Ever wanted to create a custom WordPress theme for your website without writing complex code or hiring a developer?
Thanks to WordPress theme generators like SeedProd, anyone can now create professional themes with ease. In this guide, I’ll show you how to use SeedProd to create a custom WordPress theme without any coding skills.
In This Guide
Why Create a Custom WordPress Theme?
Creating a custom WordPress theme offers several advantages:
- Total design control
- Unique functionality
- Enhanced performance
- Improved security
While hiring a developer for a custom theme can be expensive, SeedProd’s WordPress theme builder allows you to create professional themes without coding skills or a large budget.
![seedprod-website-builder - SeedProd SeedProd Drag and Drop WordPress website builder](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/seedprod-website-builder.png)
The plugin comes with:
- Visual drag-and-drop interface
- Over 150+ Pro templates
- 2 million stock photos
- WooCommerce support for eCommerce sites
- Subscriber management dashboard
- Email marketing integrations
- Endless customization options
And many other features and widgets to build a custom website quickly.
Before we dive into the tutorial, it’s important to note that you’ll need a SeedProd Pro or Elite license to access the theme builder feature. Here’s a quick overview of SeedProd’s pricing:
- Pro: $199/year – Includes theme builder and use on up to 5 sites
- Elite: $239/year – Includes theme builder, eCommerce support and use on 100 sites
Both plans come with a 14-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try the theme builder risk-free. For the most current pricing and features, visit the SeedProd pricing page.
Now that you’re aware of the investment required let’s get started with creating your custom WordPress theme.
How to Create a Custom WordPress Theme Without Code
This tutorial assumes you already have a WordPress website set up. If not, follow our guide on how to create a WordPress website before proceeding.
Step 1. Install and Activate SeedProd
First, you’ll need a SeedProd Pro or Elite license to access the theme builder feature.
After downloading the plugin zip file, upload it to your WordPress dashboard, then install and activate it.
Enter your SeedProd license key by navigating to SeedProd » Settings in your WordPress admin area.
If you need help with this step, follow this guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
![seedprod-theme-builder-license-key - SeedProd Enter your SeedProd theme builder license key](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/seedprod-theme-builder-license-key.png)
You can find your license key by visiting your SeedProd account area. Then, you can copy it from the Downloads tab.
![copy-seedprod-license-key - SeedProd Find your SeedProd license key](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/copy-seedprod-license-key.png)
Once installed, navigate to SeedProd » Theme Builder to see the Theme Builder overview. Here, you can create a template hierarchy for your WordPress theme, including parts like the header, footer, single post, and more.
![seedprod-WordPress-theme-builder - SeedProd SeedProd WordPress theme builder overview](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/seedprod-WordPress-theme-builder.png)
In other words, it’s where you can create all the individual parts that make up your theme, such as the following:
- Header
- Footer
- Single Post
- Single Page
- Archive (Blog Page)
- Home Page
- Sidebar
You can create each of these theme parts individually. Just click the Add New Theme Template button.
![add-new-theme-template - SeedProd Add new theme template](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/add-new-theme-template.png)
But if that sounds too overwhelming for your first try, there’s another way to create your theme.
You can use the premade theme templates to create the basic framework for your theme. After, you can customize them to suit your design needs without code.
Because this solution is easy for beginners, that’s what I’ll focus on for this tutorial.
Step 2. Choose a Theme Template
SeedProd’s theme builder already has several themes for you. To find them, click the Theme Template Kits button.
![theme-template-kits - SeedProd SeedProd theme template kits](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/theme-template-kits.png)
When writing this guide, there are over 160 theme templates. These templates cater to different website needs, including:
- Business Themes: Professional layouts with clear CTAs
- eCommerce Themes: Product-focused with reviews and smooth checkout
- Blog Themes: Image-centric with easy-to-read layouts
- Portfolio Themes: Grid layouts for showcasing work
- Non-Profit Themes: Event promotion and donation features
![premade-WordPress-theme-templates - SeedProd SeedProd premade WordPress theme templates](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/premade-WordPress-theme-templates.png)
To choose a theme, hover your mouse over the thumbnail and click the checkmark icon. For this guide, I’ll use the SeedProd Starter Theme because it has the essential elements I need for a complete website.
You can always build upon the starter theme to make it your own.
![choose-a-seedprod-theme-template - SeedProd Choose a SeedProd theme template](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/choose-a-seedprod-theme-template.png)
After choosing your template, SeedProd creates all the parts that make up your theme.
![seedprod-theme-parts - SeedProd SeedProd WordPress theme templates](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/seedprod-theme-parts.png)
If there’s a feature you don’t wish to show on your site, click the toggle under the Publish heading. This turns that theme part off.
![unpublish-theme-section - SeedProd unpublish a WordPress theme section](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/unpublish-theme-section.png)
If you click the conditions link for each template part, you can change its name, type, and priority. You can also choose when and where it appears on your website.
![WordPress-theme-conditions - SeedProd Edit WordPress theme conditions](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/WordPress-theme-conditions.png)
Step 3. Customize Your WordPress Theme Parts
With your theme’s basic building blocks in place, it’s time to start editing each theme section.
To edit any theme section, hover over it and click the Edit Design link.
![edit-theme-design - SeedProd edit WordPress theme design](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/edit-theme-design.png)
I’ll start by editing the header.
Custom WordPress Theme Header and Footer
When you edit a theme section in SeedProd, you’ll go to its visual drag-and-drop builder. On this screen, you can customize your theme’s header by simply pointing and clicking.
The Starter Theme has a two-column header with a logo and navigation menu. You can customize it to show your custom logo by clicking it in the live preview.
![change-header-logo - SeedProd Change your WordPress header logo](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/change-header-logo.png)
You can delete the placeholder logo in the left-hand panel and upload a new one from your computer or WordPress media library.
You can adjust your logo size and alignment in the same panel and add a custom link, like your primary website URL.
If you want to change your header’s background color, hover over the header. Wait until it has a purple outline, then click it. You can give your header a custom background color image and choose the width from there.
![WordPress-header-custom-background-color - SeedProd Give your WordPress header a custom background color](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/WordPress-header-custom-background-color.png)
You can customize your header’s shadow, spacing, border, and more in the Advanced tab.
![advanced-WordPress-header-settings - SeedProd Advanced WordPress header settings](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/advanced-WordPress-header-settings.png)
When you’re happy with your custom WordPress header, click Save. It’s in the top-right corner.
Now, repeat those steps to edit your WordPress footer. Click Edit Design to open it in the visual editor. Then, click any element to customize the content, colors, links, and more.
![custom-WordPress-theme-footer - SeedProd Custom WordPress theme footer](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/custom-WordPress-theme-footer.png)
Create a Custom WordPress Theme Home Page
Next, I’ll customize the WordPress homepage. This is often the first page users see when visiting your website. So open the Homepage section in the visual editor.
You’ll notice your existing header and footer at the top and bottom. Don’t worry, any changes you make here won’t affect them – they’re just here as a visual guide.
![custom-WordPress-homepage-theme - SeedProd Customize your WordPress homepage template](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/custom-WordPress-homepage-theme.png)
SeedProd’s Starter Theme template has all the features most business websites need.
It includes:
- Hero area
- Client logos
- Features
- Testimonials
- FAQ section
Like the header, you can customize every inch to make it unique. Let’s start by changing the hero area.
The hero area has the following features:
- Section
- 2-column layout
- Image
- Heading
- Text
- Button
To change the default image, click it and upload a new image, as you did with your logo.
You can edit the headline and description by clicking each block. Then, replace the contents with your custom text.
![WordPress-theme-headline-text - SeedProd Change your homepage template content](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/WordPress-theme-headline-text.png)
If you click the button block, you can change the button text, link, alignment, and more.
![customize-WordPress-theme-buttons - SeedProd customize WordPress theme buttons](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/customize-WordPress-theme-buttons.png)
You can find these elements in the left-hand blocks panel. That way, you can drag a block from the left and drop it onto your design to add more content to your theme.
![drag-and-drop-content - SeedProd drag and drop content](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/drag-and-drop-content.gif)
Follow this process for customizing the rest of your homepage.
For example, you can add information about your company’s services. Or highlight your product features in the features section.
![homepage-features-section - SeedProd Add a features section to your homepage](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/homepage-features-section.png)
Then, you can use the built-in Testimonials block. This adds positive social proof from your existing clients and customers.
![add-customer-testimonials - SeedProd add customer testimonials to your WordPress theme](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/add-customer-testimonials.png)
I also changed the background color of this section to match the theme header. To do this, open the section settings and choose a different color.
![custom-section-background-color - SeedProd custom section background color](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/custom-section-background-color.png)
After customizing your home page, you can click the mobile preview icon to see how your design looks on mobile devices.
![mobile-preview - SeedProd Preview WordPress theme in mobile](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/mobile-preview.png)
You can move things around until your mobile screen offers a good user experience.
![WordPress-theme-mobile-preview - SeedProd create a custom WordPress theme and preview on mobile](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/WordPress-theme-mobile-preview.png)
When you’re happy with the look of your homepage, click the Save button and return to the theme builder.
Custom WordPress Theme Blog Page, Single Posts, and Pages
Chances are you’ll want to include a custom page for blog posts in your new WordPress theme. The good news is that SeedProd has a theme part you can customize for that purpose.
That section is Blog Index, Archives, Search in the theme builder. You can use it to tailor your blog post page, post archives, and search results page. This lets them match your website’s branding.
So click the Edit Design link to open this theme part in the drag-and-drop builder.
![WordPress-blog-archive-template - SeedProd SeedProd WordPress blog archive template](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/WordPress-blog-archive-template.png)
The Starter Theme on my page uses Template Tags. It pulls dynamic information from WordPress, including the Archive title and Posts.
If your template is similar, clicking these blocks shows their settings. They appear in the left-hand panel.
For example, when you click the Posts template tag, you can display posts by default, by custom type (posts, media, or custom posts), or by query parameters.
![posts-template-tag-wordpress - SeedProd Add the posts template tag in WordPress for blog pages](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/posts-template-tag-wordpress.png)
You can also choose the number of columns posts per page, show or hide the featured image, an excerpt, and more.
After customizing your archive or blog page, go to the theme builder. Then, edit the Single Posts section.
![WordPress-single-post-template - SeedProd SeedProd WordPress single post template](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/WordPress-single-post-template.png)
This theme part uses these template tags to pull information about WordPress posts:
- Post Title
- Post Info
- Post Content
- Author Box
- Post Comments
- Post navigation
You can edit these blocks as you would any other SeedProd block. In the settings panel, you can click any element to customize it.
For example, if you click the Post Info block, you can add more meta info. You can also change the alignment and icon colors.
![seedprod-post-info-settings - SeedProd post info settings](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/seedprod-post-info-settings.jpg)
Create a Custom WordPress Sidebar
Many WordPress websites still use sidebars. These show important information to visitors, including social media profiles, the latest posts, contact forms, and newsletter signups.
Unlike many premade WordPress themes, SeedProd lets you create a custom WordPress sidebar using its visual block editor.
To do that, click Edit Design on the Sidebar template part. You can drag and drop any content you like from there onto your sidebar design.
![seedprod-sidebar-template - SeedProd SeedProd sidebar template](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/seedprod-sidebar-template.png)
The Starter Theme includes a search box, social media icons, and post categories. But you can add anything you like here. For example, you might want to display a list of recent blog posts or an image linking to an affiliate partner.
You can also use SeedProd’s opt-in form block to collect email addresses to grow your list in your sidebar. The best part is that you won’t need any technical knowledge to do this.
![seedprod-optin-form-sidebar - SeedProd Add an optin form to your sidebar template](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/seedprod-optin-form-sidebar.png)
Custom WordPress Theme Global CSS
By now, you’ve built out most of your custom WordPress theme without code. But there’s one more part you should look at to ensure everything is consistent right across your theme.
Your Global CSS controls your theme’s global styling, typography, colors, and layout. So click Edit Design on that theme part to open it in the page editor.
![seedprod-global-css - SeedProd SeedProd global css](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/seedprod-global-css.png)
As you can see, this page gives you control over your theme’s styling. In the left-hand panel are sections for:
- Colors
- Fonts
- Background
- Buttons
- Forms
- Layout
- Custom CSS
For example, you can open the Buttons section and choose a custom color. Then, that color will show up on every button in your theme.
![custom-WordPress-theme-buttons - SeedProd Custom global theme buttons](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/custom-WordPress-theme-buttons.png)
You can do the same in the Fonts heading and assign a custom color for every link in your theme.
![custom-WordPress-theme-links - SeedProd Customize your WordPress link colors](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/custom-WordPress-theme-links.png)
Tweak these settings until your theme looks how you want. Then click the Save button to store your changes.
Step 4. Connect Your Email Marketing Service
If one of your business goals is to grow your email list, you may have a sign-up form in your WordPress theme design. To add new contacts to your list, you’ll need to connect your form to your email marketing service.
SeedProd integrates with many popular email marketing services, including Constant Contact, Mailchimp, Drip, etc., and it’s easy to link to your account.
Edit any theme part and click the Connect tab at the top of the screen.
![seedprod-email-marketing-integrations - SeedProd SeedProd email marketing integrations](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/seedprod-email-marketing-integrations.png)
Then, click any integration from the list and follow the on-screen instructions. Filling in your opt-in form adds users to your email list.
Step 5. Enable Your Custom WordPress Theme
Once you’re happy with the design and functionality, don’t rush to launch. Thorough testing across various browsers and devices is crucial to catching any unexpected problems before they impact your users.
Use SeedProd’s preview tool to test your theme across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. Then, check it in browsers like Chrome, Edge, and Safari.
If everything looks good, you can go ahead and activate your custom WordPress theme.
To do that, find the Enable SeedProd Theme heading in the top-right corner. Then, switch the toggle to the “on” position.
![enable-seedprod-theme - SeedProd Enable your custom WordPress theme](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/enable-seedprod-theme.png)
Your new theme will override your default theme. That way, you can see your customizations on the front end of your website.
That’s it! Your new custom WordPress theme is live on your website.
Here’s the homepage I created with a new header and footer on my test site:
![create-custom-WordPress-theme - SeedProd Custom WordPress theme homepage](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/create-custom-WordPress-theme.png)
Here’s the blog page I made with a custom WordPress sidebar:
![custom-WordPress-blog-theme - SeedProd Custom WordPress theme blog page and sidebar](https://www.seedprod.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/custom-WordPress-blog-theme.jpg)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a WordPress theme?
WordPress themes are template files written in PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Each file works together. They create the design and function of your WordPress site.
A typical WordPress theme will include some, if not all, of the following theme files:
- footer.php
- header.php
- index.php
- page.php
- sidebar.php
- archive.php
WordPress themes also include a functions.php file and a style.css file.
Can I create a custom WordPress theme without any coding experience?
You can create a WordPress theme without coding experience by using a theme builder like SeedProd. It provides a drag-and-drop interface and pre-built templates, which help you easily design your theme.
How do I export the custom theme I created with SeedProd?
You can export your WordPress theme as a .zip file using SeedProd’s import/export feature. Follow this guide to learn how to export a WordPress theme with SeedProd.
Create a Custom WordPress Theme Today
Forget everything you thought you knew about creating WordPress themes – SeedProd makes it fun, fast, and surprisingly simple.
Here’s how easy it is:
- Get SeedProd: Grab a Pro or Elite plan to unlock the magic of the theme builder.
- Pick Your Perfect Look: Choose from a library of professionally designed templates, each with its own unique style.
- Make it Yours: Drag, drop, and customize every element until your website perfectly reflects your brand. Change colors, fonts, images, and more—no coding required!
- Grow Your Audience: Easily connect your favorite email marketing service and start building your list.
- Share Your Masterpiece: Hit publish and watch your website come to life.
Ready to unleash your inner designer? Get started with SeedProd today and create a website as unique as you are.
If you want to make a specific type of website, you may like these WordPress tutorials:
- How to Build a Church Website in WordPress
- How to Design a Restaurant Website
- How to Set Up an Online Store in WordPress
- How to Create a Photography Website
- How to Create a Real Estate Website
- How to Create an Author Website in WordPress
- How to Make a Wedding Website
Thanks for reading! We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to leave a comment with any questions and feedback.
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