Introducing a totally revamped version of Astra Starter Sites — now known as Starter Templates 2.0!
We initially launched Astra Starter Sites 2 years ago. Since then it has helped tens of thousands of people simplify their web building process. Saving them both time, and money.
It’s not easy for everyone to start with a blank page and design a complete website. That’s why we originally launched Astra Starter Sites to help you, our users.
And guess what? You loved them!
It’s not just another demo templates — they are Starter Templates! A starting point on the shortest path to a stunning website.
Here’s just a small selection of the great responses we received through these last couple of years:
The idea behind Starter Templates
There are several hurdles when starting from zero just to name a few includes, searching for inspirations, finalizing mockups, designing actual pages, searching for exact settings, managing spacing, typography, colors, adding navigation, logo, etc. — and then comes a big task of making everything responsive.
We’re sweating… just thinking about it!
Needless to say, building a website demands a long time commitment with a big learning curve. And that’s long before you can actually start profiting from it.
| Other Template Plugins | Starter Templates 2.0 |
| – Rigid templates and demos | – Highly flexible templates |
| – Difficult to edit | – Easy to modify |
| – Need to edit code | – No need to edit code |
| – Mixing different templates is not possible | – Mix different pages from different templates |
| – Templates do NOT inherit customizer styling | – Templates will inherit current customizer styling |
With Starter Templates, you can add blocks wherever necessary which will give you ready-made designs for special sections like testimonials, services, FAQs, and more!
As the templates are so flexible those that want to start from scratch can still benefit from using a template even if just for the base styles.
On the other hand, if you want a ready-made website you can use Starter Templates to have a website in minutes, just swap out the text and images and you can launch your website on the same day.
Starter templates are a great starting point for beginners as well as for professionals. They’re easy to use, user-friendly and yet provide clean and sleek designs.
With Starter Templates, you’ll be saving both time and money.
Since there’s no need to spend your hours trying to build your site from the ground up, you get the added benefit of gaining time to dedicate yourself to different projects. Just like our friend Jose says – “I ain’t writing any website from scratch… I gotta life and family.”
Astra Starter templates save you a number of huge tasks that go along with producing a site. Allowing you to skip straight to building your business.
? We’re on a mission – “To Cut Website Development Time by Half”. And with Starter Templates, we try to save more than half of the time. ⏳
Why Users Loved Starter Templates Then and Why They Will Love It Further
- Sleek and Flexible Design that’s easy to use – Professionally built website demos thoughtfully designed by experts serving all niches.
- Save your time, efforts and money – You get ready to use templates that may need minimal modifications free of cost!
- Templates with favorite page builders – You need not worry about the flexibility here! Comfortable with Beaver Builder, Elementor, Brizy or Gutenberg? We have templates built with them.
- One-click Imports – We understand how time matters. And therefore, Starter Templates allow users to import starter templates with one single click!
- Can be Converted Into Personalized Websites – Need modifications in an existing template? Tweak, modify, add or remove anything that will suit your needs.
- Device Friendly Templates – Every template has been through a proven testing period and is fully responsive. Making your website shine no matter the device.
- Beginner Friendly Process – You don’t have to dig a well to build the website of your dreams. Starter Templates make it as easy as eating pie.
- Constant Help from Experts – We have a dedicated support team to guide and take you along whenever you need us.
By using the new Starter templates 2.0 you can build powerful, intuitive, interactive, visually engaging websites.
Starter Templates 2.0. What’s New? ?
1. Enhanced UI & UX
1.1 Sync library to fetch newly added templates.
1.2 Mark templates as favorites while browsing through the designs making it easier to search these any time later.
2. Import Single Pages
Complete site templates are available for various businesses. The best thing is you can import any single page from any site easily.
For example, you can import a home page from one site, about page from the second site and so on.
3. Automatically Inherit Theme Customizer Settings
Starter Templates are unique for the feature of inheriting customizer style.
For example, consider your color theme for the website is black and red and you have set these colors in the customizer. Now when you import any of the starter templates, it will automatically inherit customizer colors and display an imported page in black and red color, Regardless of the original color theme.
Similarly, templates will inherit all customizer settings including typography, spacing, layout, button, etc. This saves a lot of time to convert the imported template into a website style.
4. Pages and Blocks Import Option for Elementor Editor
You can choose the starter page template or blocks directly from the Elementor editor.
5. Free and Unlimited Images Search Right Inside WordPress
The entire library of free Pixabay images is available inside the media library. You just need to search and insert media.
Allowing you to create beautiful blog posts full of images!
Along with the above features, 2.0 is incredibly fast, bringing you a simple, powerful experience with a great reduction in website designing time. The plugin brings ease and speed in the process.
We’ve improved the plugin performance significantly!. Every process is made faster — like searching time, importing time, and the overall code is optimized.
We currently have in excess of 250+ sites and we are continuously adding new starter templates and blocks.
Where Do I Download The Free and Premium Version?
# Free Starter Templates — You can download free version from WordPress.org link.
# Premium Starter Templates — The premium version is available with the Essential Toolkit and the Business Toolkit. Once you have one of these bundles you can use the premium version.
FAQs
Does this allow importing complete websites or individual pages too?
Can I switch to another starter site after I have imported one?
Can I use the images used in the starter templates?
I am not able to find a Starter Template I am looking for?
Conclusion
We’re excited to continue pushing forward with Starter Templates, they are both powerful, and flexible while remaining user-friendly.
Do you have a favourite Astra Starter template? What would you like to see from Starter templates? Let us know in the comments below!
Disclosure: This blog may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may receive a small commission. Read disclosure. Rest assured that we only recommend products that we have personally used and believe will add value to our readers. Thanks for your support!
How do we know what templates are new?
Hello,
We are currently working on this and we will soon release a solution for this too. 🙂
Is there a demo library we could check out before purchase?
Hello Devin,
Yes, you can take a look at all the templates on our dedicated page for starter templates.
Super release! Make working on Astra more easier and productive!
Your team are doing great job.
Thanks!
You’re welcome!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! 🙂
is it necessary to install a child theme for editing the CSS?
Hello there,
If you are planning to insert some custom code or CSS it is recommended to use the Child theme. https://git-staging.wpastra.com/docs/add-custom-php-code/
While if there’s some CSS you can insert it from the Additional CSS section on the Customizer too.
Do I need to uninstall the “old” Starter Theme Plugin first? (i.e. on a construction site that at the moment already uses one of the Agency starter themes?) — I tried to install 2.0 as there was no “update available” message – but I was unable to install 2.0 since the folder already exists.
Hello Birgit,
You need not uninstall the old version of Starter Templates plugin. You can update it directly using the update plugin link.
If you don’t see an update notification, you are recommended to force check updates. Go to Dashboard -> Updates -> Click “Check Update”
If you are going to force check updates, you need not download and install the latest version of the plugin. But, if you are doing it manually, you will have to delete the existing version of the plugin on your website and install the latest version of the plugin.
Please feel free to get in touch if you need help with anything.
Is it 280 unique templates or 280 pages?
Oops Jochen!
That was a typo. It’s 250 website templates and then additional blocks that can be accessed through the Elementor editor.
What is the difference between Astra Premium Sites and Starter sites 2.0?
Is Starter Sites 2.0 replacing Astra Premium Sites?
I cannot use both at same time. I am not allowed to use Astra Premium Sites when Starter Sites are activated.
Hello Peter,
Starter Templates 2.0 is the new version of Astra Premium Sites. You can update the plugin from the WordPress backend or manually replace Astra Premium Sites with Starter Templates plugin.
This post explains how Starter Templates 2.0 is different from the previous versions. Since they both are two different versions of the same plugin, you need to have just one installed at a time. I’d suggest you to try Starter Templates – you’ll definitely love it! 🙂
How do I connect or create legal pages to my website
Hello Ashok,
The Starter Site Templates are complete website demos that get imported to your website. You can import the website template you need and then modify it as required. You can add additional pages and design them too.
Adding a legal page can be done like adding any other new page to the website.
Great update. I love finding inspiration from blocks for an about page or services page for example that you organized neatly and provide great variations in black and white that I can easily customize. Love this feature and hope it can even be expanded on more as I find the most value in it thank you Astra.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feedback! 🙂
Hi. First of all: awesome job! Thank you!
I am starting using LearnDash with Elementor and Astra and WooCommerce.
I have installed all of them on my website.
But I have a few newbie questions:
1. If I install one of the Astra templates my website is going to be modified immediately?
How can I build the new pages using a template and test the integration with LearnDash and WooCommerce WITHOUT changing my actual and current website?
And after building and testing then how can I “overlap” the current website with the new pages?
Could you please create a video tutorial about that?
It would be easier to change from Thrive Themes to Elementor/Astra without stopping the website while the new one is not ready.
2. Do you know how to use LeanrDash with WooCommerce WITHOUT redirecting to a shop page from WooCommerce?
I would like to:
People see the list of courses on a regular page (not WooCommerce general shop page)
People click to buy the course
People sees the checkout page inside the same page
People confirms the payment
People are redirect to the first lesson of the course they have bought
3. I could not find a FREE version of CartFlows.
Do you know how can I install it?
Thank you so much!
I have been using this plugin since long along with Astra. already a fan 🙂 I really loved the single page import feature, it opened up new possibility to design fresh and unique site now. Great job team! Keep it up
Thank you Bruce! 🙂
Looks good guys! I’m excited to implement the new stuff on my website and with my clients.
Great! 🙂
I installed (astra starter sites) but I did not see astra sites among the extension options!.. please help me
Hello,
That’s strange!
Please open a ticket through our support center, so that we can take a closer look and help.
Do I have to install the Astra theme before this plug in to work. I have just started a website and only downloaded the plug in and worried without the main theme it will not work or cause problems. Thank you.
Hello Sue,
The Starter Templates are built using the Astra theme and we do recommend users to use them along with the theme. However, Starter Templates 2.0 is a theme independent version – that means you can use it along with any theme. The template will inherit your theme settings while being imported.
This might change the way a template looks at your end.
I am using outdoor adventure starter template, but it does not let me add any new section nor elements from Elementor.
That’s strange!
Could you please open a ticket, so that we can take a look and help you with the best possible solution?
Is there any way to manually upload starter templates to your site like a zip file. I am having trouble importing my site. Error 7. Tried several times
Hello Jeffrey,
I am sorry but there is no way you can just upload the zip file of starter templates. These are actual complete websites that need to be imported.
Please open a ticket at our support center, so that we can take a closer look to see what is happening and help you soon.
I recently import two page templates but the previous template data showing in the google search results.But when I open it the page shows updated data. Why ?
Please help me?
Hello there,
This totally depends on Google’s Crawlers on when they make the next crawl to display the updated content.
I hope that clarifies. 🙂
I want to open starter template on my WordPress but whenever I open it a YouTube video appear instead of showing me the various starter template . So plzz tell me how can I get rid of this video and able to customize my website .
Hello Katrine, we are unsure of this issue, can you share some screenshots and reach out to us through our Support Portal for further help on this.
Im setting up a website for my short term rentals and wanted to know what could be the best template to download. Im quite amateur at this so the closest template would be great.
Hi
Does the starter template support rtl functionality?
We have used the Astra theme to create Starter Templates. And yes, both the Astra theme and Starter Templates provide support for RTL language natively and you can use popular translation plugins such as WPML, Polylang, Translatepress, and WeGlot.