Astra WordPress Theme: The Ultimate Guide for Web Developers

A fast and flexible WordPress theme. What is it? The answer could be the WordPress Astra theme. This theme brings lightweight code, extremely good performance, and extended possibilities for customization. Perfect for both beginners and experienced developers, Astra offers deep integration with page builders and the ability to create unique sites without coding.

In this article, we’ll analyze core Astra’s features and main benefits and explain how to use this theme to create fast and stylish websites.

Key features of Astra WordPress theme

Among the best WordPress themes for SEO, Astra is fast and highly extendable. These features make it perfect for any type of site.

Speed & performance

Astra is actually one of the fastest WordPress themes out there, and that’s not just a marketing slogan. It can boast such a minimal impact on page load speed due to its lightweight code and optimized architecture. First, Astra doesn’t use jQuery, which helps avoid rendering blocks. Its base size is less than 50KB, which is considerably smaller compared to many other themes.

That’s particularly critical for SEO and user experience (UX). Google ranks fast websites higher in search results, and users want to see a page load in the blink of an eye. All these components make Astra a perfect fit for business websites, blogs, online stores, and other projects where speed matters.

Besides, Astra is fully compatible with caching and CDN, which enables you to boost performance even further. Its structure is optimized for Core Web Vitals, allowing sites to meet Google’s modern requirements.

Customization options

Among the pros is the endless customization possibility in Astra. This theme allows you to modify how your site should look without coding, with rich settings inside WordPress Customizer.

You can change colors, typography, page layouts, widget placement, and so on with a few clicks. Besides that, Astra comes with pre-configured sites or Starter Templates, which you can install on your website and then configure yourself. These Astra starter sites save you a great deal of time when putting up a site and allow you to focus on the content and functionality.

Apart from these, another distinguishing feature of Astra is that it offers headers, footers, and sidebars right out of the box without any additional plugins. If you are looking for a theme that will give you total control over the look of your site without needing to dive deep into the code, Astra will be perfect for you.

Compatibility with page builders

Astra’s design is ideal for very trending page builders, such as Elementor, Gutenberg, and more. They are best suited for unique layouts and have deep experience in coding.

Working with Elementor, Astra delivers even more possibilities. The Elementor Astra theme offers special settings for this builder, including the possibility of creating full-screen layouts without unnecessary restrictions. For Gutenberg users, Astra provides seamless integration and additional blocks that will allow you to expand the standard functionality of the editor.

Astra works great with page builders, making it appropriate for beginners and pros. You will have full control over the design without having to change the theme code.

SEO optimization

Astra is coded with SEO standards, making it the perfect alternative for improving the visibility of their site in search engines. It uses clean and semantic code, helping search engines index pages much faster.

In addition, Astra supports Schema Markup, which improves Google’s understanding of your site’s content. This is especially useful for businesses, bloggers, and online stores that want to gain an advantage in search results.

Another advantage is responsiveness. Astra is fully mobile-optimized, which is a key ranking factor, as Google considers a site’s mobile version when indexing.

Astra WordPress theme review: main pros & cons

The lightweight Astra theme is renowned for speed, ease, and many customization possibilities. However, a few nuances could cause users difficulties. Let’s dive in for details.

Benefits of Astra WordPress theme

Let’s consider the main advantages that make Astra the #1 choice for many developers.

• Fast performance: Astra provides a seamless user experience and automatically increases the site’s chances of ranking high in Google.
• Code-free flexible settings: The theme provides a very intuitive interface in the WordPress Customizer where you can change colors, fonts, padding, layouts, and much more without touching the code.
• Page builder compatibility: Astra works seamlessly with Elementor, Beaver Builder, Gutenberg, and other builders, letting you create stylish pages without design limitations.
• SEO standards: The theme includes proper code structure, Schema Markup support, and mobile responsiveness, helping the site rank even better in search engines.
• Support for WooCommerce: Astra is perfect for developing online stores. It has special WooCommerce settings, such as custom product pages, fast-loading carts, and responsive layouts.

Limitations and how to overcome them

1. The basic version doesn’t have many features

While the free version of Astra is quite functional, some advanced options (like deeper settings for headers and footers) are available only in the Pro version.

If your site needs advanced features, you can buy Astra Pro theme. But if your budget is limited, you can use third-party plugins for additional customization.

2. No built-in header and footer builder in the free version

Without Astra Pro, you would have to lean on default WordPress choices or additional plugins to build a custom header and footer. You can use Elementor Header & Footer Builder or add code manually to the theme files.

3. Importing demo sites requires an additional plugin

To utilize the Starter Templates library, you have to install an additional plugin, which is inconvenient for beginners. Add Starter Templates using the WordPress administrator panel, a few minutes job.

Looking for the best WordPress theme? Try Astra to see the difference.

Get in Touch

Astra theme customization

Whether you work with a free version or with the advanced features of Astra Pro, setting up is easy and comfortable. Let’s consider the main ways of Astra theme customization.

Using the WordPress Customizer

How to use Astra theme in WordPress? Astra works with a standard WordPress Customizer, which allows the look and feel of the site to be changed right in the browser. In the menu “Appearance → Customize”, the user gets access to the following key settings:

• Colors and fonts
• Header and footer
• Sidebars and widgets
• Page layouts

These settings make Astra comfortable to work with for users of any level — from beginners to experienced webmasters.

Advanced settings with Astra Pro theme

For those who want to get more advanced in adjusting the design and functionality of the site, the developers offer Astra Pro. This paid plugin adds a number of advanced features, including:

Header and footer builder: creating unique top and bottom parts of the site using a drag-and-drop editor.

Extra page layouts: the possibility of changing the structure of the blog, archive pages, and posts.

Global colors and typography: detailed customization of the color scheme and fonts for all site elements.

WooCommerce modules: better support for online stores, featuring custom product pages along with a quick cart.

Thanks to the Astra Pro theme, users receive almost unlimited possibilities for creating unique designs.

Styling & layout customization

Astra WordPress theme also has flexible style and layout settings that allow you to adapt the site to your needs.

• Content areas: choose a full-screen layout, fixed width, or padded container.
• Homepage: set a static page or display the latest blog posts.
• Buttons and links: change their look, shape, and hover behavior.

How to install Astra theme in WordPress?

Installing the Astra theme WordPress is very easy. This lightweight WordPress theme can be installed within a few minutes. Here’s an Astra WordPress theme tutorial to ensure that it goes well.

Step 1: Log in to your WordPress dashboard

First, log in to your WordPress website. You can do this with your credentials. Once you access your admin panel, you will find every setting related to WordPress. Thus, you can assess the themes installation section.  

Step 2: Navigate to the themes section

Once inside the dashboard, locate the “Appearance” menu on the left-hand sidebar. Click on “Themes,” and you’ll be taken to the theme management page. Here, you’ll see the currently installed themes and an option to add a new one.  

Step 3: Search for Astra in the WordPress repository

Click the “Add New” button at the top of the page. You will be taken to a page where you can search themes in the WordPress repository. In the search bar, type “Astra” and hit enter. Astra should appear in the top results.

Step 4: Install WordPress Astra theme

Once you’ve located the Astra WordPress theme, hover over it and click the “Install” button. WordPress will now begin downloading and installing the theme. This process typically takes just a few seconds, depending on your Internet speed.

Once the installation is complete, the “Activate” button will appear. Click it to set Astra as your active theme. At this point, your website is now using Astra as its default theme.  

Step 5: Install Astra Pro (optional)

Astra does have a Pro version that offers you advanced customization, premium starter templates, and much more. If you happen to have purchased Astra Pro, here is how you can install and activate it: 

1. On the Astra site, click on login to enter your account. 
2. Download the Astra Pro Addon plugin (.zip).
3. Head back to your WordPress admin panel, go to Plugins > Add New.
4. Click on “Upload Plugin,” select the `.zip` file, and install.
5. When installed, activate the plugin and input your license key under Astra Options for all the premium features.

Step 6: Install Starter Templates (recommended for quick setup)

Astra comes with a set of Starter Templates that get you started fast. These are complete page designs for various industries, such as business, eCommerce, blogs, and many others. To install Starter Templates:

1. In the WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.
2. Search for “Starter Templates.”
3. After activation, go to the Appearance > Starter Templates page.
4. Choose your favorite page builder (Gutenberg, Elementor, etc).
5. Look through the different templates and select one that reflects the purpose of your website.
6. Click “Import” and wait for the importation process to finish.

Step 7: Customize your Astra theme

After installing Astra, you can brand it. In Appearance > Customize you can change the colors and typography, header and footer layouts, blog and archive settings, and performance optimizations. Astra’s customization panel is intuitive, allowing you to adjust settings without needing coding knowledge.

Astra WordPress theme for WooCommerce: best practices

Astra is one of the best WooCommerce WordPress themes for developing online stores. It is specially optimized for e-commerce. In such a way, you’ll be able to improve the user experience and raise your conversion rates.

Optimizing Astra for eCommerce

Astra theme for WooCommerce is famous for its ease and speed of operation, which is especially important for online stores. Since the speed of the site directly influences SEO and conversion rates, Astra allows you to create a high-performance store without unnecessary load on the server.

Also, Astra has plenty of customization options that enable you to make your store design truly unique, even if you have never written a single line of code. You will be able to manage custom layouts of product pages, edit the display of the cart, and optimize the checkout process.

The Astra theme is fully compatible with WooCommerce and supports all the platform’s core features. You will be able to:

• Optimize product pages: change the layout, hide or add elements (star rating, reviews, CTA buttons, etc.).
• Improve the mobile version of the store: responsive design ensures comfortable viewing of products on smartphones.
• Simplify the checkout process: users can make purchases faster thanks to a convenient checkout process.

Boost your website’s performance! Install Astra and enjoy a lightweight theme.

Get in Touch

Vivid case of WebHelpAgency

Regatta is a startup company that uses high-performance transactional and analytical databases to process large sets of information faster. The team at Regatta wanted a lightweight, fast, and powerful solution for their website that could keep up with their technical requirements and business goals. Our WordPress agency has chosen Astra Theme to create this startup’s fast, responsive, and functional website.

With Astra Theme WordPress, we helped Regatta get:

1. Design using corporate colors that emphasize brand identity.
2. Software implementation based on CMS WordPress for easy content management.
3. Subscription option via WooCommerce and integrated payment systems.
4. Testing all functions before launching to ensure the site works as it should.

WordPress Astra Theme vs. Competitors 

Astra is a very popular WordPress theme with some serious competitors like GeneratePress and OceanWP. All these themes have pros and differences that can affect the user’s choice. Let’s discover how Astra looks in comparison with them.

Astra theme vs GeneratePress

GeneratePress is a bit faster than WordPress Astra theme because it has a lighter base version. In contrast, Astra has more free customization options than GeneratePress, which requires a premium version for more advanced features. 

Astra integrates better with page builders like Elementor and has more features for WooCommerce. GeneratePress is perfect for users who prefer minimalism and lightness.

Astra theme vs OceanWP

OceanWP offers so much more with its free version, including extra templates and more extensive design capabilities. This is a pretty appealing offer for beginners.

In return, the WordPress Astra theme outperforms OceanWP in terms of loading speed because OceanWP has more built-in features to slow it down. Free OceanWP provides better WooCommerce support with useful features such as pop-up carts.

Astra provides WooCommerce benefits only in the paid version. OceanWP would work for users who want to use free features, while Astra is more friendly to users using page builders.

Here is a comparison table of Astra WordPress Theme against its main competitors.

Feature	Astra	GeneratePress	OceanWP
Performance	Fast and easy	The fastest	Fast (with extra features)
Settings	A lot in the free version	Minimum in the free version	A lot in the free version
Page builders	Excellent compatibility	Functions with Gutenberg	Well compatible
Templates	Available in the library, some premium	Limited in free version	More free templates
SEO	Schema.org support	Well optimized	Additional setup required
Suitable for	For the page builder	For minimalist sites	For WooCommerce and designs

Conclusion 

Astra theme WordPress is a strong and SEO-friendly theme suitable for blogs, agencies, or corporate, service-oriented, eCommerce websites, portfolios, and much more. Some of the biggest pros are that it is straightforward and fast yet deeply integrated with page builders.

Want a professional Astra setup for a website? Partner with our white-label WordPress development agency to create a responsive and unique web project for the given business goals. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at the Web Help Agency.

FAQ