How to Create a WordPress Child Theme

Creating a child theme is the industry-standard method for modifying WordPress themes without losing changes during future theme updates.

Based on 12 community reports.

Linked sources: 4.

Known Issues

• Missing style.css header
• Incorrect directory naming
• Functions.php syntax errors

Community Q&A

Why should I use a child theme?

A child theme allows you to make modifications to your site that will not be overwritten when you update the parent theme.

What files are required for a child theme?

At a minimum, you need a folder, a style.css file with a specific header, and a functions.php file to enqueue the parent styles.

How do I activate my child theme?

Once the folder is uploaded to your wp-content/themes directory, go to Appearance > Themes in your dashboard and click Activate.

Reddit Sources

• Why is hosting your own email so difficult? (r/webdev)
• Am I over my head? Accepted a client job for a Wordpress website having never touched Wordpress and not done PHP/webdev in a few years (r/webdev)
• Agency refusing to transfer WP Engine site (r/webdev)
• Posted in /r/cscareerquestions but I think it might fit better here. Am I ready for an agency job? How do I go about getting one? (r/webdev)