A template defines the structure of a specific type of page — like your homepage, a single blog post, or a category archive. It determines where the header, content, and footer appear, along with the overall layout for that page type.
You don’t create a separate template for every individual post. Instead, one “single post” template defines the layout every post shares, while the actual content changes from post to post.
Templates in Block Themes
Modern block themes let you edit templates visually through the Site Editor, adjusting layout and design without touching any code. You can even create custom templates for specific pages that need a different layout than the default.
Templates vs Patterns
It’s easy to confuse the two. A template controls the overall structure of an entire page type. A pattern is a smaller, reusable section — like a hero banner — that you insert inside a template or a regular page.