Title: Editing Custom theme
Last modified: May 25, 2020

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# Editing Custom theme

 *  [leclep](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leclep/)
 * (@leclep)
 * [6 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/editing-custom-theme/)
 * Hello. I recently edited the content of our website but I want to edit the look
   as well. The website was built using a custom theme but for some reason any changes
   I make to the CSS files in the theme editor do not affect the formatting in the
   actual site. Is it possible that the original theme developer locked the files
   in some way to prevent any edits? How would I be able to confirm that this is
   the problem? If that isn’t the explanation I’d appreciate it if some kindly soul
   could point me in the right direction so I can make changes. Simple things like
   font size and colour is all I’m trying to do.
 * Thanks in advance.
    -  This topic was modified 6 years ago by [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/).
      Reason: Moved to Fixing WordPress, this is not an Developing with WordPress
      topic

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  [Joy](https://wordpress.org/support/users/joyously/)
 * (@joyously)
 * [6 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/editing-custom-theme/#post-12888991)
 * The theme could be loading minified versions of the CSS files. So changing the
   normal file will have no effect. Also, depending on if you are using a caching
   plugin, or if you changed the version number of the CSS file (and if the theme
   author used the version number when loading the file), the browser would just
   give you the same file again because it doesn’t know it changed.
 * Look in the code for `wp_enqueue`. This will show you if a minified file name
   is loaded, and if a version number is used. You’ll have to figure out the external
   caching yourself.
 *  [George Appiah](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gappiah/)
 * (@gappiah)
 * [6 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/editing-custom-theme/#post-12889206)
 * > Is it possible that the original theme developer locked the files in some way
   > to prevent any edits?
 * The likelihood that this is the case? 0.01%
 * The likelihood that you’re doing something wrong or having a stale cache problem?
   99.99% 😀
 * > If that isn’t the explanation I’d appreciate it if some kindly soul could point
   > me in the right direction so I can make changes.
 * First, while I’m not saying this is the reason why your edits aren’t reflecting
   on your website, as a best practice, I’ll suggest you don’t edit your theme’s
   CSS directly… as you’ll lose all your edits if you ever update the theme.
 * Instead, add any custom CSS code into the ADDITIONAL CSS section of CUSTOMIZER(
   APPEARANCE => CUSTOMIZE => ADDITIONAL CSS). As a bonus, the CSS code placed here
   gets output towards the very end of the HEAD search of the HTML document, giving
   it higher priority over any other CSS in your theme.
 * So add your custom CSS as I’ve advised above and let us know how it goes. If 
   it still doesn’t work, kindly provided a link to your website so we can check
   the code and give you feedback.
 * Good luck, and stay blessed!
 * **EDIT:** Oops, didn’t realize someone else was answering. I’ll leave my response
   here though, just in case someone finds it useful.
    -  This reply was modified 6 years ago by [George Appiah](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gappiah/).

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

The topic ‘Editing Custom theme’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [css](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/css/)
 * [custom theme](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/custom-theme/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 2 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [George Appiah](https://wordpress.org/support/users/gappiah/)
 * Last activity: [6 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/editing-custom-theme/#post-12889206)
 * Status: not resolved

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