---
title: "Intermediate path"
description: "10 lessons for a professional Éclair site: Visual mode, themes, art directions, CSS, SEO, GEO, multilingual, blog, lightweight shop and security."
url: "https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate"
lang: "en"
author: "Thierry Gustin"
published: "2026-11-02"
updated: "2026-11-02"
---

# Intermediate path

> **Key takeaways** — The Intermediate path turns an Éclair site that is already online into a professional Éclair site. In 10 lessons, you master Visual mode, themes and art directions, SEO and GEO, multilingual sites, the blog, the lightweight shop and everyday security.

## Make your site unique and visible

Ten lessons to build a professional Éclair site: polish the design, climb in Google, get cited by AI, speak several languages and sell online.

[Start lesson 1](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/visual-mode)

This path is for you if your Éclair site is already online. You'll learn to build a professional site that looks like no other, loads in an instant and climbs in search results as well as in AI answers.

## What you'll be able to do

### 🎨 Create a custom design

Choose a theme or an art direction, then fine-tune colors, fonts and layouts.

### 📈 Aim for 100 in SEO and GEO

Understand each check in the analysis and meet it without a plugin.

### 🌍 Open your site to the world

Publish in several languages and sell with a simple payment link.

## 10 lessons for a professional Éclair site

1. [Visual mode](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/visual-mode) Edit the page as your visitors see it, move blocks around and check the mobile rendering.
2. [Themes and appearance](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/themes-appearance) The 6 themes, live preview, logo, main color, fonts and dark mode.
3. [Art directions and Design score](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/art-directions) The 12 visual worlds, their fine-tuning and the direction imagined by AI.
4. [Custom CSS](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/custom-css) The theme variables, ready-to-paste examples and rules that survive updates.
5. [SEO with Éclair](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/seo) Each check in the analysis, structured data, the sitemap, redirects and IndexNow.
6. [GEO: getting cited by AI](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/geo-ai-search) llms.txt, Markdown versions, AI bot policy, Key takeaways and the GEO score.
7. [Build a multilingual site](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/multilingual-site) One language per piece of content, linked translations and a clear URL structure.
8. [Blog, categories and topic clusters](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/blog-categories) Pillar categories, internal linking, author pages and RSS feeds.
9. [Sell with the lightweight shop](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/shop) Product pages, Stripe, PayPal or Revolut payment links, and Google Shopping.
10. [Everyday security](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/everyday-security) Accounts and roles, two-factor authentication, backups and the Security page.

> **Before you start** — You need an installed Éclair site and an administrator account. If you don't have them yet, follow the [Beginner path](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/beginner) first.

## What comes after the Intermediate path?

Your site is ready to work for you. The [AI & MCP path](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/ai-mcp) teaches you to keep it growing with the built-in assistant, or with Claude and ChatGPT through the MCP connector. If you build sites for others, the [Expert path](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/expert) is waiting for you. And for every setting, the [official Éclair guide](https://github.com/Jacckisback/eclair-cms/blob/main/docs/GUIDE.en.md) remains the reference.

## Questions about the Intermediate path

### Do I need to know CSS to follow this path?

No. Themes, art directions and Visual mode are enough for a custom design. The lesson on custom CSS is optional and provides ready-to-paste examples.

### Do art directions slow the site down?

No. A direction only adds one heading font of 12 to 27 KB, served by your site and preloaded. Éclair scores 100 out of 100 on Lighthouse with its reference directions.

### Does the lightweight shop replace a full e-commerce platform?

No. It suits a few dozen products paid through a Stripe, PayPal or Revolut Business link, with no cart. The [Sell with the lightweight shop](https://eclair.academy/en/paths/intermediate/shop) lesson details its limits.