What is a Child Theme in WordPress?
A child theme in WordPress is a theme that inherits the functionality and styling of another theme, called the parent theme. Child themes allow you to modify or add to the functionality and style of the parent theme without losing any customizations when the parent theme is updated.
Using a child theme, you can make any changes to your website without the risk of losing them when updating the parent theme.
Additionally, if you are using a premium parent theme, a child theme ensures that you won’t accidentally delete any code from the parent theme and break your site. Using a WordPress child theme is strongly recommended for anyone wanting to make changes to their website.
How to Create a Child Theme
Creating a child theme requires creating a new folder in your WordPress themes directory and adding two files: style.css and functions.php. Depending on the complexity of your site, you may also need to add template files or additional script files.
Once you have created the necessary files for your child’s theme, you can activate it via the WordPress dashboard like any other theme.
When Should You Use a Child Theme?
Using a child theme is essential to making changes to your website. It ensures that your customizations are not lost when the parent theme is updated and provides a safe environment for making modifications.
If you plan on making changes to your WordPress site, consider creating a child theme for the best results.
When Should You Not Use a Child Theme?
Generally, you should only use a child theme when making changes to your website. If you are installing the parent theme and not making any modifications, creating and activating a child theme is unnecessary.
Additionally, if the parent theme already includes customization options via Customizer or other settings, using a child theme is unnecessary. In these cases, it is better to use the parent theme as-is and customize it via the available options.
In conclusion, while not always necessary, creating a WordPress child theme can be beneficial when making any changes to your website. It ensures that your customizations are preserved when updating the parent theme and provides a safe environment for making modifications.
Therefore, if you plan on making changes to your website, consider creating a child theme for the best results.