Title: Custom Theme – "Child Theme" ?? Last modified: August 22, 2016 --- # Custom Theme – "Child Theme" ?? * [2bswordpress](https://wordpress.org/support/users/2bswordpress/) * (@2bswordpress) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/) * Hi Everyone. I have a stable website running WP 3.8.1 & WooCommerce 2.0.20. I am unable to make use of many features & Plugins of the new upgrades. I have tried an upgrading on a Dev site of both Ver above only to find new problems with both CSS and functionality of site. In particular, the CSS on the WooCommerece template is messed up and Single product Labels go missing. So my question is: What must I do to the site to avoid problems when I need to Upgrade WP & WooCommerec? I really don’t know much about this Industry but am able to follow instuctions, I seem to remember reading something about a “Child Theme” but don’t know what this is? If anyone is able to shed any light on my problem I would be very grateful of time and shared interest, because I’m really not able to move forward on my own. Thanks to anyone who contributes * Cheers Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5872972) * So you are using a custom theme? Where did you get it? * Thread Starter [2bswordpress](https://wordpress.org/support/users/2bswordpress/) * (@2bswordpress) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5872980) * Hi WPyogi. * Yes it’s based on the Twenty Twelve theme, I had a guy who’s out of business now make it up for me. * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5872982) * Is the theme renamed – i.e. no longer called Twenty Twelve? * A link to your site would be helpful. * Thread Starter [2bswordpress](https://wordpress.org/support/users/2bswordpress/) * (@2bswordpress) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5873031) * Yes, theme is renamed to Co. name, and here’s the dev. [link ](http://dev.jemswimschool.com/) * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5873034) * Okay, definitely custom. You say you already ran into problems when you updated on a dev site? Did you update manually as per: * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Upgrading_WordPress_Extended#Upgrading_Across_Multiple_Versions](http://codex.wordpress.org/Upgrading_WordPress_Extended#Upgrading_Across_Multiple_Versions) * It’s pretty impossible for anyone here to help much with major problems on a customized theme – as there’s no way to know how the theme is coded or what else may be going on. * Sounds like mostly WooCommerce issues? Not sure they will support custom themes either but generally, support will be here: * [https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/woocommerce#postform](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/woocommerce#postform) * Thread Starter [2bswordpress](https://wordpress.org/support/users/2bswordpress/) * (@2bswordpress) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5873053) * Hi. Thanks for your input, I know WooCommerce don’t want to know or help. I did do the auto update, singurlarly ,WoCo first, the problems were obvious at this point. As an overview princible, is it possible to have this “Child Theme” so that you don’t encounter problems with any future upgrade, as a concept I can see how this would make sense and can this be done on a retro basis * Thanks * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5873057) * Child themes do avoid this kind of problem for the most part – but your theme is VERY customized – I don’t even see any sign of twentytwelve in there :)! * It’s also not that easy to move all changes to a child theme after the fact – it basically involves moving any modified files to the child theme (except functions. php – which is handled differently); finding any CSS changes and putting only the changes in the child theme style.css file. And most theme settings and options aren’t carried over to a child theme, so those need to be redone manually. * But in your case, a child theme isn’t really relevant – at least so far as I can tell. * I think you’ll need to either hire someone to help you with this or find a new theme (make a child theme first off!) and start working on moving to that theme. * Thread Starter [2bswordpress](https://wordpress.org/support/users/2bswordpress/) * (@2bswordpress) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5873063) * Thank you WPyogi. In your opinion having looked at the current site, do you think buying help to achieve the upgrade etc. would involve many hours of work?, costs I could expect, and would it solve future problems?. I’m motivated to do the upgrades because many of the newer plugins don’t work with the older Ver. and I want to dev the site further. * If i were to change the theme, can I just swithc back again to my custom theme and will be revert as it is now * Many Thanks * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5873065) * I really have no idea what would be involved in getting that theme working, but it would be an ongoing issue to keep it current/compatible. * Another major issue is that using an outdated version of WP is a significant security risk – so definitely a good thing to be getting this sorted out :)! * Yes, you can change themes and then switch back – things should revert to what you have. Still, always smart to back up your entire site and database before doing anything major! * But since you have a dev version, you could quite easily use that to work on a new theme/site without messing with the live one? * Thread Starter [2bswordpress](https://wordpress.org/support/users/2bswordpress/) * (@2bswordpress) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5873072) * OK, thanks again, you’ve posed a few questions for me now! I think maybe if I got it All upgraded and dev things further, I might get a few years more out of the site. Here’s a question, if for example i bought a ready made theme and activate that, will all the sites current functions still work, ie. WoCoom, emails, layout etc,?, if it didn’t work well can i simply revert back to the current Theme?? * [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * (@wpyogi) * [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5873113) * Again, really no way to predict how a new theme would work. Probably would not 100% work with your current site/plugins. But yeah, you can switch back – assuming your theme/site works with the updates (or that you have a non-updated site or back-up to revert to). Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total) The topic ‘Custom Theme – "Child Theme" ??’ is closed to new replies. * 11 replies * 2 participants * Last reply from: [WPyogi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpyogi/) * Last activity: [11 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/custom-theme-child-theme/#post-5873113) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics