Skip to main content

Documentation

Learn how to use our WordPress child theme generator and get the most out of your custom child themes.

Introduction

Our WordPress Child Theme Generator is a powerful tool that allows you to create professional child themes for any WordPress parent theme in minutes. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced developer, our tool simplifies the process of creating and customizing WordPress themes.

What are WordPress Child Themes?

A WordPress child theme inherits the functionality and styling of another theme, called the parent theme. Child themes allow you to modify and customize your WordPress site without making changes to the parent theme's files. This way, you can keep your customizations separate and preserve them when the parent theme is updated.

Why use child themes? Child themes provide a safe and efficient way to customize WordPress themes. They preserve your changes during parent theme updates, make customizations manageable, and allow you to build upon existing themes.

How to Use the Theme Generator

1. Select a Parent Theme

Choose between a WordPress.org theme or a custom parent theme:

  • WordPress.org Theme: Enter the theme slug (from WordPress.org) to automatically fetch theme information
  • Custom Parent Theme: Manually enter the theme name and URL

2. Customize Your Child Theme

Fill in the details for your child theme:

  • Theme Details: Name, slug, description, version, author information
  • Styling Options: Add custom CSS and choose primary, secondary, and accent colors
  • Advanced Options: Select which files to include (functions.php, style.css, screenshot.png, README.md)

3. Generate and Download

Click the "Generate Child Theme" button to create your custom child theme. You'll be redirected to a download page with your theme file and installation instructions.

Installing Your Child Theme

Important: Make sure the parent theme is already installed and active on your WordPress site before installing the child theme.

1

Upload the Theme

In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload Theme

2

Install the Theme

Click Choose File, select the downloaded zip file, and click Install Now

3

Activate the Theme

After installation, click Activate to start using your new child theme

Customizing Your Child Theme

Style.css

The style.css file contains the theme header and custom CSS. This is where you'll add your custom styles to override the parent theme's styles. The file includes a CSS reset and basic styling, but you can modify it as needed.

/* Custom CSS */ .my-custom-class { color: #1e40af; font-size: 1.2rem; }

Functions.php

The functions.php file contains theme functions and configuration. The default functions.php file includes:

  • Parent theme style enqueue
  • Child theme style enqueue
  • Custom CSS injection
  • Customizer support

You can add additional functions and features to this file to extend your child theme's functionality.

Template Files

To override specific template files from the parent theme, simply create a file with the same name in your child theme directory. WordPress will automatically use the child theme's version instead of the parent theme's.

<?php get_header(); ?>
<div class="container">
  <h1><?php the_title(); ?></h1>
  <?php the_content(); ?>
</div>
<?php get_footer(); ?>

Best Practices

Keep Parent Theme Updated

Regularly update your parent theme to ensure you're getting the latest features, security patches, and bug fixes.

Backup Your Theme

Always create backups of your child theme before making major changes. This allows you to revert to a previous version if something goes wrong.

Use Child Theme Hooks

When possible, use actions and filters to modify theme behavior instead of overriding entire template files. This makes your customizations more maintainable.

Document Your Changes

Document your customizations and changes to make it easier to maintain your theme in the future.