How to Use Weebly: An Easy Step by Step Tutorial

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Task time:
2 hours
Difficulty:
Easy

To use Weebly, you’ll need to sign up, create a domain name, and then choose a pricing plan. This may sound like a lot, but don’t panic! A Weebly website can be made in eight easy steps, and we’ll show you how.

We’ll cover the basics, from start (signing up) to finish (publishing) with all the creative stuff in between, such as how to make the most of Weebly’s editing features, edit templates, choose a domain, integrate apps, and set up an online store.

So just sit back, relax, and get ready to create.

Tools you may need

Here’s a list of tools you’re going to need to start building your website. Some are essential, but others may be useful, too!

  • Weebly – you’ll need this to get started!
  • Domain.com – a good, cheap alternative to buying your domain name with Weebly

Sign Up

Register with Weebly

Firstly, head over to Weebly.com. You can build and publish your site totally free, so there’s plenty of time to see if you enjoy using it.

To kick things off, click “Get Started” – either using the button in the top right corner or the center of the page. Now type in your name, email, and create a new password to get the Weebly ball rolling.

Choosing the Type of Website You Want to Build

After clicking “Sign Up”, you’re taken to a page with one question: “What kind of website would you like to create?”

You’ll then be offered two options – “I want a personal website” or “I want a business website.” The one you go for depends entirely on your ecommerce ambitions, however, it’s useful to point out that if you opt to build a business website at this stage, you’ll be redirected to Square Online.

If you’re confused by this, let us explain. Square acquired Weebly back in 2018, so the two are actually sister builders. Square Online is entirely ecommerce focused, whereas Weebly is more of a general builder. Our advice? If you want an online store, head straight to Square Online to get started, since Weebly no longer supports ecommerce functionality for new customers.

When you’ve selected “Try Weebly Websites”, you’ll then be directed to Weebly’s template library.

Heads up!

Before we move on to the next step, we just wanted to highlight the different plans that Weebly has. There are three paid packages to choose from, but it also comes with a free plan, which you can stay on for as long as you like!

This means you can create, publish, and edit your site without paying a single cent.

You can upgrade to a paid plan any time, but we’ll help you with that later – for now, just enjoy building your website!

Select a Theme

Browse Weebly’s Themes

Weebly has around 50 themes, all of which are totally free! There are plenty of categories to choose from: business, portfolio, personal, blog, and more. Once you’ve filtered the library depending on the type of website you’re planning to build, Weebly will then narrow your choices down to a smaller number of industry-specific templates.

Selection of Weebly website themes with industry categories above to help filter
Weebly has a wide choice of mobile-responsive themes for almost any industry.

We won’t lie to you: Weebly’s themes aren’t the most attractive on the market. They’re not the worst either, though! They’re not as modern as they could be – which is part of the reason Weebly only scores 2.3 out of 5 for design in our recent research – but they do look reasonably clean and polished. And, unlike Wix, you can change templates at any time, so you’re not restricted by your choice.

Preview Your Favorite Designs

When browsing for themes, you can preview each one by clicking the thumbnail to see how it looks on a full screen. We recommend doing this for every theme that catches your eye. That way, you can navigate around them as if you were a real-life visitor. Then, once you’ve found one you like, hit “Start Editing” in the top right.

If you decide later on that you’d like to try something different, you can change your template by clicking the “Themes” header in the top toolbar. This will redirect you to the template library.

Preview of a Weebly website template featuring a large image of vegetables and an about us bio
Make sure to preview a wide selection of themes before settling on one.

Weebly offers a number of industry-specific options. It has delicious restaurant templates, fresh cleaning service designs, strong-looking personal training themes – you get the idea. These options save you even more design time – you just need to edit the text boxes and images and you’re good to go.

Choose Your Domain

Do You Want a Free or Custom Domain?

Before you start editing, you’ll need to name your website. The name of your website appears in your website address and is called a domain name. For example, ours is websitebuilderexpert.com.

So, how do you go about getting a domain for your Weebly website?

It’s easy – Weebly will automatically prompt you to type in a domain name!

You can get a free domain by choosing the Weebly subdomain. This means your website address will contain “.weebly.com” – it’s not very attractive or professional, but it means you don’t have to pay a cent for your domain.

See the image below for an example of a Weebly subdomain as well as professional, or custom, domains.

Weebly preview website showing a pop up to select a subdomain
Weebly offers a free subdomain name, ideal for cost-conscious users.

Buying a Custom Domain

If you want a custom domain (like ours), you can simply register one through Weebly. Just click “Choose” to register your favorite domain. You’ll have to pay for this, however, and upgrade to a paid plan to actually use your domain.

The upside of using a custom domain is that it’s more professional, memorable, and attractive. Your domain is unique – think of it like your site’s fingerprint – so it’s worth finding the perfect one.

Just how much is a custom domain, though? Is it worth it? 

Domains vary in price, but usually fall between $14 and $20 per year.

There are cheaper prices elsewhere (check out Domain.com for great deals – you can get 25% off using the code WBE25), but registering your domain through Weebly is the easiest and quickest option.

Connecting an Existing Domain Name

Already have a domain? You can easily connect it by clicking “connect or transfer now” at the bottom of the popup – then just type in your URL and press “Search”.

Creating a Custom Domain Name

No guide on building a website would be complete without some tips on how to create the best domain name. So, here are our top tips:

  • Keep the name short
  • Include popular keywords
  • Target your area
  • Make it memorable

And voilà! You have a beautiful domain just waiting to be used – let’s get on with building your site so you can make good use of it.

Further Information

Design Your Weebly Website

Weebly Design Overview

After choosing your domain name, it’s time to start customizing your website. Weebly scored 2.3 out of 5 for design in our research, so although this isn’t one of its strong suits, it still comes with enough scope to give your template its own unique spin.

You’ll automatically be taken to the Weebly website editor once you’ve completed step two. This is where you’ll let your creative juices flow. We’ll go through the menus and features one by one, but here’s what it looks like at first glance:

Weebly's website builder editor in use, featuring the homepage of a website with the editor toolbar running down the left hand side of the screen
The Weebly editing homepage is easy to navigate and use.

Editing Text Boxes

Weebly is a “What You See Is What You Get” (WYSIWYG) website builder. This means you can click and edit, as well as drag and drop media, without needing to know any code. So to update the text, simply click the box and type.

Editing the Background

You can customize your theme even more by changing the background. Simply click the background image and select “Edit Background”. From there you can change the image, scrolling effect, and page alignments.

Adding New Elements

This is where you add the fun stuff. Using the “Element Menu”, on the left hand side, simply drag and drop your chosen media icon anywhere on the page. You can pop text, videos, buttons, and more almost anywhere you like. There are some limitations though. Weebly’s templates are organized in rows, so you’ll need to stick to these blocks when moving elements around, which can make full customization tricky.

Take a look at the Element Bar below for just some of the elements you can choose from:

Weebly's elements bar sitting to the left of a website homepage, featuring columns of icons
The Weebly Elements Bar clearly shows what you can drag and drop onto your site.

Any element with the lightning bolt symbol next to it can’t be used on the free plan – you’ll need to upgrade to use these features. However, everything else is free for you to play with!

Let’s say you want to add an image. Drag the icon where you want, then click “Upload Image”. A popup will then give you some options: you can upload from your computer, or press “Search” and find a free Weebly image.

Pop up over a website homepage, featuring a button to upload new images to the editor
Weebly provides a wide choice of free images to keep your design costs down.

To edit other pages on your Weebly website, simply click “Pages” on the top Navigation Menu and choose a different page. Adding elements is the same process for each page – just drag, drop, and click your way to a beautiful website.

From the Navigation Menu, you can make the most of Weebly’s flexibility. Change your theme, edit your site settings, move to a different page – it’s all there.

Adding New Pages

It’s easy to add new pages to your website. Simply go to the Pages tab in your menu and click the plus icon in the left-hand sidebar. A drop-down menu will appear with different types of pages.

Select the type of page you want to create – a blog page, for example – and give it a name. As you do this, Weebly automatically loads the page for you, with pre-filled images and content for you to make your own.

Remember to click “Done” to save your new page’s settings. Once you’ve done this, return to the “Build” menu tab to edit the page just like you would normally!

List of pages to add to your website when editing with Weebly
Weebly provides different types of pages to add to your site.

Changing the Color Scheme

You can change the color theme of your page by heading to the Theme section of your dashboard. For some themes you simply have the options of light or dark, while others give you actual colors to switch between.

This is fairly basic and you won’t see massive changes to your theme, but you can add a custom color to the range of choices if you want to.

Adding New Layouts

To really personalize your website, you’ll want to add new sections to the pages you’re editing. Apart from adding new elements, there’s also the option to add new sections.

This element sits at the top of the left-hand sidebar above all the other elements – simply drag it to where you want it on the page and let go.

Columns of elements to add to your Weebly website with a larger element box above called "Section"
The Sections element sits above all the others in the left-hand sidebar.

It’ll give you a list of options: Gallery, Contact, Menu, Featured, and Team. Select the one you want to add.

Editor view of a Weebly website featuring a box to choose the style of section you want to add to the page
You can choose the type of section you want to add to your page.

Weebly then gives you a list of different layouts to choose from, so you can pick the one you like the best. Click on the layout you want, and it’ll appear on your page. Click “Save” in the popup box, and get editing!

Deleting Sections

We all make mistakes, we all change our minds, and we all learn differently – we’re only human after all! That’s why it’s important to know how to delete elements on your site, as well as adding them.

You might want to try out a gallery on your homepage, but then decide it doesn’t work. You’re not stuck with it forever – simply click on the element, and look for the small blue cross that appears in the top right corner of the editing box.

Click on that cross, the box will turn red, and you’ll have the option to delete that element.

Element on a Weebly website selected for deletion with a pop up box asking the user if they're sure they want to delete the element
Deleting elements is easy - simply click the cross!

This is how to delete small elements such as galleries, text boxes, images, buttons, and more.

If you want to delete a larger section such as a background, simply click on the area you want to remove. You’ll see a few options appear: Edit, Move, and Delete. Click the Delete button and you’ll see a popup asking you if you’re sure you want to delete. At this point, you can either cancel or confirm – if you click “Delete” then that section and everything inside it will be deleted.

This “are you sure?” method means you won’t scrap any bits of your website by accident, which is a relief!

A section on a Weebly website with action buttons above, including "Delete"
You can delete whole sections of your page if you want to - just click "Delete" and then confirm your decision!

Check out our video below on how to use Weebly’s basic elements.

Further Information

Add Apps

Searching for Apps

Also in the top Navigation Bar is “Apps”. You guessed it – this takes you to the Weebly App Center. Whatever your website, Weebly has an application to help boost your performance. We recommend adding some popular apps like “Site Booster”, and “Content Color Box”.

Not only does it categorize apps for sales, traffic, social and Weebly-specific, but it even recommends apps just for your website. It’s like having your own personal shopper – the American dream, right?

Weebly's app store featuring a selection of apps and categories such as "Boost Traffic" and "Get Social"
Weebly has over 300 apps to boost your website’s performance and appearance.

Weebly has an impressive amount of apps – over 300 apps, to be (sort of) precise. More than 50 are free, and there are always new apps being added, so you won’t struggle for choice.

Don’t feel overwhelmed – you can sort by “Popular”, “Highest Rated”, “New”, and “Free”. Or just search for whichever type you want, whether it’s an FAQ section, countdown timer, or social feed. You can even categorize them on the left-hand side.

Also, before making any purchases, you can check the user ratings on each thumbnail. Can’t find one you like? Scroll to the very bottom and you can submit a new app idea, or even develop your own (if you can code).

Homepage of Weebly's app store featuring a selection of hand-picked apps in rows
You can search for specific apps to make things even easier.

Installing Apps

To install apps, click on the one you want and then find the “Add” button. A popup box will appear – you need to click ‘Connect’ to install the app and agree to any terms.

Once the app has installed, you’ll be taken back to your website. The app will automatically appear at the bottom of the left-hand sidebar, under the “Installed Apps” section.

Once your app is installed, drag it onto your page as you would any other element.

Choose a Price Plan

What Pricing Plans Are Available?

Up until now, we’ve assumed you’re happily building on the free plan. However, as we’ve seen there are cases where you might want to upgrade – for example, to unlock advanced features.

Let’s take a quick look at Weebly’s prices and how you can upgrade if you want to.

You already know about Weebly’s free plan. There’s no time limit on it, and you can actually publish your site without paying a dime. However, it has its drawbacks – no custom domain, limited features, and Weebly adverts displayed on your site.

Out of all of the website builders we tested, Weebly is also one of the worst when it comes to value for money. Despite its free plan, Weebly scores 3.2 out of 5 in our pricing research, meaning its three paid plans are not the most cost-effective option out there:

  • Personal: $10 per month, billed annually
  • Professional: $12 per month, billed annually
  • Performance: $26 per month, billed annually
Row of Weebly's website builder plans, featuring price and a button to choose the plan
Weebly has four pricing plans that range from $0 to $26 per month, billed annually.

Which Plan Do We Recommend?

If you just want to start a hobby site, or a blog, we recommend the Personal plan. You will still have to deal with adverts on your site, though, so if you’re looking to be taken seriously, we recommend upgrading to the $12 per month Professional plan. It unlocks more features and it’ll help your website be taken more seriously.

It also offers much better value for money than the Personal plan. Considering how many more features you get compared to the Personal plan, paying $12 per month for the Professional plan seems like a total steal! It’s the cheapest plan for creating a truly professional website.

Further Information

Publish Your Weebly Website

Publishing Your Site

If you’re happy with what you’ve created, you can now publish. Great! If you’re not completely happy, don’t worry – you can revisit the Weebly website editor to make some changes after you publish.

To publish your site, hit the blue “Publish” button in the top right corner. You will then receive a popup telling you it’s published, and how to integrate a “Pro Tip”. Weebly really wants your site to succeed.

You’ve now published your Weebly website. Like we said, it’s easy to update and edit at any time. You can also upgrade your plan if you want to. Just head back to Step 1 to view the plans and their benefits.

Pop up when publishing your Weebly site, with buttons to share across social media or upgrade to a higher plan, along with a top tip from Weebly
After publishing, Weebly provides a helpful Pro Tip!

Unpublishing Your Site

If you publish your site, but then change your mind, you can head to your Settings and scroll down to the very bottom. There, you’ll find an option to unpublish your site with a single click. Easy!

Improve and Grow Your Website

Once your site is live, there are a few things you can do to encourage its growth and success. Don’t just leave it to languish all alone – instead, make regular tweaks, edits, and changes to keep your site fresh and relevant.

Edit Your Content

Go back and edit content – update old information, write new articles, and add extra sections to old pages. Fresh content will not only keep your visitors happy, but it’ll also show Google that your site is relevant and active.

Optimize for Google

You want your site to rank in Google’s search results, right? Right. It’s the best way of getting more traffic and boosting your online presence. The way to climb up through the ranks is by mastering SEO (Search Engine Optimization).

SEO is the process of boosting your site’s chances of ranking highly in the search results, and involves lots of factors. Some are super simple, like using headings to structure your content, while others are a little more advanced, like optimizing your video content.

Weebly has a great range of SEO tools to help your site rank, as well as beginner-friendly guides to walk you through each step. Start off with its Ultimate SEO Guide and you’ll be a pro in no time!

Promote via Social Media

Everyone is on social media these days – and you want everyone to see your site!

Pick a couple of social channels that suit your site – for example, Instagram is perfect for photographers, and Pinterest is ideal for selling handmade items. Then start sharing snippets of content, blog posts, images, and more to engage your visitors and gain followers.

Get Marketing

Email marketing can be your best friend. It’s a great way of releasing new product information, letting your visitors know about news and events, or enticing them back with sales and discounts.

Weebly has its own email marketing system called Weebly Promote, which helps you build your mailing list, easily create customized emails, and track your emails’ performance. This is free to use for your first two campaigns; after that it costs $8 per month.

Weebly also has good blogging tools, so you can combine blog posts with email campaigns and newsletters to keep your visitors informed and engaged.

How to Use Weebly: Summary

So, from Sign Up to Publish, these are the eight steps for creating a Weebly website. It really is that simple!

If you’re looking for a basic, no-frills-attached website, then Weebly could be a good fit for you. It has a free plan that you can stay on for as long as you’d like, and it’s pretty straightforward to use.

Ultimately, Weebly is a fairly average builder, and it doesn’t really excel in any area, from value to money to website features. Where Weebly is really let down is its design options. Yes, its templates are clean and professional, but they’re not as contemporary as we’d like and they’re overshadowed by more sophisticated templates from the likes of Squarespace and Wix.

If you do want to try out Weebly, we’d recommend choosing a premium plan for a more advanced, personalized Weebly website that truly works for you.

weebly logo

Are You Ready to Build With Weebly?

Weebly is easy to use, has attractive themes, and useful features. Build and publish for free, no pesky payment details needed!

FAQs

Weebly’s one of our top 10 builders, so it’s not a bad choice for beginners at all. It has a free plan to help you find your footing, and its paid plans are pretty affordable if you want to upgrade. However, its features aren’t as strong as other website builders, and it’s fairly outdated in appearance. That being said, its simplistic approach to website building can make it very beginner-friendly!
There are few key disadvantages to choosing Weebly, but we’d always recommend doing your own research ahead of committing to a website builder to make sure it’s the perfect fit for you. As for Weebly’s weak points, its customization tools and design features can restrict you creatively. Its templates and overall interface look pretty outdated now! Another key downside to Weebly is that it doesn’t support multiple languages, so if this is essential for your business, you’ll need to find another website builder.
You can create up to 10 websites on the same Weebly account. Every site is treated separately – so for example, if you had three free Weebly sites and wanted to upgrade all of them to the Personal plan, you’d have to pay for each site upgrade separately.
No, Weebly’s App Center is similar to its website editor in that it was created with tech novices in mind. You can install Weebly apps on your website in just a few clicks, and once an app is installed, the process of editing it is similar to editing any other element on your site.
No! Even if you’re on the free plan, your Weebly website will be available for as long as you want it.
Written by:
emma ryan author bio
I’m a Senior Writer at Website Builder Expert, which means I’m part of a great team that produces and updates content for the website. I specialize in writing highly-researched and accessible guides, comparisons, and reviews that provide readers with everything they need to know about getting started and growing online. I’ve also written about small businesses for Startups.co.uk, video optimization for Industry Today, and HTML for Digital Information World. While working for Website Builder Expert, I’ve gained expertise in website builders, ecommerce platforms, and hosting providers through hands-on testing and research analysis. I’ve also attended expos to further my industry knowledge – all of this helps me pitch fresh article ideas for the website. Additionally, I manage our website’s comments which allows me to have a good understanding of what you, our readers, care about.
Researched by:
natasha_willett
I love to understand human behavior and the cognitive biases that drive us to do what we do. For over nine years I have worked as a mixed method researcher – research using a mix of numerical data and personal experiences – across a range of sectors, from insurance and policy development to finally arriving at Website Builder Expert five years ago. Fascinated by consumer decision-making, I meticulously built our leading ranking methodology to explore where providers like Wix sit within a competitive industry and what value they truly bring to our audience.
As a member of the Market Research Society, I’m an advocate for high ethical, commercial, and methodological best practices. All of this combines to give you the most ethical recommendations based on real data.

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