Title: Create new, basic single.php template
Last modified: April 30, 2019

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# Create new, basic single.php template

 *  [esugrue](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esugrue/)
 * (@esugrue)
 * [7 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/create-new-basic-single-php-template/)
 * Hi!
    I am working on a client website that was designed (I think from scratch)
   by another company and they didn’t include a single.php or archive.php template.
 * I have a plugin where I can design specific templates for Single Posts and it
   works well, however it places its content into the single.php template, which
   this site doesn’t have.
 * Can anyone recommend a sample single.php template I can download and install 
   into this site so it at least has one. I did have a look at some articles but
   I think may be getting into more detail than I need?
 * I’m unsure, as every other site I have worked on had a single and archive template
   as part of the original install.
 * This image is the listing of the files under :
    /wp-content/themes/theme1
 * [https://ibb.co/Wxs1VgJ](https://ibb.co/Wxs1VgJ)
 * Ernie

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

 *  [Davood Denavi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/binarywc/)
 * (@binarywc)
 * [7 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/create-new-basic-single-php-template/#post-11480214)
 * You shouldn’t need a single.php template. Most themes I’ve worked with don’t 
   have one unless it’s a woocommerce site in which case you’ll want to ask the 
   woocommerce support community
 * [https://woocommerce.com/contact-us/](https://woocommerce.com/contact-us/)
    [https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/woocommerce/](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/woocommerce/)
 *  Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * (@bcworkz)
 * [7 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/create-new-basic-single-php-template/#post-11480399)
 * Your theme doesn’t need single.php, that much is evident since it’s working now
   without. I think you are saying your plugin requires it. Your theme has an index.
   php template in the theme folder. Copy that and rename it single.php. I think
   you will find index.php is currently used for single posts anyway.
 * You may not really need a plugin to do custom post templates. Just name the template
   following the format “single-post-{$slug}.php” and that template will be used
   for the post with the corresponding slug. Once again, you can start with an index.
   php copy and just rename it. That plugin probably offers more flexibility though.
 * For more on template naming and hierarchy, see [https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/basics/template-hierarchy/](https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/basics/template-hierarchy/)
 *  Thread Starter [esugrue](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esugrue/)
 * (@esugrue)
 * [7 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/create-new-basic-single-php-template/#post-11480446)
 * Hmm, OK thanks for that I probably misunderstood the theme author as he said:
   ‘
   The plugin should follow your original post logic. The content of our templates
   are placed in the container of the original post template.’
 * **Davood **– thanks for the hint – it’s not WC, so I should be good.
 * The site never had `posts’ as such and now they want a blog – anything entered
   as a post just showed the content – no date, author, category etc as most posts
   show!
 * The plugin helps with that adding those meta fields, however the rest of the 
   site is centred (like a boxed display) but now the post is flush left!
 * I thought I needed a single.php to control the display (but it seems not, thank
   you for the clarification).
 * My index.php is this:
 *     ```
       <?php get_header();?>
       <?php while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>
       <div class="body">
       	<div class="container">
       		<div class="clear"></div>
       		<div class="main">
       			<div class="post content">
       				<h1 class="page-title"><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title();?></a></h1>
   
       				<div class="content">
       					<?php the_content(); ?>
       				</div>
       			</div>
       		</div>
       		<div class="clear"></div>
       	</div>
       </div>
       <?php endwhile; ?>
       <?php get_footer();?>
       ```
   
 * So **bcworkz **– you think (know) I could copy this file, rename to single.php–
   and I should be able to edit it to centre the post content!
    -  This reply was modified 7 years ago by [esugrue](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esugrue/).
 *  [Davood Denavi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/binarywc/)
 * (@binarywc)
 * [7 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/create-new-basic-single-php-template/#post-11480565)
 * I’m not bcworkz but I can definitely tell you that if you copy index.php and 
   rename it to single.php then modify it to show the content you wish to show on
   you blog posts.
 * Hope this helps. Please tag the thread as resolved once you figure out how to
   accomplish what you’re attempting to accomplish.
 *  Thread Starter [esugrue](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esugrue/)
 * (@esugrue)
 * [7 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/create-new-basic-single-php-template/#post-11480573)
 * Thanks **Davood **– it helps more than you know, starting to get my head around
   it and understand it a bit better.
 * Thanks
 * Once I get it right and sorted – and have no more silly questions – I’ll mark
   it as resolved.
 *  [Davood Denavi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/binarywc/)
 * (@binarywc)
 * [7 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/create-new-basic-single-php-template/#post-11480701)
 * no questions are silly.
    we are here to help! feel free to ask any questions 
   you have about child themes!

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

The topic ‘Create new, basic single.php template’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 6 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Davood Denavi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/binarywc/)
 * Last activity: [7 years ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/create-new-basic-single-php-template/#post-11480701)
 * Status: not resolved

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