Setting Up Your Site

Created by Joseph Ross, Modified on Mon, 16 Feb at 10:27 PM by Joseph Ross

The first time you log in to your new WebNesting site, a setup wizard will guide you through the essentials. This page walks you through each step so you know exactly what to expect.

The entire process takes just a few minutes. When you are done, your site will have a name, a look, and ready-made pages to start customizing.

The Welcome Wizard

When you first log in, a welcome window opens automatically. It walks you through two main stages:

Site details -- Your site name, business name, and search engine info
Starter template -- Pre-built pages and content to give you a head start

After the welcome wizard finishes, a second step appears:

Theme and colors -- The visual style and color palette for your site

Let us walk through each one.

Stage 1: Your Site Details

The first screen asks you to fill in some basic information about your site.

Site Name

Find the Site Name field.
Type the name you want for your website (for example, "Sunny Day Bakery" or "Alex's Portfolio").
This name appears in your browser tab and can be used throughout your site.

Business Name

Find the Business Name field.
Type your company or organization name.
If you do not have a business, you can use your own name or leave the default.

SEO Title

Find the SEO Title field.
Type a short, descriptive title for your site.
This is what search engines like Google will display as the main link when your site appears in search results.

Tip: A good SEO title is short and clear. For example: "Sunny Day Bakery -- Fresh Bread & Pastries in Portland." Keep it under 60 characters if you can.

SEO Description

Find the SEO Description field.
Write a brief summary of what your site is about (one or two sentences).
This description appears below your title in search results. It helps people decide whether to click on your link.

Tip: Think about what a stranger would want to know about your site. What do you do? Who is it for? For example: "Family-owned bakery specializing in sourdough bread, pastries, and custom cakes. Order online or visit us in Portland."

Search Results Preview

As you type your SEO title and description, you will see a preview below the fields. This shows you roughly how your site will look in search results. Use it to make sure everything reads well.

Moving Forward

When you are happy with your details, click the Next button in the bottom right corner to continue.

Tip: None of these choices are permanent. You can change all of them later in your site settings.

Stage 2: Choosing a Starter Template

The second screen lets you pick a starter template. Templates give your site pre-built pages filled with sample content, so you do not have to design everything from scratch.

Available Templates

You will see a set of template cards to choose from:

Business -- Includes pages like Home, About, Services, and Contact. Great for companies, agencies, and service providers.
Portfolio -- Designed to showcase creative work with project galleries and an About page. Perfect for designers, photographers, and freelancers.
Personal -- A simpler layout for personal websites and blogs.
Blank -- Gives you just a homepage with nothing on it. Choose this if you want total creative freedom.

How to Pick a Template

Browse the template cards and read the descriptions.
Click on the template you want. It will become highlighted.
Some templates are available in two versions:
- Starter -- A simpler layout with a set number of pages
- Pro -- A more feature-rich layout with additional sections and components (may include extra modules like a blog or store)
If tier options appear, select the one you prefer.
Click Apply & Continue to move forward.

Tip: If you are not sure which template to pick, start with Business -- it covers the most common pages and is easy to customize. You can always delete pages you do not need or add new ones later.

What Happens Next

After you click Apply & Continue, you will see a brief "Setting up your site..." message. WebNesting is creating your pages and filling them with sample content. This only takes a moment.

Once it finishes, the page will refresh and move you to the next stage.

Stage 3: Choosing a Theme

After the template is applied, a theme selection screen appears. This is where you choose the overall visual style of your site.

Step 1: Pick a Theme

You will see a grid of theme cards on the left side of the screen. Each card shows:
- The theme name
- A short description of its style
- Color dots showing the theme's default palette
Click on any theme to preview it. A live preview of your site loads on the right side of the screen, showing you exactly how it looks with that theme applied.
Browse through the options and click different themes until you find one you like.
Click Choose Colors to continue to color selection.

Tip: You can click links inside the preview to navigate to different pages on your site. This lets you see how the theme looks across your entire site, not just the homepage.

Step 2: Choose a Color Palette

You will see a list of pre-made color palettes. Each one shows color dots for its main colors (primary, secondary, background, and text).
Palettes marked as Recommended at the top are designed to look best with your chosen theme.
Click any palette to preview it on your site. The live preview on the right updates instantly.
Once you find colors you like, you can either:
- Click Apply Theme to save your choices and finish setup, or
- Click Customize to fine-tune individual colors (see next step)

Tip: If you already have brand colors in mind, click Customize to set them exactly. Otherwise, the pre-made palettes are a great starting point.

Step 3: Customize Individual Colors (Optional)

If you clicked Customize, you will see a list of five color controls:

Primary -- Your main brand or accent color (used for buttons, links, and highlights)
Secondary -- A supporting accent color
Background -- The main background color of your pages
Container -- The background color of content boxes and cards
Text -- The default text color

To change a color:

Click on the colored circle next to the color name.
A color picker will appear. Use it to select your desired color.
The live preview updates in real time so you can see the effect immediately.
Repeat for any other colors you want to adjust.
If you want to undo your changes, click Reset Colors to go back to the palette defaults.
When you are satisfied, click Apply Theme.

After clicking Apply Theme, the page will refresh and you will arrive at your Dashboard. Your site is now set up and ready to customize.

After Setup: Adding Your Logo and Favicon

Now that your site is set up, you will want to add your own logo and favicon (the small icon that appears in browser tabs).

Adding Your Logo

From your Dashboard, go to Settings in the left sidebar.
Under Content Items, click Image.
Find the Logo field.
Click the upload area or browse button to select your logo image from your computer.
Save your changes.

Your logo will appear in your site's header area, replacing the default text.

Adding a Favicon

From the same Image settings area, look for the Favicon field.
Upload a small square image (a simplified version of your logo works well).
Save your changes.

Tip: Favicons look best as square images, around 512 by 512 pixels. Simple icons with bold shapes work better than detailed images because they display very small in the browser tab.

Updating Your Site Name Later

If you ever want to change your site name or any of the details you set up during the wizard:

Go to Settings in the Dashboard sidebar.
Under Site Config, click Sandbox Config for site name and business name, or Search Engine Optimization (DEFAULTS) for SEO title and description.
Update the fields as needed.
Save your changes.

Changing Your Theme or Colors Later

You are not locked into your initial theme choice. To change your theme or colors at any time:

Go to Settings in the Dashboard sidebar.
Look for the Theme section.
Select a different theme or adjust your color palette.
Save your changes.

Your site will update immediately with the new look.

Where to Go Next

Your site is set up and looking great. Here are your next steps:

Navigating the Dashboard -- Learn your way around the Dashboard and discover all the tools at your disposal.
Edit your pages -- Open the Web-Builder to start replacing the sample content with your own text, images, and layout.
Upload media -- Add your photos, graphics, and files to the media library so they are ready to use on your pages.

Tip: The sample content from your template is there to show you what is possible and give you a starting structure. Feel free to change everything -- the text, images, layout, and colors are all yours to customize.

Last updated: February 13, 2026