When you're about to start developing a WordPress starter theme from scratch, you are indeed given full freedom to create whatever you want. However, this process often takes a significant amount of time.
Therefore, it's not surprising that the initial tasks can feel very time-consuming, even though they play a crucial role in building the foundation of your theme.
As a solution, there are now WordPress “starter” themes or frameworks available often referred to as blank themes. In other words, these themes are specifically designed to help you skip the more time-consuming early stages.
Additionally, starter themes typically come with a basic code structure that can be immediately used and further developed.
These themes also offer essential functionality that simplifies organizing your project and applying best development practices.
That’s why, in this article, we’ll review what a starter theme is, its benefits, and explore some of the best starter theme examples you might want to consider.
First, it's important to understand that a starter theme is different from a regular WordPress theme. Essentially, a starter theme provides just enough basic code structure to get the theme running but doesn't include any visual elements or full features.
As such, it allows you to build a parent theme tailored to your project’s specific needs.
Using a starter theme offers several advantages during development. First, you can begin with a basic structure and have complete control over the entire workflow.
Second, this type of theme gives insight into proper coding practices. Moreover, you still retain the flexibility to create custom code based on an already stable foundation.
That said, there are certainly a few things to consider before deciding to use a starter theme. For example, you still need to follow the rules and structure defined by the theme’s creator.
In other words, you may come across pieces of code that aren't always relevant to your specific project needs.
Furthermore, understanding how the starter theme works and how its code is structured also requires its own learning curve. However, for developers who don't rely on pre-built themes like Divi or Avada, starter themes remain a very worthwhile option.
Now, let’s take a look at some recommended starter theme options to consider for your next project. Most of these themes are freely available, and each comes with its own set of advantages.
Underscores is one of the most popular starter themes, developed directly by the team at Automattic. In fact, many default WordPress themes since Twenty Twelve have been built on the Underscores framework.
As a result, you get to enjoy WordPress best practices in one neat package. However, due to its minimal visual styling, this theme is best suited for developers who are already comfortable with manual coding.
Next, is FoundationPress, an open-source starter theme built on the Foundation 6 framework. Since it uses Sass and Grunt, you'll find many modern features built in.
In addition, FoundationPress is often used for building professional and corporate websites. That said, because there aren’t many ready-to-use theme examples available, you may need to dig into the documentation first.
Bones is a lightweight starter theme that’s already optimized for mobile devices. In addition, Bones comes equipped with many development features such as support for custom post types and dashboard functions.
However, due to the number of built-in default features, experienced developers might feel the need to clean up unnecessary code. Even so, Bones remains a solid option for those who want to quickly understand the structure of a WordPress theme.
Next, Genesis is the only premium theme on this list, with pricing starting at $60. It’s worth noting that this theme requires you to build a child theme rather than editing the framework directly.
That said, Genesis is known for being a very stable framework with comprehensive documentation. For this reason, Genesis is widely favored by professional developers seeking full control over their themes.
HTML5 Blank is a simple yet effective open-source starter theme. While there isn't much third-party documentation available, the code structure in HTML5 Blank adheres to WordPress standards.
In other words, this theme can serve as a good starting point if you want to convert a regular HTML file into a fully functional WordPress theme.
In conclusion, using a starter theme in your WordPress projects can significantly speed up the development process. Additionally, these themes help you gain a deeper understanding of WordPress's internal structure.
If you have any questions about using starter themes or if you’d like to recommend another theme feel free to reach out via our contact page!
In the world of WordPress-based website development, starter themes are often the go-to choice for developers both beginners and experienced ones.
These themes provide a solid foundation for building custom themes tailored to specific needs. To help you better understand the benefits and workings of WordPress starter themes, we’ve outlined some frequently asked questions below.
It’s important to note that a WordPress starter theme is a basic framework that includes the core file structure such as PHP, CSS, and HTML. Using such a theme can save a lot of time and effort, as you don’t have to build everything from scratch.
Moreover, most starter themes are designed with clean and efficient code. This means you’re working with a structure that follows WordPress development standards and best practices crucial for ensuring site performance and security.
As such, a starter theme serves as an excellent learning tool for anyone who wants to gain deeper insight into WordPress theme development.
When selecting the right starter theme, it’s essential to consider two main factors: the needs of your project and your level of expertise.
If you’re new to WordPress, it’s best to choose a starter theme that comes with comprehensive documentation and built-in features. This will greatly help you understand how things work.
On the other hand, if you’re more experienced, you might prefer a minimal and lightweight starter theme that allows for maximum customization according to your own development style.
Another common question is about the legality of using starter themes for commercial purposes.
The answer is: absolutely. Since most starter themes are open-source and freely distributed, you are allowed to use them in any project, including commercial ones.
However, it’s always a good idea to check the usage license of the specific theme repository. This is important to ensure you’re not violating any applicable copyright terms.
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Next, let’s discuss the fundamental difference between a starter theme and a regular theme. A regular theme is a ready-to-use theme that you can activate on your WordPress site right away, with little to no modifications.
On the other hand, a starter theme is not designed to be used out of the box. Instead, it serves as a “framework” intended to be further developed into a truly custom theme that fits your website’s specific needs.
In other words, a starter theme is a blank canvas for developers, which you can then use to build a website tailored to your requirements.
Installing a starter theme is not much different from installing any other WordPress theme. Simply download the theme file, go to your WordPress dashboard, and navigate to Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload Theme.
Then, upload the downloaded theme file and activate it as usual. However, once activated, you’ll need to continue the process by editing the theme files according to the design and functionality you want.
While it’s technically possible to use a starter theme without coding experience, it can be quite challenging. Starter themes are designed for developers and require at least basic knowledge of PHP, CSS, and HTML.
If you don’t have a coding background, it’s better to use a regular theme or start with a visual page builder to gain experience.
Some starter themes do offer basic pre-designed templates or UI components. However, it’s important to understand that the main purpose of a starter theme is to provide a clean foundation not to present a finished site design.
Therefore, while some minimal design elements may be included, you’re still expected to build out the site’s appearance based on the specific needs of your project.
Absolutely, you can integrate a starter theme with page builders like Elementor or Oxygen Builder. However, it's important to keep in mind that the primary goal of a starter theme is to provide a clean, minimal, and efficient structure.
If you plan to use a page builder extensively, it might be wiser to choose a theme that is specifically optimized for that purpose, making the design process easier and more responsive.
Next, updating a starter theme is something you need to handle with care. Since all modifications are made directly to the theme files, any updates to the theme may override your custom changes.
The best solution is to create a child theme. By using a child theme, you can store all your customizations separately from the main (parent) theme. As a result, when the parent theme is updated, your custom work remains intact.
Many starter themes are developed with SEO principles in mind. This means they often feature clean code structure, fast loading speeds, and compatibility with popular SEO plugins.
However, SEO performance isn’t determined by the theme alone. How you structure your content, optimize pages, and implement SEO strategies also plays a crucial role. So, be sure to not only choose a good theme but also build your site with a solid SEO approach.
By understanding all the points above, you now have a more comprehensive view of WordPress starter themes.
Whether you're a beginner eager to learn from the ground up or an experienced developer looking to create a fully custom theme, a starter theme can be the ideal starting point for your web development journey.
Photo Source : Souvik Banerjee on Unsplash
