# Framework for customizing themes

**URL:** <https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/framework-for-customizing-themes/6247>\
**Category:** feature\
**Created:** [April 19, 2017, 10:03am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/framework-for-customizing-themes/6247 "2017-04-19T10:03:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gour](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/gour/32/197_2.png) [@gour](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/gour)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2017, 10:03am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/framework-for-customizing-themes/6247/1 "2017-04-19T10:03:11Z")

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Hello,

I’m moving from python-powered static-site-generator wondering what is recommended way to customize Hugo themes?

Here I’m thinking about several things:

1. simple overrides like changing some CSS styles which is at the moment deployed in some themes (e.g. [Hugo Octopress](https://themes.gohugo.io/hugo-octopress) by using _params_:  
`[params] customCSS = ["css/custom.css","css/custom2.css"]`

2. more extensive customization by changing/adding/deleting layouts in the provided theme

3. taking advantage of theme’s CSS framework (e.g. Bootstrap etc.) to modify/customize theme.

First use case could be (easily) covered if every author would provide appropriate partial template and checking for e.g. _customCSS_ parameter within it.

By looking at the [docs](https://gohugo.io/themes/customizing/) it seems that 2nd use case is covered very well by it.

3rd use is momentarily solely depended on the theme’s author and/or the CSS framework used by the theme…

So, I’m thinking if it would be feasible/possible to create some kind of ‘theme-customzing-framework’ which could integrate or standardize the current practice of solving the problem of customizing Hugo themes?

So far, I’ve only briefly skimmed through the [presentation](https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-s2yFMZO3LeejNNeXVuRVZIUHc/view) about Hugo’s future and it really looks great.

Do I possibly miss something which is already present in Hugo helping solving this issue?

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**Author:** ![TheDcoder](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/thedcoder/32/2877_2.png) [@TheDcoder](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/TheDcoder)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/framework-for-customizing-themes/6247/2 "2017-04-20T17:52:22Z")

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You can read this page which documents the process of [customizing themes](https://hugodocs.info/themes/customizing/) 😉

In a nutshell, Hugo allows you to override the theme files without editing or deleting them. That way, you can customize your theme without touching the theme itself 🙂

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**Author:** ![gour](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/gour/32/197_2.png) [@gour](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/gour)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2017, 4:13pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/framework-for-customizing-themes/6247/3 "2017-04-21T16:13:23Z")

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> [@TheDcoder](#):
>
> You can read this page which documents the process of [customizing themes](https://hugodocs.info/themes/customizing/) 😉

Believe me, I read it, but it didn’t ‘click’ before. ☹

[quote]In a nutshell, Hugo allows you to override the theme files without editing or deleting them. That way, you can customize your theme without touching the theme itself 🙂  
[/quote]

Now it’s pretty clear. 🙂  
Btw, the new docs site looks much better, imho. 😉

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**Author:** ![TheDcoder](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/thedcoder/32/2877_2.png) [@TheDcoder](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/TheDcoder)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2017, 4:34pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/framework-for-customizing-themes/6247/4 "2017-04-21T16:34:10Z")

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It didn’t “click” for me the first time too, but once I had a good look, it did 😄

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**Author:** ![gaetawoo](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/gaetawoo/32/16789_2.png) [@gaetawoo](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/gaetawoo)\
**Post date:** [July 13, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/framework-for-customizing-themes/6247/5 "2017-07-13T16:30:06Z")

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That presentation was from early 2016… I gotta imagine most if not all of that stuff has been integrated by now, no?