liveBook · Manning

What you see is what you get

As explained in WordPress Power Toolkit: Harness AI to build next-level websites

What you see is what you get is an interface paradigm in which the on-screen editing view closely represents the resulting rendered output.

What you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) is an interface approach where design changes appear immediately in a visual editing view. Instead of guessing how a setting will look after publishing, you adjust it while watching the page change. section 6.5 section 7.2

Common WYSIWYG workflows include:

  • Open WordPress’s Appearance > Customize screen and adjust supported typography, colors, images, menus, or widgets while viewing the result. section 6.5
  • Use a visual styling plugin to move sliders, choose colors, select options, or drag and drop elements instead of writing CSS directly. section 7.2
  • Keep the visual result while the tool generates the underlying CSS automatically; Customizer changes also survive theme updates because theme files remain unmodified. section 6.5 section 7.2

Changing a page color visually

In YellowPencil, select a page element, choose a color from the color wheel, and watch the page update immediately. The plugin writes CSS that preserves the adjustment on the website, so the visual change does not require manually learning the CSS language. section 7.2

How WordPress Power Toolkit: Harness AI to build next-level websites covers it

How deep it goes
Explains immediate visual feedback and automatic CSS generation, but stops short of treating WYSIWYG implementation internals.
Examples
Uses WordPress Customizer settings and YellowPencil controls such as sliders, color wheels, menus, and drag-and-drop editing.
What it assumes
Assumes basic WordPress navigation while teaching design changes without requiring prior CSS knowledge.
What you can do after
Apply it via WordPress Customizer or YellowPencil to make and preserve visual design changes without writing CSS manually.
How it connects
Connects WYSIWYG with WordPress themes, the Customizer, CSS, plugins, and AI-assisted design.

Related concepts

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of WordPress Power Toolkit: Harness AI to build next-level websites. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.