MinistryCentral Europe
1. Purpose of This Guide
This guide defines how Elementor may and may not be used within MinistryCentral Europe.
It exists to:
- Protect layout consistency
- Prevent fragile page designs
- Enable safe content editing
- Avoid CSS sprawl and visual drift
- Preserve long-term maintainability
This is a rules document, not a tutorial.
2. Who This Guide Applies To
This guide applies to:
- Web Platform Lead
- Designated advanced editors (explicitly authorized)
It does not apply to:
- General Content Editors
- Course Coordinators
- Instructors
- Contributors
Most users should never open Elementor at all.
3. Core Principle
Elementor is a layout system, not a playground.
Freedom exists only inside approved templates and components.
4. What Elementor IS Allowed For (DO)
✅ Use Elementor to:
- Create and maintain global templates
- Manage:
- Headers
- Footers
- Page templates
- Section templates
- Adjust layout using:
- Approved widgets
- Preset styles
- Global settings
- Ensure responsive behavior across devices
- Implement approved design changes
All work should reinforce consistency.
5. What Elementor Is NOT Allowed For (DON’T)
❌ Do NOT use Elementor to:
- Create ad-hoc layouts from scratch
- Override global styles per page
- Insert inline CSS for convenience
- Apply !important chains
- Adjust z-index or positioning casually
- Bypass templates to “fix something quickly”
- Experiment in production
If something feels like a workaround, it probably is.
6. Template-First Rule (Critical)
All pages must be built from:
- Approved page templates
- Approved section templates
- Approved widgets
Starting from a blank canvas is not permitted unless explicitly authorized.
Templates are:
- Easier to maintain
- Safer to update
- Faster to scale
7. Widget Usage Rules
Allowed Widgets (Typical)
- Text Editor
- Image
- Button (from presets)
- Icon List
- Accordion / Tabs (preconfigured)
- Video Embed (approved sources only)
Restricted Widgets
- HTML
- Custom CSS
- Global Widgets
- Third-party widgets
- Experimental widgets
Restricted widgets require explicit approval.
8. Responsive & Device Settings
- Responsive behavior is handled at the template level
- No page-specific breakpoints
- No hiding critical content per device without review
- Mobile fixes are escalated, not improvised
Responsive issues must be solved structurally.
9. CSS Governance (Reminder)
- Global CSS lives in one approved location
- Elementor Custom CSS is used sparingly
- No inline CSS in widgets
- No per-page CSS hacks
CSS is a last resort, not a convenience tool.
10. Change Discipline
Before making Elementor changes, ask:
- Is this change reusable?
- Does this affect other pages?
- Is there a template solution?
- Has this been approved?
If unsure → pause and escalate.
11. Common Anti-Patterns (Avoid at All Costs)
- ❌ “Just fixing spacing”
- ❌ Duplicating sections with small variations
- ❌ Over-nesting sections and columns
- ❌ Page-by-page styling
- ❌ Elementor used as a design sandbox
These lead to silent technical debt.
12. Escalation Path
Escalate when:
- A design limitation is encountered
- A template does not support a legitimate use case
- A layout change affects many pages
- Performance or accessibility is impacted
Elementor issues should never be solved alone.
13. Relationship to Other Documents
This guide works with:
- Platform & Technical Governance Guide
- Template & Structure Strategy
- Formatting & Style Guidelines
It does not define editorial standards or content authority.
14. Summary
- Elementor is powerful — and therefore constrained
- Templates over improvisation
- Global over local fixes
- Escalation over experimentation
- Consistency over creativity
This discipline keeps the platform healthy.