Build an independent theme
A public theme contract for Sense CMS: presentation without ownership of your content.
Package identity
Declare type theme, a unique slug, version, publisher and compatibility in sense-package.json. Keep the same slug and version in theme.json. Use a trusted publisher signature before installation.
Rendering contract
Include pages.php for optional starter routes, layout.php for their presentation and views/page.php for CMS-managed pages. A content-only theme may return an empty array from pages.php. Declare contract_version 1, page_templates, supported_blocks and configuration in theme.json.
Content stays in Core
Managed pages, translations, publication rules and public paths remain in the database when a theme changes. The managed view receives page with blocks, locale, navigation, themeSettings, appearance, baseUrl and SEO metadata. Do not import another installation’s database or credentials.
Templates and blocks
Declare only templates and blocks that your view actually implements. Always support a default page template as a fallback. Escape plain text and use App\Core\HtmlSanitizer for editor HTML. Render only trusted extension components.
Theme assets
Place CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts and video beneath assets. The active theme serves them at /theme-assets/ followed by their relative path. Nested asset directories are supported. Executable source, hidden paths and traversal are not served.
URLs belong to pages
Set a Public path in the page editor for the default language, such as /about or /docs/installation. Core resolves it before starter theme routes. Unpublished, private and archived pages remain unavailable, instead of falling back to starter copy. Other languages retain their localized URLs.
Independent administration
Do not style or replace the administration panel from a public theme. Keep configuration declarative so Core can provide draft, preview and publication controls. Test a second theme, preserved content, routing, keyboard access, mobile layout and rollback before release.