WordPress Register Style FAQ
The best method to enqueue styles in WordPress is to use the wp_enqueue_style()
function with the wp_enqueue_script
action hook.
If you build a theme, put the above code in the functions.php
file. For a WordPress plugin creation, place the snippet into one of the plugin files.
In both case, WordPress will load your styles in the header of the website (via the wp_head()
function). CSS assets aren’t rendered in the footer.
Remember: don’t add a CSS URL directly in header.php
. If you do this, WordPress couldn’t manage it properly. It’s a bad practice.
wp_register_style()
is a WordPress function that enables the registration of stylesheets for a theme or plugin.
This function is essential for themes and plugins because it allows them to easily add custom stylesheets without having to write extra code in header.php
or elsewhere.
With wp_register_style()
, all stylesheets are automatically included in both front-end and back-end pages, making development easier and more efficient.
Furthermore, using this function helps ensure that no two stylesheets have conflicting rules and prevents any unexpected styling errors from occurring on your website.
Once a style is registered, it can be enqueued using the wp_enqueue_style()
function. The style will be added to the website if it has not already been loaded.
This function is used to properly add and manage stylesheets in the WordPress environment, ensuring that they are only loaded when needed and in the correct order.wp_enqueue_style()
can be used to add both internal and external stylesheets to a website.
wp_register_style()
is used to register a stylesheet before it is enqueued. This function tells WordPress about the stylesheet and its dependencies so it can be properly loaded when needed.wp_enqueue_style()
is used to enqueue a stylesheet that has been registered. This function adds the stylesheet to the website pages so it can be properly loaded and displayed.
In short, wp_register_style()
registers a stylesheet, while wp_enqueue_style()
loads it in the front-end. Both functions are mandatory to load styles properly in WordPress.
The $handle
parameter in the wp_enqueue_style()
WordPress function is the unique identifier for the stylesheet (its name basically).
It must match the handle used when the stylesheet was registered using the wp_register_style()
function.
The handle is used by WordPress to keep track of which stylesheets have been added to the page and to avoid duplicates. The handle is also used to reference the stylesheet if you need to dequeue it later.
The $src
parameter in the wp_enqueue_style()
function is optional because sometimes you may want to enqueue a stylesheet that has already been registered with wp_register_style()
, but not yet enqueued.
In such cases, you can simply enqueue the stylesheet using the handle without specifying the source. You can check the snippet from the above generator to see an example.
You can check the official documentation regarding CSS files inclusion. Also, check wp_register_style()
and wp_enqueue_style()
functions references to better understand style registration.