Welcome to the documentation for Essential Elements, the lightweight toolkit of small, toggleable site features for WordPress by BeautifulPlugins. Everything here applies to the free plugin from WordPress.org. Pages covering the Essential Elements Pro add-on are marked as Pro.
New here? Start with Installation, then follow the Getting Started guide. It takes you from a fresh install to your first live modules in about five minutes.
These docs cover Essential Elements 1.3.0 and Essential Elements Pro 1.1.0.
Setup
- Installation: install the free plugin and Pro, requirements, and updating.
- Getting Started: a guided tour from the dashboard to your first configured module.
- Managing Modules: the Dashboard and Modules screens, switching modules on and off, and category filters.
- Settings, Import & Export: plugin-wide settings, moving your setup to another site, and uninstalling.
Free Modules
- Scroll to Top: the back-to-top button, with position, offsets, icons, shapes, colors and mobile visibility.
- Progress Bar: the reading progress bar, with position, thickness, gradient, percentage label and post type targeting.
- Reading Time: automatic reading time, the
[esse_reading_time]shortcode, archive listings, and the Reading Time block. - Custom Scroll Bar: brand colors, width, radius, presets and the live preview.
Pro Modules
- Pro Features: an overview of everything Essential Elements Pro adds.
- Announcement Bar (Pro): a notice bar with a call to action, scheduling, a countdown and dismiss memory.
- Click to Chat (Pro): WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, phone, SMS and email buttons with business hours.
- Content Protection (Pro): right-click, selection, copy and shortcut protection with copy attribution.
- License Activation (Pro): activate your license and enable automatic updates.
For Developers & Help
- Developer Reference: the module registry, the settings framework, filters, actions and helper functions.
- FAQ & Troubleshooting: answers to common questions and fixes for common problems.
Can’t find what you need?
Search this documentation first, because most answers are a page away. Free plugin users can ask in the WordPress.org support forum. Pro customers can open a support ticket. Include your WordPress version, the plugin versions, and what you expected to happen. We read every ticket.