Text widget settings

Write and style headings and paragraphs with the Text widget - the text toolbar, the Zeus write and rewrite menu, the Design panel and connecting text to data.

The Text widget holds headings, paragraphs and lists. Most of its styling happens in the text toolbar while you type; the Design panel adds alignment, spacing, a background and animations for the whole widget.

How to add it

Click Add in the left rail and open Basic.
Drag Text onto the page (or select a column and click it).
The new widget shows "Click to edit text". Click Edit Text in its toolbar, or double-click the text, and start typing.
Click outside the widget when you're done. Changes save with the page.

The text toolbar

It appears above the widget while you edit. Most buttons style the words you've selected, or the words you type next if nothing is selected.

Paragraph / Heading 1–6: the text style for the line. Headings use the theme's heading styles. Changing the style clears a size or font you set by hand, so the new style shows.
Font: the site's fonts, with search. From Google adds a free font to the site; Upload font adds your own font file.
Font size: type a size or pick one from the list.
Font weight: Light, Regular, Medium, Semibold, Bold, Extra bold, Black. Applies to the whole widget.
Line height: type a number, for example 1.4. Applies to the whole widget.
Text color: a solid color or a Gradient for the selected words.
Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikethrough.
Highlight: a colored marker behind the selected words.
Text shadow: No shadow, Soft shadow, Strong shadow, Crisp shadow or Light glow shadow.
Link (Add Link / Edit Link): opens the link picker, so words can go to a page, a section, a phone number, a file and more. See the link picker.
Connect to data (or type {{{): drops a value such as the business name into the sentence.
Clear formatting: removes bold, colors, links and other marks from the selection.
Reset to theme: clears font, size, weight, color and line height so the text follows the Site Theme again.
Bullet list and Ordered list.
Align left, Align center, Align right, Justify.
Zeus: write or rewrite the text (below).

Write or rewrite with Zeus

Click Zeus in the text toolbar.

Write: Title, Paragraph (Short, Medium or Long) or Custom… (answer "What should Zeus write?").
Rewrite selection (or Rewrite all text when nothing is selected): Improve, Shorter, Longer, Change tone (Conversational, Professional, Friendly, Authoritative, Enthusiastic, Witty), Fix grammar or Custom… ("How should Zeus rewrite it?").

Zeus writes in the client's brand voice and follows your writing rules. For a rewrite, tick Compare with original to see the Original and Zeus's version side by side. Click Use this text to keep it, Try again for another version, or Cancel. Nothing changes until you choose. This menu is free and doesn't use your monthly Zeus messages.

Design panel

Select the widget and click Edit Design. Sections in order:

Alignment

Text align: Left, Center, Right or Justify. Default Left. Set per screen size, so a heading can be centered on phones and left-aligned on Desktop.

Spacing

Padding (inner box) per screen size, plus margin (outer ring). How the diagram works: Design panel basics.

Text color

Only shows when the words come from a collection row (a dynamic page or a Dynamic Repeater).

Color: the color of the whole text, per screen size. The note reads "The words come from this page's row (Edit Row). Double-click the text for size and weight too." Double-clicking opens a small Text style bar with color, size, Weight and Reset.

Background

Background: switch on to put color behind the whole widget. Off by default.
Color: a theme color, your own color, or a gradient. Per screen size. Theme colors stay linked, so they change when the theme changes.
Opacity: 0 to 100 %, default 100 %.

Animations & Effects

Animations & Effects has Hover effects, Entrance and Scroll. See Animations and effects.

Connect text to data

The whole widget: toolbar > Connect to Data > Connect Text to, then pick Business Text or a row field. The widget then shows that value, and you edit the words at the source. Fonts and sizes you set on part of a connected text are kept on top of it.
A value inside a sentence: click Connect to data in the text toolbar, or type {{{, and pick a field, such as the city or phone number.
Text from a collection row can't be retyped on the canvas; change it with Edit Row. You can still restyle it with the Text color section and the double-click style bar.

How text fits its box

Big text never runs off its box. When a heading's longest word is wider than its box (a long brand name on a phone, say), the text shrinks on that screen size until the word fits. It never grows past the size you set.
On a right-to-left language (Arabic, Hebrew), left and right alignment mirror automatically.
New text follows the theme's Paragraph and Heading styles until you change it. Change those for the whole site in Site Theme.

Examples

A plumber's hero heading: Heading 1, "24/7 Emergency Plumbing in Arcata", Text align Center on Mobile, Left on Desktop.
A price that stands out: select "$99" and give it Bold and a Gradient color.
A local intro that stays correct: "Serving {{{city}}} since 2004" with the city connected to Business Info, so a change there updates every page.
A quick tidy-up: select a long paragraph, Zeus > Shorter, compare, Use this text.

Limits and what it can't do

Font weight and line height apply to the whole widget, not to single words.
Text shadow presets aren't offered on text connected to Business Text.
One widget holds one block of text. For text wrapped around a picture, use Text & Image.
Zeus writing is for agency team members only; client people don't see the Zeus button.

Who can use it

Agency team members with the Mount Olympus tool.
Client people with Widget content can edit the words and toolbar styling of existing Text widgets. Changing the Design panel, adding or deleting widgets needs Editor.
Connecting to data needs Editor or Dynamic pages & Connect to Data.

Credits

None. Typing, styling and the Zeus write and rewrite menu are free.

Troubleshooting

"Zeus couldn't write that just now — try again": the request didn't finish. Click Try again.
"The text box is no longer open — select it and try again.": you clicked away while Zeus was writing. Select the widget, click Edit Text and run it again.
My heading is smaller on phones than I set: the longest word didn't fit, so it was shrunk to fit. Make the box wider or use a shorter word.
I can't type in the text: it's connected to data. Edit it at the source (Business Info, Business Text or Edit Row), or remove the connection with Manage Connection.
The color button doesn't change row text: use the Text color section in the Design panel instead.
A heading lost its custom size: changing Paragraph / Heading resets size and font. Set them again after picking the style.