How to create a custom WordPress page template

General overview of how to create a custom WordPress page template.

Here are the basic steps:

  1. Create a new file in your theme folder: To create a new custom page template, you need to create a new PHP file in your WordPress theme folder. You can use a text editor or a code editor like Sublime Text or Visual Studio Code to create the file. The name of the file should be in the following format: page-{slug}.php. Replace {slug} with a unique name for your page template.
  2. Add Template Header: The next step is to add a header to your new PHP file, which will tell WordPress that it is a page template file. Here’s an example header code you can use:
php
<?php
/*
Template Name: My Custom Page Template
*/

get_header(); ?>

Replace My Custom Page Template with the name you want to give to your custom template. get_header() is a WordPress function that loads the header file of your theme.

  1. Design your page: You can now design your custom page template using HTML, CSS, and PHP. You can include WordPress functions to display content, such as the_title(), the_content(), and the_post_thumbnail().
  2. Save and upload your template file: Once you have finished designing your custom page template, save the file and upload it to your WordPress theme folder using an FTP client.
  3. Assign the page template to a page: You can now assign your custom page template to a page from the WordPress editor. Go to the page editor, and under the “Page Attributes” section, select the “Template” dropdown and choose the name of your custom template.

That’s it! Your custom page template is now ready to use.

Note that the above steps are just a general guideline, and the specific details may vary depending on your theme and the requirements of your custom page template.