What Are Sections and Containers?

Every Elementor page is built from sections (or containers in newer versions). Think of them as horizontal rows that stack on top of each other to form your page. Each section can contain one or more columns, and each column holds widgets (text, images, buttons, etc.).

In newer versions of Elementor, Containers replace the older Section/Column structure. Containers are more flexible — they can be nested inside each other and support both horizontal and vertical layouts. Your site may use either system depending on when it was built.

Editing a section in Elementor

Selecting a Section or Container

To select a section, hover near the top edge of a content area in the canvas until you see a blue dashed outline with a tab showing a grid icon. Click the tab to select the section. Alternatively, use the Navigator (Ctrl/Cmd + I) to click on any section in the tree view — this is often easier for complex pages.

Once selected, the left panel will show the section’s settings with Content, Style, and Advanced tabs.

Rearranging Sections

To move a section up or down on the page, you have two options:

Drag and drop — Click and hold the section handle (the dotted grid icon at the top of the selected section) and drag it to a new position.
Navigator — Open the Navigator panel and drag sections up or down in the tree view. This is more reliable for larger pages.

Important: Be careful when rearranging sections on your live site. If in doubt, make changes on a staging site first or consult your InnerMedia project manager.

Elementor navigator showing page structure

Adjusting Section Background and Spacing

Click on a section and go to the Style tab to change:

Background — Set a colour, gradient, image, or video background for the entire section.
Background Overlay — Add a semi-transparent colour or gradient over the background image.

Under the Advanced tab, you can adjust:

Margin — Controls the space outside the section (above and below).
Padding — Controls the space inside the section (between the edge and the content).

Adding a New Section

To add a new section, look for the + icon between existing sections in the canvas. Click it and choose your column structure (one column, two columns, three columns, etc.). You can then drag widgets from the left panel into the new section. If you want to add a pre-designed section, click the folder icon to browse Elementor’s template library.