I’m not quite sure which block you mean by “Title Block”. In the Site Editor, there is a block called “Site Title Block” that displays the website title. This is not the title of an individual page, but rather the title of the entire website. This block is typically used in the header template, not on an individual page.
In the Block Editor, you always have the option at the top to enter the title of the respective page or post. How this appears on the front end of the website depends on the theme you’re using.
In your question, you’re referring to the page title, which appears not only in the browser tab but also in search engine results. This is often the first thing someone sees about your website in search results. Without an SEO plugin, this page title is typically composed of the website title and the title of the page being viewed. WordPress itself does not offer a dedicated input field to customize this – there are plugins for that.
Overall, in my view, you have the following options to achieve your goal:
- Use the title for the page title (in the tab). Hide this title in the frontend—how to do this depends on the theme you’re using. If you have questions, contact their support. Add an H1 heading block directly below it to display a visible title for the page.
- Use an SEO plugin to customize the SEO-relevant page title. There are many to choose from: https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/seo/
Thanks for the reply threadi.
I’m not quite sure which block you mean by “Title Block”. In the Site Editor, there is a block called “Site Title Block” that displays the website title. This is not the title of an individual page, but rather the title of the entire website. This block is typically used in the header template, not on an individual page.
Clicking the + icon (Block Inserter) in Gutenberg shows that there is both an option for “Title” blocks and “Site Title” blocks. I understand the latter shows the website’s name, but I am using a “Title” block on the page and yes, I have a Site Title block in my header. This is in WP 7.0 so maybe there’s been an update?
In the Block Editor, you always have the option at the top to enter the title of the respective page or post. How this appears on the front end of the website depends on the theme you’re using.
Yes, I’ve tried editing this but it changes the H1, that’s the issue I’m experiencing — the H1 and Title of the page are coupled so when I update one it updates the other which is not what I want to happen.
Overall, in my view, you have the following options to achieve your goal:
That’s what I’m also asking, and those are the solutions I came to. Out of those two options which one is best practice? I guess I need an SEO plugin eventually so should I just fix this issue this via a plugin?
Ah, yes, that title block that always displays the title of the current post or page. If you change anything in there, it changes the title set by WordPress (which you’re actually supposed to enter in the field I described). I don’t use it enough 😀
There’s no “best practice.” You have to choose the approach that’s best for you and your project and that you’re most comfortable with. No one can make that decision for you. Based on your description, though, I’d recommend an SEO plugin. But it’s up to you which one you use—if any at all.
Ah, yes, that title block that always displays the title of the current post or page. If you change anything in there, it changes the title set by WordPress (which you’re actually supposed to enter in the field I described). I don’t use it enough
Yeah that’s what I find frustrating, it would be nice if I could manually change the page title via the sidebar instead of the Title block automatically updating the page title.
There’s no “best practice.” You have to choose the approach that’s best for you and your project and that you’re most comfortable with. No one can make that decision for you. Based on your description, though, I’d recommend an SEO plugin. But it’s up to you which one you use—if any at all.
Ok fair enough. I guess I’ll go with the SEO route because it would be nice to grow the site.
As far as I understood, the Title Block displays the real page title and does not create a separate browser tab title. Hence, changing the page title will automatically update the title for the browser tab as well.
If you need different titles on-page and for the page itself, then using the H1 Block is more appropriate than the Title Block. It all depends on your preferences as well as theme.
Besides, do you use a block or classic theme?
As far as I understood, the Title Block displays the real page title and does not create a separate browser tab title. Hence, changing the page title will automatically update the title for the browser tab as well.
Yes, that’s exactly the behaviour I’m experiencing which I do not want to happen.
If you need different titles on-page and for the page itself, then using the H1 Block is more appropriate than the Title Block. It all depends on your preferences as well as theme.
Besides, do you use a block or classic theme?
Yes, using a H1 block seems to fix the issue but I wasn’t sure how that would affect SEO or whether that was “best practice” or not.
I’m using a block theme (a child theme of WordPress’ twentytwentyfive theme to be specific).
- Keep the Title block (Page Title) as it is — this controls the browser tab title and SEO title. WordPress manages it automatically.
- Use an H1 block inside the page content for the visible heading (e.g. “Get in Touch”).
👉 The reason is that WordPress separates structure and design:
- SEO Title (backend) = browser tab + search engines
- H1 Heading (frontend) = what visitors see on the page
✔ If you want full control over the browser title, use an SEO plugin like Rank Math or Yoast SEO, which lets you set a custom SEO title without affecting your page layout.
