Once you install and activate Creatus WordPress Theme you are taken to the Auto Setup screen that gives you two auto setup options that automatically download and activate Creatus Child Theme.

• Plugins & Demo Content  -  installs all required plugins and dependencies and redirects to demo content install screen
• Plugins Only  -  installs all required plugins and dependencies

Clicking on any of the two options will auto install and activate Creatus child theme for you. We strongly recommend to use child-theme to make sure that your custom changes will still be effective after the theme has been updated.

Why use child theme?

WordPress child theme inherits all features and functionalities from a parent theme. This way you can modify or extend parent theme without changing it and any future theme updates are not going to remove your custom theme modifications.

Beside being able to extend the theme files, with Creatus you can also extend or modify the parent theme framework theme options, shortcodes ( elements ), extensions or widgets;

Extend Creatus theme options

If theme options set is located in Creatus framework theme options folder, the Creatus child theme is able to override the options set files by copying the file in to child theme corresponding folder;

├─creatus/
│ ├─inc/
│ └──thzframework/
│     └─theme/
│       └─options/
│         ├─posts/
│         └──post_media.php
│   
└─creatus-child/
  ├─inc/
  └──thzframework/
      └─theme/
        └─options/
          ├─posts/
          └──post_media.php

Extend Creatus shortcodes ( elements )

If a shortcode is located in Creatus framework extensions shortcodes folder, the Creatus child theme is able to override the shortcode files by copying them in to child theme corresponding folder;

├─creatus/
│ ├─inc/
│ └──thzframework/
│     └─extensions/
│       └─shortcodes/
│         ├─shortcodes/
│         ├──text/
│         └───...
│   
└─creatus-child/
  ├─inc/
  └──thzframework/
      └─extensions/
        └─shortcodes/
          ├─shortcodes/
          ├──text/
          └───...

Extend Creatus extensions

If an extension is located in Creatus framework extensions folder, the Creatus child theme is able to override the extension files by copying them in to child theme corresponding folder;

├─creatus/
│ ├─inc/
│ └──thzframework/
│     └─extensions/
│       └─megamenu/
│         ├─views/
│         └──item-link.php
│   
└─creatus-child/
  ├─inc/
  └──thzframework/
      └─extensions/
        └─megamenu/
          ├─views/
          └──item-link.php

Extend Creatus widgets

If a widget is located in Creatus inc widgets folder, the Creatus child theme is able to override the widget.php file by copying it to child theme corresponding folder;

├─creatus/
│ ├─inc/
│ └──widgets/
│     └─thz-flickr/
│       └─views/
│         └──widget.php
│   
└─creatus-child/
  ├─inc/
  └──widgets/
      └─thz-flickr/
        └─views/
          └──widget.php