A look at Elementor’s updates: 2022 and beyond

Introduction

Elementor is one of the most popular page builders for WordPress. It works well for people who don’t code, thanks to its drag-and-drop interface, and it also suits more technical users, such as the winner of the 2022 Elementor Showoff Competition, ImproVR.

Between version 3.8 and 3.11 (released from 2022 to February 2023), Elementor introduced a range of updates focused on performance, flexibility and reducing reliance on third-party plugins.

This post hightlights the changes that matter most and what they mean in practice.

Key features

Flexbox containers

Flexbox containers change how you build layouts in Elementor. They were introduced as an experiment in version 3.6 and are designed to replace sections and columns. The main benefit is simpler, cleaner markup and more flexible layouts.

What problem does this solve?

Limits on layout structures

Previously, you could only add up to 10 columns in a section. Containers remove that limit. You can now add as many nested containers as needed.

Too many wrapper elements

Older layouts relied on multiple nested ‘div’ elements. Even a simple layout could become bloated. For example, a basic section with two columns produced six ‘div’ elements.

<section class="elementor-section">
    <div class="elementor-container">
        <div class="elementor-column">
            <div class="elementor-widget-wrap"></div>
        </div>
        <div class="elementor-column">
            <div class="elementor-widget-wrap"></div>
        </div>
    </div>
</section>

With containers, the same structure can be reduced to four div elements:

<div class="e-con-boxed">
    <div class="e-con-inner">
        <div class="e-con"></div>
        <div class="e-con"></div>
    </div>
</div>

In some cases, you can remove inner containers entirely and place widgets directly inside the parent element.

More dynamic tag controls

Elementor 3.7 Pro expanded dynamic tag support across widgets such as forms, galleries and posts.

This means you can:

• connect more fields to dynamic data
• reduce the need for third-party plugins
• build more flexible, data-driven layouts

For many users, this replaces tools like Dynamic Content plugins.

Loop builder

The Loop Builder (introduced in 3.8 as a beta feature) lets you design custom layouts for posts and products inside Elementor.

Before this, users often relied on plugins such as Ele Custom Skin and JetEngine .

Now you can:

• design reusable templates for lists of content
• control layout and styling in one place
• reduce plugin dependencies

This has been one of the most requested features for a long time.

Save as default

“Save as Default” (introduced in 3.9) is a small feature that makes a big difference to workflow.

You can set your own defaults for things like:

• spacing units (for example em or rem)
• typography settings
• placeholder text

Once saved, these defaults apply automatically across new designs.

Custom units

Elementor 3.10 introduced support for more CSS units.

You are no longer limited to: px, em, rem, %, vh, vw

You can now use:

• dvh
• auto
• fit-content
• CSS variables

This makes it easier to build responsive and scalable layouts.

A useful example is fluid typography using clamp(), which can now be applied directly without workarounds.

Nested tabs

Nested tabs (added in 3.10) allow you to place tabs inside other tabs.

Before this, you often had to create separate templates and insert them via shortcodes, or use additional plugins.

Now you can manage everything in one place, which simplifies both editing and maintenance.

Loop carousel

Elementor 3.11 Pro introduced the loop carousel

This lets you display dynamic content (such as products) in a carousel without extra plugins.

Previously, this required third-party tools. Now you can:

• build product or post carousels natively
• reuse loop templates
• reduce plugin bloat

Elementor roadmap: 2023 and beyond

In January 2023, Elementor shared its roadmap for future updates.

Planned improvements include:

• mega menu support
• a redesigned editor top bar
• more nested widgets (such as accordions and carousels)
• loop grid filters
• CSS Grid support

These changes aim to improve workflow and reduce reliance on external tools.

What this means for you

If you use Elementor regularly, these updates:

• simplify your layout structure
• reduce the number of plugins you need
• give you more control over design and responsiveness

The overall direction is clear: fewer workarounds, more built-in capability.

Your thoughts

Which of these features are you most interested in using? And what would you still like Elementor to improve?