Customization

Child Themes

August 17, 2026 1 min read

Edit template files through a child theme. Editing Modern Magazine directly means losing your work the next time the theme updates.

Creating one

Create /wp-content/themes/modern-magazine-child/ containing a single style.css:

/*
Theme Name: Modern Magazine Child
Template: modern-magazine
Version: 1.0
*/

The Template: line must read exactly modern-magazine — that is what links the child to the parent.

Then add functions.php to load both stylesheets:

<?php
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', function () {
    wp_enqueue_style( 'modern-magazine-parent', get_template_directory_uri() . '/style.css' );
    wp_enqueue_style(
        'modern-magazine-child',
        get_stylesheet_uri(),
        array( 'modern-magazine-parent' ),
        wp_get_theme()->get( 'Version' )
    );
} );

Activate the child under Appearance → Themes. Customizer settings are stored per theme, so you will need to set them again after switching.

Overriding a template

Copy the file from the parent into the child, keeping the same path — for example front-page.php — and edit the copy. WordPress uses the child’s version.

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