WordPress Unboxed: A Practical Guide for Custom Sites
WordPress is a widely-used, user-friendly platform that allows you to build and manage websites with minimal coding. While many use pre-built themes, you can create a custom theme to gain full control over design and functionality.
What Is a WordPress Theme?
A theme is a collection of code and design files (HTML, PHP, CSS, etc.) that control a site’s layout and style. Content stays dynamic, while the theme defines presentation.
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Common structure includes:
- index.php, home.php, page.php — Main page templates
- style.css — Main stylesheet
- functions.php — Adds features and functionality
- Partials: header.php, footer.php, sidebar.php
Folders:
- assets/: images, fonts
- parts/: reusable components like headers/footers
- templates/: page layouts
Getting Started
- Create Template Files: Place them in the templates folder.
- Styling
- Use PHP pages instead of plain HTML to enable dynamic capabilities.
Building Static Pages Locally
Requirements:
- XAMPP: Local web server
- WordPress: Installed locally
Register Custom Page Templates: Add this comment at the top of a PHP file:
From the WordPress Dashboard, select Pages from the left sidebar:
Click on Add New and on the right sidebar under Page Attributes Select the Template of the page.
Once you’ve selected the template from the WordPress dashboard:
- Click on Publish to create the URL for your page.
- You can now view your page locally at the generated URL (e.g. http://localhost/your-site/about-page).
Making Your Site Responsive
Responsiveness ensures good appearance on all devices. You can achieve this by using media queries:
Breakpoints (e.g., md, lg, xl) define screen widths. You can define them in a separate breakpoints.css file for better organization.
Going Dynamic With WordPress
Problem: Static pages require code changes for content edits.
Solution: Use the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin to allow content editing from the WordPress admin panel — no coding required post-setup.
Using the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Plugin
Steps:
- 1. Install and activate ACF
- 2. From the dashboard, go to Custom Fields > Add New
- 3. Create a field group and assign it to specific pages
- 4. Add fields (text, image, inputs etc.)
- 5. Use ACF functions in your PHP files:
Once you have done this, you are good to go.
Applying ACF to Other Elements
You can create and render dynamic content such as:
- Paragraphs (textarea fields)
- Images (image fields)
- Buttons, videos, and links
To see how the other fields need to be set, you can follow the ACF documentation.
With the right tools and structure, WordPress becomes more than just a blogging platform — it transforms into a powerful framework for fully customized, dynamic websites. From local development to responsive design and dynamic content management with ACF, you’re now equipped to build sites that are flexible, scalable, and easy to maintain. Happy building!
If you want to get started with WordPress, you can visit their official website here.