11 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
11 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Best way to edit Wordpress themes

by Jenna Paulson
8 replies
Hi,

I finally selected a free wordpress theme i would like to use. But how do i visually edit it? I only know html and not php.

Any advice will be most welcome.

Jenna
#edit #themes #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author JayMartins
    Hi Jenna,

    In my opinion the only way is to dive and experiment. Get the theme running on a test blog and then go into the online 'Theme Editor', back up all the files and just have a play - make changes, save, see what they did and go from there. It's how I learnt and I don't know PHP either.
    Signature
    Case Study: Offline marketing brings in $6116 every month
    Successful Membership Website / Offline Money / Custom Wordpress / Squeeze Pages
    I charge very cheap rates by PayPal if you need any of the above. Just PM me and we can talk.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[437456].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Allurre
    Experimentation.. that's all there is to it. I'll take some time, but be patience. I had to go through the same thing. It's better to learn yourself as it'll pay off in the long run!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[437487].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Vincent Sparreboom
    Make a back-up of your files that you edit, this way you can easily undo your mistakes and just do it, that's it.
    Signature
    Follow me @ http://www.twitter.com/promedia
    "Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe, a form of madness. It is often a kind of innocent pride, and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd." :Edith Sitwell
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[437524].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author TelZilla
    Almost all of the changes you'll most likely want to make are CSS changes. You can change the entire look and feel just by playing with CSS. I learned everything I know about WordPress just by experimenting. If you need help with CSS, w3schools is a site that I've used many times for a reference.
    Signature
    Don't get so wrapped up in making money that you forget the important things in life.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[437543].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author George Katsoudas
    Jenna, you may also want to find a webmaster/programmer/PHP+CSS dude and tell them what you want your website to look like.

    I did this for a blog and it took them a little over an hour - came out perfect the first time. For $10 it may be worth it to delegate this task.

    Or, you can learn how to do it yourself of course.

    George
    Signature
    10X Your WordPress Site's Traffic and Profits
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[437654].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author capriliz
      First, know exactly what you want to change in your template. Start with small edits. As you get more comfortable, then move on the more involved editing.

      Take the advice already given: backup, backup, backup.

      One time I made a change that actually prevented me from getting back into the editing process! Luckily, I knew how to FTP that original file back to my site. Then I was OK. That sure got the adrenline flowing!

      Once you know what you want to edit, do google searches. If you don't find it the first time, reword your search and try again. You will soon find your favorite sites that you will continue to reference when you want to change something on your blog.

      Carmen
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[437694].message }}

Trending Topics