> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.aikeedo.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Customizing an existing theme

> Adapt the default or a marketplace Aikeedo theme without losing your changes when the platform updates.

Starting from a theme that already works is often faster than building one. The rule that matters: **always work on a copy under your own vendor name**, because an update replaces the bundled theme's files.

<Warning>
  Editing `extra/extensions/heyaikeedo/default` directly means the next Aikeedo update overwrites your work. Copy it first.
</Warning>

## Option 1: Copy, no build step

Good for text, colors and layout tweaks in the existing templates.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Copy the theme">
    ```bash theme={null}
    cp -r extra/extensions/heyaikeedo/default extra/extensions/acme/aurora
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Rename the package">
    In `extra/extensions/acme/aurora/composer.json`, change `name` to `acme/aurora` and `extra.title` to your theme's name. The directory path must match the name.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the published assets">
    ```bash theme={null}
    cp -r public/e/heyaikeedo/default public/e/acme/aurora
    ```

    The originals were published when the bundled theme was installed. Copying them gives your theme the same CSS, JavaScript and images.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Publish it">
    In the admin panel, open **Themes** and publish your copy. Preview it first at `/preview?theme=acme/aurora`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit the templates">
    Change the Twig files in `extra/extensions/acme/aurora/`. With `CACHE=false` the changes appear immediately; otherwise clear the cache.

    <Check>
      Your theme survives Aikeedo updates, because nothing ships a package under your vendor name.
    </Check>
  </Step>
</Steps>

**Limits of this approach:** the CSS is already compiled, so you can't add Tailwind classes that weren't used before, and there's no hot reloading. Restyling is easier from source.

## Option 2: Rebuild from source

Good for real design work: new sections, new classes, changed JavaScript.

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/heyaikeedo/themes-default.git aurora
cd aurora
npm install
```

Then follow the [quickstart](/development/themes/quickstart) from the renaming step: change `static/composer.json`, set `BUILD_DIR` to `extra/extensions/acme/aurora`, and run `npm run dev`.

You get the default theme's markup as a starting point, plus the full build pipeline.

## Option 3: Start from the starter kit

If you're replacing the design anyway, the [starter kit](https://github.com/heyaikeedo/themes-starter) is a smaller base: a layout, a header, the script-tag snippets and the custom elements, with no marketing sections to delete.

## Marketplace themes

A purchased theme is installed like any other package. To customize it, copy it under your own vendor name first, exactly as in option 1. Keep a copy of the original archive: when the author ships an update, you'll want to compare their changes against yours.

## Keeping changes maintainable

* **Track it in git**, even a private repository. A theme is source code.
* **Keep a change log** of what you altered relative to the original, so a future update is a diff rather than an archaeology exercise.
* **Prefer adding files over editing them.** A new section you include is easier to carry forward than a rewritten one.
* **Don't fork what you can configure.** Logos, colors, policies and social links are admin settings; read them instead of hardcoding.

## What you can't change in a theme

Auth pages, the app, the admin panel and error pages are core templates. Use `resources/views/overrides/` for those, and see [Extending Aikeedo](/development/extending-aikeedo).

## Related

* [Theme quickstart](/development/themes/quickstart)
* [Landing page settings](/website-basics/landing-page)
* [Packaging and publishing](/development/themes/packaging-and-publishing)