WordPress Block Themes vs Classic Themes: What Developers Should Know in 2026

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WordPress now offers two distinct theme development approaches: classic themes built on PHP templates and block themes that use HTML-based block markup with the Site Editor. Classic themes rely on familiar files like header.php and functions.php, giving developers direct control through PHP, hooks, and filters. Block themes, by contrast, use HTML template files and theme.json, allowing users to visually edit more of the site without touching code. Despite the growing prominence of block themes, WordPress continues to support and document classic theme development, meaning neither approach is obsolete. Developers familiar with classic themes are increasingly evaluating whether adopting block themes aligns with how the platform is evolving in 2026.

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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