Three Paths to Developing a WordPress Theme
WordPress themes can be developed in three different ways. The first path is coding a theme from scratch with HTML, PHP, and CSS. This provides complete control over the theme and helps improve coding skills, but it requires more technical knowledge and development time (Król, 2019).
The second path is using a starter theme or framework. The basic structure is already coded, allowing the developer to focus on adding a custom design and additional features. This saves time, but the selected framework should be reliable, compatible with WordPress, and updated regularly (Król, 2019).
The third path is customizing an existing theme by using CSS, additional code, or a child theme. This is easier for someone with limited coding experience. A child theme is important because it protects the customizations when the original theme receives an update (Król, 2019).
For a fully functional custom theme, I would customize an existing theme. This path would be easier and less time-consuming while still providing enough flexibility to create a personalized design.
Common Files in a WordPress Theme
A WordPress theme commonly includes files that control its structure, appearance, and functionality (Król, 2019).
Six Common WordPress Theme Files
- style.css: Registers the theme with WordPress and controls its colors, fonts, spacing, and layout.
- index.php: Serves as the main theme template and the fallback when a more specific template is unavailable.
- functions.php: Adds theme features such as navigation menus, featured images, stylesheets, and scripts.
- header.php: Contains the site title, logo, navigation menu, and opening HTML structure.
- footer.php: Contains copyright information, footer links, and the closing HTML structure.
- sidebar.php: Displays widgets and sidebar content, such as Search, Categories, and Recent Posts.
References
Król, K. (2019). WordPress 5 complete: Build beautiful and feature-rich websites from scratch (7th ed.). Packt Publishing.
Total Docs. (2025, November 19). Installing your theme. https://totalwptheme.com/docs/install-total-theme/
Weston, I. (2021, February 23). The WordPress template hierarchy explained. EasyWP. https://www.easywp.com/blog/wordpress-template-hierarchy-explained/