Carrd Tutorial and How to Use: The Beginner’s Guide

Carrd makes it practically effortless to create one-page websites with impact. While the platform is known for its simple UI and accessible tools, it can still seem overwhelming to the uninitiated.

We’re here to help.

In this Carrd tutorial, we’ll run you through everything you’ll need to know to build a site that works for you.

We’ll explore what makes the Carrd interface so appealing, who should consider using it, and how to get the most out of its plethora of tools. Read on to get started on your journey!

The Basics – Why People are Choosing Carrd

Before you learn how best to use Carrd, it’s worth wrapping your head around why so many people are using it in the first place. Understanding the platform’s strengths and weaknesses will help you implement designs that work for you and your goals.

Take a look at the advantages laid out below and reflect on whether this might work well for your purposes. There’s no point investing time in the site if it won’t deliver what you’re looking for!

Everything in One Place

A huge component of modern web design is efficiency – visitors to your site should be taken exactly where you want them to go as quickly as possible. This makes the one-page design philosophy of Carrd super appealing if you can craft the right content for this format.

You’ll be able to consolidate your branding message, services, useful links, and calls to action all in one place. There’s something to be said for the elegance of a solution like this. It’s worth keeping in mind, however, that this approach to website design works best with concise messaging and simple services.

Later on in this Carrd tutorial, we cover how to make use of things like anchor links and columns to better present your work on one page.

Simple and Easy to Use

For most people, Carrd is super easy to use. While Carrd tutorials like this one will certainly get you up to speed more quickly, you shouldn’t find it too difficult to get most things done in just a few clicks. We cover the basics and some more advanced tips further down this page.

The Cost – It’s Cheap!

At the time of writing, a Carrd Pro account can be accessed for just $19 a year. Yep – a year! This is a very compelling price, especially for start-ups or freelancers with limited capital.

Excellent for “Business Card” Sites

If you want a professional site that functions essentially as a business card, this website builder couldn’t be better for your purposes. It’s designed from the ground up to make simple sites that give your visitors all your key info in just a few clicks.

Those who want to build information-dense or crazy complex sites might like to look elsewhere. Lifestyle bloggers and SEO nerds will also prefer the more in-depth tools of sites like WordPress.

Carrd Pros:

All your content on one simple easy-to-navigate page.
Super affordable – $19 per year at the time of writing.
Easy-to-use, intuitive controls.
Attractive starter templates.
Excellent form templates.
Free version is surprisingly fully featured.
Can be tried without signing up or providing any information.

Carrd Cons:

Limited SEO functionality.
Not ideal for complex, information-dense sites.
Limited blogging functionality.
Some templates and features hidden behind pro paywall.

Carrd Tutorial – The Absolute Basics

In this section, we’ll be running through the absolute basics of getting started with Carrd. Even by mastering these simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to building a fantastic site that transforms your conversion and online interest.

If you’re looking for something a bit more in-depth, you’ll want the “advanced Carrd tutorials” section a little further down this page.

Creating an Account

When first getting started with Carrd, you have a few options for your first steps. You can choose one of the following:

Create an account without choosing a template at all (less well known as an option).
Create an account by starting with a pre-built template.
Create an account by choosing a blank template.

You’ll also have the option to try a 7-day free trial of the pro version of Carrd. Alternatively, you can stick with the fully featured free version (the difference with the free version is a limit on the number of sites you can make and on the inclusion of some Carrd branding on your page).

Creating an Account Without Picking a Template

So, what if you want to create an account in Carrd without picking a template? The process is nice and straightforward. Go to Carrd.co and click “log in.” You’ll then see the option to sign up. Simply fill out your details and voila, you have your very own Carrd account.

If you change your mind about using a pre-built template, you can always pick one at a later date.

Signing Up By Choosing a Template

If you’d rather dive right in and see what the Carrd platform is all about, you can choose one of the site’s ready-made templates and see if it works for you. Simply choose an option that catches your eye and click through until you arrive at the editing page.

You’ll be able to sign up for an account when publishing your site. This is one of the big pulls of Carrd to some users; you can test out the site builder’s tools without giving any personal details away at first. Once you’ve decided you like what you see, you can sign up and even go pro if you’d like to.

Choose the Right Format for You

When picking your Carrd template, it’s worth considering what goals you have for your new site. Showcase your portfolio? Demonstrate your value as a freelancer? Collect information from visitors through forms? Your answers to these questions should help you pick the right template to get started with.

The good news here is that Carrd makes it easy to find options that work for you by separating their templates into appropriate categories. These different templates come with the built-in sections, forms, and links that you might need when building your page.

For example, the “forms” section of the available Carrd templates is full of starting points that feature email fields, tweakable question blocks, and other considerations that will make your life much easier if collecting customer feedback is important to you. Think about which format might work for you when building your site.

Or Go With a Blank Carrd Template

Don’t like the look of the pre-made templates on offer? Prefer to build your masterpiece from scratch? Those who would rather use a blank canvas when starting out can do so by clicking the “blank canvas” link at the top of the templates page.

This will give you – you guessed it – a completely blank space to edit and tweak to your heart’s content.

It can help to have a specific “vision” in mind when choosing this option so try to be clear about what you’re looking for here. Why did you choose a blank template in the first place? What specific design are you hoping to achieve?

Mastering Carrd’s editing tools will help you achieve your goals.

The Basic Controls in Carrd

This section explores the basic controls of Carrd. It might not be enough to get you coding your own tools, but it will certainly get you started with your best possible foot forward. From moving elements to sprucing up your audio, we’ve got you covered.

Adding, Moving, and Editing Elements

As you can see from the image included above, the controls for Carrd are fairly simple – we think that’s a good thing. It’s practically effortless to add, edit, and move the various components of your site.

Adding Elements in Carrd

An “element” in this context simply refers to a new piece of content for your page. This could be text, images, videos, or something similar. To add a new element to your Carrd site, simply click the “+” icon on the menu bar.

You’ll find the menu bar in the top-right corner of the site editor. The “+” icon is the leftmost icon in the menu bar.

Once you’ve clicked the “+” icon, you’ll see a list of options for the different elements that can be added to your page in just a few clicks. Once added these can be moved around your page simply by clicking and dragging them where you’d like them to be.

You may have noticed the padlock icons next to the “Slideshow,” “Form,” “Widget,” and “Embed” options; you’ll need a Carrd pro account to access these unfortunately.

Moving Elements Around in Carrd

To move your site elements around, all you have to do is click and drag them to where you’d like them to be. If you want there to be more space between each element, you can make use of columns, dividers, or containers to further tweak the look of your site.

We explore how to do this in more detail further down this page. In essence, these elements help you to split up and further divide the content on your page so that it fits your chosen aesthetic.

Changing Your Background in Carrd

The background of your site can have a huge impact on the impression it makes on your visitors. It could be a pleasing block color, an image that pushes your brand’s message, or anything else that you think might work for your goals.

Block Color Backgrounds in Carrd

To change your background in Carrd to a block color, just follow these steps:

Click on your site’s background element
1. Just wait until it says “background” or “background image” when clicking on the various components of your site.
Set the style of your background element to “color.”
Choose your color of choice from the selector tool that appears.
Click “done” to close the selection panel.

Done! You’ve now changed your background color in Carrd.

Use an Image as a Background in Carrd

To use an image as a background in Carrd, the steps to follow are much like those outlined above. Instead of choosing “color” from the styles drop-down menu, simply choose “image” instead.

You’ll then be able to upload an image of your choice to use as a background. Just keep in mind that any image you choose should work well for both desktop and mobile formats – Carrd automatically adjusts the height and width of your site depending on the device that’s visiting it.

Other Background Options in Carrd

When setting your site’s background in Carrd, you be able to choose from the following options:

Color
Gradient
Image
Slideshow
Video

Any of these can be picked and tweaked to your heart’s content. Just keep in mind that a color or gradient is probably your safest bet if you want to guarantee that your content will always be legible on any device. Videos and slideshows can work great but may be distracting or less functional depending on your visitor’s device and internet speeds.

Using Columns and other Containers in Carrd

Depending on your goals with the Carrd platform, columns and containers can be a great way to divide up your site’s content into easy to read, attractive sections. A container acts as one “box” that can hold any other element you’d like it to.

A column is a type of container in Carrd that can hold up to four separate columns of content. To add a container or column to your Carrd site, follow these basic steps:

Click the “+” icon on the top-right menu bar.
Choose “container” from the list that appears.
Choose whether you’d like a column container or a regular container.
Content can now be dragged to your new container in whatever configuration you’d like!

To reposition your container, simply click and drag it to a new location.

Add Video and Audio Files to Carrd

Adding video and audio files to your site is a great way to showcase your work and capture your visitor’s interest. As with all other elements described so far, the process is as simple as clicking “+” and choosing “video” or “audio” from the dropdown menu.

Just keep in mind that with a free account, you’ll only be able to embed existing third-party videos – uploads are for pro accounts only.

Connect Your Platforms to Carrd

A huge draw of the Carrd platform is its ability to showcase your work as a freelancer or brand. For this reason, learning how to connect your socials and other sites is critical. The easiest way to do this is to add icons to your site that link out to your various other channels.

Follow these steps:

Click the “+” icon on the menu bar.
Choose the “Icons” button.
Scroll down on the left hand panel that appears and click “add” to add as many new icons as you’d like.
Choose your brand/ site/ function of choice from the “Type” menu.
Add the appropriate URL to the field below.

More Advanced Carrd Tutorials

This section contains our tips for deepening your editing skills on the Carrd platform. You’ll go from a novice to a seasoned pro in no time!

Using Anchor Links in Carrd (Scroll Points)

This tip can be particularly useful if you’re building a larger, more complex Carrd page. If you’ve added tons of content to your site and don’t want your visitors to have to scroll endlessly, you might like to add a scroll point to help them quickly navigate your site.

When they click a link on your site that’s been configured as a scroll point, they’ll immediately “jump” to the right section on your page.

To set up a scroll point in Carrd, follow these steps:

Click the “+” icon to add a new element and choose “# Control.”
Set the “type” of control to “scroll point.”
Give it a simple name using only lowercase letters.
1. This will make it possible for you to link to your new scroll point later.
Click and drag your new scroll point to wherever you want it to be on your page.

You’re done! It’s now possible to link to your scroll point internally. To do this, you just have to type a “#” before the name of the scroll point. For example, if you’d named a certain scroll point “about,” you’d just have to write “#about” when creating a link to configure everything correctly.

Optimize Your Carrd Page’s SEO

Optimizing your page so that it ranks well in relevant Google searches is critical if you’re using Carrd to make money or promote your brand. While Carrd isn’t quite as SEO-oriented as some other options like WordPress or Wix, there are a number of things you can do to make sure you’re not shooting yourself in the foot.

Follow these basic good practices to keep your page well optimized for relevant searches:

Make sure the title and description of your page contain the relevant keyword you’d most like to rank for.
Edit the “share media” thumbnail of your Carrd page so that it’s memorable to people who see the link.
Add a site icon so your page is more memorable to visitors who bookmark or share it.
Try to build healthy backlinks and internal links throughout your page.

Changing Your Site Icon in Carrd

Your site’s icon is the small image that appears in your visitors’ tabs as they browse the web. It might seem like a tiny detail, but it’s a great way to maintain branding consistency and add that extra level of polish to your site. It might not be the difference between a sale and a fail, but it can help nudge users in the right direction.

To change your site icon in Carrd, follow these steps:

NB – You’ll need a paid account to add a favicon to your site.

Click the “publish” icon.
Before you complete publishing, click the “media” tab.
Scroll down to the “icon” secion and choose “upload.”
Add your favicon of choice.
Crop/ adjust your icon as needed and click “accept.”

That’s it! You’ve successfully added a new icon to your site.

Adding Animations in Carrd

When used sparingly, animations can be a great way to add some much-needed flair to your page. Animations in Carrd play in an “on visible” state. This means that as your visitors scroll through your content and load your various site elements, your animations will play when the elements first become visible to the end user.

Adding animations in Carrd is super easy. Just follow these steps:

Select the element you’d like to add an animation to.
Click the animations tab.
Choose the animation you’d like from the drop-down menu.
Tweak the duration and intensity of your animation (optional).

That’s it! Your animations should now be good to go. Click the “play” button in the menu bar to preview any configured animations on your page.

Connect Your Domain to Carrd

If you’re using Carrd professionally, you’ll likely want to connect a custom domain to your page. A recognisable, consistent domain is one of the simplest ways to attract visitors to your page.

To connect a domain to your Carrd site, you’ll need to have already purchased it from a provider like Google or Godaddy. Once you’ve done this, you should follow these steps:

Click “Publish” in the menu bar.
Set the URL option to “use my own domain.”
Type your domain name in. Make sure you get it exactly right. You can choose to include or omit the “www.” section of the domain.
Adjust the “host records” section to match that of your domain provider.
1. Click here for provider-specific instructions.

After about an hour (max) of initializing, your domain should be good to go and fully connected to your Carrd page.

Carrd Tutorial – Our Summary

We hope you’ve found the information on this page helpful. If in doubt, Carrd has a surprisingly helpful online user manual. It contains practically all the information you’ll need if you find yourself scratching your head.

Our advice is to familiarize yourself with the “basics” section of this page first and only move on to the more advanced tips once you’ve got the hang of things. Carrd’s UI is pretty easy to navigate but there’s no need to run before you can walk!

Carrd Tutorial and How to Use: The Beginner’s Guide