I just got a live wordpress site dumped on my lap and I have no idea where to even start. I need to just add a button and connect the forms to hubspot. My background is in web development with React and Javascript and I recently fixed a bunch of stuff on my companies Google Play Store app with React Native. However, i'm finding the learning curve on wordpress to be non-intuitive. Like, I just need to add a button, why does it seem like there is a third party pluggin for everything?
I noticed they are using ACF (Advanced Custom Fields) which has the object types needed for a new button and i've already added it to the page, but also noticed there is a PHP file somewhere in order to show these fields or something? I'm pretty lost.
I could not find any great resources or tutorials for what I am trying to do.
Anyone have any advice?
Where is this elusive PHP file? thanks.
Short answer: The PHP files are in the theme directory, which contains at least one theme but often multiple themes, each with its own PHP files.
Make a backup no matter what, especially if you’re new to this.
To locate these files, the path is almost always `/wp-content/themes/`, with each individual theme having its own directory. You can find out which theme is activated by viewing Appearance > Themes in the WP admin backend. The active theme’s name should correspond to a directory in the themes directory on the server backend.
First, determine if the theme is a custom theme, a purchased or downloaded theme from a third party, or a child theme. This is crucial because purchased and downloaded themes can auto-update and overwrite your changes. If it’s a child theme or a custom theme without auto-updates, you are safe to edit those files without fear of losing changes after an update. Based on the presence of ACF, my guess is it’s a custom or child theme, but I can’t guarantee that.
You will need FTP access to do it properly, but you can also use Appearance > Theme File Editor. I strongly recommend against using the Theme File Editor unless you’re familiar with WordPress. One error can break the whole site since you’re editing the code from within the admin area. I’ve seen people get locked out of their WP by making changes in the Theme File Editor.
Once you’re in the theme’s directory, investigate the structure. This isn’t much different from a React project. There are some norms and some developer-specific quirks, but WordPress has a hierarchy, making it relatively easy to track down the place where you want to make changes. If it’s specific to a single page or custom post, you need to find that template file.
There are many possibilities, but you can start by looking for `front-page.php` for the home page, `single-WHATEVER.php`, `archive-WHATEVER.php`, or `page-WHATEVER.php`. Once you access those, you may see includes for partials included in those templates. Depending on where you want the button, you may have to find a `partials/content-SOMETHING.php`.
Again, there’s no specific way to guide you without knowing more about the theme and its structure. Themes can be developed in many ways, and it all comes down to the original developers. But your first step is getting into the server backend and exploring /wp-content/themes and the files in the theme’s directory.
This should be easy. Go To the Hubspot plugin and then create a form there. You can embed the form using a short code anywhere you want in the site.
ACF should not be a factor here.
Hubspot is very easy to do forms because the are drag and drop.