Design custom headers & footers for Helix Ultimate
Joomla Header Footer Builder lets you design your header and footer with the SP Page Builder editor you already know, and shows them on your site in place of the Helix header and footer. It never edits template files, and if anything goes wrong your theme's own header and footer show instead.
Current version: Free 1.0.0Pro 1.0.0
- Update-safe: no template files edited
- Free and Pro editions
- Joomla 4, 5 and 6.x.x
On this page
Why use it
Design in SP Page Builder
Build headers and footers with the editor you already know, right on the item screen.
Update-safe
It never edits Helix or template files. Your designs live in SP Page Builder pages and its own table.
Takeover or module position
Replace the Helix header and footer, or place yours in a module position with the Setup Wizard.
Display rules (Pro)
Show different headers by menu item, category, language or user group; the most specific rule wins.
Header effects (Pro)
Transparent header, hide on scroll and shrink on scroll.
Safe fallback
If anything goes wrong, or you switch an item off, your theme's own header and footer come back.
Screenshots
Quick start
- 1
Install and add an item
Install the package from Extensions > Install, then add a header or a footer under Header Footer Builder > Headers & Footers.
- 2
Design with SP Page Builder
Click Design with SP Page Builder. The item is saved, its page is created, and the builder opens right on the item screen.
- 3
Set where it shows and publish
Add the Entire site rule (Pro adds menu, category, language and user group rules), publish the item, and open your site.
Free and Pro
Core Features
Everything in the current release, grouped by job. Pro features need an active Pro license.
Design
Design with SP Page Builder
One click on the item screen saves the item, creates its SP Page Builder page, and opens the builder right there, with a full-screen option.
SP Page Builder page picker
Link an item to any standalone SP Page Builder page. If the page is a regular site page, you are warned and can start a dedicated one.
Placement
Theme Takeover
Your header and footer replace the Helix ones on every matching page, with no module positions to set up. Optionally the Helix bottom row is removed too.
Module position (optional)
Place a header or footer at a specific Helix module position instead, with the Setup Wizard.
Sticky header
Keep the header fixed at the top while visitors scroll.
Display rules
Entire site rule
Show a header or footer on every page, with the access level and language you choose per item.
Include and excludePro
Every rule can include or exclude, so you can also say where a header should not appear.
Most specific rule winsPro
When several items match a page, the one with the most specific rules is used.
Header effects
Transparent headerPro
Let the header float over a hero section and turn solid after a scroll distance you choose.
Hide on scrollPro
Slide the header away while scrolling down and bring it back on scroll up.
Shrink on scrollPro
Switch to a compact header once the visitor scrolls. Settings are saved per header.
SP Page Builder addons
JHFB Site LogoPro
Your logo image or site name, linked to the home page or a custom URL, with a responsive height.
Kept across SP Page Builder updatesPro
The addons are installed as their own Joomla plugin, the place SP Page Builder reads third-party addons from, so updating SP Page Builder does not remove them.
Safety & setup
Setup Wizard
Guided publishing to a module position, with validation so an item of the wrong type is never accepted.
Dashboard and Health Check
A setup progress tracker and a Health Check that shows what was detected, which designs are missing, and recent errors.
Kill switch and safe fallback
Switch the extension's output off, or unpublish an item, and your template's own header and footer return.
Updates through Joomla
New versions arrive through Joomla's own update system.
Licensing
License activationPro
Activate your Pro key under Settings > License. A rejected key never replaces a working one, and a license server that cannot be reached never switches Pro off.
Free keeps working without a licensePro
If a Pro license ends, only the Pro features switch off. Headers and footers you designed in Free keep showing, and your saved Pro settings are kept.
Settings, examples and walkthroughs for every feature are in the documentation
What's new
Version 1.0.0 · 14 October 2026
- First release — Design headers and footers in SP Page Builder for Helix Ultimate, on Joomla 4, 5 and 6.x.x.
- Theme Takeover — Your header and footer replace the Helix ones on every matching page, with a safe fallback if anything fails.
- Module position and Setup Wizard — Place a header or footer at a Helix module position, with a consent-gated wizard and rollback.
- Sticky header, display rules and Health Check — A sticky option, a rule builder with an Entire site rule, and a dashboard that checks setup and recent errors.
Requirements
- Joomla 4, 5 or 6.x.x
- PHP 8.1 or newer
- Helix Ultimate
- SP Page Builder 5 or 6
Frequently asked questions
Your header. Your footer. Your rules.
Design your header and footer in SP Page Builder and keep them through every update. Start with Free, and add Pro for display rules, header effects and the Nav Menu and Site Logo addons.