Kadence - What is Kadence?

Many of our WordPress themes are child themes of Kadence (the "parent theme"). In this article we'll go over what Kadence is, how it works, and why you'll LOVE using it on your website!

What is Kadence?

Kadence is a powerful theme framework and block system that allows for endless customization possibilities. You can customize every aspect of your site with no code: layout, fonts, colors, and so much more. And Kadence is completely free for you to use, so no additional purchase is required! A Pro version is available that offers some neat features, but these features are not used/shown in our theme demos.

To break it down, we like the analogy of a car:

  • Your hosting company is your "garage" – it's where all of your website's files are stored for safekeeping.
  • Your domain (yourwebsite.com) is your "license plate" – it's how people find you on the web.
  • WordPress is the "engine" of your car – it provides all the essential functions needed to run your website.
  • Kadence is the "body" of your car – it adds the basic structure and core features to your website, such as SEO and skip links.
  • A child theme adds all the pretty, extra things to your car – paint, a fancy touchscreen radio, heated steering wheel, luxurious leather seats. Child themes make your website beautiful, unique, and all you! Child themes also allow you update the appearance of your website safely, so you won't lose your changes when updating Kadence.

You can learn more about Kadence in our FAQ and on the Kadence website.

Why Use Kadence?

We chose Kadence as the basis for our themes for several reasons:

  1. Lightweight and FAST. Many theme frameworks are bulky and slow, but not Kadence. It’s designed to be lightweight, ensuring your site loads quickly across all devices. A fast site makes for a better user experience and improved SEO.
  2. Unlimited Customization Options. Kadence offers complete flexibility — change fonts, colors, layouts, headers, navigation, and footers effortlessly. You have the creative freedom to style your site exactly as you envision without being limited by rigid templates.
  3. No Coding Required. With Kadence, you don’t have to touch a line of code. Every aspect of customization happens in the user-friendly Theme Customizer and Block Editor, making design changes easy.
  4. Hassle-Free Updates. Keeping your site secure is crucial. Kadence makes it simple to stay current, with easy-to-manage updates for the theme and its plugins. Regular updates mean a safer site, protecting your content from vulnerabilities.
  5. Drag-and-Drop Page Building. Kadence integrates seamlessly with the Block Editor, offering a drag-and-drop experience that’s both intuitive and powerful. Easily and quickly create beautiful, unique pages that let your content shine — no experience required!
  6. Responsive and Mobile-Friendly. Your site will look perfect on any device. Kadence themes are designed to be fully responsive, automatically adjusting for an optimal viewing experience on phones, tablets, and desktops.
  7. SEO-Optimized. Kadence is built with SEO best practices in mind, ensuring that your site’s code is clean and search-engine-friendly. This makes it easier for your content to rank higher on Google.
  8. Excellent Support and Community. Kadence has a strong community behind it and awesome support. If you run into any questions, you’re not alone — there’s a wealth of resources, guides, and support forums to help you out.