If you want to customise your theme’s code safely, a child theme is the right way to do it. It lets you make changes that survive theme updates, so you never lose your work. This guide explains what a child theme is and how to create one.
Why use a child theme #
If you edit your theme’s files directly, the next theme update overwrites your changes. A child theme inherits everything from the parent theme but holds your customisations separately, so updates to the parent do not erase them.
What a child theme needs #
At minimum, a child theme is a folder containing two files:
- A style.css file with a header that names the parent theme.
- A functions.php file that loads the parent theme’s styles.
How to create one #
- In your site’s wp-content/themes folder, create a new folder (for example, yourtheme-child).
- Add a style.css with a header specifying the Template (the parent theme’s folder name).
- Add a functions.php that enqueues the parent stylesheet.
- Go to Appearance > Themes and activate the child theme.
If you prefer not to create the files by hand, a child theme generator plugin can do it for you.
Making customisations #
- Add custom CSS to the child’s style.css.
- Copy a parent template file into the child folder to override it.
- Add custom functions to the child’s functions.php.
Troubleshooting #
- Site looks unstyled after activating: the parent stylesheet is not loading; check functions.php.
- Changes not appearing: confirm you edited the child theme and clear caches.
Need help? #
Child themes involve a little code. If you are unsure, our support team can point you to the right approach over live chat.
