What is a child theme?
You could think of the Trellis framework itself like the building blocks and basic design of a house, and the child theme would be like a makeover with fresh paint and decor. A child theme is purely aesthetic and gives your site a certain look and feel. When you run a child theme, it's still Trellis. It just looks different from the core framework by itself.
Where can I see demos of the available child themes?
You can find demo links to our three child themes in the Mediavine Marketplace.
Do I have to use one of the Trellis child themes?
No, using a child theme is optional. The Trellis framework can function without a child theme. You also could build your own custom child theme with a developer, if preferred.
Are the child themes free?
Yes, all three child themes are available to you at no extra charge when you purchase a Trellis license.
Can I customize the child themes?
Our recommendation would be to make your own child theme with the help of an experienced WordPress developer. We do not recommend editing existing theme styles themselves, since any changes would get overridden with theme updates.
Can I change my child theme if I decide I want a different one?
Absolutely! You just need to download the new child theme from the Mediavine Marketplace in Account > Downloads, upload it to your WordPress admin as a theme, and Activate it in Appearance > Themes. You'll want to be aware ahead of time that things like CSS customizations may look a bit different with a new child theme, so you might need to tweak things.
I found another Trellis site that looks like it has the same child theme, but mine looks different. How do I get my site to look like that?
You're likely seeing a site with CSS customizations or a custom child theme built off of one of the existing Trellis themes. You can always go the custom route if you want to achieve a certain look and feel.
Make sure you also familiarize yourself with the Trellis Display Settings, as making some changes there can also help move you in the direction you want to go.
What child theme is best for my site or my niche?
The Trellis child themes were not made with any specific niche in mind. Since child themes are purely aesthetic, it's all about what you prefer and what you think would suit your site.
Which child theme performs the best?
The child themes have all been tested against Google Lighthouse/PageSpeed Insights for great speed and Core Web Vitals. They all perform equally well and there isn't one that is better-performing than the others.
Are you going to release new child themes?
We don't have any specific news on this right now, but if we do release new child themes, we will let everyone know right away!