style.css Header & Metadata

warning

If Template: is wrong, WordPress cannot connect your child theme to GeneratePress. Always verify the parent folder name is exactly generatepress.

style.css Header & Metadata Explained

Header field	Required	Meaning
`Theme Name`	Yes	Display name in wp-admin
`Template`	Yes	Parent theme folder name (`generatepress`)
`Version`	Recommended	Helps deployments and rollbacks
`Text Domain`	Recommended	i18n domain for translations

Common optional header fields:

Header field	When to use	Notes
`Description`	Human summary in wp-admin	Keep it short
`Author` / `Author URI`	Attribution	Helpful in internal templates
`Requires at least`	Compatibility note	Useful for teams
`Requires PHP`	Compatibility note	Prevents older PHP installs
`License` / `License URI`	OSS licensing	Required if you distribute

Why It Matters

WP uses these headers to register and activate themes.
Versioning makes change control and rollback possible.
Text domain alignment avoids translation bugs.

How It Works

WordPress reads the style.css comment header in each theme directory. A child theme is recognized when it declares a valid Template: pointing to an installed parent theme.

Practical Walkthrough

Step 1: View the Current Header

view-style-css-header.sh
cd /var/www/html
sed -n '1,40p' wp-content/themes/generatepress-child/style.css

Step 2: Verify the Parent Folder Exists

verify-parent-folder.sh
cd /var/www/html
test -d wp-content/themes/generatepress && echo "parent generatepress folder exists"

Step 3: Validate Required Fields

validate-style-css-fields.sh
cd /var/www/html
grep -n "^Theme Name:" wp-content/themes/generatepress-child/style.css
grep -n "^Template:" wp-content/themes/generatepress-child/style.css
grep -n "^Version:" wp-content/themes/generatepress-child/style.css || true
grep -n "^Text Domain:" wp-content/themes/generatepress-child/style.css || true

Step 4: Confirm WP-CLI Sees the Child Theme

wp-cli-theme-inspection.sh
cd /var/www/html
wp theme get generatepress-child --fields=name,version,status 2>/dev/null || true
wp theme list | grep generatepress || true

Practical Examples

Example 1: A Standard Header Template

wp-content/themes/generatepress-child/style.css
/*
Theme Name: GeneratePress Child
Template: generatepress
Version: 0.1.0
Text Domain: generatepress-child
*/

Example 1b: A More Complete Header (Optional)

wp-content/themes/generatepress-child/style.css
/*
Theme Name: GeneratePress Child
Template: generatepress
Description: Custom child theme for Example Co.
Author: Example Co.
Version: 0.1.1
Requires at least: 6.0
Requires PHP: 8.1
Text Domain: generatepress-child
*/

Example 2: Bump Version During Deploy

During a release, update Version: and tag the Git repo so you can correlate site output to code.

Example 3: Add a Screenshot

Place screenshot.png in the child theme root:

wp-content/themes/generatepress-child/screenshot.png

Keep it small (compress it) so it does not bloat deploy artifacts.

Best Practices

Practice	Why
Keep `Template: generatepress` exact	Folder-name mismatch breaks inheritance
Use semantic versioning	Easier rollbacks
Keep `style.css` small	Put most CSS in dedicated files
Add a `README.md`	Document deploy and debug steps
Keep header fields consistent across environments	Prevents confusion during migration
Record compatibility fields	Helps teams avoid invalid deploy targets

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause	Fix
"Broken theme" in admin	Parent missing	Install/activate GeneratePress parent theme
Child theme not listed	Missing `Theme Name`	Add required header fields
Version not visible	No `Version:` field	Add a version line and redeploy
Admin shows wrong theme name	Cached metadata	Re-check header and clear any object cache

Hands-On

Print the first 40 lines of style.css.
Verify Template: generatepress and parent folder exists.
Add Version: and Text Domain: if missing.
Add one optional field (like Description:) and confirm it appears in wp theme get.

Quick Reference

style-css-cheatsheet.sh
cd /var/www/html
grep -n "^Theme Name:\|^Template:\|^Version:\|^Text Domain:" wp-content/themes/generatepress-child/style.css

What's Next

Next: Loading Styles & Scripts
Related: Child Theme Structure