---
title: Override templates in your theme
description: "Change the HTML of Ultimate Membership Pro's front-end templates safely: copy a template into your theme's ultimate-membership-pro folder and edit the copy; plugin updates leave it alone."
url: "https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/how-to-create-your-own-templates/"
updated: "2026-10-18"
category: Developers
---

# Override templates in your theme

10 minAdvancedUltimate Membership Pro 14.2+

Ultimate Membership Pro builds its front-end (the [Member Portal](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/features/member-portal/), the checkout, the login and registration forms and more) from PHP template files, and it looks for a copy of each one in your theme first. Put an edited copy in your theme and the plugin uses it, while plugin updates leave your copy untouched.

This guide explains how the plugin finds templates, then overrides one with a worked example.

Before you start

- FTP, SSH or file manager access to your site, and basic PHP and HTML knowledge.
- A [child theme](https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/advanced-topics/child-themes/), so a theme update doesn't remove your copies either.
- Only the look needs to change? CSS is simpler; see [Style forms and pages with CSS](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/need-style-customization/).

## How the plugin finds a template

 1. Your theme's plugin folder

`wp-content/themes/your-theme/ultimate-membership-pro/<file>.php`. The recommended place.

2. Your theme's root folder

`wp-content/themes/your-theme/<file>.php`. Also works, but mixes plugin files with the theme's own.

3. The plugin

`templates/public/` inside the plugin, used when the theme has no copy.

The plugin searches by file name only. Templates that sit in a subfolder of the plugin, such as `checkout/checkout-subtotal.php` or `login-templates/ihc-login-template-11.php`, go straight into `your-theme/ultimate-membership-pro/` without the subfolder.

## Templates you can override

 Member Portal

`account-page-header.php`, `account-page-tabs.php`, `account-page-overview.php`, `account-page-subscription-page.php`, `account-page-orders.php`, `account-page-help.php`, `account-page-custom-tab.php`, `account-page-footer.php` and the other `account-page-*.php` files.

Checkout

`checkout-main-page.php`, `checkout-payment-method.php`, `checkout-subtotal.php`, `checkout-taxes.php`, `checkout-purchase-button.php` and the other `checkout-*.php` files.

Forms

Login templates (`ihc-login-template-1.php` to `ihc-login-template-13.php`), registration and profile form templates (`form-template-1.php` to `form-template-14.php`), `change-password-form.php`, `login-popup.php`, `register-popup.php`.

Tables and lists

`subscription-table.php`, `orders-table.php`, `listing-levels.php`, `list-access-posts.php`, `membership-card.php`, `invoice.php`.

## Copy the template into your theme

1. In the plugin folder, open `templates/public/` and find the file, for example `account-page-footer.php`.
2. Create the folder `ultimate-membership-pro` in your child theme.
3. Copy the file into it, keeping the same file name.

## Edit your copy

Change the HTML, keep the PHP that prints the data. Templates receive their values in the `$data` array.

your-theme/ultimate-membership-pro/account-page-footer.php (the end of the file)

```
<div class="ihc-user-page-footer">
    <?php if (!empty($data['content'])):?>
        <p><?php echo do_shortcode(stripslashes($data['content']));?></p>
    <?php endif;?>
    <p class="cc-portal-help"><?php esc_html_e( 'Need help with your membership? Write to support@coachingclub.example', 'coaching-club' ); ?></p>
</div>
```

[![Bottom of the Member Portal with the line Need help with your membership? Write to support@coachingclub.example outlined in orange](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ump-template-override-01-portal-footer.png)](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/ump-template-override-01-portal-footer.png)
The Member Portal footer now uses the theme's copy.

Good to know

- The registration form and the profile form share the form-template-N.php files. Overriding one changes both.
- Your copy doesn't receive the plugin's later changes to that template. After each plugin update, compare your copy with the new original and bring over what changed.
- To go back to the plugin's version, delete or rename your copy.

Tip

- Copy only the templates you change. Every extra copy is one more file to keep in step with the plugin.

## Example: a help line in the Member Portal

 **Coaching Club**Members see where to get help at the bottom of every Member Portal tab.

**Template**
: account-page-footer.php

**Copied to**
: coaching-club-child/ultimate-membership-pro/

**Change**
: One extra paragraph with the support address

**Result**
: Shown under every Member Portal tab

## Troubleshooting

  Why does the plugin ignore my template copy?

Check the folder name (ultimate-membership-pro, inside the active theme or child theme) and that the file name matches the original exactly. Files from subfolders such as checkout/ go directly into that folder, without the subfolder. Clear the page cache too.

  The page breaks after a plugin update. Why?

Your copy is based on an older version of the template. Compare it with the new file in templates/public/ and update it, or remove your copy to fall back to the plugin's version.

  Can I override the admin screens too?

No. Only the front-end templates in templates/public/ are looked up in the theme.

## What's next

 [**Style forms and pages with CSS**Change the look without touching templates.](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/need-style-customization/)[**Hooks and filters reference**Change behavior from your own code.](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/where-can-i-see-the-filters-and-hooks/)[**Set up the Member Portal**Templates, tabs and fields of the portal.](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/set-up-the-member-portal/)[**Shortcodes reference**Every shortcode and its attributes.](https://ultimatemembershippro.com/docs/shortcodes-reference/)