# Adding metadata and screenshots to a Theme

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/adding-metadata-and-screenshots-to-a-theme/119205
**Category:** Developer Guides
**Tags:** reference, theme-guides
**Created:** [May 31, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/adding-metadata-and-screenshots-to-a-theme/119205 "2019-05-31T15:34:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Discourse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/discourse/32/148734_2.png) [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2019, 3:34pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/adding-metadata-and-screenshots-to-a-theme/119205/1 "2019-05-31T15:34:25Z")

</div>

You can add various pieces of metadata to a theme. Some are stored in the `about.json` file, and some are stored in the locale files.

## `about.json` [🔗 file format info](https://meta.discourse.org/t/structure-of-themes-and-theme-components/60848)

**`name`** (string, required): The default name for the theme when installed. This can be changed by admins after the theme is installed.

**`component`** (boolean, default `false`): whether the theme should be treated as a component.

**`license_url`** (string, optional): a URL for a license file. A link to this will be displayed in the admin interface. Most themes use this to link to their license file on GitHub.

**`about_url`** (string, optional): a URL which contains more information about the theme. A link to this will be displayed in the admin interface. Most themes use this to link to their Meta topic.

**`authors`** (string, optional): A string to describe the author of the theme. Displayed in the admin interface.

**`theme_version`** (string, optional): An arbitrary string to describe the version of the theme. Displayed in the admin interface.

**`screenshots`** (array, optional): Up to two screenshot paths which will be used in various places of the UI to display screenshots of the theme. See below for more detail on restrictions.

**`minimum_discourse_version`** (string, optional): the earliest discourse version which this theme is compatible with. If it does not match, the theme will be auto-disabled. Should be in the format `2.4.0.beta1`.

**`maximum_discourse_version`** (string, optional): the latest discourse version which this theme is compatible with. If it does not match, the theme will be auto-disabled. Should be in the format `2.4.0.beta1`.

## locale files (e.g. `en.yml`) [🔗 file format info](https://meta.discourse.org/t/adding-localizable-strings-to-themes-and-theme-components/109867)

**`theme_metadata.description`** : A localised description of the theme. Displayed in the admin interface.

**`theme_metadata.settings.setting_name`** : A localised description of `setting_name`, displayed below the theme setting in the admin panel.

## Screenshots

Themes and components can define a _maximum of two screenshots_ in the `screenshots` key of `about.json`, which will look something like this:

```json
"screenshots": ["screenshots/light.webp", "screenshots/dark.webp"]

```

Keep these restrictions in mind:

- Screenshots must be in a `screenshots` folder in the theme’s GitHub repo
- Max file size: `1 MB`
- Max resolution: `3840×2160` (4K)
- Recommended ratio: `16:9`
- Allowed formats: `.webp`, `.png`, `.jpeg`, `.jpg`

We also follow a convention to include both `light` and `dark` screenshots.

* * *

This document is version controlled - suggest changes [on github](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/blob/main/docs/developer-guides/docs/05-themes-components/12-theme-metadata.md).