You're tired of pre-made themes.

You're sick of your website not being unique, not being exclusively yours, not being 100% custom. You want something that's yours, and only yours. You want to create your own WordPress theme—from scratch.

  • No templates. You want to create your very own code.
  • No website builders. You're ready to get down 'n' dirty.
  • No pre-made themes. You want something unique—something that's 100% yours.
  • No frameworks. You want to build a theme from scratch so you can truly learn WordPress code.

"Highly recommended to any aspiring designer or web-developer."

Zoe

Learn to code your own custom WordPress theme

Code Your Own Damn Website is an e-course that walks you through the process of coding a WordPress theme from scratch.

There will be no templates, no frameworks—just pure WordPress. I'll teach you how to do things "The WordPress Way", which is the best way for you to achieve a solid understanding of how WordPress works, how it's built, and how you can create custom themes from scratch.

As soon as you register, you'll have immediate access to the course material. After each coding lesson you can download the files that were created/modified during that lesson so you can check your work.

Introduction
Welcome!
Your Gear & Recommended Apps
Development Workflow
Getting Started
Setting Up the Development Environment
Installing WordPress Locally
The Structure of a WordPress Theme
Using PHP in WordPress
Setting Up PhpStorm
How to Display Text With PHP
Theme Set Up
Getting Started With Your First Theme
Splitting Up the Header and Footer Files
Setting Up the Column Structure
Functions.php
Adding a Dynamic Header
Navigation
Registering the Navigation With WordPress
Set Up Your Menu
Display the Menu in Your Header
Styling the Navigation With CSS
The Loop
Intro to The Loop (and setting up your template)
Adding PHP to Get Values Dynamically
Pagination to Navigate Old Posts
Widgets
Sidebar Widgets
Footer Widget Area
Templates
Template Hierarchy
Individual Posts
Comments
Pages
Archives
Search Results
404 Page Not Found
Custom Templates
Static Homepage
Styling
Required Styles
Customizer
Custom Settings
Live Preview
Extras
Post Editor Stylesheet
Translation Ready
PSD to WordPress
PSD to WordPress
Assessing the PSD
Theme Setup & Structure
Custom Header Image
Blog Archive
Sidebar
Single Post Page
Comments
Pages
Theme Styles
Static Homepage
Custom Widget (Plus an Alternative)
Portfolio
EDD – Shop Archive
EDD – Single Product Page

I'm ready to become a theme developer!

This course is for you if...

  • You're already familiar with HTML and CSS (perhaps you've taken the Master Customizer course).
  • You're interested in learning PHP code, becoming a better developer, and building your own theme from scratch.
  • You don't want to use a pre-made theme, framework, or parent theme.
  • You want to learn to make custom theme templates and even add settings to the Customizer.

It's not for you if...

  • You hate code with a passion (it's not for everyone, I get it) and you'd rather pay someone to build a site for you.
  • You don't know HTML or CSS. Those languages are not taught in Code Your Own Damn Website. You should know them already.
  • You don't use the self-hosted WordPress.org platform.
  • You want to use a framework like Genesis.

Just some of the possibilities after taking this course...

  • You can create your dream theme, with the design and functionality you want.
  • Open up your own pre-made theme shop and start selling themes to bloggers and business owners.
  • If you work with clients, you can start creating custom themes for them instead of tweaking pre-mades.
  • Create your own custom page templates to build a static homepage or style pages differently.

Register for the course!

Signups Closed

Hey, hot stuff, I'm Ashley! (The chick who will be teaching you epicness)

Photo of Ashley

Why should you care about me? Who am I to teach you theme development?

I've been running a successful pre-made theme shop since 2013. I've been developing custom themes for authors, bloggers, and businesses for even longer.

I've also had a theme accepted into the WordPress repository, which means I'm familiar with WordPress coding standards and best practices. One of my goals with this course is to pass that knowledge onto you. I'm not just teaching you how to code themes "by any means necessary"; I'm teaching you how to code them right and code them well.

Your questions—answered.

Is this course right for me?

Code Your Own Damn Website is right for you if...

  • You're already familiar with HTML and CSS (perhaps you've taken the Master Customizer course).
  • You're interested in learning PHP code.
  • You want to build your own theme from scratch.
  • You don't want to use a pre-made theme, framework, or parent theme.

It's not for you if...

  • You hate code with a passion (it's not for everyone, I get it).
  • You don't know HTML or CSS. Those languages are not taught in Code Your Own Damn Website. You should know them already.
  • You don't use the self-hosted WordPress.org platform.
  • You'd rather pay someone to build a site for you.
  • You want to use a framework like Genesis.

Do I need any prior coding knowledge?

Yes! You're expected to already know how to use HTML and CSS to style a theme.

  • You should be familiar with HTML, including different kinds of tags and how to use them to build layouts.
  • You should be comfortable with Inspect Element.
  • You should know how to use CSS to change colours, fonts, spacing, etc.

If you don't already know HTML or CSS, I recommend starting with Master Customizer.

Code Your Own Damn Website focuses on the PHP side of building a WordPress theme. You don't need any prior PHP knowledge—that's what I'll teach you!

When do I get access to lessons?

Immediately! As soon as your payment clears (which is usually instantly) you receive access to all the lessons. You can view them all at once, which allows you to move at your own pace.

What tools do I need to participate?

  1. A text editor to write your code. I use and recommend PhpStorm. The course has a lesson on how to set up PhpStorm. You can use a different editor instead, but PhpStorm is what I use in all course videos.
  2. A local installation of WordPress is highly recommended. This isn't directly covered in the course. Here are two guides I recommend: Developing WordPress Locally With MAMP (for Mac) or How to Install WordPress on your Windows Computer Using WAMP. Alternatively you can use a test subdomain on a live site and upload files there via FTP. But a development WordPress installation is recommended!
  3. Optional: If you're interested in preparing your theme for translation, I recommend Poedit Pro. This is optional and only really needed if you'll be selling pre-made themes.

How is the content delivered? When will I get it?

During the checkout process you'll be able to create your own username and password—these become your course account details.

As soon as your payment is received and confirmed (this usually happens instantly) you are given access to the course materials. You can login and start working through the lessons straight away!

What do I get out of this course? What's the end result?

At the end of the course, you'll have created an entire WordPress theme from scratch. You'll have an understanding of WordPress functions, templates, creating widget areas, and even adding your own settings to the Customizer.

My goal is to give you all the information and tools you need to create a theme that follows best practices and WordPress coding standards.

What if the course doesn't work for me? What's your refund policy?

You have 14 days from your date of purchase to request a refund. A refund will be given if you've gone through the course material, contacted me for help if you need it, and still after all that feel like the course hasn't worked out for you.

Please read the full refund policy on the terms page for more details.

What's the Badass Theme Shop Owner course about?

The Badass Theme Shop Owner course walks you through everything you need to know about opening and running a theme shop. Lessons include:

  • Choosing a sales platform.
  • Setting up Easy Digital Downloads.
  • How to license your theme (and things you're not allowed to do!).
  • Writing your sales terms (including refund policies).
  • Implementing automatic updates for your customers.
  • Choosing a support platform and writing support policies.
  • Pricing your themes.
  • Best practices when creating a theme (why not to add shortcodes to your theme and what to do instead).

You'll receive immediate access to this material if you purchase one of the packages that includes the Badass Theme Shop Owner course.

What does the "Theme Review" include?

The Theme Review is only available in the highest course package. From your date of purchase, you will have six months to redeem your theme review.

Here's how it works:

  • You create your custom theme.
  • You email me the theme files.
  • I review the entire theme with a fine-toothed comb and send you feedback, suggestions, and edits.
  • I will test the theme using the same proceedure and guidelines as the WordPress.org theme review team.
  • If the theme passes my inspection, I will write a written review that you're welcome to use in any marketing material.

The feedback you receive may include the following:

  • Full code review and any notes of incorrect code or code that could be improved.
  • I may directly edit the code to make it better, and explain my changes.
  • Feedback on the design, usability, and any suggestions for improvement.

"If your goal is to become a ninja in coding, then this is the course for you!"

The online how-to WordPress Tutorials by NoseGraze are THE best courses I've found in my hunt for a good course. They cover the core basics as well as the little known features that are not obvious but so important. These little known details are what makes Ashley's courses stand out.

I have so much more confidence now knowing that my code follows the best practices of WordPress. If your goal is to become a ninja in coding, then this is the course for you!

Rosemary, Web Galley Design

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