Can I salvage a Webflow site that was not built in the base breakpoint or must I rebuild it from scratch in the main base breakpoint?
TL;DR
- Switch to the base (mobile) breakpoint and apply missing styles like layout, spacing, and typography.
- Use Webflow’s mobile-first cascade to let those styles inherit upward, then clean up unnecessary overrides on larger breakpoints.
If your Webflow site was primarily built on a higher breakpoint (like tablet or desktop), and the base (mobile) breakpoint is broken or underdeveloped, you do not have to rebuild the site from scratch—but restructuring may be needed.
1. Understand Webflow’s Cascade System
- Webflow uses a mobile-first cascading model.
- Styles applied on lower breakpoints (e.g., base/mobile) cascade upward to larger breakpoints unless specifically overridden.
- If your design was built starting from a larger breakpoint, style inheritance breaks, making the base breakpoint potentially inconsistent or empty.
2. Evaluate the Damage
- Switch to the base breakpoint (mobile portrait) in the Designer.
- Check if content elements are missing, misaligned, or styled incorrectly.
- Review if Classes have only been styled at larger breakpoints—these won’t cascade down automatically.
3. Apply Missing Styles to Base Breakpoint
- Go to the base breakpoint, and manually apply necessary styles for layout, typography, spacing, and visibility.
- Avoid redoing layout structures unless they're fundamentally flawed; you can usually just reassign key styles and display properties.
4. Use Inheritance to Your Advantage
- Once you've re-established the base breakpoint, styles will cascade up.
- Go to each larger breakpoint (e.g., tablet, desktop) and verify or eliminate any unneeded overrides.
5. Clean Up Overridden Styles
- On larger breakpoints, remove unnecessary style overrides that were previously compensating for a missing base style.
- Use the “blue indicator dots” in the Style panel to find overrides that can be reset to inherit from the base.
Summary
You don't need to rebuild your Webflow site from scratch. Instead, adjust and apply key styles at the base breakpoint, allowing them to cascade upward. This may take time but is more efficient than a total rebuild and ensures better responsive foundations.