How to Change the Background Color on WordPress: A Definitive Guide

Changing the background color on your WordPress site is surprisingly easy, yet it can dramatically impact the overall look and feel. You can change the background color on WordPress using the WordPress Customizer, theme settings (if available), page builders, or by directly adding custom CSS. The best method depends on your comfort level with code and the specific theme you’re using.

Diving Deep: Methods for Background Color Modification

Let’s break down each method, providing a comprehensive, step-by-step approach.

1. The WordPress Customizer: Your Go-To Option

The WordPress Customizer is often the simplest and most user-friendly way to change your background color. It offers a visual preview of your changes, making it easy to experiment.

Steps:

1. Access the Customizer: From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance > Customize.

2. Locate the “Colors” or “Background” Section: The exact wording may vary depending on your theme. Look for a section labeled “Colors,” “Background,” or something similar. Sometimes, it’s tucked away within a “Theme Options” panel.

3. Choose Your Background Color: Within the relevant section, you should find a color picker or a set of pre-defined color options. Select your desired background color. Many customizers now offer transparency settings as well.

4. Preview Your Changes: The Customizer provides a live preview on the right side of your screen. Make sure the color complements your content and branding.

5. Publish Your Changes: Once you’re satisfied, click the “Publish” button at the top of the Customizer. Your changes will go live immediately.

Pro Tip: Pay attention to the contrast between your background color and text color to ensure readability. Consider using a contrast checker to guarantee accessibility.

2. Leveraging Theme Settings: A Themed Approach

Some WordPress themes come with built-in options for customizing your background color within their own theme settings panels. These settings are often more granular than those found in the Customizer and may offer more advanced features.

Steps:

1. Locate Your Theme Options: From your WordPress dashboard, look for a section with your theme’s name (e.g., “Astra Options,” “OceanWP Settings”). It might also be under Appearance > Theme Options.

2. Explore the Settings: Carefully review the theme’s settings. Look for options related to “Colors,” “Background,” or “Styling.”

3. Customize the Background Color: If your theme provides a background color option, you’ll typically find a color picker or a dropdown menu. Select your desired color.

4. Save Your Changes: Click the “Save Changes” or “Update” button to apply your modifications.

Important Note: Theme settings vary widely. If you’re unsure where to find the background color options, consult your theme’s documentation or contact its developer.

3. Page Builders: Control at the Page Level

If you use a page builder like Elementor, Beaver Builder, or Divi, you can easily change the background color for individual pages or sections within a page.

Steps (using Elementor as an example, but the principles apply to most page builders):

1. Open the Page in Your Page Builder: Edit the page you want to modify using your page builder.

2. Select the Section, Column, or Widget: Click on the section, column, or widget whose background you want to change.

3. Access Style Options: In the page builder’s settings panel (usually on the left or right), look for a “Style” tab or a similar section.

4. Locate the Background Options: Within the “Style” tab, you’ll usually find options for “Background” or “Background Type.”

5. Choose Your Background Color: Select the “Classic” background type, and then use the color picker to choose your desired color. You can also use gradients or images as backgrounds.

6. Update Your Page: Click the “Update” button to save your changes.

Key Advantage: Page builders offer granular control, allowing you to create unique designs for each page of your website.

4. Custom CSS: The Power User’s Approach

For those comfortable with CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), using custom CSS provides the most flexibility and control over your background color.

Steps:

1. Access the Custom CSS Editor: Go to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS. This opens the WordPress CSS editor. Alternatively, you can add CSS through a child theme’s stylesheet for more advanced customization.

2. Identify the Target Element: Determine which element you want to change the background color for (e.g., the entire body, a specific div, or a header). Use your browser’s developer tools (right-click on the element and select “Inspect”) to identify the element’s CSS selector.

3. Write Your CSS Code: Use the background-color property to set the desired color. For example, to change the background color of the entire body to lightblue, you would write:

   body {   background-color: lightblue; } 

   To change the background color of a specific div with the ID “my-div,” you would write:

   #my-div {   background-color: #f0f0f0; /* Light gray */ } 

4. Preview Your Changes: The Custom CSS editor provides a live preview.

5. Publish Your Changes: Click the “Publish” button to save your CSS code.

Important Considerations:

• Specificity: CSS rules are applied based on their specificity. More specific rules override less specific rules. Use IDs or classes to target specific elements.
• Child Themes: If you’re making extensive CSS changes, it’s best practice to use a child theme. This prevents your customizations from being overwritten when you update your parent theme.
• Hex Codes vs. Color Names: You can use hex codes (e.g., #FFFFFF for white), color names (e.g., “red”), or RGB/RGBA values to specify colors. RGBA allows for transparency.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why can’t I find the background color option in the Customizer?

This usually happens because your theme doesn’t support background color customization through the Customizer, or it places the option elsewhere, like in its own Theme Options panel. Check your theme’s documentation.

2. How do I find the correct CSS selector for a specific element?

Use your browser’s developer tools. Right-click on the element and select “Inspect.” The developer tools will show you the element’s HTML structure and the CSS rules that apply to it.

3. What’s the difference between background-color and background in CSS?

background-color only sets the color of the background. background is a shorthand property that can set multiple background properties at once, including color, image, position, and more. For example: background: #000 url("image.jpg") no-repeat fixed center;.

4. How do I make the background transparent?

Use the rgba() color value. The “a” stands for alpha, which controls transparency. For example: background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5); creates a black background with 50% transparency.

5. How do I change the background color of the header or footer only?

Use custom CSS to target the header or footer element specifically. For example:

```css header {   background-color: #333; /* Dark gray */ }  footer {   background-color: #444; /* Slightly lighter gray */ } ``` 

6. My background color change doesn’t seem to be working. What could be wrong?

• CSS Specificity: Another CSS rule with higher specificity might be overriding your rule.
• Cache: Your browser’s cache might be displaying an old version of your site. Clear your browser’s cache.
• Theme Conflicts: A plugin or theme conflict might be interfering with your customizations. Try deactivating plugins one by one to see if that resolves the issue.

7. Can I use an image as a background instead of a solid color?

Yes! Use the background-image property in CSS. For example: body { background-image: url("your-image.jpg"); } You’ll likely need to adjust other background properties like background-repeat, background-size, and background-position to achieve the desired effect.

8. How do I create a gradient background?

Use the linear-gradient() or radial-gradient() CSS functions. For example: background: linear-gradient(to right, red, blue);.

9. Is it possible to set a different background color for each page?

Yes. The easiest way is often to use a page builder, as discussed above. Alternatively, you can use custom CSS with a different CSS class on each page (achieved by adding page-specific classes via PHP or a plugin).

10. How do I ensure my background color is accessible?

Use a contrast checker to ensure sufficient contrast between your background color and text color. WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) recommends a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.

11. Will changing the background color affect my website’s performance?

Generally, changing a solid background color has a negligible impact on performance. However, using large background images or complex gradients can slightly increase page load times. Optimize your images for the web to minimize any performance impact.

12. What if I accidentally mess up my site by changing the background color?

If you made changes through the Customizer, simply revert to the default settings or choose a different color. If you made changes through CSS, remove the CSS code. If you’re working with a child theme and have access to your site’s files, you can revert to an older version of the stylesheet. Always back up your website regularly to protect against accidental changes.