Why Replacing GPL With Original Won’t Affect Your SiteCrafted Design
Readymade WordPress Websites
Why Replacing GPL With Original Won’t Affect Your SiteCrafted Design
Many buyers wonder if upgrading from a GPL theme or plugin to the original licensed version will break their website design. The short answer is: No. Your design stays 100% safe. This article explains exactly why SiteCrafted websites are fully protected.
1
Your Design Lives in the Child Theme — Not the Parent Theme
This is the #1 reason SiteCrafted designs are update-proof.
Every SiteCrafted readymade website is built using a child theme. This means:
- All custom styling
- All design enhancements
- All layout changes
- All typography settings
- All UI improvements
are stored inside the child theme, not inside the parent theme.
This ensures:
✓
Your design remains untouched
✓
You can safely replace the parent theme
✓
No layout changes occur
Replacing the parent theme (GPL) only updates the base files — not your design layer.
2
SiteCrafted Never Edits Original Theme or Plugin Files
This keeps your website 100% replacement-safe.
To maintain long-term stability, SiteCrafted follows professional development rules:
- We never edit parent theme files
- We never modify plugin core files
- We never hardcode changes into theme folders
All customization is done through:
- Child theme
- Custom CSS file
- CodeSnippets plugin
- Theme customizer settings
- Page builder styling
This is why replacing GPL with original licensed versions is always safe.
3
Parent Theme Update Only Replaces “Engine Files”
Design = child theme • Engine = parent theme
The parent theme controls:
- Framework
- Template structure
- Core styling files
- Functionality
The child theme controls:
- Colors
- UI layouts
- Spacing & typography
- CSS overrides
- Visual styling used in SiteCrafted designs
So when you replace GPL with original:
✓
Only the engine updates
✓
Your child theme remains unchanged
✓
Your entire design stays identical
4
Plugins Are Also Safe to Replace
Your content and settings remain intact.
Replacing a GPL plugin with the original version only updates its functionality files. Your:
- Settings
- Forms
- Shortcodes
- Widgets
- Database entries
all remain untouched.
This is because WordPress stores plugin settings in the database — not inside plugin folders.
5
SiteCrafted’s Update-Proof Architecture Makes Upgrading Easy
You’re safe no matter how many times you replace/upgrade.
Our build system ensures that upgrades do not affect your site:
- Custom design = child theme
- Base functionality = parent theme
- Extra features = CodeSnippets
- Styling = custom CSS file
This separation ensures:
✓
No broken layouts
✓
No lost settings
✓
No missing sections
Your website will look exactly the same after upgrading to the original licensed version.
6
Real Example: Updating WoodMart / Elementor / WPBakery
All popular themes & plugins behave the same.
If your SiteCrafted website uses a GPL version of:
- WoodMart
- Elementor Pro
- WPBakery
- Flatsome
- Astra Pro
- GeneratePress Premium
Replacing them with the original versions will NOT:
- Reset your pages
- Delete your templates
- Break your menu/header/footer
- Remove your branding
- Affect your CSS
Everything stays 100% intact.
Want a Website That Is Update-Proof?
All SiteCrafted websites use child themes + custom CSS to keep your design safe during any update or replacement.
FAQ
Q: Will my design change after replacing GPL?
No — your design stays exactly the same.
Q: Do I need technical knowledge?
No — it’s a simple upload-and-replace process.
Q: What if something goes wrong?
It won’t — SiteCrafted websites are built to be update-proof.
