How to Create a WordPress Child Theme (Step-by-Step Guide)
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Are you new to the website creation domain? You have installed a theme and would like to edit it but are afraid to mess it up? Well, what’s the WordPress Child Theme for then, huh? Don’t worry, I am not here to confuse you more. Instead I will take you through a beginner friendly, non techie guide to use child theme WordPress to your advantage.
These benefits make the child theme an invaluable asset for having a well-customized yet stable WordPress site. This will enhance user experience and also help you in smooth website management.
Step-1
Go to the WordPress Admin Panel and Go to the Plugins section to add a new Plugin.
Step-2
Search for the Child Theme Wizard Plugin and Click on Install. Once done, activate the Plugin.
Step-3
Once the Plugin is active, you will be able to see it under the Tools section on the left-side panel of WordPress. Under tools, open the Child Theme Wizard to customize the WordPress theme.
Step-4
A Child Theme Wizard would open up. You just have to fill in the details here.
Step-5
Activate and start modifying the child theme. You can directly click on the Appearance - Themes to check and start working on the child theme.
Just click on customize and get going.
Now, it’s time to create a Notepad or Text file inside the Child Theme folder. This will be your style.css file. Now, all you have to do is open the file and paste the following code. Make sure you are using the correct names for your parent theme and child theme as per their folder names.
2. Create a Functions File (functions.php):
Secondly, you have to create a functions.php file inside the same child theme main folder. It’s time to copy the code again.
Note: Here, you will have to replace the tag ‘parent-style’ with the accurate handle for the parent theme’s style you are creating a child for. If you are unsure about it, go and check the functions.php file for the parent theme.
Do you have any more questions? Then hit me up in the comments and I shall get back to you. Happy Customizing with Child Theme!
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What is a WordPress Child Theme?
To put it simply, a Child Theme is like your rough book or a draft kind of stuff. When you want to make some changes or edits to the WordPress theme but are unsure of how it will look, you create a WordPress child theme. It is the duplicate, or a doppelganger of the main theme. You can easily customize child theme and check whether the changes you imagined are to your liking or not. If things go haywire, you can easily install your main WordPress theme back for a clean slate, no damage done. Isn’t it amazing?Benefits of Creating Child Theme WordPress
Preserves Customizations
Using a WordPress child theme provides a safety of all the customizations being saved separately from the parent theme. Thus, the main parent theme remains unchanged and can be activated any time a modification goes wrong in the child theme. Using a child theme helps save all the changes and creates a safety net for accidents.Enhances Flexibility
If you are new to WordPress and theme editing, a child theme WordPress gives you the flexibility to experiment and make changes. You can easily play around with design and functionality as the parent theme is stable. It is easier to modify and override different files of child themes. This flexibility allows developers to build unique features without any damages to the core.Simplifies Maintenance
With a Child Theme, it is easy to track all the changes separately. Thus, the task of debugging and troubleshooting is simplified. You can easily switch back to the parent theme on encountering issues to pinpoint where the issue lies. This organization of customizations helps in maintaining an efficient workflow.Loads Faster
With a Child Theme, you can avoid the bloating that comes with the loaded features of the parent theme. You can select the required elements and customize only those to enhance the site’s loading speed extensively. To enable a smooth UX, you can enable caching and other performance optimization techniques on the child theme.Low Risk
The chances of your site breaking down completely during theme updates or modifications are minimized due to the use of child themes. Whenever anything turns upside down, you can go back to your parent theme and reset your Website. Thus, the risk of completely losing your Website is pretty low. Explore your new ideas with confidence and make the best out of your site.Easy to Extend
With Child Theme, it is easy to add new functionality and extend your website. You can integrate Plugins, add custom posts, and check what works best for your site without putting a load on it. Thus, if you want to enhance your WordPress but are afraid to mess it up midway, work on a Child Theme. If all goes well, you get your extensive, tailored theme without any risk.These benefits make the child theme an invaluable asset for having a well-customized yet stable WordPress site. This will enhance user experience and also help you in smooth website management.
How to Create WordPress Child Theme for Free (Step-by-Step Guide)
Well, I promised to be beginner and non techie friendly. So, here is a quick step-by-step guide to create your WordPress child theme. Instead of manual coding, we shall do it with the help of a WordPress Child Theme Generator Plugin.Step-1
Go to the WordPress Admin Panel and Go to the Plugins section to add a new Plugin.
Step-2
Search for the Child Theme Wizard Plugin and Click on Install. Once done, activate the Plugin.
Step-3
Once the Plugin is active, you will be able to see it under the Tools section on the left-side panel of WordPress. Under tools, open the Child Theme Wizard to customize the WordPress theme.
Step-4
A Child Theme Wizard would open up. You just have to fill in the details here.
- Parent Theme: Choose any active Parent Theme you wish to modify or download and activate a new theme before going through these steps.
- Title: This will be the title of your Child Theme and its folder that will be created on your server or among the folders.
- Description: Provide a description of your Child Theme or briefly mention its purpose.
- Child Theme URL: If you want to activate it on any specific website or post, specify its URL.
- Author and Author URL: This will be prefilled with your site details.
Step-5
Activate and start modifying the child theme. You can directly click on the Appearance - Themes to check and start working on the child theme.
Just click on customize and get going.
How to Make a WordPress Child Theme Manually
Now, if you are dabbling with code and are gradually becoming tech-savvy, you can try the manual procedure to activate the Child Theme. Don’t worry if you don’t know any coding. You can easily copy code from the following steps.Step 1: Access Your WordPress Files
- Log in to Your Hosting Account: Use your web host’s control panel to move ahead to create and modify the child theme
- Open the File Manager: You will find an option that would allow you to browse your Website’s files. Find that so that you can access the files.
- Navigate to Your Theme Folder: Go to public_html/wp-content/themes/. This is where you will see the folders of all your installed themes on WordPress.
Step 2: Create a New Folder for Your Child Theme
- Create a New Folder: Just here, inside the themes folder, you need to create a new folder for the child theme. Name it the way you can identify it easily, For instance, 2024-Theme-Child. The prefix can be the name of the theme you are creating a child for.
Step 3: Create the Required Files
1. Create a Style Sheet (style.css):Now, it’s time to create a Notepad or Text file inside the Child Theme folder. This will be your style.css file. Now, all you have to do is open the file and paste the following code. Make sure you are using the correct names for your parent theme and child theme as per their folder names.
/*
Theme Name: Your Child Theme Name
Template: your-parent-theme-folder-name
Version: 1.0
*/Secondly, you have to create a functions.php file inside the same child theme main folder. It’s time to copy the code again.
<?php
function my_theme_enqueue_styles() {
$parent_style = 'parent-style'; // This is 'twentytwentyfour-style' for the Twenty Twenty-Four theme.
wp_enqueue_style($parent_style, get_template_directory_uri() . '/style.css');
wp_enqueue_style('child-style', get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/style.css', array($parent_style));
}
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'my_theme_enqueue_styles');Note: Here, you will have to replace the tag ‘parent-style’ with the accurate handle for the parent theme’s style you are creating a child for. If you are unsure about it, go and check the functions.php file for the parent theme.
Step 4: Activate Your Child Theme
- Go to Your WordPress Dashboard: Now, it’s time to activate your Child Theme by going to your WordPress Dashboard.
- Navigate to Appearance > Themes: Just like in the Plugin method, once you click on the Appearance > Themes, you will see your Child Theme listed here. Simply activate it and start modifying your child theme.
Step 5: Customize Your Child Theme
Now, if you are a developer yourself, customize your WordPress theme by adding CSS to style.css and change the design. To add new features to your Theme, customize the functions.php file. If you are learning to code, this is the safest space to test your knowledge and learn the technicalities.Step 6: Test Your Site
Keep testing the front-end to understand how the changes are implemented and how they look on your Website. Get the most out of the benefits of creating a child theme.Important Tips for Beginners
- Make sure your site is backed up before making any changes. You can use a backup plugin to do so automatically.
- If you are very new to coding, use a WordPress child theme generator Plugin so that the child theme creation process is simplified to the T.
- Don’t be afraid to try out your imagination as the changes to the child theme will be separate from the parent theme and will not affect it at all.
- Use a visual website page builder like Elementor or Beaver Builder to easily understand what kind of changes are made to the site.
- Look at free guides and tutorial videos to understand the basics of CSS and PHP. Remember, CSS for styling and PHP for adding features and functionality to your site.
Wrapping Up the WordPress Child Theme Guide
It’s done and dusted. Told you it’s going to be super easy to follow along. Now, you can easily guide others on how to install child themes in WordPress. You can choose your method, Plugin or Manual. Both are explained here step-by-step without needing any coding knowledge. You can just follow along and copy-paste to get the desired results.Do you have any more questions? Then hit me up in the comments and I shall get back to you. Happy Customizing with Child Theme!
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