WordPress Child Theme: How to Create in 10 Steps

Creating a WordPress child theme allows you to safely customize an existing theme without modifying its core files. This ensures your changes remain intact when the parent theme is updated, preventing data loss.

Key Benefits of Using a Child Theme:

Customization Without Risk: Modify styles, templates, and functionality without touching the parent theme files
Update Protection: Your customizations persist even after the parent theme updates
Easy Maintenance: Keep your custom code separate from the parent theme for better organization

Requirements:

WordPress site with a parent theme installed
Admin access to make changes
Basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and PHP (optional)

10 Steps to Create a Child Theme:

Create a new folder for the child theme in /wp-content/themes/
Add a style.css file with header comments specifying the parent theme
Link the parent and child theme stylesheets in functions.php
Install and activate the child theme
Customize styles by editing style.css
Override parent theme templates (optional)
Add custom functions in functions.php (optional)
Test and fix issues on a staging site
Deploy the child theme to your live site
Monitor parent theme updates and maintain your child theme

By following these steps, you can create a child theme that inherits the parent theme’s features while allowing you to safely customize and experiment without risking your site’s stability or losing your changes during updates.

Requirements

To create a WordPress child theme, you’ll need the following:

WordPress Site

Make sure you have WordPress installed and running.

Parent Theme

You need an installed and activated parent theme. This will be the base for your child theme.

Admin Access

You must have administrative access to make changes.

Basic Web Skills

Some knowledge of HTML, CSS, and PHP can be helpful but is not required.

Step 1: Create Child Theme Folder

To create a WordPress child theme, you need to set up the directory structure. This involves creating a new folder in your themes directory.

Find Themes Folder

Locate the wp-content/themes/ directory in your WordPress installation. This is where you’ll create a new folder for your child theme.

New Folder

Create a new folder with a descriptive name, e.g., parent-theme-child. This folder will contain the necessary files for your child theme. Make sure to choose a unique name that doesn’t conflict with any existing theme or plugin.

Step 2: Create style.css File

In this step, you’ll create the stylesheet for your child theme. The style.css file defines the layout and design of your theme.

Add Header Info

Create a new file named style.css in your child theme folder.
Open the file and add the following header information:

/*
Theme Name:   Twenty Fifteen Child Theme
Theme URI:   https://wordpress.org/themes/twentyfifteen/
Description:  Twenty Fifteen Child Theme
Author:       WordPress
Author URI:  https://wordpress.org/
Template:     twentyfifteen
Version:      1.0.0
*/

This header identifies your child theme and links it to the parent theme. Replace the placeholders with your own details.

Step 3: Link Stylesheets

In this step, you’ll link the parent and child theme stylesheets. This is key to making your child theme work.

Create functions.php

First, create a functions.php file in your child theme folder. This file will hold the code to link the stylesheets.

Enqueue Stylesheets

To link the stylesheets, use the wp_enqueue_style function. This function adds CSS stylesheets to your theme. You’ll need to link both the parent and child theme stylesheets.

Here’s how to do it:

function enqueue_child_theme_styles() {
    wp_enqueue_style('parent-style', get_template_directory_uri(). '/style.css');
    wp_enqueue_style('child-style', get_stylesheet_uri(), array('parent-style'));
}
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'enqueue_child_theme_styles');

In this example:

get_template_directory_uri() links the parent theme’s stylesheet.
get_stylesheet_uri() links the child theme’s stylesheet.
The array('parent-style') parameter ensures the child theme’s stylesheet loads after the parent theme’s stylesheet.

Step 4: Install and Activate

Now that you have created your child theme, it’s time to install and activate it. This step is key to making your child theme work.

Upload Child Theme

To install your child theme, you need to upload it to your WordPress dashboard. There are two methods to do this:

Method	Steps
Method 1	1. Search for your child theme in the WordPress.org theme directory. 2. Click on the Install button. 3. WordPress will download and install your child theme.
Method 2	1. Click on the Upload Theme button. 2. Choose the theme zip file from your computer. 3. Click on the Install Now button. 4. WordPress will upload and install the theme zip file.

Activate Child Theme

Once you have uploaded your child theme, you need to activate it:

Go to Appearance > Themes.
Click on the Activate button next to your child theme.

If everything is set up correctly, you will see a message confirming that the parent theme is installed. Your child theme is now live! You should see the correct details when you open the theme in your dashboard.

Step 5: Customize Styles

Customizing the styles of your child theme is a key step in making it your own. Here’s how to do it.

Edit style.css

The style.css file is the main stylesheet for your child theme. To edit it:

Navigate to the style.css file in your child theme’s directory using an FTP client or the File Manager in your hosting control panel.
Open the file in a code editor like Sublime Text or Atom.
Add the following header information at the top of the file:

/*
Theme Name:   Your Child Theme Name
Theme URI:   https://example.com/your-child-theme
Description:  A brief description of your child theme
Author:       Your Name
Author URI:   https://example.com/your-website
Version:      1.0.0
*/

Replace the placeholders with your own information.

Add Custom CSS

Now, you can add custom CSS rules to override the parent theme’s styles. For example, to change the background color of the header, add this code:

.header {
    background-color: #f2f2f2;
}

This code will change the header background color to light gray. Add as many custom CSS rules as you need to personalize your child theme.

Step 6: Override Templates (Optional)

How to modify parent theme template files within the child theme.

Find Template Files

To override templates, you need to identify the template files in the parent theme that require modification. You can do this by:

Checking the parent theme’s code and identifying the files that need changes.
Using the WordPress template hierarchy to determine which files are used for specific pages or sections.

Copy to Child Theme

Once you’ve identified the template files, copy them from the parent theme to the child theme directory. This will ensure that WordPress uses the child theme’s version of the file instead of the parent theme’s.

Modify Templates

Edit the copied template files as needed. You can add custom code, modify existing code, or remove unnecessary code to achieve the desired changes. Make sure to test your changes to ensure they don’t break the functionality of your site.

Step 7: Add Functions (Optional)

Adding custom functions to your child theme lets you include extra features, widgets, and more. The functions.php file in your child theme is where you add these features.

Edit functions.php

To add custom functions, edit the functions.php file in your child theme directory. This file adds features to your theme, and any functions here are loaded in addition to the parent theme’s functions.

Add Custom Code

You can define custom functions in the child theme’s functions.php file. For example, to override a function in the parent theme, define the same function with the same name in the child theme’s functions.php file.

Here’s an example:

function custom_function() {
    // Your custom code here
}
add_action('init', 'custom_function');

This code adds a custom function that runs when WordPress initializes. You can add as many custom functions as needed to enhance your child theme.

Step 8: Test and Fix Issues

Preview Changes

After making changes to your child theme, it’s important to test them on a local or staging environment before going live. This helps you find and fix any issues. You can use a local development environment like XAMPP or WAMP to test your child theme.

Troubleshoot

When testing your child theme, you might face issues like styling problems, broken functionality, or template errors. To troubleshoot these issues, follow these steps:

Issue	Solution
Incorrect `Template` line	Verify the `Template` line in your child theme’s `style.css` file is correct.
Typos in code	Check for typos and ensure you have enqueued the parent theme’s stylesheet and all necessary scripts or stylesheets.
Errors in `functions.php`	Inspect your child theme’s `functions.php` file for errors.
Plugin conflicts	Deactivate other plugins to see if there’s a conflict with your child theme.
Debugging	Enable WordPress debugging by setting `define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );` in your `wp-config.php` file to reveal underlying problems.

Step 9: Deploy to Live Site

Now that you’ve tested and fixed any issues with your child theme, it’s time to deploy it to your live site.

Verify Functionality

Before deploying your child theme, make sure it works as expected. Double-check that all customizations, styles, and templates are functioning correctly. Test your site’s layout, navigation, and content to ensure everything is displayed properly.

Deploy Child Theme

To deploy your child theme to your live site, follow these steps:

Upload Child Theme: Using an FTP client or your hosting provider’s file manager, upload your child theme folder to the wp-content/themes directory of your live site.
Activate Child Theme: Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance > Themes. Find your child theme and click Activate.
Verify Deployment: Once activated, check your site’s frontend and backend to ensure that all customizations and styles are applied correctly.

Step 10: Maintain and Update

Keeping your child theme up-to-date is important to ensure it works well with the parent theme. Here’s how to do it.

Monitor Parent Updates

Keep an eye on updates to the parent theme. When a new version is released, check the changelog to see what has changed. This helps you know if you need to update your child theme.

Update Child Theme

Update your child theme to stay compatible with the parent theme. If you’ve customized any parent theme files, you might need to update your child theme to match these changes. Always test your child theme after updating to make sure everything works correctly.

Best Practices

Backup Regularly: Always back up your site before making updates.
Test Updates: Use a staging site to test updates before applying them to your live site.
Document Changes: Keep a record of changes you make to your child theme for easy reference.

Summary

Creating a WordPress child theme helps you customize your website while keeping it running smoothly. By following these 10 steps, you can make a child theme that uses the parent theme’s features and design. This lets you change things without touching the original files.

Benefits of Using a Child Theme

Benefit	Description
Protection from Updates	Your changes stay even when the parent theme updates.
Easy Customization	Modify styles and features without altering the parent theme.
Better Organization	Keep your custom code separate from the parent theme.
Faster Development	Quickly test new designs and features.

Experiment Safely

With a child theme, you can try new design elements, features, or code changes without risking your website’s stability. You can also reuse these changes on other WordPress sites, making it easier to manage multiple websites.

Stay Updated

By creating a child theme, you ensure your website remains up-to-date, secure, and tailored to your needs. This approach helps you maintain a well-organized and efficient site.

Child vs Parent Theme Comparison

When deciding whether to create a child theme or modify the parent theme directly, it’s important to understand the pros and cons of each approach. Here’s a comparison table to help you decide:

Modification Approach	Advantages	Disadvantages
Modifying Parent Theme	Quick and easy changes	Loss of customizations during updates
	No need to create a new theme	Risk of breaking the theme’s functionality
		Difficult to maintain and update
Creating a Child Theme	Preserves customizations during updates	Requires some technical knowledge
	Easy to maintain and update	May require additional setup
	Allows for safe experimentation

In general, creating a child theme is the recommended approach, as it provides a safe and sustainable way to customize your WordPress site. However, if you’re making minor changes and don’t plan to update your theme frequently, modifying the parent theme might be a viable option.

FAQs

How to create a child theme in WordPress step by step?

Create a new folder for your child theme in the /wp-content/themes/ directory.
Inside the new folder, create a style.css file and add the required header comments specifying the parent theme.
Create a functions.php file and enqueue the parent and child theme stylesheets.
Upload the child theme folder to your WordPress site and activate the child theme.
Start customizing the child theme by editing the style.css and functions.php files.

What is the point of WordPress child theme?

A child theme allows you to safely customize a parent theme without modifying its core files. This ensures your customizations remain intact when the parent theme is updated, preventing data loss.

When should I create a child theme in WordPress?

You should create a child theme whenever you want to modify the appearance, functionality, or code of an existing WordPress theme. This approach protects your customizations from being overwritten during theme updates.

How to make a child theme in WordPress?

Create a new folder for the child theme in /wp-content/themes/.
Add a style.css file with the required header comments specifying the parent theme.
Upload the child theme folder to your WordPress site and activate it.
Start customizing the child theme by editing its files.

What are the minimum files required to make a child theme in WordPress?

File	Purpose
`style.css`	Contains the header information linking the child theme to its parent.
`functions.php`	Allows you to enqueue the parent and child theme stylesheets and add custom functionality.