Understanding the Wix Studio Dashboard vs. Site Editor

As a website owner, there are two areas of Wix you'll likely spend the most time in: the Dashboard and the Site Editor.

While both are important, they serve very different purposes. The Dashboard is where you'll manage your website's settings, tools, and behind-the-scenes functionality, while the Site Editor is where you'll make changes to the content and appearance of your website.

Knowing the difference between these two areas will make it much easier to find what you're looking for and confidently manage your website over time.

First Things First: Selecting the Correct Website

If your Wix account contains multiple websites, templates, or test projects, you'll first be taken to your My Sites page after logging in. From there, locate your website and click Select Site to access its Dashboard.

If your account only contains a single website, Wix may automatically take you directly to the Dashboard instead.

Once you've selected the correct website, you're ready to explore the Dashboard and Site Editor.

The Wix Dashboard

Think of the Dashboard as the control centre for your website.

This is where you'll manage the settings, tools, and behind-the-scenes functionality that keep your website running smoothly.

During Your Website Build & Launch

These are the areas you'll most commonly access while your website is being built or prepared for launch:

Feature	Purpose
Domains	Connect, transfer, or manage the domain associated with your website.
Hosting	Manage your Wix Premium plan and subscription settings.
Business Email	Set up and manage professional email addresses connected to your domain.
SEO & Marketing Tools	Connect services such as Google Search Console and other marketing integrations.

Ongoing Website Management

Once your website is live, you'll likely spend more time using these tools:

Feature	Purpose
Site Editor	Access the visual editor used to update your website's content, layout, and design.
Media Manager	Store and organize the images, videos, documents, and files used throughout your website.
Forms & Contacts	View form submissions, manage contacts, and keep track of inquiries generated through your website.
FAQs	Update and manage any FAQ sections connected to your website.
Blog Management	Create, edit, and publish blog posts while managing categories and tags.
Email Marketing	Create newsletters, automated emails, and email campaigns directly from Wix.
Analytics & Reporting	Monitor website traffic, visitor behaviour, and website performance.

The Wix Site Editor

The Site Editor is accessed directly from your website Dashboard.

To open it, locate the Edit Site button within your Dashboard and click to launch the editor.

By default, Wix will open your website in Content Mode. This is a simplified editing experience designed for everyday website maintenance and is where you'll likely spend most of your time making updates.

Content Mode is perfect for:

• Updating text

• Replacing images

• Changing button links

• Updating colours and content

While the Dashboard manages your website's settings, tools, and behind-the-scenes functionality, the Site Editor is where you'll make the changes visitors actually see when they visit your website.

Before you begin making updates, it's important to understand the different editing modes available within Wix. Knowing when to use Content Mode versus the Full Editor will help you make changes more confidently and reduce the risk of accidentally impacting your website's design or functionality.

In our next tutorial, Editing Your Website – Content Mode vs. Full Editor, we'll walk through each editing option, when to use it, and how to safely manage updates to your website.