Why use a child theme?
If you edit a WordPress theme directly and the theme gets updated, all customizations are lost. A child theme solves this: your CSS and PHP customizations are in the child theme and won't be overwritten by parent theme updates. Mandatory for: custom CSS, modified theme code, custom template overrides.
Creating a child theme
A minimal child theme consists of a folder (e.g. `/wp-content/themes/your-theme-child/`) with a `style.css` that references the parent theme (`Template: parent-theme-folder`), and a `functions.php` that loads the parent CSS. Alternatively: plugins like Child Theme Configurator automate the process.
Child themes and block themes
With modern block themes (e.g. Twenty Twenty-Four), the need for child themes is reduced since styles can be customized via `theme.json` and the Full Site Editor — without code. Child themes remain relevant for PHP customizations, custom template parts, and complex feature extensions.