Title: Does html mark up matter for wordpress functionality
Last modified: January 16, 2018

---

# Does html mark up matter for wordpress functionality

 *  [qwazzy](https://wordpress.org/support/users/qwazzy/)
 * (@qwazzy)
 * [8 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/does-html-mark-up-matter-for-wordpress-functionality/)
 * I use Underscores starter theme to customize my layout. It comes with some basic
   preset html markup, which I want to replace entirely with my custom html. I was
   wondering if the functionality of the WordPress platform or its plugins may depend
   on that preset html markup, especially on html tags’ `id`, so that removing them
   will may break some of the functionality? Or it is totally safe to remove it 
   altogether?
 * Excerpt from _header.php_:
 *     ```
       <div id="page" class="site">
           <header id="masthead" class="site-header">
               <div class="site-branding">
                   ...
               </div><!-- .site-branding -->
           <nav id="site-navigation" class="main-navigation">
                   ...
           </nav><!-- #site-navigation -->
       </header><!-- #masthead -->
   
       <div id="content" class="site-content">
       ```
   
    -  This topic was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by [qwazzy](https://wordpress.org/support/users/qwazzy/).
    -  This topic was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by [qwazzy](https://wordpress.org/support/users/qwazzy/).
    -  This topic was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by [qwazzy](https://wordpress.org/support/users/qwazzy/).
    -  This topic was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by [qwazzy](https://wordpress.org/support/users/qwazzy/).

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

 *  [RossMitchell](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rossmitchell/)
 * (@rossmitchell)
 * [8 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/does-html-mark-up-matter-for-wordpress-functionality/#post-9865817)
 * Yes, WordPress uses html markup extensively, even the admin dashboard.
 * Feel free to create a child theme and customize your css and page templates without
   limit. All of these customizations are read by WordPress as being in addition
   to the parent theme, rather than replacing same.
    On the other hand when you 
   want to create your own theme from scratch, just go for it.
 *  [Peter Hardy-vanDoorn](https://wordpress.org/support/users/petervandoorn/)
 * (@petervandoorn)
 * [8 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/does-html-mark-up-matter-for-wordpress-functionality/#post-9865890)
 * If you’re modifying someone else’s theme, then yes, you could break something
   if you change IDs and classes – for example, there might be a script that hides#
   masthead as you scroll the page, or the CSS for .site-branding might be prefixed
   with #masthead, so you’d lose the styling if you changed #masthead to something
   else.
 * However, if you’re basically building your own theme from scratch, just based
   on the Underscores framework, then no, changing IDs and classes doesn’t matter
   in the slightest.
 * _Ross’s reply isn’t entirely correct, btw, as a child theme’s template file (
   header.php, for example) completely replaces the parent theme’s version of that
   file rather than adding to it._
 * Hope that helps.
 *  Thread Starter [qwazzy](https://wordpress.org/support/users/qwazzy/)
 * (@qwazzy)
 * [8 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/does-html-mark-up-matter-for-wordpress-functionality/#post-9865916)
 * Sorry for not being clear as to which theme exactly I’m using. I use Underscores.
   me starter theme, so it is just a basic framework for further customization, 
   not a ready-made theme, but it still has some preset markup and I was wondering
   if it was safe to replace it entirely.
 * Peter Hardy-vanDoorn’s answer addressed my concern. Thank you all for the response.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The topic ‘Does html mark up matter for wordpress functionality’ is closed to new
replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 3 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [qwazzy](https://wordpress.org/support/users/qwazzy/)
 * Last activity: [8 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/does-html-mark-up-matter-for-wordpress-functionality/#post-9865916)
 * Status: not a support question

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