What is a child theme?
A child theme is a theme that inherits functionality and styling from another theme (the parent theme). Child themes are the recommended way to modify an existing theme because:- Your customizations won’t be lost when the parent theme updates
- All customizations are kept in one location
- You can easily disable customizations by switching themes
- It follows WordPress best practices
Why use the BB Theme child theme?
The Beaver Builder child theme is blank by design. Unlike some themes where there are various flashy child themes built on top of a framework theme, the Beaver Builder child theme that’s available for download is intentionally minimal. Why blank? So that any code customizations you make (CSS, PHP, JavaScript) don’t get overwritten by updated versions of the parent theme.Download and install
Download the child theme
Download the Beaver Builder child theme zip file from the My Account page.Install the child theme
Upload child theme
Go to Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload Theme and upload the child theme zip file.
The child theme requires the parent theme to be installed, but you should activate the child theme, not the parent.
Move existing customizations
If you’ve already made customizations in the parent theme:Child theme structure
The BB Theme child theme includes these files:functions.php
This file is where you add custom PHP code:style.css
This file contains your custom CSS and theme information:Adding customizations
Add custom CSS
Add CSS to your child theme’sstyle.css file:
Add custom PHP
Add functions to your child theme’sfunctions.php:
Override template files
You can override any parent theme template:
Example: Override header.php
- Copy
/wp-content/themes/bb-theme/header.php - To
/wp-content/themes/bb-theme-child/header.php - Edit the child theme version
Enqueue custom scripts
Add custom JavaScript by enqueuing it infunctions.php:
/bb-theme-child/js/custom.js with your JavaScript code.
White labeling your child theme
You can customize the child theme’s branding for client projects.Replace theme thumbnail
Customize theme details
Edit the header ofstyle.css:
Rename child theme directory
You can rename the child theme folder:Rename directory
Rename
/wp-content/themes/bb-theme-child/ to your custom name (e.g., /wp-content/themes/client-theme/).Customize footer credits
By default, the footer says “Powered by Beaver Builder.” You can customize or remove this: Option 1: Use Customizer Go to Customize > Footer > Footer Layout and add custom text to Column 1 or Column 2. Option 2: Add custom code Add tofunctions.php:
Best practices
Keep it organized
- Add comments to explain your customizations
- Group related CSS rules together
- Use consistent naming conventions
- Create separate files for major features
Use child theme for
- Custom CSS
- Custom PHP functions
- Template overrides
- Custom scripts and styles
- Theme configuration
Don’t use child theme for
- Customizer settings (use Export/Import)
- Content (use WordPress admin)
- Plugin-specific code (create a plugin)
- Site-specific data
Performance tips
- Minimize CSS and JavaScript
- Only load scripts when needed
- Optimize images (screenshot.png)
- Remove unused code
Version control
- Use Git for child theme development
- Commit changes regularly
- Tag releases
- Document changes
Troubleshooting
Child theme not appearing
- Ensure parent theme (bb-theme) is installed
- Check that
Template: bb-themeline is correct instyle.css - Verify child theme is in
/wp-content/themes/directory
Styles not applying
- Check that
style.cssis properly enqueued infunctions.php - Clear browser cache and WordPress cache
- Verify CSS syntax is correct
- Check that selectors are specific enough
PHP errors
- Check for syntax errors in
functions.php - Ensure opening
<?phptag is present - Verify function names don’t conflict
- Enable WordPress debug mode to see errors
Templates not overriding
- Ensure file path matches parent theme exactly
- Check file permissions
- Clear template cache
- Verify parent template file name
Example customizations
Add custom logo above menu
Add custom widget area
Modify mobile breakpoint
Resources
Documentation
Tools
Related articles
Hooks & filters
Complete reference for theme actions and filters
Install BB Theme
How to install parent and child themes
Export/Import settings
Transfer Customizer settings between themes
Developer resources
All developer documentation and resources