierarchy by making the first line (such as a site title) more prominent than the second line (such as a tagline).
- Branding: Choose colors and fonts that align with your site’s branding for a professional and consistent look.
Conclusion
Adding two lines of text to your WordPress header is a simple yet effective way to improve both the design and communication of your website. Whether you’re using the WordPress Customizer, custom HTML and CSS, or page builders like Elementor and WPBakery, you can achieve this with ease. Just remember to follow best practices for readability, responsiveness, and branding to ensure that your header enhances the overall user experience of your site.
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