Layout & Structure

EMCP Tools is container-first. Every layout tool operates on modern Elementor flexbox containers, not the legacy section/column system. Existing pages built with sections still work, but new builds should use containers.

All eleven are on by default. Their switches are in the Layout & Structure section of the Elementor tab on EMCP Tools → Tools, which appears while Elementor is the builder selected on EMCP Tools → Page Builders.

Container tools

See the tested existing-page editing tutorial for a practical batch update, mobile container settings and a verified CSS ID correction.

emcp-tools/add-container

Adds a new flexbox container, either top-level (direct child of the page) or nested inside an existing container.

Input:

• post_id
• parent_id: omit for top-level
• position: child index, -1 to append (default)
• settings, partial container settings: flex_direction, content_width, padding, gap, etc.
• full_bleed: (new in v3.2.1) when true, seed an edge-to-edge recipe (full content width, 100% width, zero padding, zero flex/gap, column + stretch). Use for the top-level container on Elementor Canvas pages, where the boxed defaults otherwise leave white strips around headers, footers and full-width sections. Any explicit settings you pass still override the preset.

Returns: { element_id }.

emcp-tools/update-container

Updates settings on an existing container. Same shape as add-container minus position/parent.

emcp-tools/get-container-schema

Returns the JSON Schema for container settings. Use this before constructing complex layout settings to know which keys are valid.

Element tools

emcp-tools/move-element

Moves an element to a new parent and/or position.

Input: post_id, element_id, new_parent_id, new_position.

emcp-tools/remove-element

Removes an element and all its children. Destructive. Capability check is edit_post on the parent.

Input: post_id, element_id.

emcp-tools/duplicate-element

Deep-copies an element with fresh IDs and inserts it right after the original.

Input: post_id, element_id. Returns: { new_element_id }.

emcp-tools/find-element

Searches a page for elements matching a query: by type, settings value, or CSS class.

Input:

• post_id
• elType: container, widget
• widgetType: when elType is widget
• css_class: match elements with this class in their CSS classes setting
• settings_match: partial object that must be present in the element’s settings

Returns: array of { element_id, elType, widgetType?, path }.

emcp-tools/update-element

Updates settings on any element (container or widget) by ID. Generic write tool: the AI’s go-to for “change setting X on element Y.”

Input: post_id, element_id, settings (partial, merged into existing).

emcp-tools/batch-update

Applies multiple update-element operations in a single MCP call. Significant token savings when an AI is refining many elements after a build-page.

Input:

• post_id
• updates: array of { element_id, settings } pairs

emcp-tools/reorder-elements

Reorders the direct children of a container.

Input:

• post_id
• container_id
• child_order: array of child element IDs in the new desired order

Navigator labels

In v3.15.0, set-element-label persists and reads back the Navigator name using the correct storage for each element type:

set-element-label({ post_id: 42, element_id: "abc1234", title: "Hero wrapper" })

Classic containers, sections, columns, and widgets use settings._title; atomic elements use root editor_settings.title. update-element and batch-update apply the same type-aware mapping when settings.editor_settings.title is supplied. Prefer the dedicated label tool when changing only the name.

Dimension and grid warnings

Since v3.15.0, creation/update responses warn when margin, padding, border width, or radius mixes blank and specified sides. Elementor can omit the entire CSS rule in this case. EMCP preserves the supplied values rather than turning inherited blanks into zero. Provide all four explicit values when that is the intended design:

{ "margin": { "unit": "px", "top": 40, "right": 0, "bottom": 80, "left": 0, "isLinked": false } }

Classic grids default to two rows in Elementor. Discovery explains this and creation warns if rows are omitted. For one row, include the setting explicitly:

{ "settings": { "container_type": "grid", "grid_columns_grid": { "unit": "fr", "size": 4 }, "grid_rows_grid": { "unit": "fr", "size": 1 } } }

Row-layout rules (important)

Container behavior for row layouts (children laid out side-by-side) has a few rules that trip up agents otherwise. The plugin enforces these automatically:

• Don’t set flex_wrap on any container. It’s stripped at save time. Elementor’s defaults handle wrapping.
• Don’t set _flex_size: 'grow' on row children: causes overflow. Use percentage widths instead.
• Row children get content_width: 'full' automatically, with calculated percentage widths (e.g. 25% for 4 columns, 33.33% for 3, 50% for 2).
• Top-level containers default to content_width: 'boxed', row children to 'full'.

If you’re constructing settings by hand (rare), these defaults match what build-page produces.