What is WordPress starter theme?
A WordPress starter theme is a bare-bones, foundational theme that provides the essential files and structures needed to begin developing a custom WordPress theme. It serves as a starting point for developers who want to create a unique and tailored WordPress theme without having to build everything from scratch.
Starter themes typically include the basic template files, such as header.php, footer.php, index.php, single.php, archive.php, and style.css, which are essential for controlling the layout and presentation of different types of content on a WordPress website. They may also provide some basic styling and formatting to give developers a starting point.
The primary purpose of a starter theme is to streamline the development process and provide a solid foundation upon which developers can build their own custom designs, layouts, and functionality. By starting with a well-organized starter theme, developers can save time and effort compared to starting from a completely blank slate.
Starter themes can vary in complexity and features. Some might provide minimal styling and focus solely on the essential template files, while others might include additional features like responsive design, integration with popular JavaScript frameworks, and pre-built functionality like navigation menus, widget areas, and more.
What is the difference between WordPress theme and starter template?
A WordPress theme and a starter template are related concepts, but they serve slightly different purposes in the context of WordPress development.
- WordPress Theme: A WordPress theme is a collection of files, templates, styles, and sometimes scripts that determine the visual appearance and layout of a WordPress website. Themes control how content is presented to users, including the design of headers, footers, sidebars, and individual post or page layouts. Themes also manage various aspects of user interaction, such as navigation menus, widgets, and often include customization options in the WordPress dashboard.In essence, a WordPress theme is a complete package that provides the entire visual and functional framework for a website. Themes can be used as-is, customized to varying degrees, or developed from scratch.
- Starter Template: A starter template, often referred to as a “starter theme,” is a stripped-down, basic framework that serves as a starting point for building a custom WordPress theme. It provides essential files and structures, such as template files (e.g., index.php, header.php, footer.php), basic styling, and perhaps some predefined functions. The idea behind a starter template is to offer developers a clean slate that includes the minimum necessary components, allowing them to add their own design, styles, and features.Starter templates are meant to accelerate the development process by providing a foundation, reducing the need to set up everything from scratch. Developers can build upon the starter template’s structure and gradually customize it to create a unique theme that suits their project’s requirements.
In summary, the primary distinction lies in the level of completeness and customization each represents:
- A WordPress theme is a comprehensive package that provides a fully functional design and often includes customization options for users.
- A starter template is a minimalistic starting point that offers essential files and structure, saving developers time when creating custom themes.
Starter templates are particularly useful for experienced developers who want to exercise full control over the design and functionality of their themes while avoiding the repetitive work of creating standard template files from scratch.
Here’s a list of some popular WordPress starter themes that developers often use as a foundation for creating custom themes
- Underscores (_s): Underscores, also known as “_s,” is a widely-used starter theme developed by Automattic, the company behind WordPress. It provides a minimal set of files and styles, giving developers a clean slate to work from.
- Sage: Sage is a modern starter theme based on the Laravel PHP framework’s Blade templating engine. It includes modern development tools like Webpack for asset management and follows best practices for clean, maintainable code.
- UnderStrap: UnderStrap combines the Underscores starter theme with the Bootstrap framework, offering a powerful starting point for creating responsive and visually appealing themes.
- _tk (Underscores.me): _tk is another version of the Underscores starter theme that includes additional features and a basic design, making it suitable for faster prototyping.
- WP Rig: WP Rig is a modern starter theme and build process that focuses on performance and adheres to modern web development standards. It integrates tools like Webpack, Babel, and more.
- Beans: Beans is a lightweight, flexible starter theme that comes with its own drag-and-drop interface for theme customization, making it user-friendly for both developers and non-developers.
- Gantry: Gantry is a powerful starter theme that integrates with the Gantry framework, providing a robust set of tools for building highly customizable themes with advanced features.
- Bones: Bones is a mobile-first starter theme that comes with a grid system, basic styling, and some commonly used templates. It’s designed to be minimal and developer-friendly.
- WPBootstrap: WPBootstrap combines the Underscores starter theme with the Bootstrap framework, offering a foundation for creating responsive and Bootstrap-powered themes.
- JointsWP: JointsWP is a starter theme that integrates Foundation, another popular front-end framework, providing a starting point for creating responsive, grid-based themes.
- Starkers: Starkers is an ultra-minimalistic starter theme developed by Automattic. It includes only the most basic template files and is intended as a true blank slate for developers.
These are just a few examples, and there are many more starter themes available. When choosing a starter theme, consider factors such as your familiarity with the tools and frameworks it uses, the complexity of your project, and whether it aligns with your preferred development workflow.