# When to use a plugin vs theme component?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-to-use-a-plugin-vs-theme-component/297052
**Category:** Development
**Tags:** css
**Created:** [February 28, 2024, 11:22am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-to-use-a-plugin-vs-theme-component/297052 "2024-02-28T11:22:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 2

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### Author: ![merefield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/merefield/32/176214_2.png) [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [February 28, 2024, 11:35am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-to-use-a-plugin-vs-theme-component/297052/2 "2024-02-28T11:35:58Z")

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No, plugins are only required if you intend to change the back-end.

If it’s just a local change you can go to Admin → Customize → Theme and enter changes into a new Theme Component, then add it to your current Theme.

Take a look at [https://meta.discourse.org/c/documentation/theme-developers/127](https://meta.discourse.org/c/documentation/theme-developers/127), especially:

> [@Developing Discourse Themes & Theme Components](https://meta.discourse.org/t/beginners-guide-to-developing-discourse-themes/93648):
>
> Discourse Themes and Theme Components can be used to customize the look, feel and functionality of Discourse’s frontend. This section of the developer guides aims to provide all the reference materials you need to develop simple themes for a single site, right up to complex open-source theme components. This introduction aims to provide a map of all the tools and APIs for theme development. If you prefer a step-by-step tutorial for theme development, jump straight to: Themes vs. Theme Compon…

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