Divi 5 Workspaces save your builder layout so you can switch between setups instantly. And the important bit, before anyone panics: a Workspace changes the builder around the page, never the page itself.
Your sections, modules, content, Design Variables and Presets don't move. Only the furniture does. Which means you can experiment freely — the worst case is an ugly interface, not a broken site.
TL;DR: A Divi 5 Workspace saves two things: your builder layout (panel positions, docking, sizes, breakpoint) and your builder preferences (Interface Mode, Color Scheme, default view). Build three of them — Design System, Page Build, and Content Editing — and switch with Cmd/Ctrl+K. It's interface-only, so it can't break your page.
What a Divi 5 Workspace Actually Remembers
Two categories, and it's worth knowing which is which:
Builder layout — open panels, whether they're docked or floating, their sizes, tabbed groups, sidebar width, and the current view or breakpoint.
Builder preferences — Interface Mode, Color Scheme, default view, Page Bar Icons, and a longer list under Workspace Settings including Builder Default View Mode, History State Interval, Settings Modal Default Position, Page Creation Flow, Group Settings Into Closed Toggles, Add Placeholder Content To New Modules, Prerendering, Show Theme Builder Layouts and Enable Admin Bar.
Divi sorts your Workspaces into three groups:
| Group | Scope |
|---|---|
| Website Workspaces | Global, site-wide. "Global" is the default until you change it |
| Your Workspaces | Personal, tied to your user account |
| Premade Workspaces | Builder and Minimal — read-only starting points |
How to Customize the Builder Interface
The mechanics take about two minutes to learn:
- Dock panels. Open Layers and the Inspector, then dock them left or right, stack them vertically, or resize with the dividers.
- Float a panel. Drag it over the canvas. Genuinely useful on a laptop where canvas width is precious.
- Tab panels together. Drag one panel onto another's header and they share space as tabs. This is the trick most people miss.
- Trim the Page Bar. Choose which top-bar icons stay visible. Remove the ones you never click.
Then save it: open the Workspaces panel, hit Save as New Workspace, name it, and optionally tick Set As Default. Later, Update Active Workspace saves changes and Reset Active Workspace restores the baseline.
Three Workspaces Worth Building
Don't make twelve. Make three, each for a genuinely different job.
1. Design System
For setting up variables and presets before you build anything.
- Open the Variable Manager and Preset Manager
- Use Wireframe View — you're not looking at design yet
- Enable Group Settings Into Closed Toggles
This is the workspace for the foundation work: global variables and stacked presets. Structure, not styling.
2. Page Build
For actually assembling layouts.
- Dock Layers and the Inspector, or tab them together to save width
- Desktop View
- Enable placeholder content for new modules
- Use the Command Center (Cmd/Ctrl+K) to add elements on demand
3. Content Editing
For when the structure is done and you're just writing.
- Strip the panels back for a clean canvas
- Switch Interface Mode to Dark
- Turn off Show Theme Builder Layouts
- Disable placeholder content
One important warning here: a Workspace controls the interface, not permissions. Handing a client the "Content Editing" workspace does not stop them opening the Inspector and restyling your header. If you need actual restrictions, that's WordPress role management. Workspaces are a tidy desk, not a locked drawer.
My Take: Build Two Workspaces, Not Ten
Here's my one strong opinion: most people who discover Workspaces immediately build too many and then use one.
I've built over 100 Divi sites and I have exactly two workspaces I actually open. One with everything docked for building, one nearly empty for writing. That's it. I made a third for "client demo" once, felt very organised about it, and have never opened it again.
The rule that works: each workspace should represent a genuinely different workflow. If two of your workspaces differ only in sidebar width, that's not a workflow, that's a preference. Merge them.
Practical habits worth keeping:
- Name by purpose, not by look. "Content Editing" ages well. "Dark Setup 2" doesn't.
- Duplicate before major changes, so you can back out.
- Set a sensible default per project. Most projects have one phase you're in 80% of the time.
If Workspaces are new to you entirely, start with the full Workspaces overview and come back for the interface tuning.
Straight Answers
What are Workspaces in Divi 5? Saved configurations of the Visual Builder — panel positions and builder preferences. They change the builder around the page, not the page.
Do they change my page content? No. Sections, modules, content, variables and presets are untouched.
Website Workspaces vs Your Workspaces? Website Workspaces are global and site-wide. Your Workspaces are personal to your user account. Premade ones (Builder, Minimal) are read-only.
Can Workspaces restrict what a client edits? No. Interface only. Use WordPress role management for real restrictions.
How do you save one? Arrange panels, open the Workspaces panel, Save as New Workspace, name it, optionally Set As Default.
How do you switch quickly? Cmd/Ctrl+K opens the Command Center — jump straight to a Workspace mid-session.
The Last Word
The goal is simple: let the interface follow the workflow, so you open Divi with the right tools already waiting instead of spending the first five minutes dragging panels around.
Build two workspaces. Name them properly. Bind Cmd/Ctrl+K to muscle memory. That's the whole optimisation, and it'll save you more time than any keyboard shortcut list you've ever bookmarked and never read.
If your Divi setup feels like it's fighting you rather than helping, I do untangle those — panels included.
This is a summary of Elegant Themes' original post, "How To Customize The Divi 5 Builder Interface With Workspaces". All credit for the original content goes to Elegant Themes.