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Introduction to the Customizer (Classic and Hybrid Themes)

Introduction to the Customizer (Classic and Hybrid Themes)

Below is a list of elements found in each learning module, and a brief description of each. When creating a new module, ensure that it contains each of these elements.

In this lesson, you will learn that the Theme Customizer provides a centralized place to change options that control the look of your WordPress site. This lesson covers how to locate and use the Customizer and the options that it includes. Many themes have more complex settings, but in this instance we are using the default theme Twenty Sixteen and configuring the default settings for WordPress 5.3 and earlier. Please note that the Customizer is used with classic or hybrid themes.

Objectives

After completing this lesson, you will be able to:

  • Locate the Customizer in the WordPress Dashboard.
  • Demonstrate how to open and close the Customizer.
  • Show how to update items using the Customizer, such as site colors or menus.
  • Use the Customizer to save changes.
  • Identify and modify theme settings

Prerequisite Skills

Participants will get the most from this lesson if they have familiarity with:

Assets

WordPress default installation with included default themes.

Screening Questions

  • Do you publish a WordPress site at this moment? (Preferred answer: yes)
  • Do you have a selected theme that you would like to customize? (Preferred answer: yes)
  • Are you familiar with the WordPress Dashboard? (Preferred answer: yes)

Teacher Notes

  • Performing a live demo and/or having students access their Customizer during the lesson will be helpful in their understanding of the Customizer’s capabilities
  • Different themes will impact the Customizer’s capabilities. Reminding students that this may be the case will be helpful at the beginning of this lesson. 
  • Either a live or local install of WordPress should work fine for this lesson.

Hands-on Walkthrough

Getting into the Appearance Area of the Menu

Go to Appearance > Themes and choose the Twenty Sixteen theme.