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What Is a WooCommerce Child Theme?

Last updated on October 1, 2022 @ 10:57 pm

A WordPress child theme is a theme that inherits the functionality of another theme, called the parent theme, and can customize or override certain functions. Child themes are the recommended way of modifying an existing theme.

Creating a child theme is relatively simple. All you need is a text editor and access to your WordPress site’s files.

When you create a child theme, you will create a new directory within the /wp-content/themes/ directory. In this new directory, you will create two files: style.css and functions.php.

The style.css file will be used to define any custom CSS rules that you want to apply to your child theme. The functions.php file can be used to override certain functions from the parent theme or add new functions.

Once you have created your child theme, you can activate it from the WordPress administration panel under Appearance > Themes.

When creating a child theme, it is important to only include the files that you need to modify or add. This will keep your child theme small and fast. Also, make sure to use proper coding standards when creating yourchild theme.

What Is a WooCommerce Child Theme?

A WooCommerce child theme is a WordPress child theme that inherits the functionality of another WooCommerce-compatible WordPress parent theme and can customize or override certain functions.

Creating a WooCommerce Child Theme

Creating a WooCommerce child theme is relatively simple and only requires two files: style.

PRO TIP: If you are planning on using a child theme with WooCommerce, be aware that there are some issues that can arise. In particular, if you are using a custom WooCommerce template in your child theme, it is possible that this template will be overwritten when WooCommerce is updated. If you need to use a custom WooCommerce template, it is recommended that you create a separate child theme for WooCommerce, rather than using the main child theme for your site.

The style.css file is used to define any custom CSS rules that you want to apply to your child theme, while the functions.

Activating a WooCommerce Child Theme

Once you have created your WooCommerce child theme, you can activate it from the WordPress administration panel under Appearance > Themes.

Conclusion

WooCommerce child themes are a great way to customize an existing WooCommerce-compatible WordPress parent theme without having to edit any of the original code.

Dale Leydon

Dale Leydon

Sysadmin turned Javascript developer. Owner of 20+ apps graveyard, and a couple of successful ones.