How to make a WordPress template

Learn how to create a WordPress template from scratch with an example and easy-to-follow instructions.

Creating a WordPress Template

Creating a WordPress template is a great way to customize the look and feel of your WordPress website. You can create custom templates for any page, post, or category. This tutorial will provide step-by-step instructions on how to create a WordPress template.

Step 1: Create a File

The first step is to create a file for your template. To do this, open your text editor of choice and save a new file with the extension “.php”. Name the file anything you’d like, but make sure it’s easy to remember. For example, you could name it “my-template.php”.

Step 2: Add the Template Header

The next step is to add the template header to the file. The template header is a comment block that tells WordPress what type of template you’re creating. Copy and paste the following code into the top of your file:

<?php
/*
Template Name: My Template
*/
?>

Make sure to replace “My Template” with the name of your template. This is what will appear in the WordPress admin panel when you go to create a page or post with your template.

Step 3: Add the HTML Markup

The next step is to add the HTML markup for your template. This is the code that will determine the structure and content of the page. For example, if you wanted to create a simple two-column layout, you could add the following code to your file:

<div class="container">
  <div class="row">
    <div class="column">
      <!-- Content Here -->
    </div>
    <div class="column">
      <!-- Content Here -->
    </div>
  </div>
</div>

Step 4: Add the PHP Code

The last step is to add the PHP code for your template. This code will allow you to access the content from the WordPress database and display it on the page. To do this, copy and paste the following code into your file:

<?php
  if ( have_posts() ) {
    while ( have_posts() ) {
      the_post();
      //
      // Post Content here
      //
    } // end while
  } // end if
?>

This code will loop through all the posts in the WordPress database and display them on the page. You can add custom HTML and PHP code inside the loop to customize the content and styling of the page.

Conclusion

Creating a WordPress template is a great way to customize the look and feel of your WordPress website. This tutorial provided step-by-step instructions on how to create a WordPress template. The first step was to create a file for your template. The next step was to add the template header. The third step was to add the HTML markup. The last step was to add the PHP code. With these steps, you can create custom WordPress templates for any page, post, or category.

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