🚀 Convert Your Static Blog HTML Template into a WordPress Plugin
Want to reuse your custom blog HTML layout in WordPress without editing your theme files? You can turn it into a clean, reusable plugin with a selectable page template—no theme override needed.
🛠️ How It Works:
1. Create a plugin folder under wp-content/plugins/, e.g. custom-blog-template-plugin.
2. Add a main PHP file (custom-blog-template-plugin.php) with a proper plugin header. This file registers your template using:
theme_page_templates to make it appear in the admin
template_include to load the template file from your plugin
3. Create a page template file (custom-blog-template.php) inside the plugin folder:
Add the WordPress template header: /* Template Name: Custom Blog Template */
Wrap your static blog layout in get_header() and get_footer() calls
Optionally replace static blog items with dynamic WP_Query loops to pull blog posts
4. Add custom styles/scripts inside an assets/ folder, and enqueue them only when the template is active using wp_enqueue_scripts.
đź“„ How to Use in WordPress:
Go to Pages > Add New
Title the page "Blog" (or any name you prefer)
In the Page Attributes > Template, select Custom Blog Template
Publish and view the page—you’ll now see your HTML blog layout running on WordPress, powered by dynamic data if you used WP_Query.
This method keeps your theme clean, avoids hard-coding, and allows your blog layout to be managed independently via plugin. It’s ideal for developers who want to port HTML designs into WordPress in a modular way.
🔧 References:
- WP_Query