FAQs About Child Theme Configurator

We’ve compiled the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) for easy reference. If you have a question that is not covered here please use our contact form and provide as much detail as possible.

How do I make my Theme responsive?

The short answer is to use a responsive Parent Theme. Some common methods for responsive design are:

  • Avoiding fixed width and height values. Using max- and min-height values and percentages are ways to make your designs respond to the viewer’s browser size.
  • Combining floats and clears with inline and relative positions allow the elements to adjust gracefully to their container’s width.
  • Showing and hiding content with Javascript.
Tutorial Videos

How to Customize WordPress with Child Theme Configurator and other FAQsWe’ve put together a video tutorial that shows how to use Child Theme Configurator to make a fixed-width theme responsive. View Video

Will this slow down my site?

Web site performance depends on a number of factors unrelated to the use of a single plugin. That said, Child theme Configurator is designed to add the minimum amount of additional overhead possible and can actually improve performance. For example:

  1. Child Theme Configurator is a “code generator.” This means it creates or updates files that are already being read by the system. On the front-end, there are no database calls so WordPress can run independent of the plugin. In fact, you can remove Child Theme Configurator when you are finished setting up your theme.
  2. Customizations are applied to a stylesheet file that is cached by the browser and can be minimized and/or cached by a performance caching plugin. Because this stylesheet contains mostly “overrides” to existing styles, it is typically small in comparison to other stylesheets.
  3. The code that drives the admin interface only loads when the tool is being used from the WordPress Admin, including Javascript and CSS. This means that it will not get in the way of other admin pages.
  4. The biggest performance hit occurs when you generate the Child Theme files from the Parent/Child tab, but this is a one-time event and only occurs from the WordPress Admin.

FAQs

If I uninstall Child Theme Configurator are child themes affected?

No. Child Theme Configurator is designed to work independently of themes and plugins. Just remember that if you re-install, you must rebuild the configuration data using the Parent/Child tab.
FAQs

Does it work with Multisite?

Yes. You can either go to “Network Admin > Themes > Child Themes” or “Tools > Child Themes” if working in a specific Site. Child themes must be “Network enabled” to preview and activate for Network sites. NOTE: Only users with “install_themes” capability will have access to the Child Theme Configurator. See Working with Multi-site WordPress.
FAQs

HELP! I changed a file and now I am unable to access my website or login to wp-admin to fix it!

To back out of a broken theme you have to manually rename the offending theme directory name (via FTP, SSH or your web host control panel file manager) so that WordPress cannot find it. WordPress will then throw an error and revert back to the default theme (for WP 4.1 this is “Twenty Fifteen”).

The child theme is in your themes folder, usually

[path/to/wordpress]/wp-content/themes/[child-theme]

To prevent this in the future, always test your child themes with Live Preview before activating them.FAQs

…or…

Why is my custom header missing when I activate the new child theme?

…or…

Why does my custom background go back to the default when I activate the new child theme?

…or…

Why do my theme options disappear when I activate the new child theme?

These options are specific to each theme and are saved separately in the database. When you create a new child theme, its options are blank.

Many of these options can be copied over to the child theme by checking “Copy Parent Theme Menus, Widgets and other Options” when you generate the child theme files on the Parent/Child tab.

If you want to set different options you can either apply them after you activate the child theme, or by using the “Live Preview” under Appearance > Themes.

  • Menus: Go to Appearance > Menus and click the “Locations” tab. By default, the primary menu will generate the links automatically from the existing pages. Select your customized Menu from the dropdown and click “Use New Menu.” This will replace the default menu and you will see the correct links.
  • Header: Go to Appearance > Header. Some themes will show the “Title” and “Tagline” from your “General Settings” by default. Click “Choose Image” and find the header from the Media Library or upload a new image. This will replace default with your custom image.
  • Background: Go to Appearance > Background and choose a new background color or image.
  • Options: Every theme handles options in its own way. Most often, they will create a set of options and store them in the WordPress database. Some options are specific to the active theme (or child theme), and some are specific to the parent theme only (meaning the child theme CANNOT override them). You will have to find out from the theme author which are which.

FAQs

How do I move changes I have already made to a Child Theme?

Things get a lot more complicated when you have already made significant changes to your Parent theme. You will need to move all your modifications into a child theme so that updating the parent does not wipe them out. Follow these steps. FAQs

How do I add Web Fonts?

The easiest method is to paste the @import code provided by Google, Font Squirrel or any other Web Font site into the @import tab. The fonts will then be available to use as a value of the font-family rule. Be sure you understand the license for any embedded fonts.

You can also create a secondary stylesheet that contains @font-face rules and import it using the @import tab. FAQs

Does it work with plugins?

Child Theme Configurator Pro extends Child Theme Configurator to let you easily modify styles for any WordPress Plugin installed on your website. Child Theme Configurator Pro scans your plugins and allows you to create custom stylesheets in your Child Theme. Learn more FAQs

Why doesn’t this work with my (insert theme vendor here) theme?

Some themes (particularly commercial themes) do not correctly load parent template files or automatically load child theme stylesheets or php files.

This is unfortunate, because in the best case they effectively prohibit the webmaster from adding any customizations (other than those made through the admin theme options) that will survive past an upgrade. In the worst case they will break your website when you activate the child theme.

Contact the vendor directly to ask for this core functionality. It is our opinion that ALL themes (especially commercial ones) must pass the Theme Unit Tests outlined by WordPress.org. FAQs

Where is it in the Admin?

For most users the Child Theme Configurator can be found under “Tools > Child Themes.”

WordPress Multisite (Network) users can also go to “Network Admin > Themes > Child Themes.” See Working with Multi-site WordPress.

NOTE: Only users with “install_themes” capability will have access to the Child Theme Configurator.
FAQs

Why doesn’t the Parent Theme have any styles when I “View Parent CSS”?

Your Parent theme is probably using a separate location for the stylesheets. Select individual stylesheets from the “Parse Additional Stylesheets” section of the Parent/Child tab and click “Generate Child Theme Files” again. FAQs

Where are the styles? The configurator doesn’t show anything!

All of the styles are loaded dynamically. You must start typing in the text boxes to select styles to edit.

“Base” is the query group that contains styles that are not associated with any particular “At-rule.”

Start by clicking the “Query/Selector” tab and typing “base” in the first box. You can then start typing in the second box to retrieve the style selectors to edit. FAQs

Why do the preview tabs return “Stylesheet could not be displayed”?

You have to load a child theme from the Parent/Child tab for the preview to display. This can also happen when your WP_CONTENT_URL is different than $bloginfo(‘site_url’). Ajax cannot make cross-domain requests by default. Check that your Settings > General > “WordPress Address (URL)” value is correct. (Often caused by missing “www” in the domain.) FAQs

Can I edit the Child Theme stylesheet manually offline or by using the Editor or do I have to use the Configurator?

You can make any manual changes you wish to the stylesheet. Just make sure you import the revised stylesheet using the Parent/Child panel or the Configurator will overwrite your changes the next time you use it. Just follow the steps as usual but select the “Use Existing Child Theme” radio button as the “Child Theme” option. The Configurator will automatically update its internal data from the new stylesheet. FAQs

If the parent theme changes (e.g., upgrade), do I have to update the child theme?

No. This is the point of using child themes. Changes to the parent theme are automatically inherited by the child theme.

A child theme is not a “copy” of the parent theme. It is a special feature of WordPress that let’s you override specific styles and functions leaving the rest of the theme intact. The only time you need to make changes after an upgrade is if the parent removes or changes style or function names. Quality themes should identify any deprecated functions or styles in the upgrade notes so that child theme users can make adjustments accordingly. FAQs

Where are the .php files?

The configurator automatically adds a blank functions file (functions.php) to the child theme directory. You can copy parent theme template files using the Files tab. If you want to create new templates and directories you will have to create/upload them manually via FTP or SSH. Remember that a child theme will automatically inherit the parent theme’s templates unless they also exist in the child theme directory. Only copy templates that you intend to customize.FAQs

How do I change a specific color/font style/background?

You can override a specific value globally using the Rule/Value tab. See Rule/Value, above.

How do I add styles that aren’t in the Parent Theme?

You can add queries and selectors using the “Raw CSS” textarea on the Query/Selector tab. See Query/Selector, above. FAQs

How do I remove a style from the Parent Theme?

You shouldn’t really “remove” a style from the Parent. You can, however, set the rule to “inherit,” “none,” or zero (depending on the rule). This will negate the Parent value. Some experimentation may be necessary. FAQs

How do I remove a style from the Child Theme?

Delete the value from the input for the rule you wish to remove. The Child Theme Configurator only adds overrides for rules that contain values. FAQs

How do I set the !important flag?

We always recommend relying on good cascading design over global overrides. To that end, you have ability to change the load order of child theme styles by entering a value in the “Order” field. And yes, you can now set rules as important by checking the “!” box next to each input. Please use judiciously. FAQs

How do I create cross-browser gradients?

The Child Theme Configurator uses a standardized syntax for gradients and only supports two-color gradients without intermediate stops. The inputs consist of origin (e.g., top, left, 135deg, etc.), start color and end color. The browser-specific syntax is generated automatically when you save these values. See Caveats, below, for more information. FAQs

How do I recommend a question for these FAQs?

If you have a question that is not covered here please use our contact form and provide as much detail as possible.