Stop Advertising it Works for Beginners

Hello @docktor1961,

I’m Mehedi Hasan from the Astra team.

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your experience with Astra and the Starter Templates. I’m on your side and understand how frustrating it was to find the templates missing. With our commitment to providing you with the best possible experience, we’ve begun improving the Starter Templates, including AI integration to simplify website building for you.

I understand that initially the templates were removed, but I’m happy to inform you that they’re making a comeback in a more refined manner. Here’s a preview of how they’ll look: https://d.pr/i/WLTJhy

We’re aiming to release an update soon, possibly this week. Once you receive the update, you’ll have access to both the traditional templates and the option to build with AI.

We hope you continue to have an awesome experience using the Starter Templates. The Templates Kit is not an Astra feature. So, we kindly request your reconsideration of the review.

Regards,

Mehedi Hasan

Hello @thebengalboy:

Let me see if I can explain this better. The Starter Template (w/AI) plugin did install. So I go to Add New Page and at the top of the page is a button labeled Template Kits with nice little “S” icon. I selected that, it took me to Design Library and there I found an array of items to select, from Hero – Statistics pages to choose and design my new page. I hover over an item page and it has a label shows an ‘insert’ accompanied by a lock icon. Okay, so how to unlock? I select insert. The immediate return is “Connect Account to Zip AI”. So silly me, I like learning new things computer technical related (began building websites in 1999 with html and FrontPage) so I proceed. I set up a free account, try before you buy right? Got the email, got the authentication code for the Zip WP account. So now when I select the insert page option it should work right? Even for just the minute (it’s a bit longer) they allow for a free account setup, but when I select insert the return is back to my wp dashboard with a nothing all white screen with the url showing that it is trying, but something it preventing it to proceed. My immediate thought is that my wp firewall settings has a rule that says, that’s not going to happen, resetting rules, might create a vulnerability that can be exploited. Then I thought, do I really want to ‘pay’ for this Zip WP account? Answer is, No, I do not. Starter Template (w/AI), is a useless plugin. Not an Astra feature, okay, but the plugin comes with Astra Theme; installs automatically without an opt out option to install.
So what does the Astra Theme Builders offer. It offers it says, page by page design. Back to the wp dashboard, find appearance and select, starter templates, after I read the ‘how to insert single pages’ article on the Astra website. I select Block Editor from the three choices. I’m suppose to see according to the article in the top nav of the template selection page, Pages, Patterns, Wireframes. I have instead, Starter Template logo, a heart, a refresh page option, and it shows that I chose the Block Editor. I did at one point select a site wide template, but I found the content to be bloated with too many things that I wasn’t going to need or use; editing that I am going to need to know more about the functionality how it all comes together inside the template. As a beginner, I’m going to get lost in the weeds, editing the content.
For the Header, Content and Footer, I still have (no reset yet) the Astra Theme and for designing pages I’m still using the Starter Template for building the blocks. (I’m not a fan of wp blocks, but okay) I’m designing the website, page by page, container by container, block by block, from scratch. Utilizing CSS code where needed. This is going to take me more than a minute. When tasked with this project I was going to install WordPress on my virtual machine with Centos O/S, SQL, PHP, etc; upload finished project to wp dashboard, however, I thought going with WordPress ready made Themes would be faster. And maybe, somewhat, but it is still going to take me more than a minute. Thank you for your time in consideration, Mr. Hasan. btw: small detail that’s driving me nuts, support should probably handle, but … The ‘scroll to the top’ hover feature doesn’t work in customize, the button does not change colors to what I set, when I hover over it with mouse; maybe it’s global features not set properly? idk. The hero page ‘call to action’ button, hover feature works great. please advise. thank you And again, thank you for your time in consideration; have a great rest of your day.

Hi @@docktor1961

I wish I could help you with your queries, but due to forum guidelines, we’re not allowed to create threads for reviews or discussions about problems.

We recently released Starter Templates plugin version 4.5.6, which specifically brings back the old templates you were missing. You can update to the latest version and enjoy those familiar templates again.

However, for further assistance, please create a support topic here or open a ticket with us. We’d be happy to help you further.

Regards,

Mehedi Hasan

Thank you @thebengalboy:

I can’t enjoy something again, that I never had to begin with. I gave the Astra Theme 2 stars because it does work. Just not as well with those two Starter Template (w/AI, which a person should be able to opt of getting) plugin; Astra Template Library (single page template) as it should have. The Spectra plugin for building content pages works in creating New Pages and the front end free Astra Theme Customize to edit the theme works fine. (found my user error with ‘scroll to the top’) I’m not a beginner, but I’m not intermediate either. I am someone in between who knows how to get (CSS/html) something done on a computer when needed. The wheel was invented, I just want to change out the spokes on it, from time to time when the need arrives. I tried out (brief check out) about 4 different themes, before I came to the Astra Theme, for this project. And I tried (brief check out) about 4 themes, since I posted this review. The Astra Theme works with the Spectra plugin to build content pages and to customize the front end — that is why it got a 2 star review. But it’s not for a beginner, as advertised.

Best Regards,

Renee

Thanks for getting back, @docktor1961

Please allow me to address the concerns and points you shared:

1. You attempted it correctly, but encountered a firewall block, as you mentioned. Could you provide a video demonstrating what occurs when the firewall blocks it? Additionally, sharing the firewall’s name would help us to test it accordingly and ensure this issue does not recur.
2. So basically, the conventional templates that do not use AI come with dummy content. Leaving them blank appears unappealing and lacks consistency. So, you need to replace the dummy content with your content.
   
   This is why we introduced the AI feature, which accurately generates the content and images based on the business details you provide.

Renee, transitioning to new website-building tools like Astra, Spectra, and Starter Templates might have a learning curve. We understand your desire to create visually appealing websites quickly. Astra, Starter Templates, and Spectra collectively facilitate this. Your cooperation will allow us to assist you better, guiding you to make things to suit your needs. We have a dedicated support team ready to serve you.

If you give us a chance to help you, we’d be happy to tackle any specific problems you face.

Thank you.

Thanks @thebengalboy for being there for your customers. Unfortunately I am no longer one of them. I went with a different theme builder yesterday. A learning curve? Yes, I am very much aware of the WP learning curve. Before (1999-2006) if I needed a website I’d pull up (edit html where needed) FrontPage or Dream Weaver and Photoshop 6 and create the website and upload the content FTP. I created an interactive (math) page using an Excel plugin, it helped the customer to determine the cost, even before they phoned. (I was like a kid in a candy shop with computers)

In 2019 I decided that I wanted to write again. I bought a domain and activated the WP dashboard to use for a blog. A WP Theme to me is like Windows 3.1, a GUI interface for the user. Unlike Windows 3.1 the themes come in over 1000s of flavors, which makes them more like Linux. I knew what I wanted the blog to look like and Twenty-Seventeen gave that look to me, without having to add additional coding. Also, I used the Classic Editor (because I, old-school, like word processors) to create page and blog-post content. Blocks were there, in and probably before 2019, but I over road Gutenberg, with Classic (TinyMCE).

Transitioning from Classic Editor to a Gutenberg Block Editor (with many flavors of plugins to choose from) yes, is a learning curve for me. I have to look, explore, point and click, until I find the right tool, to make the block function the way it needs for that page. Dummy content w/templates? Since I will have to edit out the dummy content, anyway. I decided to build template pages in dashboard ‘my library’ and cut out the editing part. (that is where I am today with this project as it moves forward; different menu different pages, different header different pages)

Sorry, I can not provide you with a video demo or even a screen grab of the result(s) (I tried both library’s offered) when I tried to add a single-page template. I am using two firewalls and without giving away the keys to the kingdom, I believe the WordFence firewall prevented ZipWP(AI) from gaining access to WP Admin. The fix, is for the user Admin to set their Firewall to Learning Mode in Firewall Options. They can set it back to Enable and Protecting when done. Additionally, they can whitelist ZipWP(AI), in WordFence or any other firewall they have chosen to use. I hope that helps.

Best Regards,

Renee