Title: change Child theme version breaks css Last modified: December 27, 2020 --- # change Child theme version breaks css * [darondaron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/darondaron/) * (@darondaron) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/change-child-theme-version-breaks-css/) * Hi * A few weeks ago I created a child theme according to instructions here: [https://github.com/oceanwp/oceanwp-child-theme](https://github.com/oceanwp/oceanwp-child-theme) * I at that point also updated to OceanWP 2.0.0, and hence I also set the version of my Child Style.css to ver 2.0.0 In general it seems to work. * If I now just change the child Style.css version up to eg. 2.0.1 or down eg. 1.9.1 (in the childs Style.css file, the css on my site breaks somehow. The Nav bar (build with a Header,Footer&Blocks plugin in Elementor) is not even possible to click on, no reaction. Even other fonts are messed up on the site. * What can be the reason to this? Am I not supposed to have a Child version that differs anything from the Parent theme version ? * The page I need help with: _[[log in](https://login.wordpress.org/?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fwordpress.org%2Fsupport%2Ftopic%2Fchange-child-theme-version-breaks-css%2F%3Foutput_format%3Dmd&locale=en_US) to see the link]_ Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total) * [Abhishek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/abhikr781/) * (@abhikr781) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/change-child-theme-version-breaks-css/#post-13839107) * Hello, * Please don’t change the version of your child’s theme, that never changes. we always update the parent theme and never update the child theme. * [https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/wordpress-child-theme-pros-cons/](https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/wordpress-child-theme-pros-cons/) [https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/advanced-topics/child-themes/](https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/advanced-topics/child-themes/) * Thread Starter [darondaron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/darondaron/) * (@darondaron) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/change-child-theme-version-breaks-css/#post-13839145) * Thanks [@abhikr781](https://wordpress.org/support/users/abhikr781/) * Since I already changed child versions when I first created my child, from ver 1.0 to 1.9.0 and later to 2.0.0 , how can I restart this? * is deleting the childs function.php file, and deactivating and activating the child theme , and creating a new functions.php enough to “restart” this ? or what would be needed? then I will never touch child version after that. * Thanks! * [Abhishek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/abhikr781/) * (@abhikr781) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/change-child-theme-version-breaks-css/#post-13842770) * Hello, * Please download the child theme again by following the link. [https://docs.oceanwp.org/article/90-sample-child-theme](https://docs.oceanwp.org/article/90-sample-child-theme) * Copy the new CSS file from the downloaded child theme and replace it with your existing child theme CSS file. * After replacing the file, if you have any CUstom code in your old CSS file copy that into your new file and check. * PS- make sure to keep a backup before doing any changes or replacing the file. * Hope this helps. * Thread Starter [darondaron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/darondaron/) * (@darondaron) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/change-child-theme-version-breaks-css/#post-13845360) * [@abhikr781](https://wordpress.org/support/users/abhikr781/) * Hi * Tried as suggested, but just replacing current child style.css did not work. * As I said, when the version of the childs style.css differs from what I have now v2.0.0 (same as in the parent theme), a lot of strange css breakup happens. And the template child style.css has version 1.0, so that did not work. * This is Not due to having any CSS code in the childs style.css, it’s happening on many different things on the website, that does not have any dependent code in the childs style.css . I have tried removing all css code from the childs style.css, but same problem that if I change the version of it, strange things happen. So, putting a new child sample style.css in place gives the same error and problem as I have. My question is how I can reset this? want to come back to a working child theme, with no version problems. Please advice 🙂 * Thanks! Best regards darondaron - This reply was modified 5 years, 5 months ago by [darondaron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/darondaron/). * [Abhishek](https://wordpress.org/support/users/abhikr781/) * (@abhikr781) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/change-child-theme-version-breaks-css/#post-13855633) * Hello, * I can understand your issue, please share your child theme style.css file or copy the all content of your style file and paste it here to take a look. * Thread Starter [darondaron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/darondaron/) * (@darondaron) * [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/change-child-theme-version-breaks-css/#post-13856094) * The childs css style only had the default comment section in the top with theme, author, version, it still did not work, just of not using * I found the issue, but very difficult to understand. In my (sticky) Header for the whole website, I had not specified a Z-index, and the Header worked and was on top as long as the childs style.css was the same version as the parent version. When I changed version on childs style.css everything broke. Now added Z index to sticky Header, so that works, and can now change childs style.css version to whatever, or just leave it on v.1.0. * Try to figure that one out! beats me. But somehow the version number seem to control certain things. * I still don’t see Childs style.css changes in the WP Customizer, or in Elementor. So if I change e.g. text color on something, in Childs style.css, I can not see that color change in Customizer or Elementor, but works perfectly on the live webpage. Do you know what can cause this? or what to do? or perhaps it common.. * BR Daniel Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total) The topic ‘change Child theme version breaks css’ is closed to new replies. * ![](https://i0.wp.com/themes.svn.wordpress.org/oceanwp/4.1.6/screenshot.png) * OceanWP * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/theme/oceanwp/) * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/theme/oceanwp/active/) * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/theme/oceanwp/unresolved/) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/theme/oceanwp/reviews/) ## Tags * [child](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/child/) * [style.css](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/style-css/) * 6 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [darondaron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/darondaron/) * Last activity: [5 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/change-child-theme-version-breaks-css/#post-13856094) * Status: not resolved