A theme versus a WordPress template – the key differences
If you’ve ever had to deal with creating a website using WordPress, you’ve certainly come across the terms “theme” and “template.” Often used interchangeably, these two terms are actually quite different from each other and have their own meanings and functions. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what exactly a WordPress theme is and what a template is, and the main differences between the two.
What is a WordPress theme and template?
A WordPress theme is a collection of files that gives a website its appearance and functionality. It is a kind of framework that defines the layout, colors, fonts and other visual elements of the site. The theme also includes a variety of features that allow you to customize your site, such as navigation menus, widgets and page templates. It is a key component of any site based on the WordPress platform, as it determines both its aesthetics and functionality. There are a variety of themes available to WordPress users, both free and paid, giving you a wide choice of options for personalizing and customizing your site to suit your individual preferences and needs. In a previous article, we outlined the most important criteria for choosing a theme for WordPress, and we encourage you to read it. You can change the theme from the settings available in the side menu of the WordPress cockpit:
A WordPress template, on the other hand, is the skeleton of a sub-site, which includes appearance and functionality. It includes basic HTML and CSS structures. Templates define how content is displayed on the subpage using them. Template selection can be made directly when editing a subpage:
Appearance and personalization
The main difference between a theme and a WordPress template is their degree of personalization and flexibility. WordPress themes apply to the entire site, i.e. entries, categories and subpages. They offer much more customization of the site’s appearance and functionality than templates. With them, you can easily change colors, layouts, add new sections or graphical elements, allowing you to create a unique and professional website. WordPress templates, on the other hand, are theme elements that have a predetermined design and content layout(sectioning and width). Because of this, templates tend to be less flexible and have limited customization options. They can be useful for simple sites where there is no need for big changes in design or functionality.
How are WordPress themes and templates created?
WordPress themes are often created by developers or development teams and made available on theme platforms and platforms for selling themes. You can choose from thousands of available themes, both free and paid, which gives you a wide range of choices and the opportunity to find a theme perfectly suited to your needs. Here it’s worth noting that a good portion of commercially available themes come with ready-made sub-page templates.
