# ACL Trace ACL Trace 3.0.8 is a terminal-inspired editorial block theme for WordPress with a flexible semantic palette, responsive typography, native templates, native Navigation, Query Loops, and production-ready patterns. Start with the included dark neon design or switch to Trace Light, then customize colors through Global Styles. ACL Trace includes its complete theme feature set with no paid tier, locked controls, or required premium upgrade. ACL Trace is free and open-source under the GPL. The theme is a presentation layer. Site metadata, schema, breadcrumbs, canonical and robots controls, discovery controls, and other site behavior belong to WordPress core or optional plugins. ## Requirements | Dependency | Supported version | | --- | --- | | Minimum supported WordPress version | 6.8 | | Tested up to WordPress | 7.0.2 | | PHP | 8.0 or later | ACL Trace has no build step, no runtime package dependencies, no remote fonts, and no theme JavaScript. ## Features - Block-theme architecture with ten canonical native templates and editable template parts. - `theme.json` v3 tokens for the flexible semantic palette, internal subtle border color, layout, spacing, shadows, motion, and responsive typography. - Curated semantic colors and custom color selection without enabling the WordPress default palette. - Trace Light style variation with a soft off-white canvas and complete light semantic mapping; the included dark neon design remains the default. - Native Navigation with a portable Page List fallback and WordPress's mobile overlay behavior. - Palette-neutral component behavior for Trace Cards, buttons, forms, Query Loops, comments, tables, quotes, code, Details, and media. - Visible keyboard focus, forced-colors support, reduced-motion behavior, readable overflow handling, and semantic template landmarks. - Eight production patterns: Signal Hero, Signal CTA, Feature Grid, Two Column Content, Media and Text, Post Grid, Testimonials, and FAQ. - Parent and child stylesheets loaded separately with independent file modification versions. ## Installation 1. In WordPress, open **Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload Theme**. 2. Upload `acl-trace-3.0.8.zip`. 3. Install and activate ACL Trace. 4. Open **Appearance > Editor** to customize Styles, templates, parts, and Navigation. The installed directory must be `wp-content/themes/acl-trace/`. ## Site Editor customization The default palette, typography, layout widths, spacing, and component styles are defined in `theme.json`. Use the Site Editor to customize supported settings. Custom color selection is enabled without enabling the WordPress default palette. Theme files remain the canonical defaults until a user saves a Global Styles, template, or template-part override. The user-editable Text color is independent from the theme's internal subtle border color. Media blocks and generic Groups are border-free by default; intentional Trace Cards and separators use the internal border token, and borders explicitly selected in the editor remain available. WordPress 6.8 retains its standard custom border-radius control. On WordPress 6.9 and later, ACL Trace also restores the Small, Control, Card, and Pill named radius presets supported by those releases. The header uses the native Navigation block with a Page List fallback. Replace or edit it in the Site Editor without custom JavaScript. ACL Trace follows the WordPress front-page hierarchy without a theme-level `front-page.html` override. The default **Your latest posts** setting uses `home.html` and its Latest Posts Query Loop. A static front page uses `page.html`, so the selected page title and content remain the canonical source. ## Style variations Open Global Styles and browse styles to select **Trace Light**. Its palette retains every semantic color slug while remapping the values for a light presentation. Choose the theme default or reset the selected variation to return to the included dark presentation. ## Included patterns All patterns are available from the ACL Trace inserter category: 1. Signal Hero 2. Signal CTA 3. Feature Grid 4. Two Column Content 5. Media and Text 6. Post Grid 7. Testimonials 8. FAQ Pattern copy, links, images, queries, and citations are starter content and remain editable after insertion. ## Screenshot source `screenshot.png` is a 1200 x 900 capture of ACL Trace rendered with native theme blocks and the included dark default. Magenta and cyan are the default presentation, not a palette limitation. The screenshot contains no website URL, pricing claim, promotional banner, or call to action. ## Child themes Set `Template: acl-trace` in the child theme's `style.css`. ACL Trace loads the parent stylesheet once and then loads the child stylesheet once as a dependent asset. Each file uses its own modification time for cache invalidation. The editor receives the same parent-then-child order, and child `theme.json` settings inherit from the parent through WordPress core. ## Optional companion plugins No companion plugin is required. - ACL Site Style Kit can override palettes and typography. - ACL Site Essentials can provide optional metadata, schema, breadcrumbs, canonical/robots controls, discovery controls, and frontend emoji settings. - ACL Featured Image Plus can provide enhanced featured-image presentation. ## Known limitations - ACL Trace 3.0.8 includes no third-party commerce templates, styles, or support claims. - The Page List navigation fallback reflects published pages until a site owner creates or assigns a custom native Navigation menu. - Assistive-technology behavior can vary by browser and should be verified against the content and plugins used on the destination site. ## Development checkout upgrade note Development checkouts named `acl-trace-main` are separate themes from the production `acl-trace` package. Installing 3.0.8 does not automatically move theme mods, Global Styles, saved templates, saved template parts, Navigation references, Custom CSS, or widget assignments from the development slug. Back up the database, install the production package alongside the development checkout, migrate only verified slug-scoped records, activate `acl-trace`, verify the Site Editor and front end, and retain `acl-trace-main` until rollback testing is complete. ## File structure ```text acl-trace/ |-- CHANGELOG.md |-- licence.txt |-- license.txt |-- README.md |-- functions.php |-- readme.txt |-- screenshot.png |-- styles/ | `-- trace-light.json |-- style.css |-- theme.json |-- inc/ | |-- assets.php | `-- block-patterns.php |-- languages/ | `-- acl-trace.pot |-- parts/ (3 template parts) |-- patterns/ (8 patterns) `-- templates/ (10 templates) ``` ## License ACL Trace WordPress Theme, Copyright 2026 Ashes Creative Labs. ACL Trace is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License v2 or later. See `license.txt` for the complete GNU General Public License version 2 text. The `licence.txt` compatibility notice supports the legacy filename used by WordPress.org Theme Check 20231220.