Elementor360 Newsletter Issue 25: Did Elementor Get Its Groove Back?

The Elementor 3.4 releases, new versions of Neve and OceanWP, and HappyAddons are featured in this issue.

Elementor Releases 3.4 Core and Pro Versions

On Facebook people have been wondering if Elementor lost its mojo. Elementor rolled out version 3 a year ago and it was a disaster for many users. Following that there were a series of updates that caused issues. Gradually the Elementor team regrouped and things have settled down. However, there was a feeling that Elementor wasn’t listening to its users and it released new features that were nicknamed “Christmas ornaments.” Since then Elementor conducted a series of surveys and meetings with users to get feedback.

The recent Elementor 3.4 release went relatively smoothly and included solid features that users have been asking for. The core release brought custom breakpoints so you can go beyond the mobile, tablet, and desktop options. Few builders have this level of flexibility. The 3.4 pro release included some nice WooCommerce features, such as new cart options and Dynamic WooCommerce tags. These were two very solid updates and lead me to ask the question, is Elementor back on track? A lively discussion in the Dynamic WordPress Facebook group centered around a question asked by Michael Edwin, “what would it take for you to give a tool like Elementor another try?”

From Elementor360

Create A Custom Archive Loop With Dynamic.ooo

Surprisingly, you cannot create a custom loop with either Elementor core or pro. A third party addon is required. This feature is needed if you want to show a custom field or have a custom archive layout. In this walk-through I show how easy it is to create a custom archive loop using the Dynamic Posts widget.

Dynamic.ooo OpenStreetMap Widget

If you are using Google Maps you need to signup and add a credit card in order to get an API key. Google gives you a pretty generous number of views before they start charging you, but there is an alternative. OpenStreetMap does not require signup and is free. Dynamic Content for Elementor recently added a basic OpenStreeMap widget and this walk-through lets you see what it is like and how to use it.

Widget Detector for Elementor Is A Lifesaver When You Need It

If you want to remove an Elementor addon or switch to a new one there was no way to find out if widgets in the old addon were used. Now there is a new plugin, Widget Detector for Elementor. It is a free plugin in the WordPress plugin directory. In this review I show how it works.

Themes

Neve Version 3 Released

Neve is one of only three themes that support global color palettes in the Customizer, Gutenberg and Elementor.  You can read about that here.  Version 3 was just released with new performance options and you can also give users the option to change the site’s color palette.  

OceanWP 3.0 Released with Twenty New Demos

OceanWP 3 was a major code refactoring, moving to vanilla JavaScript, object oriented code, and fewer dependencies.  This brings a nice speed increase to this popular theme. OceanWP is known for its good extensive features in the free version, an Elementor focus, and strong WooCommerce support.  This release came with 20 new demos to help users quickly get started with their site builds. I like to see developers keep their products up to date and not be afraid to refactor.

Plugins

HappyAddons Shows It Is the One to Watch

HappyAddons, already one of the leading Elementor addons, has released a series of updates proving they are not resting on their laurels. Version 2.27 of the free version added a new Content Switcher widget.  This makes it easy to use a toggle to switch between content, such as in a pricing grid.  The demo page has pricing, team, and restaurant menu examples. Then the free version of HappyAddons graduated to version 3.0 and got a number of enhancements and three new features.  There is a new Stack Group widget and an Image Accordion widget.  The free version also got a new Tooltip feature. The Pro version also got a version bump, up to 2.0, which includes a new One-Page Navigation widget and an Off-Canvas widget.  The Pro version also added a panel where you can enter your keys / credentials for the Advanced Table widget and the Facebook and Instagram Feed widgets. Finally, HappyAddons Free 3.1 and Pro 2.1 have added support for PHP 8 as well as the ability to disable features you don’t intend to use.

Unlimited Elements Adds Two New Widgets

Unlimited Elements for Elementor has added a new Table of Contents widget and a Lottie Animated Icon widget.  They have also made a number of improvements to existing functionality.

Ultimate Addons News

UltimateAddons for Elementor 1.30 patched a security issue. Version 1.33 adds widget presets. Presets can be a nice, fast-start, convenience feature because they are professionally designed and easy to use.  There are 50+ presets available across several widgets.

PowerPack Elements Adds Two New Widgets

PowerPack Elements added two new widgets:  A Content Reveal widget and a Video Gallery widget.  The Video Gallery widget supports 9:16 and 1:1 aspect ratio options.

Templates – Templately Free Goes Wild

Templately, from the WPDeveloper team, is a template management plugin and platform that supports Elementor and Gutenberg.  I did a walk-through which you can see here.  The team has been adding a lot of value to the free version with 14 full website templates released for the free version.  These include website templates for:

• NFT Marketplace
• Basketball Team
• Petition Website
• Travel Agency
• Online Tailor Shop
• Aerial Photography
• Hotel Booking
• Cooking Class
• Call Center
• Film Production House
• SEO Specialist
• Doctors Personal Website
• eLearning Website
• Indoor Plant Store

Well, that’s it for this issue. Happy Elementoring.