This article will guide you through becoming a WordPress Theme Developer and what to learn to get started. It explores an alternative for those using website builders like Elementor and dives into what it takes to write your own themes.
Comparison of Advantages and Disadvantages: Custom Theme Development vs. Pre-made Theme Purchase
| Aspect | Custom Theme Development | Pre-made Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Customization | Full control over design and functionality | Limited to the features provided by the theme |
| Uniqueness | Unique design tailored to specific needs Potentially used by many others, less unique Cost | Potentially used by many others, less unique |
| Cost | Higher initial cost due to development time Lower upfront cost, ready to use | Lower upfront cost, ready to use |
| Time | Longer development time | Instant availability, ready to install |
| Learning Opportunity | Enhances coding skills and understanding of WordPress | Minimal learning required, easier for beginners |
| Support and Updates | Dependent on individual developer or team | Often comes with regular updates and support |
| Performance Optimization | Can be highly optimized for specific needs | May contain unnecessary features affecting performance |
| Scalability | Can be built to scale according to future needs | Limited to the theme's built-in scalability options |
There is no right or wrong way to choose; you can go with whatever you are comfortable with. However, if you can create your own themes, it will give you the opportunity to get to know WordPress better, learn more, and create your unique selling points and enhance your skills.
Table of content
Step 1: Understand the Basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
For those who want to become WordPress Theme Developers, having a foundational understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (JS) is crucial. These three technologies form the basis of website and theme development in WordPress.
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is a markup language used to create the structure and content of web pages. Every element of a WordPress theme, whether it’s the header, content, footer, or even the navigation menu, is built with HTML. Understanding HTML structure will help you manage and modify the theme's structure effectively.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is used to handle the styling and design of web pages, such as colors, fonts, alignment, and layouts. Understanding CSS will enable you to customize the appearance of the theme to meet your needs or the needs of your users. It also helps in making the theme visually appealing and functional across all devices (responsive design).
JavaScript (JS) is a scripting language used to add functionality and interactivity to web pages. Understanding JavaScript will allow you to enhance the functionality of the theme, such as creating animations, form validation, and real-time data fetching. Using JavaScript in conjunction with WordPress APIs can create more efficient and complex features.
Learning the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript will give you a deeper understanding of web structure and functionality. This is a great preparation for starting to develop WordPress themes.
Step 2: Understand WordPress
Understanding the basics of WordPress is crucial for becoming a WordPress Theme Developer. Knowing and understanding the different components of WordPress will help you create and customize themes effectively. Let's take a look at the fundamental components of WordPress and how they work.
Starting with Pages, these are static pages for content that doesn't change often, such as the About Us page, Contact page, or Terms of Service page. These pages can be arranged hierarchically. Coupled with the knowledge of Post Types, which WordPress already has by default like Posts and Pages, you can also create custom post types to manage various kinds of content in an organized manner.
Additionally, Plugins are a key component that extends the capabilities and functionalities of WordPress. Theme developers need to understand how plugins work to support their use and expand the capabilities of the themes they develop. Finally, the various WordPress Settings that can be customized, from general settings, reading, writing, discussion, etc., are crucial. Understanding these will help developers tailor themes to the specific needs of a website.
Additionally, Plugins are a key component that extends the capabilities and functionalities of WordPress. Theme developers need to understand how plugins work to support their use and expand the capabilities of the themes they develop. Finally, the various WordPress Settings that can be customized, from general settings, reading, writing, discussion, etc., are crucial. Understanding these will help developers tailor themes to the specific needs of a website. There is a lot more to learn in getting to know WordPress. You can further explore this knowledge through this link.
Step 3 - Learn Theme Structure
To become a proficient WordPress Theme Developer, it's essential to have a thorough understanding of Theme Anatomy and Theme Hierarchy. Knowing and understanding the internal structure of themes and the Template Hierarchy will significantly aid in managing and customizing themes effectively.
Theme Anatomy consists of core files and folders such as index.php, style.css, functions.php, header.php, footer.phpand others. Understanding these files and folders will help you manage and customize themes systematically. Additionally, Template Tags allow you to easily display various data within the theme, such as the post title, publication date, or author name. The functions.php `functions.php` file, in particular, is used to add custom functions and special features to your theme, such as support for post formats, navigation menus, and widgets.
Understanding the Template Hierarchy system helps determine which template file to use for displaying different pages on the website, such as the homepage, single post, page, archive, and search results. The ability to create custom templates enables you to design web pages with unique features, such as creating a custom landing page or a portfolio page with specific designs and functionalities. By understanding the Theme Hierarchy, you can easily customize and extend the capabilities of your theme. For instance, if you want to change the display of a single post or an archive page, you can create specific template files and define their behavior as needed.
Knowledge of Theme Anatomy and Theme Hierarchy also helps in troubleshooting theme-related issues. If there’s a problem with the display of a particular page, you'll know which template file to check and how to fix it. Learning about Theme Anatomy and Theme Hierarchy will enable you to create robust themes that meet user needs effectively and allow you to customize and extend your theme's functionality as required.
For a detailed guide, you can explore the Theme Handbook Theme Handbook from the official WordPress site
Step 4: Explore Advanced Theme Development
Learning advanced skills in WordPress theme development is essential for those aspiring to become proficient WordPress Theme Developers. One crucial skill is creating Custom Post Types and Taxonomies, which allows you to manage and display content with specific structures efficiently. Custom Post Types enable you to categorize content like Portfolio, Testimonials, or Events, making content management and display more flexible and easier to control. Custom Taxonomies, such as Categories and Tags, allow you to group and filter content according to your needs, which is important for building complex and efficient websites.
Using the Customizer API is another skill worth learning. The Customizer API allows users to customize themes in real-time through an easy-to-use interface. You can add various customization options like changing colors, uploading logos, or setting layouts, making your theme more flexible and responsive to user needs. The ability for users to see changes instantly improves their experience and reduces confusion.
Another important skill is enqueuing scripts and styles. This practice helps you control the loading of JavaScript and CSS files efficiently, not only speeding up the website but also preventing conflicts that may arise from loading multiple files simultaneously. Using WordPress functions like wp_enqueue_script() and wp_enqueue_style() allows you to specify when and how these files should be loaded, ensuring that your theme's scripts and styles are organized and effective.
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Step 5: Security and Performance Optimization
Learning how to use security best practices and optimize performance is also essential to make your theme more complete.
In terms of security, following security best practices is necessary to prevent hacker attacks and data breaches. Understanding the basic principles of security, such as input validation, protecting against Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and SQL Injection attacks, as well as using nonces and encryption, will help keep your theme secure from attacks and security violations. Good security practices not only protect your data and users but also build trust in your theme and website.
In terms of performance optimization, making the website load quickly and respond well is crucial for creating a good user experience. Using various optimization techniques such as minifying CSS and JavaScript files, caching, lazy loading images, and using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) will help improve page load performance. A fast-loading website not only enhances user experience but also positively impacts search engine ranking (SEO)
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Step 6 - Tools and Workflow
Git is a crucial version control tool in website and software development. Using Git allows you to track code changes, revert to previous versions, and collaborate efficiently with a development team. Git features like branching and merging enable you to work on new features or bug fixes without disrupting the main code. Once the feature or fix is complete, you can easily merge the changes back into the main code. Using Git helps prevent code loss and makes the development process more organized and secure.
Local Development Environments such as XAMPP, MAMP, Local by Flywheel, and Studio are tools that allow you to develop and test WordPress themes on your computer without connecting to a live server. Using a local development environment reduces upload times and makes testing and debugging faster. Additionally, it allows you to work without an internet connection. These tools help you set up and simulate a server environment similar to a live server, making theme development more accurate and efficient.
There are many foundation themes available in the market that allow you to avoid starting theme development from scratch. When downloaded, these themes provide default template files. You can choose based on your preference, such as underscores, underscoretw, sage, or seed webs. Using a foundation theme saves time and increases the efficiency of your WordPress theme development since it already has a good and standard foundation. You can focus on customization and adding special functions as needed for your project.
- Underscores ( _s ) One of the most popular Foundation Themes, developed by Automattic, the company behind WordPress itself, is Underscores. It features clean and standardized code, making it an excellent starting point for developing new themes. You'll get an efficient foundational structure and essential functions necessary for a WordPress theme.
- Underscoretw is a customization of Underscores, incorporating additional features with Tailwind CSS. This enhances theme development speed and organizes CSS systematically. For example, you can install Browser Sync, which automatically refreshes the page when code is edited. Once development is complete, you can build the theme files into a zip, ready for use.
- Sage is another popular Foundation Theme in the developer community. It utilizes modern technologies such as Gulp, Bower, and Blade templates, providing flexibility and ease of management in theme development. Sage is suitable for experienced developers familiar with these tools who seek a robust and contemporary structure.
- Seed is designed to be user-friendly for both novice and professional developers. It includes a pre-styled CSS framework and fine-tuned UI/UX components tailored for Thai users. This makes it ideal for those who want to start developing themes without spending time on basic infrastructure. It can be adapted for use in blogs, organizations, and online stores.
Step 7: Publish Your Theme
Submitting a theme to WordPress.org is a process that requires thorough review. The WordPress.org review team will examine your theme on several aspects such as security, adherence to coding standards, compatibility with various plugins and WordPress versions, and proper use of WordPress functions. This review process aims to ensure that your theme is free from security vulnerabilities, unwanted code, and operates efficiently. Passing this review process will earn your theme trust and acceptance from users worldwide.
Apart from WordPress.org, you can also choose to sell your theme in other marketplaces such as ThemeForest, TemplateMonster, or Creative Market. These marketplaces have their own set of requirements and standards for accepting themes. Generally, themes submitted for sale must have good design, flawless functionality, and excellent technical support. Preparing and understanding the requirements and standards of each marketplace will increase your chances of getting approved. Additionally, receiving feedback from users will help you continuously improve and enhance your theme.
Step 8 - Step 8: Stay Updated and Engage with the Community
Tracking WordPress updates helps you align your theme development with the platform’s progress. WordPress updates often come with new features, security improvements, and bug fixes. Being aware of these changes enables you to update your theme to be compatible with the latest WordPress versions, ensuring it functions correctly and securely. Ignoring updates can render your theme outdated, leading to compatibility issues that might affect users.
Participating in WordPress Meetups and exchanging knowledge with other developers is an excellent way to enhance your skills and build a network in the industry. Joining the WordPress community provides opportunities to meet developers, designers, and other WordPress users. Sharing experiences and knowledge can introduce you to new information and techniques useful in theme development. Additionally, attending events like WordPress Meetups, WordCamps, and engaging in online groups such as forums and social media helps build relationships and collaborations with other developers, potentially leading to business opportunities and improved development.
Keeping up with new developments and participating in the community also positions you at the forefront of WordPress development, allowing you to quickly respond to new demands and trends. Staying informed and having a broad network helps you develop high-quality themes that meet user needs and efficiently address issues and feedback from users.
We organize the WordPress Bangkok Meetup every month. When you become a member, you will receive an email notification every time a meetup is scheduled. An example of a past meetup is "13 Tips for Managing WordPress Projects at WP Bangkok Meetup" which was held in May 2024.
In addition to the 8 topics in the article about WordPress theme development, there are other features that can further enhance your theme's capabilities. These include using REST API to create headless themes, managing databases for SQL command usage, testing and debugging themes to fix errors, and creating themes compatible with WooCommerce to enhance online store creation. Developing these skills will enable you to build high-quality themes that support a wide range of uses.
