pom://theme/layout-guide: POM page composition rules

Read this resource when the active POM Theme supplies the page layout. It narrows a broad design request into supported rows, columns, nested layouts, modules, and shortcode attributes.

What it governs

The guide distinguishes the page grid from visible components:

• outer layout uses vc_row and vc_column;
• nested grids use the matching inner row and column tags;
• POM modules belong inside valid columns or their declared parent component;
• responsive presentation should use documented shortcode parameters;
• faceted-search elements belong only in a configured search context.

It also points the client toward common POM modules rather than hard-coding a universal component list. Module availability is site-dependent, so pair this guide with pom://theme/modules and the exact shortcode schema.

Design discipline

Start with semantic content and a minimal supported layout. Add settings for spacing, color, animation, backgrounds, and alignment only when their schemas expose those controls. This keeps the page editable in the POM builder and avoids CSS that overrides the theme’s responsive system.

The guide does not validate markup. After composition, call pom_validate_builder_content with the whole proposed page. Treat warnings about discouraged shortcodes as migration guidance and errors about nesting, attributes, or unavailable tags as blockers.

When not to use it

This is not a Gutenberg, Elementor, or generic HTML layout guide. If the target is not a POM classic builder document, follow the editor actually reported by the authoring context and avoid converting its stored format implicitly.

Related guides: POM builder resource, module summary, and Elementor boundary.