Template roles and surfaces
The core concept of the addon — design an Elementor template, assign it to a NivoSync surface, and that surface renders your design instead of the theme.
This is the concept the whole addon hangs from. Once it clicks, every other page in this section is detail.
The idea
NivoSync renders in seven places. Each one is a surface. You design an Elementor template, assign it to a surface, and from then on NivoSync renders your template there instead of the theme's version.
A surface with no template assigned keeps using the active NivoSync theme. That is what makes the addon safe to adopt gradually: you are never forced to rebuild the whole store to change one page.
The seven surfaces
| Surface | What it renders |
|---|---|
| Single diamond page | /diamond/{slug}/ — one stone's full page. |
| Single setting page | A ring setting's product page. |
| Ring Builder — Diamonds step | The diamond-choosing step of the builder. |
| Ring Builder — Settings step | The setting-choosing step. |
| Ring Builder — Complete step | The final summary step. |
| Loop item — Diamond card | One card inside a Diamond Loop, when the loop's card source is set to "Elementor template". |
| Loop item — Setting card | The same, for a Setting Loop. |
Assigning a template
Step 1 — create the template. In WordPress: Elementor → Templates → Add New Template. Any type works; a Section or Page template is the usual choice. Design it with the NivoSync widgets. Publish it — drafts are not offered for assignment.
Step 2 — assign it. Go to NivoSync → Elementor, find the surface in the assignments table, choose your template from its dropdown, and press Save assignments.
Step 3 — check the Status column. It should read Active, with an Edit link straight back into the template.
There is a shortcut, too: while editing a template, Elementor's Page Settings panel carries a "Use this template as" control. Picking a surface there assigns it on save, without a trip to the dashboard.
What each status means
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active — Edit | The template is assigned, published and built with Elementor. It is rendering. |
| Not assigned | This surface is using the active NivoSync theme. |
| Invalid — theme is used instead | A template is assigned, but it cannot be rendered: it was deleted, moved to draft, or is not built with Elementor. NivoSync falls back to the theme so nothing breaks, but the assignment needs fixing. |
One template, several surfaces
A template can hold more than one role. That is exactly how the Ring Builder composer is meant to be used: assign the same template to all three Ring Builder surfaces and let the widget decide which step to render from the URL. See Ring Builder composer.
The one combination to avoid
Do not point a loop's "Loop item template" at the template that contains the loop.
A Diamond Loop with Card source → Elementor template asks another template to render each card. If that template is the one the loop lives in, it renders itself, which renders the loop, which renders itself again.
NivoSync stops that cycle rather than letting it take the site down: the loop item renders nothing for visitors, and anyone who can edit posts sees a note naming the offending template. The dropdown also excludes the template you are currently editing, so the obvious version of the mistake is not offerable in the first place.
Removing an assignment
Set the dropdown back to — NivoSync theme (default) — and save. The surface returns to the theme immediately. Your template is untouched and can be reassigned later.