When to Use a Child Theme and How to Create One

When to use a child theme is a common question among website owners who want to modify their design or functionality without losing changes after updates. 

Building a WordPress website often requires customization, but making direct changes to a theme can be risky. A child theme acts as a safety net, allowing users to customize styles, templates, and functions while keeping the parent theme intact. 

In this guide, we’ll explore the best situations for using a child theme, provide step-by-step instructions for creating one, and provide essential tips for avoiding common mistakes.

When to Use a Child Theme: Key Scenarios

There are several scenarios where using a child theme is not just recommended but essential.

When Customizing Plugin Templates (WooCommerce, GiveWP, The Events Calendar, etc.)

Many WordPress plugins, especially those that add complex functionalities like WooCommerce, GiveWP, and The Event Calendar, rely on theme template files to control how their content appears on the front end. 

These plugins often allow you to override their default templates by placing custom versions inside a theme’s directory.

However, modifying plugin templates directly in the parent theme is risky—any updates can overwrite your changes. 

This is where a child theme becomes invaluable.

• Prevents Loss of Customizations: Since parent themes get updated periodically, any modifications made directly to their files will be lost. A child theme ensures that your custom templates remain untouched during updates.
• Keeps the Parent Theme Clean: Instead of cluttering the parent theme with custom code, a child theme acts as a separate space for modifications, making troubleshooting and maintenance easier.
• Allows Safe Experimentation: A child theme provides a safe environment to test modifications without affecting the core structure of the website.

How to Customize Plugin Templates with a Child Theme

Modifying plugin templates using a child theme involves copying the relevant template files from the plugin’s directory and placing them in the appropriate location within the child theme. 

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to do this for some of the most commonly customized plugins.

WooCommerce Customization with a Child Theme

WooCommerce allows users to override its default templates by copying them to the theme directory.

1. Locate the template file you want to modify in the wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/templates/ directory.
2. Copy the template file (e.g., cart.php or single-product.php).
3. Paste the copied file into your child theme inside a woocommerce folder (wp-content/themes/your-child-theme/woocommerce/).
4. Edit the file as needed to change the layout, styling, or functionality of WooCommerce pages.

GiveWP Customization with a Child Theme

GiveWP, a popular donation plugin, also allows template overrides:

1. Find the template files in wp-content/plugins/give/templates/.
2. Copy the template file you want to modify.
3. Paste the file inside your child theme in a give/ folder (wp-content/themes/your-child-theme/give/).
4. Make the necessary modifications to customize the donation forms and receipts.

The Events Calendar Customization with a Child Theme

For The Events Calendar plugin, the process is similar:

1. Navigate to wp-content/plugins/the-events-calendar/src/views/.
2. Copy the template file you want to modify (e.g., single-event.php).
3. Paste it into your child theme inside a tribe-events/ folder (wp-content/themes/your-child-theme/tribe-events/).
4. Make your changes to the layout, styling, or event details.

This method ensures that your customizations remain intact even as plugins and themes evolve, so you do not need to redo them after every update.

When Making Code-Level Customizations (CSS, Functions, Hooks)

There are times when you need to tweak the CSS styles or add custom hooks and filters through the functions.php file:

• Isolating Custom CSS: Avoid directly modifying the parent theme’s style files by adding your CSS to the child theme.
• Adding Custom Functions: Use your child theme’s functions.php file to safely add new hooks, filters, or code snippets without interfering with the parent theme.
• Preserving Updates: Your changes remain intact even when the parent theme is updated.

When Extending a Theme’s Features Without Compromising Updates

If you want to modify layouts, typography or add custom elements, a child theme is the way to go:

• Safe Customization: Extend functionalities without risking the loss of custom styles, shortcodes, or widgets after theme updates.
• Flexible Customizations: Maintain a clean separation between custom code and the parent theme’s core functionality.

When Working with a Theme Framework

Premium themes and frameworks like Astra, GeneratePress, and Genesis are designed to be extended via child themes:

• Enhancing Functionality: A child theme allows you to add features and customizations without altering the framework’s core files.
• Future-Proofing: Keep your customizations safe from framework updates.

When Running Multiple Websites with a Customized Theme

If you manage multiple websites based on the same theme but need different customizations for each site:

• Efficient Management: Use separate child themes to tailor each website’s appearance and functionality.
• Ease of Updates: Streamline maintenance and updates across multiple sites by isolating custom changes within child themes.

How to Create a Child Theme (Step-by-Step Guide)

There are two ways to make a child theme: manually or using a plugin. Both ways are easy to follow. Below is a step-by-step guide for each method.

Manual Method: Creating a Child Theme Manually

This method is best for people who like to have complete control. It takes a little more time but helps understand how child themes work. For this tutorial, we will use the WP File Manager plugin. Install and Activate the WordPress plugin.

Next, click on the WP File Manager on your dashboard. Now, you can access the files and folders of your WordPress website.

Step 1: Create a New Folder

Go to the WordPress dashboard theme folder: wp-content/themes/.

Right-click and create a New folder for the child theme. Name it like this:

If the parent theme is twentytwentyfive, name the child theme folder twentytwentyfive-child.

Step 2: Make a style.css File

Inside the child theme folder, create a new file named style.css.

Open the file, add this code, and click SAVE & CLOSE:

/*

Theme Name: Twenty Twenty-Five Child

Template: twentytwentyfive

Author: Your Name

Description: A child theme for Twenty Twenty-Five.

Version: 1.0

*/

• Theme Name: The name of the child theme.
• Template: The folder name of the parent theme (must match exactly).
• Author: The creator of the child theme (your name).
• Description: A short note about what the child theme does.
• Version: A version number (start with 1.0).

Step 3: Make a functions.php File

In the child theme folder, create another file called functions.php.

Open it and add this code to link the parent theme’s style:

<?php

function my_child_theme_styles() {

    wp_enqueue_style(‘parent-style’, get_template_directory_uri() . ‘/style.css’);

}

add_action(‘wp_enqueue_scripts’, ‘my_child_theme_styles’);

This code makes sure the child theme loads the parent theme’s design.

Step 4: Activate the Child Theme

Go to the WordPress Dashboard > Appearance > Themes. Find the child theme and click Activate.

The child theme is now working! Website owners can start making changes by adding new styles or editing files.

Using WP Child Theme Generator Plugin (Easier Method)

Consider using the WP Child Theme Generator plugin if you prefer an automated approach.

Step 1: Install the Plugin

Open WordPress Dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New Plugin. There, search for WP Child Theme Generator. Click Install Now and then Activate.

Step 2: Generate the Child Theme

After activation, go to Appearance > Child Theme Generator.

Choose the theme that needs a child theme. Enter the child theme’s name and description. Add the author’s name and description of your theme.

Following that, check the box to create and activate the child theme. You can add other information, such as the theme URI, Author URI, License, etc. 

Once done, click the Create Child Theme button. This will automatically create, install, and activate the child theme on your website.

Which Method is Better?

• Manual Method: Best for developers who want complete control.
• Plugin Method: Best for beginners who want a quick setup.

Using a child theme is the best way to keep website changes safe. It helps protect custom styles, templates, and functions from getting lost when updating the main theme. 

Whether using the manual method or a plugin, setting up a child theme is a smart choice for any WordPress website.

Best Practices for Using a Child Theme

A child theme is a great way to change a WordPress website without breaking the main (parent) theme. However, to ensure that everything works well, it is essential to follow some best practices. 

This will help keep the website safe, fast, and easy to update.

• Constantly update the parent theme to get new features and security fixes while keeping child theme changes safe and intact.
• Test all changes on a staging site before applying them to the live website to prevent unexpected errors or broken layouts.
• Use functions.php in the child theme to properly load the parent theme’s styles and avoid missing design elements or styles.
• Back up the website before making significant changes to ensure any mistakes can be easily reversed without losing important data.
• Modify only the necessary files to keep the child theme simple and maintain speed, stability, and easy future updates.
• Check for parent theme updates and compare modified files to ensure custom changes work correctly after updating.
• Test the website on different devices and browsers to ensure all customizations look and function everywhere.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using a Child Theme

Even with the best intentions, some common pitfalls can occur:

• Forgetting to load the parent theme’s styles can break the website’s design and make it look incomplete or messy.
• Editing the parent theme instead of the child theme leads to lost changes when the parent theme updates.
• Copying too many files from the parent theme makes updates harder and can cause compatibility issues later.
• Not checking for parent theme updates may break custom changes in the child theme if new features are added.
• Making too many custom changes in the child theme can slow down the website and make troubleshooting difficult.
• Not testing changes on different devices can cause layout and usability problems on mobile phones and tablets.
• Not backing up before making changes makes it harder to recover if something goes wrong during customization.
• Avoiding these mistakes will help keep the child theme stable, safe, and easy to manage.

Final Thought

Knowing when to use a child theme can make a big difference in keeping a WordPress website safe and easy to manage. 

It’ll protect custom changes, prevent them from being lost during updates, and simplify troubleshooting. 

By following best practices and avoiding common mistakes, users can enjoy a smooth and hassle-free experience. 

If a website needs custom design or functionality, now is the perfect time to determine when to use a child theme and start making improvements correctly!