Are you considering using a WordPress child theme for your website? Understanding exactly what a child theme is and weighing the pros and cons is important before making a decision. In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about WordPress child themes and help you determine if creating one is right for you.
What is a WordPress Child Theme?
A WordPress child theme is a theme that inherits the functionality, features, and styling of another theme, known as the parent theme. Child themes are a way to customize or modify an existing WordPress theme without actually changing the parent theme‘s code.
When you activate a child theme, it loads the parent theme‘s files first. The child theme‘s files then override the parent files wherever changes have been made. This allows you to selectively change aspects of the parent theme while still retaining the ability to update the parent theme regularly.
How Child Themes Work
Technically, a child theme consists of at least one directory (the child theme directory) and two core files:
style.css – This is required in all themes. For a child theme, it only needs to contain the Theme Name and Template definition that points to the parent theme.
functions.php – This file is optional but recommended. It allows you to add custom PHP code and modify the functionality of the parent theme or WordPress core.
Any other files (e.g. template files, images, JavaScript) in the child theme directory will override the equivalent files in the parent theme directory. If a file doesn‘t exist in the child theme but does in the parent theme, then the parent theme file will be used.
Here‘s a visualization of the relationship and load order:
Child Theme Directory
- style.css (required)
- functions.php (optional)
- header.php (optional)
- footer.php (optional)
- etc.
Parent Theme Directory
- style.css
- functions.php
- header.php
- footer.php
- etc.
WordPress loads the parent theme files first, then the child theme files, merging them together. Where a file exists in both, the child theme takes precedence.
This inheritance relationship means you can modify any part of the parent theme you want by including an identically named file in the child theme directory. Or add completely new templates and assets. But you never actually change the parent theme itself.
Advantages of Using a Child Theme
The main reasons developers and savvy WordPress users opt to create child themes are:
- Safe Updating of the Parent Theme
The primary benefit of using a child theme is that it keeps your modifications separate from the parent theme‘s code. This means you can safely update the parent theme to receive bug fixes, security patches, and new features without overwriting or losing any of the customizations you‘ve made.
Your custom code lives on independently in the child theme, so there‘s no risk of it being erased when a theme update occurs. This is essential for maintaining a stable yet up-to-date website.
- Easy to Extend the Parent Theme
When you build a child theme on top of a robust theme framework, you gain a huge amount of built-in functionality that you can easily customize and extend. Instead of having to code complex features from scratch, they‘re already there in the parent theme, waiting to be hooked into and modified as needed.
Theme frameworks are meant to be extended with child themes. They‘re like a powerful code library in the form of a theme. With the right framework, you can radically change the appearance and functionality of a website with minimal amounts of custom CSS, PHP, and template edits in the child theme.
- Fallback to Parent Theme Files
An advantage of the child theme structure is that you only need to include files in the child theme directory when you want to modify them. So if you just want to change the header, you only need a header.php in the child theme. The rest of the files will be loaded from the parent theme.
This fallback handling makes child theme development very efficient. You can make a small, surgical change without having to duplicate all the other theme files that you‘re not touching. Less custom code also generally means less chance of something breaking.
Disadvantages of Using a Child Theme
While child themes have some great advantages, there are a couple potential downsides to be aware of:
- Learning Curve for the Parent Theme
To effectively extend a parent theme, you need to become familiar with how that theme is structured, what template files it uses, what functions and hooks it has available, and so on. This learning curve can take some time, especially for very large and complex theme frameworks.
However, this is really a short-term disadvantage. Once you know the ins and outs of a framework, you‘ll be able to rapidly develop child themes and customize sites much faster than if you were starting from scratch each time.
- Dependence on the Parent Theme
The other potential downside of using a child theme is that you‘re now dependent on the parent theme author to continue maintaining the parent theme over time. If they were to abandon development on the theme, your child theme wouldn‘t receive updates anymore.
While an abandoned parent theme would still function, it may gradually develop incompatibilities with newer versions of WordPress and plugins. This isn‘t automatically a showstopper – you could continue using the parent theme indefinitely, or take over maintaining it yourself. But it is a long-term risk to consider.
Fortunately, there are a number of actively developed theme frameworks out there that have been around for many years and have strong track records of frequent updates and good support. Genesis and Divi are a couple of the most popular examples. Going with an established and reputable framework minimizes the chances of the parent theme being discontinued.
Choosing the Right Parent Theme
As we‘ve seen, the parent theme you choose to build your child theme on top of is an important decision. The ideal parent theme is one that:
Has most of the functionality and styling you need for your site already built in, so you only need to make minimal customizations via the child theme. The less you have to override, the better.
Is well-coded, fast, and SEO-friendly so you‘re starting with a solid foundation. Avoid bloated themes that will be slow even after your customizations.
Has a documented set of theme options, hooks, and customizer settings so you can easily modify it to your needs.
Is actively developed and has a proven history of being maintained and improved over a long period of time. This increases the likelihood of continued compatibility and support.
It‘s worth investing time up front to research and test out potential parent themes before committing to one. The quality of the theme you choose will have a big impact on the quality of the final site you‘re able to deliver with the child theme.
Do you need a Child Theme?
So when does it actually make sense to use a child theme? Here are a few common scenarios:
You‘re a developer who builds custom WordPress sites for clients. Using a robust parent theme framework with child themes lets you deliver customized sites much faster than building from scratch each time.
You have a theme you like but want to make substantial customizations to the code, like editing the functions.php file or template files. A child theme will let you modify the theme safely.
You‘re comfortable with HTML/CSS/PHP and want full control over personalizing your site, but don‘t want to risk losing those tweaks when the theme updates. A child theme is ideal.
On the flip side, you probably don‘t need a child theme if:
You‘re using a well-built theme and just need to make some minor CSS tweaks to fonts, colors, etc. Installing a custom CSS plugin is an easier solution in this case.
You‘re using a page builder plugin or a theme that has robust customization options built right into the WordPress customizer. Depending on the theme, you may be able to make all the changes you need without touching code at all.
You‘re not very comfortable with code and just need a simple website. Find a theme that looks and works how you need out of the box instead of trying to customize one.
If you do decide to go the child theme route, you‘ll need to create one. Many themes have a "child theme creator" or will provide a downloadable child theme to get you started. If yours doesn‘t, you can create a child theme manually or use a plugin.
For step-by-step instructions, check out our guide on How to Create a WordPress Child Theme. Just make sure to create a complete backup of your site before getting started in case anything goes wrong during the setup process.
Conclusion
Child themes are a powerful tool for safely customizing WordPress themes. Whether you‘re a developer looking to streamline your workflow or a user wanting to personalize your website, child themes provide the flexibility to modify themes without the risk of losing those changes when the parent theme is updated.
While they have a bit of a learning curve and require being selective about the parent theme, the long-term benefits of using a child theme are huge – a stable, customized website that can still receive updates.
Evaluate your needs and your comfort level with WordPress and coding to determine if a child theme makes sense for your unique scenario. For many, a child theme is well worth the effort to set up. Hopefully this guide has given you all the information needed to make an informed decision!
