Designers and developers who are new to the world of WordPress website designing will be surprised to hear the phrase ‘WordPress child theme’. As a result, several beginners often ask what is a WordPress child theme and why they should use these themes for their business and personal websites. If you are one among them, do not worry, because we are here to help you.
In simple words, a WordPress child theme can be defined as a WordPress theme, which inherits its functionality from its parent WordPress theme. WordPress child themes are generally used to tweak or customize exciting WordPress themes without the fear of losing all the custom changes and styling that users have made to their website.
What exactly is a WordPress Child Theme
A WordPress child theme is a theme, which you will be able to easily develop with the help of a WordPress theme framework. Some of the most popular WordPress theme framework options available to customers are Hybrid, Genesis, and Thematic. A WordPress child theme will inherit all the features, functionality, and the code of WordPress parent themes without making any changes to the Parent WordPress theme.
This enabled website designers and developers to alter the styling of the Parent WordPress theme and even modify or add features. Users were able to enjoy all these advantages without the fear of losing the capability to update the WordPress parent theme. It is crucial to take note of the fact that not all WordPress themes are excellent parent themes.
Some of the WordPress parent themes has a limited number of features and functionality, which means that they are not suitable for designing WordPress child themes. An excellent WordPress parent theme will have its own filters and action hooks. This will help developers and designers to build a flawless custom WordPress site at a faster pace.
Why designers use WordPress child themes
Developers and designers incorporate the use of WordPress child themes in order to considerably increase the speed of their project. This means that you will be able to design a stunning WordPress website without wasting plenty of your time and effort. Most of the WordPress parent themes available in the market comes with several customization options and handy features, which means that you will not need to code everything.
It might come as a surprise to many readers when they hear the fact that designing a WordPress theme is as simple as building a new style.css file. Another important thing to note is that a robust child theme will be able to have as many as template files as the Parent theme. In fact, a child WordPress theme may even contain template files that are not included in the Parent WordPress Theme.
When Should I use a WordPress Child Theme
Several website owners and beginners who are new to the world of website designing often ask when should they use a WordPress child theme. The answer to this question is that it varies based on the requirements of the user and his/her needs. There are several WordPress sites that use child themes that are built using the Genesis theme framework. Creating a WordPress child theme of this framework is a fairly simple task.
If you have to regularly add new functions to the functions.php file of your theme or if you need to modify your theme’s style.css file, then it is best to consider using a WordPress child theme. Users who are able to find a good WordPress theme that suits the requirements of their website will be able to easily avoid the above-mentioned types of hassles and save plenty of their valuable time and important.
Why Picking a good Parent WordPress theme is Crucial
As you would probably know, almost all the WordPress frameworks that are available in the market are parent themes. However, you need to realize the fact that not all WordPress parent themes can be considered as frameworks. So, you should not try to build a WordPress child theme from a parent theme, which doesn’t offer lots of functionalities.
So, you should initially consider the requirements of your project and spare a quality amount of your time to find a parent theme with a greater number of features and functionalities. If you are able to do this, then you will be easily able to create flawless WordPress child themes without any hassles.
Pros of WordPress Child Themes
Designers and developers who are planning to use WordPress child themes for their future projects should learn about the pros and cons of using these themes. This will enable them to determine whether these child themes are suitable for their web design and web development project or not. Some of the advantages you can enjoy by using a child theme are discussed below.
AAs mentioned earlier, a WordPress child theme inherits the templates, styles, and features of its parent theme. This means that users will be able to make changes to their site without modifying the parent theme. You will also be able to update to the latest version of the parent theme, as all the modifications will be saved in the WordPress child theme.
A WordPress child theme that is built on a good theme framework offers greater flexibility to users. In fact, designers will even be able to make modifications only to the necessary functions and template files. Moreover, you will also be able to add an additional functionality too.
Cons of Using a WordPress Child Theme
One of the major downfalls of using WordPress child themes is that you will have to invest a quality amount of your time on research to know more about the WordPress parent theme. If you are new to the world of WordPress themes or if you are designing a WordPress site for the first time in your life, then this can get quite tricky.
Another con of using WordPress child themes is that sometimes the developers of your parent theme might abandon the theme, which is not good for you. So, it is best to keep these points in your mind when you are unable to decide whether to settle for a WordPress child theme or not.
Conclusion
It is crucial to pay attention to the fact that you will always be able to create a WordPress child theme. However, you need to realize the fact that sometimes you might not need a child theme. So, it is best to consider the requirements of your project before making a final decision. If you wish to know more on Bootstrap dashboard templates or WordPress child themes, consider getting in touch with us because we can help you with that.