---
title: "How to create custom template in Joomla"
description: "Joomla provides many default templates to apply in your website, but if you want to create your own template, you have to follow these two steps."
author: "Anonymous User"
published: 2012-03-05
updated: 2019-09-07
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/886/how-to-create-custom-template-in-joomla
category: "joomla"
tags: ["joomla"]
reading_time: 2 minutes
---
# How to create custom template in Joomla
Joomla provides many default [templates](https://www.mindstick.com/interview/34049/what-are-templates-in-knockout-js) to apply in [your website](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81591/semrush-tutorial-and-review-2020-how-to-use-it-to-20x-your-website-traffic), but if you want to create your own [template](https://www.mindstick.com/blog/282/creating-custom-template-in-joomla), you have to follow these two steps.\
1. Create your own templates file
2. Upload zip file of template file
##### Step1: Create your template file:
To create your template file, first of all you have to create two file: **‘index.php’** and **‘templateDetails.xml’.**
##### ‘index.php’ File:
**‘index.php’** files are those file where the entire markup goes in which you stick the Joomla includes. These can be seen as little hooks where joomla hangs up information on, like [modules](https://www.mindstick.com/interview/266/what-is-the-use-of-http-modules) for example.
##### ‘templateDetails.xml’:
**‘templateDetails.xml’** files are those file where you can see template details as a list of instructions to Joomla. This list must include the name of the template, the names of the files used in the template (images etc.) and the positions you want to use in your website.
Now let’s take a look on these two file that how it’s created through the code.
##### ‘index.php’ code:
```
```
##### ‘templateDetails.xml’ Code:
```
MyTemplate 26-01-2012 Arun Kumar Singh myusername@domain.com http://mindstick.com mindstick 2010 GNU/GPL 1.0.0 My
Template index.php templateDetails.xml breadcrumb left right top user1 user2 user3 user4 footer
```
Now save these files into a [directory](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/226/how-to-get-application-directory-using-c-sharp-csharp), here I am taking a [temporary](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/2292/how-to-set-temporary-path-of-jdk-in-windows) directory **‘MyTemplate’** within which I have store these files and make its zip file.
Step 2: Upload zip file of template file
To upload this file in joomla, first of all login in Joomla Administrator Panel and go to **[Extensions](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12362/is-ajax-cart-extensions-necessary-for-e-commerce-websites) -> [Extension](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/22/extension-method) [Manager](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/84130/content-manager-duties-and-responsibilities).**
Now click on **‘Browse’** button and then click on **‘Upload & Install’**.
Now go to Extensions -> Template Manager, select your template name from template list and set it default by clicking **‘Make Default’** button.
To see the output click on ‘View Site’ link this is at top right corner of panel.
\
---
Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/886/how-to-create-custom-template-in-joomla
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