# Orchardcore Theme Creator
> Creates new Orchard Core themes with proper structure, manifest, layouts, and assets. Use when the user needs to create a new theme, customize layouts, or set up frontend assets.
- Skill: `majiayu000/orchardcore-theme-creator` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add majiayu000/orchardcore-theme-creator`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/majiayu000/orchardcore-theme-creator/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Web & Frontend
- License: Apache-2.0
- Author: majiayu000 (https://skillmd.com/u/majiayu000)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/majiayu000/orchardcore-theme-creator
---
# Orchard Core Theme Creator
This skill guides you through creating new Orchard Core themes following project conventions.
## Prerequisites
- OrchardCore repository (working directory)
- .NET SDK 10.0+ installed
- Node.js 22.x and Yarn 4.x (for asset compilation)
## Theme Creation Workflow
### Step 1: Create Theme Directory
```bash
mkdir src/OrchardCore.Themes/YourTheme
cd src/OrchardCore.Themes/YourTheme
```
### Step 2: Create Required Files
Every theme needs these files:
1. **Manifest.cs** - Theme metadata
2. **YourTheme.csproj** - Project file
3. **Views/Layout.cshtml** - Main layout
4. **Views/_ViewImports.cshtml** - Razor imports
### Step 3: Create Manifest.cs
```csharp
using OrchardCore.DisplayManagement.Manifest;
using OrchardCore.Modules.Manifest;
[assembly: Theme(
Name = "Your Theme",
Author = ManifestConstants.OrchardCoreTeam,
Website = ManifestConstants.OrchardCoreWebsite,
Version = ManifestConstants.OrchardCoreVersion,
Description = "Your theme description."
)]
```
**Extending a base theme:**
```csharp
[assembly: Theme(
Name = "Your Theme",
BaseTheme = "TheBlogTheme", // Inherit from base
// ... other properties
)]
```
### Step 4: Create Project File
```xml
true
Your Theme
Your theme description.
```
### Step 5: Create Layout
Create `Views/Layout.cshtml`:
```html
@RenderTitleSegments(Site.SiteName, "before")
```
### Step 6: Add Assets (Optional)
Create asset structure:
```
Assets/
├── scss/site.scss
├── js/site.js
└── package.json
Assets.json
```
See `references/assets.md` for configuration details.
### Step 7: Build and Activate
```bash
# Build theme
cd /path/to/orchardcore
dotnet build src/OrchardCore.Themes/YourTheme
# Build assets (if added)
yarn && yarn build
# Run application
cd src/OrchardCore.Cms.Web
dotnet run -f net10.0
# Activate theme in Admin → Design → Themes
```
## Quick Reference
### Available Zones
| Zone | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `Header` | Site header |
| `Navigation` | Main menu |
| `Messages` | Alerts/notifications |
| `Content` | Main content |
| `Sidebar` | Side widgets |
| `Footer` | Site footer |
### Base Themes
| Theme | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| `TheBlogTheme` | Blog template |
| `TheAdmin` | Admin UI |
| `TheAgencyTheme` | Business template |
### Naming Conventions
| Item | Convention |
|------|------------|
| Theme folder | `YourThemeName` (PascalCase) |
| Namespace | `YourThemeName` |
| CSS file | `site.css` |
| JS file | `site.js` |
## References
- `references/theme-structure.md` - Directory layout and templates
- `references/assets.md` - SCSS, JS, and asset pipeline
- `AGENTS.md` (repo root) - Build commands