{"id":946,"date":"2022-09-12T18:33:05","date_gmt":"2022-09-12T18:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glossary.dream.press\/glossary\/%group%\/parent-theme\/"},"modified":"2026-08-09T15:15:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T15:15:08","slug":"parent-theme","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/glossary.dream.press\/glossary\/wordpress\/parent-theme\/","title":{"rendered":"Parent Theme"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In WordPress<\/a>, every theme<\/a> that isn\u2019t a child theme<\/a> is technically a parent theme. A parent theme is a complete theme: it contains every file WordPress requires, and it installs, activates, and runs on its own. It becomes a \u201cparent\u201d only when another theme declares it as its template, and nothing in its own code has to change for that to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The split exists for update safety. Edit a theme\u2019s files directly and the next update overwrites your work, but skipping updates isn\u2019t an option either: outdated themes can lead to WordPress vulnerabilities. A child theme keeps your changes in its own files, so a parent update never overwrites them. It can still break them in a subtler way, which we cover below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a parent theme supplies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A parent theme supplies the templates, the stylesheet, and the functions; in block themes, it also supplies the theme.json defaults. A child theme inherits all of it by default and overrides only the files it replaces. How each file loads is covered on our child theme<\/a> page, so we won\u2019t repeat the mechanics here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A child theme is the safest way to customize a parent theme\u2019s code, but you don\u2019t always need one. If the change fits in the Site Editor<\/a> (for block themes) or the Customizer\u2019s Additional CSS box, WordPress stores it in the database rather than in theme files, so it survives theme updates on its own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example: a child of Twenty Twenty-Four<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The WordPress Theme Handbook\u2019s walkthrough<\/a> makes a child of Twenty Twenty-Four, a default theme bundled with WordPress. One line in the child\u2019s style.css header creates the relationship: Template: twentytwentyfour<\/code>. The value must match the parent\u2019s folder name in wp-content\/themes exactly, or WordPress can\u2019t find the parent. Activate the child and the site works and looks just like its parent until you start overriding files. For the exact code, follow our guide, How to Create a WordPress Child Theme<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing a parent theme<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The parent can be any complete, installable theme. A child theme can\u2019t serve as a parent, though: WordPress supports only two levels, parent and child. Beyond that rule, choose carefully, because you\u2019re adopting the parent\u2019s code quality and its update schedule. A good parent theme is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n