How to Easily Change a Background in Webflow (6 Steps)

The background of your website is not just decorative; it's a fundamental component that sets the tone for your design. A well-chosen background enhances your brand identity, improves content readability, and creates the perfect atmosphere for visitors. Whether you want subtle texture, bold color, or dynamic imagery, the background you select plays a crucial role in your site's user experience.

This guide will show you how to change backgrounds in Webflow for various site elements. It covers color changes, gradient designs, image backgrounds, and video implementations. Once you know where to look and how the settings work, Webflow's intuitive Style Panel makes this process straightforward.

This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of the Webflow interface and are ready to elevate your design capabilities, whether you're new to Webflow or looking to refine your design skills.

Understanding Webflow's Style Panel & Background Types

Before diving into techniques, understand where background styling happens in Webflow. Most visual styling, including backgrounds, is controlled through the Style Panel on the right side of the Webflow Designer interface.

Locating the Backgrounds Section

First, select the element to change its background. Then, find the "Background" section in the Style Panel scroll down or click "More" in the categorized view.

The Backgrounds section lets you add one or more background layers to your element. To add a background, click the plus icon (+) next to "Backgrounds," which presents different background type options.

Overview of Background Fill Types

Webflow offers several background types for elements:

Solid Color: The simplest option: a single, uniform color fill for your element.
Gradients (Linear & Radial): Create smooth transitions between two or more colors, in a straight line (linear) or radiating from a central point (radial).
Image: Use photographs, illustrations, or other image files as backgrounds. Control the image display with size, position, and tiling settings.
Video: Implement dynamic video backgrounds for a more engaging user experience, but use them strategically due to performance considerations.

Step 1: Changing the Global Background (Body Element)

To change the background for your entire website (or set a default for all pages), target the Body element. This method will affect all pages unless you override the background on individual pages.

Selecting the Body (All Pages) Tag

To modify the background for your entire site, select the Body (All Pages) tag in one of two ways:

Locate and click "Body (All Pages)" at the top of the hierarchy in the Navigator panel on the left of the Designer.
Select "Body (All Pages)" in the Style Panel's selector dropdown.

This selection ensures your background changes apply globally across your entire website.

Applying a Solid Color Background

Ensure Body (All Pages) is selected.
Navigate to the Style Panel and then to the Backgrounds section.
If there's no background layer, click the "+" button and select "Color."
Click the color swatch to open the color picker.
Use the color picker to choose your color, or enter a hex code or RGBA value for precision.

To get a semi-transparent background, adjust the opacity slider or use RGBA values where "A" represents alpha (transparency). For example, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8) creates a white background with 80% opacity.

Applying a Gradient Background

Navigate to the Style Panel > Backgrounds section with Body (All Pages) selected.
Click the "+" button next to Backgrounds.
Select "Gradient" from the dropdown.
Choose between Linear Gradient (straight line transition) or Radial Gradient (circular transition from a center point).
You can adjust the following for Linear Gradients:

Color stops (the gradient colors)
The transition angle (in degrees)
The position of each color along the gradient

You can adjust the following for Radial Gradients:

Color stops
The shape (circle or ellipse)
The center point

To add color stops to your Webflow gradient background, click along the gradient preview bar. To remove a color stop, drag it downward away from the bar.

Applying an Image Background

Select Body (All Pages). Then, click the "+" next to Backgrounds and select "Image".
Click "Choose Image" to upload a new image or select from your Assets panel.
After selecting your image, configure several important settings:

Size: Controls the image scaling within the element.
Cover: This scales the image to cover the element, maintaining aspect ratio but potentially cropping parts. This is commonly used for full-page backgrounds.
Contain: Scales the image to fit within the element, maintaining aspect ratio and potentially leaving empty space.
Custom: Set specific dimensions.
Position: Determines how the image is anchored within the element. The visual selector lets you choose from nine positions (top-left, top-center, etc.). This is important with "Cover" as it determines which parts of the image remain visible when cropping occurs.
Tile: Controls image repetition.
Don't Tile: The image appears once (common for background images).
Title: The image repeats horizontally and vertically.
Tile Horizontally/Vertically: The image repeats in one direction.
Attachment: Determines the background behavior during scrolling.
Scroll: The background scrolls with the content (default).

Creates a parallax-like effect where the background stays stationary while content scrolls over it. This can impact performance on some devices.

When using the Webflow background image option for the body element, remember that large images can impact page load times. Use optimized images, especially for full-page backgrounds.

Step 2: Changing a Section's Background

Changing the body background affects your entire site, but you'll often want to style specific sections differently. In Webflow, sections are horizontal blocks of content that structure your page.

Selecting the Section

To change a section's background:

1. Click directly on the section you want to modify in the canvas area.

2. Alternatively, use the Navigator panel to locate and select the specific Section element.

When styling multiple sections to look the same, apply a class for consistency. For example, create a "colored-section" class for any section needing the same background treatment.

Applying Color, Gradient, or Image Backgrounds to the Section

Once you've selected your section, adding a Webflow section background is identical to what we covered for the Body element:

1. Go to the Style Panel and then to the Backgrounds section.

2. Click the "+" button to add a background layer.

3. Choose your desired background type: Color, Gradient, or Image.

4. Configure the settings from Step 1.

Sections with backgrounds create distinct content areas on a page. For example, you can alternate between white and light gray sections to visually separate different topics, or use a bold color for call-to-action sections.

Step 3: Changing Backgrounds on Other Elements (Div Blocks, Containers)

You can apply backgrounds to almost any block-level element in Webflow, including Div Blocks, Containers, Cards, and individual components like List Items or Grid cells, beyond the body and sections.

Selecting the Target Element (e.g., Div Block)

To change a specific element’s background:

1. Click the element in the canvas or find it in the Navigator panel.

2. Ensure you've selected the exact element you want to modify, not its parent or child elements.

A Div Block is a generic container used for layout and grouping content. It's one of the most common elements to style with backgrounds in Webflow.

Applying Background Styles

The method for applying backgrounds to Div Blocks and other elements follows the same pattern:

1. Select your target element.

2. Go to the Style Panel and then the Backgrounds section.

3. Click the "+" button to add a background.

4. Choose and configure your background type.

This consistent approach makes it easy to apply backgrounds to any element once you understand the basic process.

Step 4: Using Video Backgrounds in Webflow

Video backgrounds can create a dynamic, engaging experience for your visitors. They work well in hero sections or as focal points on landing pages, though they should be used judiciously due to potential performance impacts.

Adding the Background Video Component

In Webflow, video backgrounds use a dedicated component, unlike static backgrounds:

1. Click the "+" icon in the Add panel on the left side of the Designer.

2. Go to the "Media" section.

3. Drag the "Background Video" component onto your canvas. Place it inside the Section or Div where you want the video.

To display the Background Video component properly behind other content, it should be placed as the first element within its parent container.

Configuring the Video Source and Settings

After adding the Background Video component:

1. Select it in the canvas or Navigator.

2. Click the settings icon (gear/cog) in the Element Settings Panel.

3. Upload your video file (recommended MP4 or WebM formats).

4. Configure additional settings:

Poster Image: A static image displayed while the video loads
Loop: Should the video repeat (Yes)
Playback Speed: Control the video playback speed
Start Time: Choose the video’s timeline start.
Video Controls: Set to No for background videos

To create an overlay effect (like darkening the video for better text readability), place a semi-transparent Div Block over your Webflow background video and use z-index to control layering.

Performance Considerations for Video Backgrounds

When implementing video backgrounds, keep these points in mind:

Keep videos short (under 10-15 seconds) and highly compressed to minimize file size.
Consider mobile users. Some mobile browsers block video autoplay due to data usage concerns.
Always provide a fallback image (using the Poster Image setting) that displays while the video loads or if it can't play.
Test across devices and connection speeds for good performance.

Consider disabling video backgrounds on mobile breakpoints to improve page load times.

Step 5: Best Practices for Webflow Backgrounds

Implementing backgrounds effectively involves more than knowing the technical steps. Following these best practices will ensure your backgrounds enhance rather than detract from your design.

Image Optimization is Key

Large, unoptimized background images are a common cause of slow-loading websites. To ensure optimal performance:

Before uploading to Webflow, compress all images using TinyPNG, Squoosh, or Adobe Photoshop's "Save for Web.
Choose the right file format: JPEG for photographs, PNG for transparent images, and WebP for limited browser support.
Consider the dimensions. An image for 1200px width doesn't need to be uploaded at 3000px.

Ensure Accessibility (Contrast)

Backgrounds aren't just decorative. They directly impact your content's readability:

Maintain sufficient contrast between your background and text. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) recommend a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text.
For image backgrounds with light and dark areas, add a semi-transparent overlay to ensure text readability.
Use browser developer tools or accessibility tools to test your contrast.
When placing text over busy patterns or images, avoid it.

Consider Responsive Design

Backgrounds often need different treatment across devices:

Test how your backgrounds (especially images) appear at different breakpoints in Webflow preview mode.
For responsive background images in Webflow, "Cover" is the most reliable setting. Be aware of which parts of the image might be cropped on different screen sizes.
Consider using different background images for mobile versus desktop. A landscape image that looks great on desktop may lose its impact when cropped to a vertical mobile screen.

To preserve performance, video backgrounds may need to be disabled on mobile devices.

When to Use Which Background Type

Choose your background type based on your goals:

Solid Colors: Best for simplicity, minimalist designs, and text readability. They load instantly, improving performance.
Gradients are useful for adding subtle depth without the weight of images. Modern "soft gradients" create a contemporary feel.
Images: Use sparingly and ensure they're optimized. They are most effective when they add meaningful context, reinforce branding, or create a specific mood.
Videos: Reserve for high-impact sections where movement enhances the user experience. Never use for the entire page background.

Step 6: Troubleshooting Common Background Issues

Even with careful implementation, you may face challenges with backgrounds in Webflow. Here are solutions to common problems:

Background Not Showing

Ensure your element has content, padding, or explicit dimensions. Elements with zero height won't display backgrounds.

Verify z-index settings. Another element might be above your background.

Ensure the background layer isn't hidden (check the eye icon in the Backgrounds section).

Incorrect Image Tiling

Confirm your "Tile" setting is appropriate. It should be "Don't Tile" for full backgrounds.

Check the "Size" setting. "Cover" provides the most predictable results for full-element backgrounds.

Video Not Playing

Verify your video file format is supported (MP4 is the most reliable).

Check if the file was uploaded and processed in Webflow.

On mobile, be aware that autoplay policies might prevent playback without user interaction.

Ensure the component structure is correct. The Background Video component should be placed within its container.

Fixed background jitter on scroll

This is a known issue on some devices/browsers. If it's problematic, consider switching to the "Scroll" attachment type instead.

Alternatively, use Webflow interactions to implement a parallax effect for more control.

Conclusion

Mastering background changes in Webflow is a foundational skill that expands your design capabilities. You know how to implement these techniques effectively, whether applying a simple color to the body element, creating gradient sections, using striking image backgrounds, or using video for high-impact areas.

Successful backgrounds support your content rather than compete with it. Start with the basics, experiment with different approaches, and always consider performance and accessibility as you refine your designs.

Growth Limit offers unlimited services at a flat monthly rate for businesses seeking comprehensive Webflow design and development support or powerful SEO content strategies. Explore how we can help you achieve your digital goals by creating visually stunning, high-performing websites that convert visitors into customers.

Change the Background in Webflow: 6 Steps