wpBakery Technology Intelligence

What is WPBakery?

WPBakery Page Builder (formerly Visual Composer) is a WordPress page builder plugin that enables visual content creation through a drag-and-drop interface. It was one of the first widely-adopted page builders for WordPress, establishing many conventions that later builders would follow.

Originally launched in 2011 as Visual Composer, the plugin was renamed WPBakery Page Builder in 2018 to distinguish it from the newer Visual Composer Website Builder (a separate product). WPBakery has been bundled with thousands of ThemeForest themes, making it one of the most installed page builders despite its older architecture. Its extensive presence in the premium theme ecosystem ensures continued relevance.

Key Features

Editor Modes

• Backend Editor: Edit in WordPress admin with visual blocks
• Frontend Editor: Edit directly on the live page
• Classic Mode: Shortcode-based editing for advanced users

Content Elements

• Basic: Row, column, text block, images, buttons
• Media: Gallery, video, audio players
• Interactive: Tabs, accordion, tour, pageable content
• Social: Tweet, Facebook Like, Pinterest
• WordPress: Widget areas, sidebar integration

Layout System

• Rows and Columns: Flexible grid system
• Nested Elements: Complex layout structures
• Templates: Save and reuse layouts
• Responsive: Device-specific visibility settings

Customization

• Design Options panel for styling
• Custom CSS per element
• Skin and color scheme options
• Animation effects

Use Cases

ThemeForest Themes

Thousands of premium WordPress themes from ThemeForest bundle WPBakery. Theme purchasers use it to customize their sites beyond theme options without coding.

Business Websites

Small businesses create service pages, team sections, and about pages using WPBakery's visual elements. The backend editor provides familiar WordPress-style editing.

Portfolio Sites

Creatives build portfolio layouts with galleries, project grids, and content sliders. Template functionality saves consistent portfolio item designs.

Landing Pages

Marketers create promotional landing pages within WordPress. The element library provides buttons, forms, and conversion-focused components.

Blog Customization

Bloggers enhance post layouts with custom elements beyond standard WordPress editor. Embedded media and interactive elements enrich content.

Agency Projects

Agencies familiar with WPBakery from theme development continue using it for client projects, leveraging existing knowledge and saved templates.

Development

Custom Element Creation

// Create custom WPBakery element
add_action('vc_before_init', 'create_custom_element');

function create_custom_element() {
    vc_map([
        'name' => 'Custom Card',
        'base' => 'custom_card',
        'category' => 'Custom Elements',
        'icon' => 'icon-custom-card',
        'params' => [
            [
                'type' => 'textfield',
                'heading' => 'Title',
                'param_name' => 'title',
                'value' => '',
            ],
            [
                'type' => 'textarea',
                'heading' => 'Description',
                'param_name' => 'description',
            ],
            [
                'type' => 'attach_image',
                'heading' => 'Image',
                'param_name' => 'image',
            ],
        ],
    ]);
}

add_shortcode('custom_card', 'render_custom_card');
function render_custom_card($atts) {
    extract(shortcode_atts([
        'title' => '',
        'description' => '',
        'image' => '',
    ], $atts));

    $img_url = wp_get_attachment_image_url($image, 'medium');

    return sprintf(
        '<div class="custom-card">
            <img src="%s" alt="%s">
            <h3>%s</h3>
            <p>%s</p>
        </div>',
        esc_url($img_url),
        esc_attr($title),
        esc_html($title),
        esc_html($description)
    );
}

Shortcode Structure

// WPBakery stores content as shortcodes
[vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"]
    [vc_column_text]Content here[/vc_column_text]
[/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"]
    [vc_single_image image="123"]
[/vc_column][/vc_row]

Pricing and Comparison

Licensing

• Regular License: $59 - Single site, includes updates
• Extended License: $299 - For products sold to clients
• Theme Bundled: Included with many ThemeForest themes

Strengths

• Theme Bundling: Wide availability with premium themes
• Backend Editor: Familiar for traditional WordPress users
• Mature Product: Years of development and stability
• Add-on Ecosystem: Third-party element packs available

Limitations

• Older Architecture: Shortcode-based vs modern approaches
• Performance: Can slow sites with many elements
• Lock-in: Content depends on plugin being active
• UI: Interface feels dated compared to newer builders

Comparison

• vs Elementor: Elementor more modern, larger free version
• vs Divi: Divi includes theme and more features
• vs Beaver Builder: Beaver lighter weight, cleaner output
• vs Gutenberg: More features, but Gutenberg is core WordPress

Recommendation

WPBakery works well when bundled with themes or for existing sites. For new projects, newer builders may offer better experiences.