Email:info@softosmith.com
Working Hours:Mon - Fri: 9 AM - 5 PM (PKT)
We build Moodle themes that survive core upgrades by design — Boost child theme foundations, SCSS variables instead of hard-coded CSS, and scoped Mustache overrides, tested in staging before you ever touch production.
Themes built with direct core edits or hard-coded CSS look fine right up until the next Moodle release, when layouts shift, styles stop applying, and someone finds out the hard way — usually right after a security update they couldn't afford to skip.
Customizations made by changing Moodle core theme files, overwritten the moment core updates.
Styles targeting specific markup that Moodle core is free to change in any release.
Breakage discovered in production, after the upgrade, instead of in staging beforehand.
An upgrade-safe theme is one that inherits from Boost rather than replacing core files, styles through SCSS variables and presets instead of brittle CSS overrides, and changes structure through scoped Mustache template overrides — so a Moodle core update can patch and improve underneath your branding instead of colliding with it.
Everything needed to stop treating every Moodle core update as a threat to your branding.
We never edit Moodle core theme files directly. Every build inherits from Boost, so core updates flow through cleanly instead of overwriting your customizations.
Branding lives in Moodle's own preset and variable system, not brittle CSS overrides that silently stop matching core markup after an update.
Structural changes made by overriding specific Mustache templates in your theme, so Moodle can still update the underlying core template safely.
Proper version.php targeting and requirement checks, so your theme fails loudly in staging instead of breaking silently in production.
Before you upgrade Moodle core, we test your theme against the new version in staging and flag anything that needs adjustment ahead of time.
Clear comments and a documented list of every override, so any future developer — us or otherwise — can see exactly what was changed and why.
Logini, our free Boost child theme, is built exactly this way — no core edits, SCSS-driven styling, and Mustache overrides scoped only to the login page, so it keeps working across Moodle 5.0 to 5.2 without breaking on point releases.
The difference between a theme that survives Moodle upgrades and one that doesn't comes down to a handful of specific technical decisions.
Your theme extends Boost rather than replacing it, so bug fixes and security patches to core Boost templates still reach your site.
Colors, fonts, and spacing set through Moodle's $theme->settings and preset system, not global CSS overrides that fight core markup.
Only the specific templates that need to change are overridden — everything else inherits from core, minimizing what can break on upgrade.
For structural changes templates can't reach, custom renderers in classes/output/ instead of monkey-patching core renderer classes.
A staging clone tested against new Moodle releases before you touch production, catching theme breakage before your users do.
A clear, five-step process from audit to deployment.
We review your existing theme (or lack of one) for core edits, hard-coded CSS, and other upgrade-risk patterns.
Branding and layout rebuilt as a proper Boost child theme with SCSS variables and scoped overrides.
Only the templates and renderers that truly need changing are overridden — everything else stays on core.
The rebuilt theme is tested against the next Moodle release in staging before anything ships.
Deployed with a documented override list, so future upgrades are a known, testable process instead of a guessing game.
You can update Moodle core when a security patch ships, instead of delaying it out of fear your theme will break.
One correctly built theme costs less over three years than repeated emergency fixes after every core update.
A documented override list means any developer can maintain the theme, not just the one who originally built it.
Staging tests catch breakage before your students or staff ever see it.
No client logos or star ratings here — just the commitments every theme build is held to.
You work directly with the engineer building your theme — no account managers relaying messages back and forth.
The quote we give you upfront is what you pay. No surprise invoices once development starts.
Every theme is backed by real Moodle core, plugin, and renderer experience — including watching what actually breaks other people's themes on upgrade.
Your theme's source code and its documented override list, on your Moodle site. Nothing rented, nothing locked behind us after handover.
You know exactly where your build stands at every stage, from audit through staging test — no radio silence.
A post-launch support window is built into every engagement, and we're available to re-test your theme ahead of future Moodle upgrades.
Flat, one-time pricing — no annual fees. Need ongoing testing across every future release? Ask about a maintenance retainer.
$2,200 one-time
Rebuild an existing risky theme as an upgrade-safe Boost child theme.
$4,800 one-time
New theme build plus ongoing upgrade testing.
Straight answers to what clients usually ask before starting a build.
Never editing core theme files directly, building as a Boost child theme, using SCSS variables instead of hard-coded CSS, and overriding only the specific Mustache templates that need to change. That combination is what lets Moodle core update cleanly underneath your branding.
Yes — that's exactly what our Theme Rebuild tier does. We audit your current theme for the patterns causing the breakage (usually direct core edits or hard-coded CSS) and rebuild it as a proper Boost child theme.
We build for Moodle 4.x and 5.x using current Boost and Bootstrap 5 conventions, and test compatibility against upcoming releases as part of our Upgrade-Safe Build & Care tier.
A Theme Rebuild typically takes 2 to 3 weeks. A new Upgrade-Safe Build with dashboard layouts and multi-release testing usually runs 4 to 6 weeks.
In staging, against real Moodle releases. The Upgrade-Safe Build & Care tier includes testing your theme against your next two Moodle core releases before you upgrade production.
You do, fully. The theme's source code and its documented override list live on your Moodle installation — nothing is rented or locked behind an ongoing license with us.
Post-launch support covers exactly this. After that window, we offer maintenance retainers for ongoing pre-upgrade testing and fixes as new Moodle versions ship.
Tell us about your Moodle site and we'll audit your theme's upgrade risk for free.
Get a Free Theme Audit
