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# Child theme vs theme duplicate

## Child theme vs theme duplicate

Compared to a child theme, a theme duplicate is just another entry in the database. Thus, no files and folders of a theme are copied. This means that theme duplicates cannot be used to make customizations at the file level.

<table><thead><tr><th></th><th>Theme duplicate</th><th>Child theme</th><th data-hidden></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Individual programming</td><td><strong>No</strong>, a duplicate theme exists only in the database. It cannot be used as a starting point for custom programming.</td><td><strong>Yes</strong>, a child theme serves as a general entry point for customization away from configuration.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Takeover of already set values</td><td><strong>Yes</strong>, settings that have already been made will be applied.</td><td><strong>Nein</strong>, bereits getätigte Werte sind nicht in einem anderen Child-Theme vorhanden. Es ist als weiteres Theme zu verstehen.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Automatic update of the theme configuration</td><td><strong>Yes</strong>, if the parent theme receives new configurations, the duplicate theme inherits them automatically.</td><td><strong>Yes</strong>, if the parent theme receives new configurations, the duplicate theme inherits them automatically.</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Known bugs</td><td>Theme configuration sorting is arbitrary as a result of a Shopware bug in theme duplicates.</td><td>-</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>