How to Make Sticky Header in Elementor

Learning how to make sticky header in Elementor helps maintain your website's navigation at the top of the page as users scroll. This feature enhances user experience and improves website usability on both desktop and mobile views. Follow this guide to add a sticky header in Elementor and customize it effectively.

Enable Sticky Header in Elementor Pro

To create a sticky header in Elementor, you need Elementor Pro, which includes advanced motion effects and scrolling behaviors.

1. Open your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Templates > Theme Builder.
2. Edit your existing Header or create a new one.
3. Select the Section that contains your header.
4. Go to the Advanced tab in the Elementor panel.
5. Click on Motion Effects.
6. Toggle Sticky to Top.
7. Optionally, choose to display it on Desktop, Tablet, or Mobile.

Customize Sticky Header in Elementor

Once the header is set to sticky, Elementor gives you full control over how it behaves and looks during scrolling. These customization settings help improve both aesthetics and usability, ensuring the header complements your site’s design while remaining user-friendly.

• Effects Offset: This setting allows you to define how many pixels a user must scroll before the sticky header activates. It's useful when you don’t want the header to stick immediately at the top, especially for layouts with a large hero section or banner.
• Sticky On: You can enable the sticky effect on specific devices—desktop, tablet, or mobile—based on your design needs. This is helpful for creating a responsive sticky header in WordPress that doesn't interfere with limited screen space on smaller devices.
• Header Background: Use this option to change the background color or add a background overlay once the user starts scrolling. A different background ensures that the sticky header remains visible and legible against varying page content, especially if the original header is transparent.
• Z-Index: This numeric value controls the layering of elements on the page. Increasing the Z-index ensures your sticky header always appears above other elements, such as banners, popups, or media sliders. It prevents overlap issues that could affect user navigation.

Add Sticky Header in Elementor Using CSS

If you're using the free version of Elementor, you won't have access to the built-in sticky settings available in Elementor Pro. However, you can still make a sticky header manually using custom CSS. This method allows the header to stay fixed at the top of the page as the user scrolls.

1. Navigate to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS: From your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance and open the Customizer. In the left panel, find the “Additional CSS” option where you can add your custom styles.
2. Add the following code: Paste this snippet into the CSS editor to apply the sticky effect to your header:

header.elementor-sticky {
  position: -webkit-sticky;
  position: sticky;
  top: 0;
  z-index: 999;
}

This CSS makes the selected header stick to the top of the page when you scroll down. The top: 0; ensures it stays flush with the top edge, and the high z-index helps it appear above other content layers.

Make sure to replace header.elementor-sticky with the correct CSS selector for your specific header. You can find the selector by inspecting your page in a browser using developer tools (right-click the header > Inspect).

Ensure Sticky Header is Responsive

A sticky header should look and function smoothly across all devices—not just desktop. Elementor allows you to fine-tune how your sticky header behaves on tablets and mobile devices. Here's how to make sure it stays responsive and user-friendly:

• Check sticky visibility under Motion Effects for each device: Select the header section and go to the Advanced > Motion Effects panel. Make sure the Sticky option is enabled for the correct devices (Desktop, Tablet, or Mobile). If it’s only applied to Desktop, it won’t function on smaller screens.
• Test header height and alignment in mobile and tablet preview modes: Switch to Responsive Mode in the Elementor editor and preview how the sticky header behaves on various screen sizes. Adjust logo size, menu alignment, and button spacing to avoid cramping and misalignment.
• Adjust padding and spacing to avoid content overlap: Sticky headers can sometimes overlap content below them, especially on mobile where screen space is limited. Add top padding or margin to your first section after the header, and reduce the header height using responsive settings to preserve readability.
• Use a simplified mobile header layout: If your desktop header has multiple elements (e.g., social icons, multiple menu links), consider creating a mobile-only version using Elementor’s Responsive visibility settings. Hide complex elements on mobile and use a hamburger menu for cleaner navigation.

Troubleshooting Sticky Header Issues

If your Elementor sticky header isn't behaving as expected—such as not appearing, flickering, or overlapping page content—there are several ways to fix it quickly using Elementor’s built-in controls and layout settings.

Common sticky header problems and how to solve them

• Header not sticking: Make sure sticky behavior is enabled under Advanced > Motion Effects > Sticky and set to the appropriate device type. Also check that the header’s Z-index is set higher than the content below (e.g., 999 or more), so it remains visible as you scroll.
• Flickering header: If the header jumps or flickers during scrolling, disable any entrance animations or scroll effects applied to the header or surrounding sections. These animations can interfere with sticky behavior, especially in combination with third-party scripts or transition delays.
• Overlap issues: If your sticky header covers the content below it, you likely need to create visual spacing. Add top margin or padding to the first section following the header—ideally equal to or slightly more than the header's height (e.g., 70–100px).

Useful Links

How to Create a Sticky Header on WordPress – Elementor’s official guide for enabling the sticky header feature using Elementor Pro’s Motion Effects.

How to Create a Shrinking Sticky Header – Elementor’s expert tutorial on adding a shrinking effect to your sticky header for a sleek UX.

Elementor Motion Effects Documentation – Official reference on Sticky, Effects Offset, device visibility and advanced scroll-based behaviours.

Sticky Header Effects for Elementor Plugin – A free plugin that adds 10+ scroll effects (background change, blur, shrink, hide-on-scroll) to elevate your sticky header design.

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Conclusion

Adding a sticky header in Elementor enhances navigation and keeps your branding accessible at all times. Whether you use Elementor Pro or custom CSS, make sure to test it on all devices. A well-designed sticky header not only improves user experience but also adds a professional touch to your WordPress website. Now you know how to make Elementor header sticky in just a few steps.