How to Create a WordPress Child Theme: Guide to Child Themes

Do you want to create a WordPress child theme? If you are looking for a simple guide, read on.

When customizing a WordPress website, making changes directly to a theme can cause problems during a theme update.

This is where child themes become essential. A WordPress child theme allows you to modify a design while keeping the original theme intact.

When you create a child theme, it inherits styles and functionality from the parent theme, but stores your custom changes separately. This approach ensures updates do not overwrite your work.

In this guide, you will learn how to create a WordPress child theme, understand how a child theme in WordPress works, and explore different ways to set up a child theme folder so you can confidently customize your site without altering the parent theme.

But before going further, let’s see why you should create a WordPress child theme.

Why You Should Create a WordPress Child Theme

Creating a WordPress child theme is the safest and most efficient way to customize a WordPress theme without risking your changes during updates.

When you create a child theme, it inherits the parent theme’s design and functionality while allowing you to modify theme files independently.

This setup is ideal for anyone who wants to customize a WordPress site, experiment with new features, or maintain long-term stability while working with child themes.

• A child theme lets you use it instead of editing the parent theme’s files directly, protecting your customizations when the parent theme is updated.
• When you create a WordPress child theme, your changes are stored in a separate child theme folder inside the theme directory, keeping parent and child theme files organized.
• A child theme in WordPress inherits styles from the parent theme stylesheet, making it easy to override or extend the design without altering the parent theme files.
• Using a child theme ensures theme updates do not overwrite custom code, as updates only affect the parent theme folder.
• You can safely customize your child theme by adding or modifying files in the child theme directory, such as the child theme’s style.css or creating a functions.php file.
• A child theme is well-suited for developers and beginners who want to manually create custom features or use a child theme generator in the WordPress admin.
• Activating the child theme from Appearance → Themes in the WordPress dashboard lets you switch designs without losing any site content.
• Working with child themes makes it easier to test changes, create a backup, and roll back to the parent theme if something breaks.
• A child theme is a must when you want to customize a theme without altering the parent theme, especially on a live WordPress website.

Child Theme vs Parent Theme

Aspect	Parent Theme	Child Theme
Definition	The main WordPress theme that contains the original design, layout, and core theme files	A WordPress child theme that inherits functionality and styles from the parent theme
Customization	Customizing the parent theme directly can overwrite changes during a new update to the theme	You can customize a child theme safely without affecting the parent theme
Theme Updates	When you update the parent theme, all direct changes are lost	Changes remain intact because the child theme doesn’t get overwritten
Theme Files	Stores all core theme files, templates, and styles	Uses a separate child theme’s folder with its own style.css and optional functions.php file
Stylesheets	Uses its own primary stylesheet	Can import the parent theme stylesheet or enqueue parent and child theme stylesheets
Flexibility	Limited flexibility for long-term customization	Ideal for working with child themes and advanced customization
Risk Level	High risk if edited directly	Low risk, as the child theme works independently
Usage Scenario	Best for users who do not need customization	Best when you want to create and customize WordPress child themes
File Structure	Located in the main theme directory	Requires a new folder for your child theme inside the theme directory

How to Create a WordPress Child Theme

There are two ways to create a WordPress child theme.

• Using a dedicated WordPress plugin
• Manually

We will outline both methods below so you can choose your preferred option. Without any further ado, let’s get into the list.

1. Plugin Method

If you need a simple method, use a child theme plugin. There are many child theme plugins available in the WordPress plugins repository. You can use any of them. In this case, we will use the WP Child Theme Generator.

It is a free plugin you can use to create a child theme. First, install and activate the plugin on your website.

After activation, you can see the plugin settings under the WordPress Appearance section.

From the dropdown, select the theme you need to create as a parent. You can also update the child theme name, author, description, optional information, and more.

Now, hit the Create a child theme button.

You can visit the themes section to see the newly created child theme.

You can proceed to activate the theme.

Next, let’s see how to do it manually.

2. Manual Method

If you do not need to use a dedicated plugin for this task, you can manually create a child theme. You need to use an FTP client such as FileZilla or a dedicated file manager plugin. For this tutorial, we will use Filester.

Install and activate the plugin on your website.

Go to the themes folder and create a new folder there for your child theme.

Inside the child theme folder, create a file named style.css. This file contains essential information about the child theme, including the theme name, theme URI, author, and parent theme reference.

The Template value must match the parent theme’s folder name exactly, or WordPress will show the “the parent theme is missing” error.

Here is an example code you can use:

/*
Theme Name: Your Theme Child
Theme URI: https://example.com/your-theme-child
Description: A child theme created to customize the parent theme safely.
Author: Your Name
Author URI: https://example.com
Template: parent-theme-folder-name
Version: 1.0.0
Text Domain: your-theme-child
*/

/* Add your custom CSS below this line */

Make sure you replaced the appropriate things. The next thing you need to do is create a function.php file inside the child theme folder.

Now paste this code inside the functions file.

<?php
/**
 * Enqueue parent and child theme styles
 */
function my_child_theme_enqueue_styles() {
    wp_enqueue_style(
        'parent-style',
        get_template_directory_uri() . '/style.css'
    );
    wp_enqueue_style(
        'child-style',
        get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/style.css',
        array('parent-style'),
        wp_get_theme()->get('Version')
    );
}
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'my_child_theme_enqueue_styles');

Update the file and check the themes section. You will see the child theme there.

Activate it, and you are ready to proceed.

That’s it!

This is how you can create a WordPress child theme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Now, let’s take a look at some of the frequently asked questions and answers regarding this topic.

Conclusion

Creating a WordPress child theme is a best practice for anyone who wants to customize a website safely and professionally.

By using a child theme in WordPress, you can modify styles, add new functionality, and tailor your site’s layout without directly changing the parent theme files. This approach ensures that your custom work remains intact even when the parent theme is updated, making long-term maintenance much easier.

Whether you manually create a child theme, use a child theme generator, or rely on a configurator plugin, the process is straightforward and beginner-friendly. Once set up, a child theme gives you complete control over customization while preserving the original theme’s stability.

If you plan to make ongoing design or functional changes to your WordPress site, creating a child theme is not just recommended, it is essential.