Use when developing WordPress block themes: theme.json (global settings/styles), templates and template parts, patterns, style variations, and Site Editor troubleshooting (style hierarchy, overrides, caching).
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Use when developing WordPress block themes: theme.json (global settings/styles), templates and template parts, patterns, style variations, and Site Editor troubleshooting (style hierarchy, overrides, caching).
---name: wp-block-themes
description: "Use when developing WordPress block themes: theme.json (global settings/styles), templates and template parts, patterns, style variations, and Site Editor troubleshooting (style hierarchy, overrides, caching)."
compatibility: "Targets WordPress 7.0+ (PHP 7.4.0+). Filesystem-based agent with bash + node. Some workflows require WP-CLI."
---# WP Block Themes
## When to use
Use this skill for block theme work such as:
- editing `theme.json` (presets, settings, styles, per-block styles)
- adding or changing templates (`templates/*.html`) and template parts (`parts/*.html`)
- adding patterns (`patterns/*.php`) and controlling what appears in the inserter
- adding style variations (`styles/*.json`)
- debugging “styles not applying” / “editor doesn’t reflect theme.json”
## Inputs required
- Repo root and which theme is targeted (theme directory if multiple exist).
- Target WordPress version range (theme.json version and features vary by core version).
- Where the issue manifests: Site Editor, post editor, frontend, or all.
## Procedure
### 0) Triage and locate block theme roots
1. Run triage:
- `node skills/wp-project-triage/scripts/detect_wp_project.mjs`
- **styles** (how it looks by default): CSS-like rules for elements/blocks
Read:
- `references/theme-json.md`
### 4) Templates and template parts
- Templates live under `templates/` and are HTML.
- Template parts live under `parts/` and must not be nested in subdirectories.
Read:
- `references/templates-and-parts.md`
### 5) Patterns
Prefer filesystem patterns under `patterns/` when you want theme-owned patterns.
Read:
- `references/patterns.md`
### 6) Style variations
Style variations are JSON files under `styles/`. Note: once a user picks a style variation, that selection is stored in the DB, so changing the file may not “update what the user sees” automatically.
Read:
- `references/style-variations.md`
## Verification
- Site Editor reflects changes where expected (Styles UI, templates, patterns).
- Frontend renders with expected styles.
- If styles aren’t changing, confirm whether user customizations override theme defaults.
- Run the repo’s build/lint scripts if assets are involved (fonts, custom JS/CSS build).
