Overview
Build custom Basker themes: architecture, blocks, templates, Liquid, and deployment
This section is for developers building custom themes for Basker. A theme defines how content renders on the live site: layouts, templates, blocks, typography, and navigation. It also includes the editor controls site editors use to configure the look and feel.
You do not need to know anything about Basker's internals to build a theme. Themes are a self-contained surface with a Liquid contract, a manifest, and a set of conventions for files and folders. The pages below cover that surface from the ground up.
What is covered
Tutorial
Build a starter-shaped theme from scratch, end to end: directory, layout, templates, blocks, settings, calendar, upload, and preview.
Architecture
Directory structure, the theme manifest, the rendering lifecycle, and the data your templates work with.
Building
Layouts, templates, blocks, and theme settings: the four building units.
Template references
The shape of every record passed to your templates: pages, posts, events, people, venues, and more.
Liquid reference
Custom tags, filters, and field types layered on top of standard Liquid.
Deployment
Validate, upload, update, and recover themes safely. Plus the pre-deploy checklist.
When to come back here
Theme development is iterative. Most developers visit this section in three phases:
- First theme: read Getting started and Architecture, then build a thin theme that renders pages and events from your site's content.
- Adding features: read Building and Template references. Use them when you need a specific block type, override a template, or add theme settings.
- Shipping: read Deployment and Troubleshooting, then return to the editor docs to verify the final result.
For the editor-side perspective on installing, switching, and configuring themes, see Managing themes.