WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems out there, powering over 40% of all websites on the internet. One of the great features of WordPress is the ability to create child themes, which allow you to modify an existing theme without losing your changes when the parent theme is updated. In this post, we’ll take a look at how to create a WordPress child theme step by step.
Method 1: Manual (recommended)
Step 1:
Choose the Parent Theme The first step in creating a child theme is to choose a parent theme. This is the theme that you want to modify. You can choose any theme that you like, but it’s best to choose a theme that is well-coded, frequently updated, and meets your needs in terms of design and functionality.
Step 2:
Create a New Folder for Your Child Theme The next step is to create a new folder in your WordPress themes directory for your child theme. You can name the folder whatever you like, but it’s best to use a descriptive name that indicates that it’s a child theme. For example, if your parent theme is called “Twenty Twenty-One”, you might name your child theme folder “Twenty Twenty-One Child”.
Step 3:
Create a New Stylesheet Once you’ve created your child theme folder, the next step is to create a new stylesheet for your child theme. This stylesheet will contain all of the CSS styles that you want to add or modify for your child theme. To create a new stylesheet, open a text editor and create a new file called “style.css”. In the header of your new stylesheet, you should include the following code:
/* Theme Name: My Child Theme Template: twentytwentyone */
Replace “My Child Theme” with the name of your child theme, and “twentytwentyone” with the name of your parent theme. This code tells WordPress that your new theme is a child theme of the parent theme.
Step 4:
Add Your Custom Styles Now that you’ve created your new stylesheet, you can add your custom styles. To do this, simply add your CSS code to the stylesheet. You can add new styles or modify existing styles from the parent theme.
Step 5:
Create a functions.php File (Optional) If you want to add additional functionality to your child theme, you can create a functions.php file in your child theme folder. This file should contain any additional PHP code that you want to add. For example, you might use this file to enqueue additional scripts or add custom post types.
Step 6:
Activate Your Child Theme Once you’ve created your child theme, you need to activate it in WordPress. To do this, go to the Appearance > Themes page in your WordPress dashboard. You should see your new child theme listed there. Simply click the “Activate” button to activate your child theme.
Method 2: Using a Plugin
WordPress child themes are a great way to modify an existing theme without losing your changes when the parent theme is updated. However, creating a child theme can be a daunting task for those who aren’t comfortable with CSS or PHP. Fortunately, there is a simple solution: using a plugin. In this post, we’ll take a look at how to create a child theme using a plugin in WordPress.
Step 1:
Install and Activate the Child Theme Configurator Plugin The first step is to install and activate the Child Theme Configurator plugin. This plugin is available for free in the WordPress plugin repository, so you can easily install it from your WordPress dashboard. Once installed, activate the plugin.
Child Theme Configurator
Step 2:
Navigate to the Child Theme Configurator Settings Page Once the plugin is activated, you’ll see a new option in your WordPress dashboard menu called “Child Themes”. Click on this option to navigate to the Child Theme Configurator settings page.
Step 3:
Create a New Child Theme On the Child Theme Configurator settings page, you’ll see an option to create a new child theme. Click on this option to begin creating your child theme.
Step 4:
Choose the Parent Theme The next step is to choose the parent theme that you want to create a child theme for. The plugin will automatically detect all of the themes that are installed on your WordPress site, so simply select the parent theme that you want to modify.
Step 5:
Activate Your Child Theme Once you’ve finished customizing your child theme, simply click the “Activate” button to activate your new child theme.
Here are some other plugins you can use to generate a child theme:
WP Child Theme Generator
Generate Child Theme
And that’s it! You’ve now created a WordPress child theme that allows you to modify an existing theme without losing your changes when the parent theme is updated. With a little bit of CSS and PHP knowledge, you can customize your child theme to your heart’s content.
