--- title: "How to Edit a Joomla 3 Template" description: "Much like Joomla 2.5, the Joomla 3.x series includes a template editor available within the admin dashboard. The template editor allows you to edit your template directly within your browser. This is..." url: https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/edu/joomla/edit-joomla-3-template/ date: 2013-12-19 modified: 2024-08-22 author: "Brad Markle" categories: ["Joomla", "Joomla 3"] tags: ["Joomla v3"] type: post lang: en --- # How to Edit a Joomla 3 Template Much like [Joomla 2.5](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/edu/joomla-25/), the Joomla 3.x series includes a **template editor** available within the admin dashboard. The template editor allows you to edit your template directly within your browser. This is helpful and sometimes more efficient than [editing files using ftp](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/website/ftp/getting-started-guide/) or another method. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps of editing a template file in Joomla 3. **Please note!** This tutorial walks you through the steps of editing template files. Before editing any template file, we recommend that you first [make a backup](https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/edu/cpanel/cpanel-backups/) of the original file. ## Joomla 3.0 1. [Log into your Joomla admin dashboard](/support/edu/joomla/how-to-log-in-to-administrative-dashboard/). 2. In the top menu, click **Extensions** and then click **Template Manager** 3. In the left menu, click **Templates** 4. You will see a listing of templates you have installed. Find the template you want to edit, and then click the ***Template* Details and Files** link. 5. **Click the file you want to edit** You are now on the *Customise Template* page. The left menu of the page shows *Template Master Files* and in the right menu it says *Stylesheets*. Click any of the files in those two lists to edit the corresponding file. Below is a list of the files that you can edit: *Edit main page template*: **index.php***Edit error page template*: **error.php***Edit print view template*: **component.php***Edit css/template.css*: **css/template.css** 6. **Edit the file and then click Save** After clicking one of the above files, you’ll be brought to the *Template Manager: Edit File* page. On this page you will see an editor that you can use to edit the code of the file you chose. Make the changes you wish, and then click the **Save** button in the top menu. Congratulations, you just edited your template! ## Results of our Joomla 3.0 testing In our testing, we were working with **Protostar Details and Files** and chose the **Edit main page template** option. Under the opening of the body tag, we added the following text: ``` # Look, I edited my template! ``` Below you can see screenshots showing where we made the edit, and how it changed our template: | Making changes in the template editor | Viewing the changes we saved | | --- | --- | | [![Make changes in the 3.0 template editor](/support/images/stories/edu/joomla-3/edit-template/joomla-3.0-edit-template.jpg)](/support/images/stories/edu/joomla-3/edit-template/joomla-3.0-edit-template.jpg) | [![View the changes on front end](/support/images/stories/edu/joomla-3/edit-template/3.0-template-has-been-edited.jpg)](/support/images/stories/edu/joomla-3/edit-template/3.0-template-has-been-edited.jpg) | ## Joomla 3.1 The steps for editing a template in Joomla 3.1 are the same as they are in Joomla 3.0. ## Joomla 3.2 1. Log into your Joomla admin dashboard. 2. In the top menu, click **Extensions** and then click **Template Manager**. 3. In the left menu, click **Templates**. 4. You will see a listing of templates you have installed. Find the template you want to edit, and then click the ***Template* Details and Files** link. 5. Click the file you want to edit.By default, the *Editor* tab is shown. In the left menu, you will see a listing of files and folders for the template you chose. Click the name of the file you want to edit. 6. Edit the file and click the **Save** button.After clicking a file name, you will see an editor showing the code within that file. Make the changes you wish, and then click the **Save** button towards the top left of the page. ### Results of our Joomla 3.2 testing In our testing, we edited the index.php file. Under the opening of the body tag, we added the following text: ``` # I edited my template!!!! ``` As you can see in the screenshots below, after saving the changes and going to our website, we can see the change that were made. | Making changes in the editor | Reviewing the results of the change | | --- | --- | | [![Make changes in the 3.2 template editor](/support/images/stories/edu/joomla-3/edit-template/joomla-3.2-edit-index-file.jpg)](/support/images/stories/edu/joomla-3/edit-template/joomla-3.2-edit-index-file.jpg) | [![View changes on the front end](/support/images/stories/edu/joomla-3/edit-template/after-editing-j3.2-template.jpg)](/support/images/stories/edu/joomla-3/edit-template/after-editing-j3.2-template.jpg) | ## Changelog ### Joomla 3.0 to Joomla 3.2 The biggest change in the template editor feature between Joomla 3.0 and Joomla 3.2 is the access to which files you can edit. In Joomla 3.0 you are by default limited to editing only the *index.php*, *error.php*, *component.php*, and *css/template.css* files. In Joomla 3.2 you actually have access to all of the template files. You can navigate and choose which files to edit using a file manager (pointed out in the screenshot below). [![3.0 vs 3.2 template editor](/support/images/stories/edu/joomla-3/edit-template/3.0-vs-3.2-template-editor.jpg)](/support/images/stories/edu/joomla-3/edit-template/3.0-vs-3.2-template-editor.jpg)