Just a couple of days ago I published a post about the compatibility of Divi Children with Divi 3.0 and about Divi Children being great for editing the footer credits. And then, just hours after that, Elegant Themes released a new Divi update (the 3.0.1 version) that besides some bug fixes included a new footer credits editor field in the Customizer.
The ability to customize the footer credits has been a feature demanded by lots of users for a long time, but was never included in Divi until just now. Why Elegant Themes decided to keep it out of the Divi 3.0 beta tests and not to include it in the Divi 3.0 release, only to silently add it on this 3.0.1 update is something many of us don´t understand.
But anyway, the fact is that the Divi footer.php template file has changed with this new update and that it has screwed up the compatibility with Divi Children footer credits. Oh well.
So I had to (once again) develop a new version of Divi Children in a hurry, and that´s why I´m introducing Divi Children 2.0.9 today.
Existing child themes created by Divi Children are still compatible
If you´ve created a child theme with a previous version of Divi Children and you´ve customized your footer credits, you´ll notice that your footer credits settings will still apply and everything will keep on working fine, even after you update Divi to the 3.0.1 version. However, the new Divi footer credits editor won´t work. That shouldn´t be a problem for you, as your child theme takes care of the customized footer credits.
But if you created yesterday a new child theme of Divi 3.0.1 with any previous version of Divi Children (up to 2.0.8.1), you must have noticed that your child theme´s Footer Credits section of the Customizer created by Divi Children didn´t work. That is the reason for this new 2.0.9 update.
Nicer Footer Credits settings
The new native Divi feature (the so-called footer credits editor) just adds a text field to Divi´s Footer Bottom section of the Customizer, where you can paste your footer credits HTML. Which is nice and it has been demanded for a long time, but you have to write your HTML code anyway, whereas Divi Children Footer Credits settings are easier and more intuitive to use, and they provide an automated function for your site copyright years as well.
On this update, Divi Children Footer Credits settings have also been complemented with three new checkboxes to let you choose whether the different footer credits links are to be opened in a new browser link or not:
On the other hand, you may prefer to use the new Divi footer credits HTML field if you don´t mind having to write your HTML code for the sake of flexibility.
So now there will also be a new setting in the Footer Credits section of the Customizer for child themes created by Divi Children 2.0.9: a checkbox to enable or disable the child theme footer credits settings. This means that from now on you are free to use either Divi Children created or Divi native settings for your footer credits:
No child theme updating
Previous versions of Divi Children provided automated update options for existing child themes, including an option to check the child theme footer.php template file or to generate a valid footer.php file. Such a file is not longer needed on Divi child themes created by Divi Children. Also, the process of checking and updating existing child themes was becoming too complicated, and it will completely change and get far simpler for future versions of Divi Children. So, in order to have this update ready as soon as possible, and to keep things as simple as possible, in this 2.0.9 version I´ve removed the code for updating old child themes. Remember that your old child themes created by previous versions of Divi Children will work fine anyway, even with Divi 3.0.1.
Use Divi Children 2.0.9 only for Divi versions higher than 3.0.0
If you update your site to any Divi version greater than 3.0.0 (3.0.1 being the current Divi version at the moment of writing this post), you will need Divi Children 2.0.9 to create child themes for which the Footer Credits settings of the Customizer work alright. If you already have any previous version of Divi Children installed in a site you´ve updated to Divi 3.0.1 and you plan to use it to create a new child theme, please remove the plugin and install and activate the new Divi Children 2.0.9 version before creating any child theme.
In any case, remember that you need to use Divi 3.0.1 (or greater) if you want to create child themes with Divi Children 2.0.9. Otherwise your custom Footer Credits settings won´t work.
So, if you´re already working with a Divi version greater than 3.0.0, go ahead and download the latest version of the free Divi Children plugin.
- New Divi Children 3.0.10 update released - April 7, 2022
- New Divi Children 3.0.7 version for WordPress 4.9 - November 15, 2017
- Understanding Divi Children Output Mode - October 11, 2017
Thanks for building this plugin and being a great contributor to the Divi community.
Thanks for your quick response to this update, and your continued support for the community
Hola Luis,
a mi el plugin Child Theme me genera un conflicto. No aparecen nada en las Opciones de Tema de Divi. He tenido que desactivarlo.
Hola, Daniel
Es extraño, a mí me funciona correctamente (con Divi 3.0.1 y WordPress 4.6.1). En cualquier caso, el plugin sólo lo necesitas mientras estás creando un child theme, lo puedes tener desactivado el resto del tiempo.
Please use only english in this blog, so everybody can share information.
Translation of this conversation:
– Daniel is experiencing a conflict: he doesn´t get anything on Divi Theme Options, and he says he had to deactivate the plugin.
– I answered that it´s odd, I´m not getting any problem (using Divi 3.0.1 y WordPress 4.6.1). However, Divi Children plugin is needed only while you are creating a child theme with it, it can remain deactivated the rest of the time.
Just for info – I have just inherited 2 sites which had the Divi Children plugin activated and I am getting the same issue as Daniel. Both are using version 2.0.0 of the plugin and WP and Divi are completely up to date. I have deactivated the plugin and both are now working ok.
Ah, ok. That issue should have been fixed in the 2.0.5.1 release, whereas you´re using the 2.0.0 version.
I have just downloaded and tried to install Divi Children 2.09 to install on top of the latest Divi theme that was installed on 15th September.
However after trying to install Divi Children, I get the message:
“The package could not be installed. The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet.
Theme install failed.”
You´re trying to install Divi Children as a theme but it is a plugin. Please follow the instructions and install it as a plugin.
Hi,
I’m working on this site: http://visiongeek.eu/voorlopig/
version wp4.6.1 – Divi: 3.0.6 and child theme/divi children: 2.0.9
And I can not see the the new footer credit settings. What Al I doing wrong?
Kind regards
Manuela
Hi, Manuela.
What footer credit settings you don´t see? Divi default or Divi Children created? It works ok for me with Divi 3.0.7.
Hello Luis, when I am trying to install Divi children 2.0.9, It shows the following error. What to do ?
“The newlypack.com page isn’t working
newlypack.com is currently unable to handle this request.
HTTP ERROR 500 ”
I tried many times, I get the same error every time. Please help. Thanks.
Hi, Suraj. Don´t you get the same error when trying to install other plugins?
Hi Luis,
I’m sure that this has been asked already but I can not find the answer easely on your blog, so I’ll ask;-)
I have been building my whole new site with the Divi parent and have now installed your plugin to create the child theme (I should have done this at the beginning but have not).
The plugin is working fine and also creates the custom footer, only I loose all my menus and widgets. Do you know of a simple way to create the child that would include my menus and other customizations?
Thanks for your help
Cheers
Hi Patrick
Every time you use a new theme in your site you have to re-assign your menus, and that is true also for a child theme. You only need to re-apply the menus to your desired locations. As for widgets, you´ll also need to rearrange them in the correct widget areas. However, you won´t really loose anything (but a few minutes).
Hi, I just created the child theme last week but it says it’s version 1.0? Not sure how that’s possible?
In addition to not being able to edit the footer credits, any footer changes I make in the customizer do not take effect. Only the column layout option seems to be working. When I try and change the background color of the footer it does not change.
The only footer section that seems to respond to the customizer is the “Footer Menu”.
The version of your child theme is entered by you upon child theme creation, 1.0 being the default value proposed by Divi Children on the form.
When you say you´re not able to edit the footer credits, are you talking about the new Divi footer credits editor or the Footer Credits section of your child theme created by Divi Children? Also, please tell us about the versions involved.
I’ve just installed Divi Children 2.09 but when I try tio create a new Divi Child Theme I recieve the following error message: “Wait! You need to install Divi before you can create a child theme for it!”
I have Divi 3.0 installed and activated.
What am I doing wrong?
Hi, Bill.
Do you have a custom installation of your parent theme? For instance, its slug is not ‘Divi’?
Yeap, I checked your site (http://www.peritushosting.co.uk/secretspa/) and your parent theme folder was renamed to ‘Divi%203’. That´s why Divi Children “thinks” Divi is not present in your site.
Thanks Luis.
Hi
I installed the latest version of Divi and it looks like the child theme is killing the Full Width Slider. The problem is being reported in the the ET forums too.
I don’t have too much in the way of Child Theme changes. I change the footer credits and the couple of other pieces of code I have are in the Theme Options CSS area.
If I urn off my child theme the Full Width Sliders return.
Any ideas?
Hi, James.
I didn´t know about this issue, but you´re right. I´ve tried it on a local test site where I had Divi 3.0.7 installed and didn´t find any problem. Then I updated Divi to the current 3.0.21 version and then the sliders where not displayed, except when I activated Divi instead of a child theme. By the way, it doesn´t only affect the fullwidth sliders but regular sliders as well.
This, however, is not a problem of the child them created by Divi Children. It is a Divi issue, since it also happens with the most basic child theme. I´ve been able to reproduce this issue with a child theme consistent only of an empty stylesheet and a single function to enqueue the parent stylesheet in its functions.php.
I ignore exactly when this issue was originated (as I mentioned earlier, for me it happened when updating from Divi 3.0.7 to Divi 3.0.21) but it has to do with an inline css rule that forces the height of each slide to 0px, and it should be fixed by Elegant Themes as soon as possible because no child theme will work with sliders for the current Divi version.
All the html, image links, etc. is still there for the sliders, but they just do not show up because the container div inside each slide is forced to have no height:
They claimed to have fixed the issue – I think you commented in my post on the ET support area – but I downloaded a new version form their site and still have the same issue.
Yes, I also commented on that thread. I don´t like how easily and how often the child theme is found to be the culprit of everything at ET support.
As you said, they claim the issue has been fixed in a new update. But the current Divi version is still 3.0.21, and there isn´t anything new on the changelog.
Hi Luis,
Thanks for this amazing plugin!
I need to add two links to the footer, ie. Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions but with the plugin active the footer.php file doesn’t have the footer-info ID, can you give me some guidance on how I can edit the footer with this plugin active?
Hi, Catarina.
What do you mean by “with the plugin active”? Do you mean on a child theme created by Divi Children? You don´t need this plugin to be active except when creating a new child theme; once you have your child theme you may deactivate the plugin.
Awesome plugin Luis, thanks for your work. I’ve been using it for a while, since Divi 2. Glad to see you keeping it up through all the Divi changes.
I’m wondering if there’s an easy way to edit the footer credit code, now that there’s no more footer.php. For example, the Copyright owner is still a link even though the url field is blank (that may be a problem with Divi itself, not sure).
But more importantly, I always add code to add a “nofollow” to my developer link for all pages except Home. Any thoughts?
In general, I’m finding that even though Divi makes a lot of things easier, it gets harder to control things precisely as they add more “simplicity”. I’m thinking that someday the Visual Builder will be so advanced it’ll be more like Dreamweaver than real web design work.
Hi, Tony.
You´re right, that´s a problem about the link even with an empty url. It´s already been corrected for the next version of the plugin (which will bring some nice surprises). For the time being you´d need to edit the
Divichild_footer_credits_generator()function in the divi_children_functions.php file (you´ll find this file within the /divi-children-engine/includes/ folder of your child theme). Find the following line:And replace it with:
As for the “nofollow”, you´d be all set just by adding the following code to the same function (it should be added right after the line you´d just changed):
I hadn´t thought about the “nofollow” attribute for those links (actually that option has not been included in the update I´m currently developing). Do you think it would be that useful for others? In other words, do you think I should include it as a new option for the next version of Divi Children?
Hi Luis,
Thanks for the info, and glad to hear it’ll be fixed in the next version.
As for the “nofollow” attribute, I think it’d be useful, but that’s my opinion. I do internet marketing for local businesses, including SEO, and many people think you shouldn’t link to your site from all your clients. Tons of people have done it in the past, but as Google gets more stringent, some have warned against that. Others think it’s reasonable to link from the home page, but doing the nofollow from all the other pages. That’s where I fall.
As you know, the world of SEO has a lot of diverse opinions. I think it’s a worthwhile feature to add, but have no idea how many people would use it and whether or not it’s worth your time. I’m happy just knowing how to do it myself, so thanks for the code!
Thanks to you for the feedback regarding nofollow, Tony.
Hi Luis, thank you for the Divi Children plugin.
Getting error message ‘The parent theme is missing. Please install the “Divi” parent theme.’
Using Divi Version 3.0.15 and Divi Children 2.0.9
Can you help?
Many thanks
Hi, Susie.
It looks like you don´t have a standard installation of Divi. Is it possible that your parent theme´s folder has been renamed other than ‘Divi’?
Hi Luis,
This is a great plugin but I’ve run into a problem. The field for the Google API key is missing from the Theme Options page so all of my maps are breaking. Are you planning to address this in your next update?
Hi, Adren.
I´m sorry you´re running into problems. However, are you sure Divi Children has anything to do with your issue? I´ve just checked in one of my test sites with WodrPress version 4.7.4, Divi just updated to 3.0.42, a Divi child theme created by Divi Children 2.0.9 as the active theme, and even the Divi Children plugin still active (although it´s not needed after the child theme has been created), and everything seems to be alright about the Google API key. The field is still there on the Divi theme options, for sure. Could you have another conflicting plugin installed in your site?
Hi, I just tried to install Divi Children theme but it fails and gives me this message: “The package could not be installed. The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet.” Not sure where to go from here.
Hi, Kenneth.
Divi Children is a plugin, and you´re trying to install it as a theme. Please install it as a plugin. You can also get more information on this post.
I’m trying to add some custom shortcodes to the functions.php file. For some reason it’s not working. where in the file do I add this?