Why Use a Child Theme?

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is editing the parent theme’s files directly. While this might seem convenient, the next update will overwrite all your changes. A child theme solves this problem. It acts like a safe layer where you can override styles, templates, and functions—without touching the parent.

With a child theme, you can:

• Preserve your customizations during updates
• Experiment with designs and layouts safely
• Add custom CSS, PHP, or even new template parts

In short, it’s the best practice for customizing WordPress themes.

Step 1: Create the Child Theme Folder

Navigate to /wp-content/themes/ and create a new folder. Name it after your parent theme with -child added. For example:

/wp-content/themes/twentytwentyfive-child/

Step 2: Add the Style.css File

Inside your new folder, create a style.css file. At the very top, add this:

/*
 Theme Name: Twenty Twenty-Five Child
 Template: twentytwentyfive
 Version: 1.0.0
 Description: Child theme for Twenty Twenty-Five
*/

👉 The Template must match the folder name of the parent theme, or WordPress won’t recognize it.

Step 3: Add Functions.php to Enqueue Styles

Next, create a functions.php file. This will load your parent theme’s CSS first, then your child theme’s CSS:

<?php
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', function () {
  $parent = 'twentytwentyfive-style';
  wp_enqueue_style($parent, get_template_directory_uri() . '/style.css');
  wp_enqueue_style('tw25-child-style', get_stylesheet_uri(), [$parent], '1.0.0');
});

This ensures that your child theme inherits the parent theme’s design while letting you override styles.

Step 4: (For Block Themes) Add theme.json

If you’re using a block theme, most customization is done through theme.json. Create a file named theme.json in your child theme folder:

{
  "$schema": "https://schemas.wp.org/trunk/theme.json",
  "version": 2,
  "settings": {
    "color": {
      "palette": [
        { "slug": "brand", "color": "#F05365", "name": "Brand" }
      ]
    }
  },
  "styles": {
    "typography": { "fontFamily": "Poppins" }
  }
}

Step 5: Activate the Child Theme

Log in to your WordPress dashboard → Appearance > Themes. You should now see your new child theme. Click Activate, and you’re ready to customize.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Wrong Template name: Double-check your parent theme folder name.
• Using @import: Never import parent CSS; enqueue it in functions.php.
• Copying too many files: Only override what you need.

Final Thoughts

A child theme gives you freedom and safety when customizing WordPress. Whether you’re tweaking a design, adding functionality, or experimenting with layouts, this method ensures your work won’t be lost during updates.

💡 Pro tip: If you’re making lots of customizations, consider using version control (Git) for your child theme. That way, you always have a history of your changes.