Even if a bit later than at first planned, we’re getting a brand spanking new WordPress default theme. Its identify is Twenty Twenty-Two!
The new WordPress default theme comes with the approaching WordPress 5.9 release. We’ve been curious to learn additional regarding the new theme, so we installed and tested Twenty Twenty-Two on a local development environment running WordPress 5.9.
We’ll show you our results forward of wrapping up our concepts to ship you an in-depth review of the ins and outs of the new WordPress theme.

Twenty Twenty-Two has been designed to be necessarily essentially the most flexible, lightweight, and customizable default theme ever. It provides an excellent playground for testing blocks, patterns, and templates.
Being a block theme, it’ll can help you upper uncover Whole Site Bettering, World Types, Navigation blocks, and the new image galleries, which could be necessarily essentially the most awaited choices coming with WordPress 5.9.
We want to say right away that Twenty Twenty-Two is the principle default block theme!
Probably the most daring goals of the new theme is to empower shoppers. With such a large amount of patterns and templates available out the sphere, shoppers can assemble complicated layouts with only some clicks. The remaining is just style customization.
From a technical perspective, writing about Twenty Twenty-Two isn’t so much different from writing about the newest and most tough choices coming with WordPress 5.9. Then again Twenty Twenty-Two provides us with a magnifying glass to higher acknowledge the new internet web site enhancing choices and get a better considered the platform’s long run.
So proper right here we’re to introduce you to the new theme.
First, we’ll uncover the new internet web site enhancing go with the flow that buyers will revel in with WordPress 5.9 and Twenty Twenty-Two.
After that, we’ll dive into the principle block theme choices performed in Twenty Twenty-Two. You’ll get to snatch World Types, block patterns, templates, and template parts.
Then again there’s a lot more to say about Twenty Twenty-Two and WordPress block subjects. So, as a bonus chapter, we’ll provide a at hand information a coarse review of extend Twenty Twenty-Two’s choices thru taking advantage of the theme.json record.
Proper right here’s a main check out the next WordPress default theme! I’m excited to be co-leading it alongside @jffng, and we every hope you’ll have the ability to contribute to it and/or just enjoy using it!
https://t.co/covjrpgFIO
— kjellr (@kjellr) October 6, 2021
Let’s get right kind to artwork and dive into the brand new Twenty Twenty-Two WordPress default theme.
Twenty Twenty-Two Brings a New Site Bettering Waft
Quite a few Whole Site Bettering choices come into the core with WordPress 5.9. Site homeowners using the newest WordPress type with a block theme comparable to Twenty Twenty-Two installed will briefly be able to:
- Create and edit posts and pages using additional blocks and patterns
- Customize the settings and styles defined inside the theme.json record at some stage in the World Types interface
- Create and edit templates for pages and posts
- Create and edit template parts for header, footer, and other template areas
With a majority of these choices merged to the core, WordPress core folks have been discussing the evolution of the information architecture and redesigned all of the Site Editing Flow.
The first thing you have to perceive for those who’ve activated Twenty Twenty-Two is that the get admission to point to the internet web site editor isn’t located in the principle menu of your WordPress dashboard, then again has been moved beneath the Glance menu.

Bringing the template and style enhancing choices beneath the equivalent Glance menu should streamline the enhancing revel in. It should assist you to keep in mind that the choices you’re gaining access to relate to the presentation of your pages.
The Editor menu products opens the internet web site’s homepage template. Depending on your learning settings, this can also be each your latest posts internet web page or a static internet web page.

Now, clicking on the WordPress icon inside the upper left corner displays a brand spanking new site editor navigation menu, along side 3 menu items: Site, Templates, and Template Parts.
Let’s take a closer look.

The Site chance opens the homepage template (latest blog articles or static area internet web page).
From the Templates menu products, you’ll get a listing of the available templates. You’ll have the ability to click on on on any template inside the tick list to free up it inside the editor.
As of this writing, Twenty Twenty-Two provides 11 templates.

Clicking on the ellipsis (︙) icon at the correct implies that you’ll be able to clear your customizations.

By contrast to theme templates, custom templates can absolute best be renamed or removed (then again you’ll edit custom templates inside the put up editor).

The Template Parts menu products lists the available template parts you’ll open inside the editor for your customizations.
You’ll find 4 template parts added to Twenty Twenty-Two thru default. Hovering the cursor over a modified template displays a tooltip letting that the template has been customized.

You’ll have the ability to clear the ones customizations thru clicking on the ellipsis (︙) icon at the correct.

Bettering Templates and Template Parts
The Editor provides the interface to customize the development of your templates and template parts.
Proper right here you’ll merely add or edit blocks and patterns, and your changes could be automatically performed to each internet web page that uses that template.

The image underneath shows the 404 internet web page template inside the editor. It’s an exquisite simple template, along side only a heading, a paragraph, and a search box. However, it provides us a excellent understanding of how the UI works.

Proper right here, you’ll make edits and customize templates to fit your needs highest. For instance, likelihood is that you’ll need to add a Grid of image posts pattern to increase your visitors’ engagement and invite them to browse the content material subject material of your web page.

The header dropdown at the peak of the template editor displays a listing of the available Template areas. The equivalent tick list turns out inside the Template tab inside the Settings sidebar.

Thru clicking on any template area (e.g. Header), you’ll be immediately dropped on the template segment you need to edit.
Will have to you click on on on the ellipsis icon at the correct, you’ll get entry to the Isolated template segment editor.

The template segment editor moreover provides a few draggable handles, allowing you to check how the template behaves at different show resolutions.

Each time you’re glad along side your changes, save your edits and go back to the principle template editor to check the overall finish outcome.
If you want to dive deeper into the new wisdom construction, you have to want to check out the following articles:
Twenty Twenty-Two at Its Core: A Speedy Evaluate of theme.json
To completely understand how Twenty Twenty-Two and block subjects artwork, let’s have a look at the new theme configuration and styling mechanism consistent with the theme.json record.
Offered with WordPress 5.8, this new mechanism shall we in theme developers to configure the editor and add serve as lend a hand from a central configuration point.
In Twenty Twenty-Two, the theme.json record has the following building:
{
"type": 2,
"settings": {},
"types": {},
"customTemplates": {},
"templateParts": {}
}
Let’s have a at hand information a coarse check out each and every section.
Fashion
The type
field describes the specification type, which is nowadays 2
.
Settings
The settings
section defines settings at the global or block level. Settings defined at top-level affect all blocks, then again blocks can in my view override global settings. In Twenty Twenty-Two you’ll find the following settings:
{
"settings": {
"appearanceTools": true,
"color": {
"duotone": [...],
"gradients": [...],
"palette": [...]
},
"custom": {...},
"spacing": {...},
"typography": {
"dropCap": false,
"fontFamilies": [...],
"fontSizes": [...]
},
"structure": {...}
}
}
Settings defaults are known as presets and are used to generate CSS custom properties and class names consistent with a decided on naming convention:
- CSS custom property:
--wp--preset--{preset-category}--{preset-slug}
- CSS class identify:
.has-{preset-slug}-{preset-category}
Once a theme has defined its presets, the corresponding CSS custom properties can be used to style blocks and elements inside the types
section.
Types
The types
section is where subjects define block and element default styles. See, for example, the following Twenty Twenty-Two types for the core Button block:
{
"type": 2,
"types": {
"blocks": {
"core/button": {
"border": {
"radius": "0"
},
"color": {
"background": "var(--wp--preset--color--primary)",
"text": "var(--wp--preset--color--background)"
},
"typography": {
"fontSize": "var(--wp--preset--typography--font-size--normal)"
}
}
}
}
}
You’ll perceive the CSS custom properties used inside the property declarations.
Custom designed Templates
The customTemplates
section is where a theme pronounces its custom templates. The identify
and establish
fields are required. Problems can also declare what put up sort can use the template thru setting the postTypes
property.
Twenty Twenty-Two provides 4 custom templates:
{
"type": 2,
"customTemplates": [
{
"name": "blank",
"title": "Blank",
"postTypes": [
"page",
"post"
]
},
{
"identify": "page-large-header",
"establish": "Internet web page (Massive Header)",
"postTypes": [
"page"
]
},
{
"identify": "single-no-separators",
"establish": "Single Publish (No Separators)",
"postTypes": [
"post"
]
},
{
"identify": "page-no-separators",
"establish": "Internet web page (No Separators)",
"postTypes": [
"page"
]
}
]
}
You’ll find the corresponding .html data inside the block-templates folder.

Template Parts
The templateParts
section accommodates template part definitions:
{
"type": 2,
"templateParts": [
{
"name": "header",
"title": "Header",
"area": "header"
},
{
"name": "header-large-dark",
"title": "Header (Dark, large)",
"area": "header"
},
{
"name": "header-small-dark",
"title": "Header (Dark, small)",
"area": "header"
},
{
"name": "footer",
"title": "Footer",
"area": "footer"
}
]
}
The identify
and establish
fields are required. Problems can also declare an area
period of time, where the template segment could be rendered inside the editor.

Template parts .html data are located inside the template-parts folder.
Now that additional about Twenty Twenty-Two’s theme.json, we can uncover the theme’s choices and the new enhancing interface additional utterly.
Let’s dive into Twenty Twenty-Two’s World Types.
World Types in Twenty Twenty-Two
Will have to you check out Twenty Twenty-Two’ style.css, you might be stunned to notice that it accommodates a minimal choice of CSS declarations. The reason is that types are declared inside the theme.json record in block-based subjects.
WordPress 5.9 will ship problems a step further, introducing a brand spanking new serve as that permits block theme shoppers to customize the illusion of internet web site elements from an individual interface known as Global Styles.
The World Types interface can also be accessed from the new Types icon located inside the upper right kind corner of the Editor (see moreover The Global Styles Interface).
Clicking on that icon displays a brand spanking new Types sidebar along side 3 separate panels:
- A Preview panel, showing a preview of your customizations
- A World Types panel providing get entry to to specific groups of controls for Typography, Colors, and Layout
- A Blocks products providing get entry to to block-level style settings

Twenty Twenty-Two’s Color Palette
The Colors panel assist you to edit the available palettes and assign or industry colors for Background, Text, or Links.
Inside the Palette panel, you’ll customize the Theme or Default palettes and even create your custom palette.
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Have you ever ever found out the code that generates the color controls however?
If not, open Twenty Twenty-Two’s theme.json to your favorite code editor. You’ll find the following color palette declarations:
{
"type": 2,
"settings": {
"color": {
"palette": [
{
"slug": "foreground",
"color": "#000000",
"name": "Foreground"
},
{
"slug": "background",
"color": "#ffffff",
"name": "Background"
},
{
"slug": "primary",
"color": "#1a4548",
"name": "Primary"
},
{
"slug": "secondary",
"color": "#ffe2c7",
"name": "Secondary"
},
{
"slug": "tertiary",
"color": "#F6F6F6",
"name": "Tertiary"
}
]
}
}
}
The image underneath shows how the code above fits the Twenty Twenty-Two’s color palette.

Now let’s assume that you need to modify the default background color for a particular block. Settling on a definite color for the block’s background will simply assign a definite CSS variable to the element’s background-color
property. The image underneath provides an example of that:

And that’s all! You won’t need to add a single line of custom CSS code to the Customizer or create a child theme for that.
Then again let’s keep exploring Twenty Twenty-Two’s World Types with some additional examples.
Typography Settings
The Typography panel is where you’ll customize typography types for your web page’s Text and Links elements at the global level.
Every products provides get entry to to a number of controls so to customize font family, duration, and line-height.

Are you wondering what code generates the ones controls?
Open Twenty Twenty-Two’s theme.json and find the typography
section. You’ll see the following settings:
{
"type": 1,
"settings": {
"appearanceTools": true,
"typography": {
"dropCap": false,
"fontFamilies": [
{
"fontFamily": "-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,"Segoe UI",Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif",
"name": "System Font",
"slug": "system-font"
},
{
"fontFamily": ""Source Serif Pro", serif",
"name": "Source Serif Pro",
"slug": "source-serif-pro"
}
],
"fontSizes": [
{
"name": "Small",
"size": "1rem",
"slug": "small"
},
{
"name": "Normal",
"size": "1.125rem",
"slug": "normal"
},
{
"name": "Medium",
"size": "1.75rem",
"slug": "medium"
},
{
"name": "Large",
"size": "clamp(1.75rem, 3vw, 2.25rem)",
"slug": "large"
},
{
"name": "Huge",
"size": "clamp(2.5rem, 4vw, 3rem)",
"slug": "huge"
}
]
},
}
You must expect to seem two font families and 5 font sizes from the code above. And in addition you’d have guessed right kind.
Proper right here’s how the code above translates to World Types Typography settings:

You must guess what setting generates the Line height keep watch over. In Twenty Twenty-Two, you won’t find a explicit setting for that because it’s enabled in the course of the appearanceTools
property, which is a shortcut for a lot of setting declarations (see next section).
Layout and Glance Apparatus
The remainder element inside the World Types sidebar is the Layout. At the time of this writing, it absolute best includes a padding
keep watch over.

In Twenty Twenty-Two, the Layout panel is enabled in the course of the appearanceTools
setting property, a boolean that can be used to enable several settings immediately:
{
"settings": {
"appearanceTools": true
}
}
"appearanceTools": true
simply replaces the following block of declarations:
{
'settings': {
'border': {
'color': true,
'radius': true,
'style': true,
'width': true
},
'color': {
'link': true
},
'spacing': {
'blockGap': true,
'margin': true,
'padding': true
},
'typography': {
'lineHeight': true
}
}
}
OK — you now hopefully understand how the settings declared inside the theme.json record have compatibility the corresponding World Types controls.
There’s nevertheless one piece of our puzzle missing to get the entire symbol of the new WordPress default theme: block patterns.
Twenty Twenty-Two Block Patterns
One would possibly say that Twenty Twenty-Two is referred to as a collection of patterns — and it almost about is. In Twenty Twenty-Two, you’ll find a whole lot of ready-to-use block patterns that you simply’ll choose from to build very good and unpredictable constructions of nested blocks for your web pages.
The vital factor period of time that is individual empowerment. And that fits on account of, with block patterns, you’ll assemble all varieties of problems, from a fascinating portfolio to a single-page promotional web page, although you don’t have any knowledge of HTML or CSS!
And WordPress 5.9 brings vital improvements to the fashion tool with the new Pattern Explorer, a tool that lets you browse patterns in a full-screen modal.
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The new instrument moreover allows you to in short and easily import block patterns immediately from the Pattern Directory. This opens up new possibilities for every WordPress shoppers and developers, so its usage is at risk of increase considerably one day.

Twenty Twenty-Two accommodates plenty of patterns (over 65) during 5 categories.

This cast set of patterns pairs utterly with templates and template parts coming with the new default theme, making for a in truth very good enhancing revel in.



Will have to you haven’t had a possibility to experiment with block patterns however, we’ll show you why they’re considered such tough apparatus with a simple example.
Assume you need to remove the default footer from the Index and Single Publish templates and exchange it with a definite Twenty Twenty-Two block pattern.
Free up the Site Editor from the Glance menu or the WordPress frontend toolbar button to customize the Index template.
Click on on on the Index button to turn the header dropdown showing the tick list of template areas available on the internet web page. Click on on on the ellipsis button next to Footer and then on Edit Footer.

As mentioned above, this may occasionally free up the isolated template segment editor.

Now open the block inserter and click on on on Patterns.
Free up the new Development Explorer instrument, choose the Twenty Twenty-Two Footers magnificence, and make a choice the footer of your variety.

Now add and edit the blocks in step with your needs.

Save the header and recheck your internet web site when you’re glad along side your changes.
The image underneath compares 3 templates (Index, Single Publish, and Single Publish and now not the use of a separators) with different header and footer customizations:

Extending Twenty Twenty-Two With a Child Theme
Creating a child theme for a block theme is reasonably different from creating a child theme for a classic theme.
Then again after you have a excellent understanding of a block theme’s structure, you won’t find it difficult to create a child theme for Twenty Twenty-Two or each and every different block theme.
So let’s figure out customize the look and feel of your Twenty Twenty-Two-based web page.
1. Atmosphere Up a Child Theme for Twenty Twenty-Two
For your /wp-content/subjects record, create a new folder and identify it regardless of you favor (in step with theme development standards). In this example, we known as the child theme folder twentytwentytwo-child.
Now you need a style.css record. Open your favorite code editor and create the following stylesheet:
/*
Theme Name: Twenty Twenty-Two Child
Theme URI: https://example.com/
Author: Your identify
Author URI: https://example.com/
Description: A child theme for TT2.
Calls for at least: 5.8
Tested up to: 5.9
Requires PHP: 5.6
Fashion: 0.2
License: GNU Elementary Public License v2 or later
License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
Text House: twentytwentytwo-child
Template: twentytwentytwo
Tags: one-column, custom-colors, custom-menu, custom-logo, editor-style, featured-images, full-site-editing, block-patterns, rtl-language-support, sticky-post, threaded-comments
Twenty Twenty-Two Child WordPress Theme, (C) 2021 WordPress.org
Twenty Twenty-Two Child is shipped beneath the words of the GNU GPL.
*/
As at all times, you’ll edit fields in step with your needs.
Your infant theme is now available for preview. You’ll have the ability to activate it inside the Glance > Problems admin show.
2. Customizing World Settings
Since WordPress 5.9, infant subjects with a theme.json record inherit the parent theme’s settings. If the child’s theme.json defines a choice of types, then those types practice on peak of its parent’s types.
So we can create a theme.json record that includes only a small custom block of setting and style definitions rather than redefine all our original imaginable alternatives.
Learn the way to Declare a Custom designed Color Palette
When construction a child theme for Twenty Twenty-Two, the easiest procedure is converting the color palette. All you wish to have to do is define a brand spanking new color palette to your infant’s theme.json as confirmed underneath:
{
"type": 2,
"settings": {
"color": {
"palette": [
{
"slug": "foreground",
"color": "#FFFFFF",
"name": "Foreground"
},
{
"slug": "background",
"color": "#001F29",
"name": "Background"
},
{
"slug": "primary",
"color": "#D6FDFF",
"name": "Primary"
},
{
"slug": "secondary",
"color": "#FDFCDC",
"name": "Secondary"
},
{
"slug": "tertiary",
"color": "#FED9B7",
"name": "Tertiary"
},
{
"slug": "accent",
"color": "#E94435",
"name": "Accent"
}
]
}
}
}
Save your record and go back to the internet web site editor. The color palette defined above should have modified the default Twenty Twenty-Two’s color palette.

The colors could be shown in order on the palette itself, and their names should follow the best practices and naming conventions discussed on Github.
You’ll have the ability to be informed much more about theme.json color alternatives in this in-depth overview by Carolina Nymark.
How To Declare Custom designed Duotone Filters
You’ll have the ability to moreover exchange the default duotone colors along side your custom set of filters.
To try this, simply add the following code for your infant’s theme.json settings at the an identical level since the palette
property:
{
"type": 2,
"settings": {
"color": {
"palette": [...],
"duotone": [
{
"colors": [
"#001F29",
"#FFFFFF"
],
"slug": "default-filter",
"identify": "Default filter"
}
]
}
}
}
Save your record and try the end result inside the block editor. You should absolute best see a single duotone filter.

3. Customizing Block Types
As we mentioned earlier, with WordPress 5.9, you’ll now customize theme.json settings and types from the World Types interface.
Block types can also be customized from the World Types interface only if the block pronounces lend a hand for explicit capacity inside the corresponding block.json record. Then again you’ll override default block settings to your infant theme’s theme.json.
Now assume you need to override Publish Establish and Group block types. All you wish to have to do is define the categories you need in an effort to upload or override, as confirmed underneath:
{
"type": 2,
"settings": {...},
"types": {
"blocks": {
"core/post-title": {
"typography": {
"fontFamily": "Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif"
},
"color": {
"background": "var(--wp--preset--color--tertiary)"
},
"spacing": {
"padding": "var(--wp--custom--spacing--small)"
}
},
"core/team": {
"spacing": {
"margin": {
"peak": "0",
"bottom": "0"
}
}
}
}
}
}
Inside the example above, we changed the font family, background color, and padding values for core/post-title
, along with the perfect and bottom margins for core/team
.
The image underneath shows the end result as it’s going to look on the public internet web site:

And that’s it for the review!
We won’t dive any deeper into infant subjects for now as it’s going to go beyond the scope of this put up. In the meanwhile, you’ll find additional examples of Twenty Twenty-Two child themes on Github.
Summary
While taking a closer check out the new WordPress default theme Twenty Twenty-Two and its choices (which make it necessarily essentially the most flexible default theme ever introduced), we unveiled the new wisdom construction presented with WordPress 5.9. We even got a sneak peek at the new World Types interface.
There are many exciting new choices on the approach, and it seems clear that the new enhancing environment is getting additional tough, loyal, and useful over time.
While many new WordPress choices are on the approach, others are disappearing or reducing in importance. Many purchasers are left wondering what’s going to happen to the Customizer and highest care for backward compatibility with provide subjects.
Alternatively, you shouldn’t expect to impulsively bounce from standard subjects to block subjects in a single certain. We nowadays have 4 various kinds of subjects to choose between:
- Block subjects: Problems designed for FSE
- Not unusual subjects: Problems that artwork with every the Customizer and the Site Editor
- Hybrid subjects: Antique subjects supporting FSE choices like theme.json
- Antique subjects: Problems with PHP templates, functions.php, and so forth.
So, fear not for now — there are nevertheless a lot of solutions to choose between must you don’t truly really feel ready to switch to block subjects however.
And now it’s up to you! Are you ready to make the huge bounce and get began using block subjects right now? Proportion your concepts with us inside the comments underneath.
The put up A Deep Dive into Twenty Twenty-Two and WordPress Block Themes gave the impression first on Kinsta®.
Contents
- 1 Twenty Twenty-Two Brings a New Site Bettering Waft
- 2 Twenty Twenty-Two at Its Core: A Speedy Evaluate of theme.json
- 3 World Types in Twenty Twenty-Two
- 4 Sign Up For the Newsletter
- 5 Twenty Twenty-Two Block Patterns
- 6 Extending Twenty Twenty-Two With a Child Theme
- 7 Summary
- 8 The usage of a Fullwidth Format vs Grid in Divi’s Filterable Portfolio Module
- 9 WPMUDEV Club Plans And Pricing: Unlocking WordPress Energy: WPMUDEV Club…
- 10 AI Conversion Price Optimization — What Are the Advantages & The right way to Use It in Your Tra...
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