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Introduction

Unyson+ is a free, modular framework for building WordPress themes and sites — a page-builder-first toolkit and a modern continuation of the discontinued Unyson framework. It gives you the parts a real project needs — a settings/options framework, custom fields, custom post types, a visual page builder, a theme builder, and modular extensions — built on one consistent foundation. Take one piece or the whole thing.

What sets it apart from the original Unyson (and from a plain page builder) is the modern layer on top: a Flexbox/Div-first layout model that ships clean semantic HTML, a no-library Animation Engine (scroll motion, parallax, text effects, Rive and 3D elements), a Site Converter that turns an AI-generated design into a working WordPress site, reusable Component Presets, and Dynamic Content tags — all free, GPL-licensed, with no license keys and automatic updates from GitHub.

💡 Web dev tip: plan structure before you touch design

Before you drag a single element, sketch what the page actually needs — one h1, a logical heading order below it, and the sections a visitor reads top to bottom. Content structure is what search engines and screen readers rely on, and it's far easier to get right first than to retrofit later. A framework like Unyson+ can hand you clean semantic markup, but it can't decide your outline for you. MDN: HTML basics

It is a modernized continuation of the Unyson framework, updated for PHP 8.0+ and current WordPress, GPL-licensed with no license keys, and maintained by Unyson+.

note

This manual assumes a working knowledge of WordPress. If you're new to WordPress, start with the WordPress documentation.

A framework, not just a page builder​

Unyson+ is built around a single options framework: dozens of option types (color, typography, media, spacing, gradients, repeaters, and more) that render, validate, and save themselves. That same engine powers everything above it, so Theme Settings, page-builder element options, custom fields, and meta boxes all speak the same language. The page builder is one layer on top of the framework, not the whole product.

What you get​

  • Options Framework — the core: define a settings panel or a meta box as a plain array and the framework builds the UI for you.
  • Custom Fields & Post Types — model your content with ACF-style field groups and register post types and taxonomies from the WordPress admin.
  • Page Builder — a visual drag & drop builder led by a Flexbox/Div layout model (Section, Block, Flexbox, Grid) that ships clean, semantic HTML with no row/column wrapper soup.
  • Theme Builder — design headers, footers, and templates with the same builder and ship them in a child theme.
  • Animation Engine — a no-library motion system: scroll reveal, parallax, pinning, text effects, and interactive elements like Rive and a 3D Model Viewer.
  • Site Converter — turn an AI-generated design, or a captured live page, into a self-sufficient WordPress theme reproducing its layout, fonts, and colors.
  • Component Presets & Dynamic Content — reusable, theme-independent style presets (colors, typography, spacing, buttons, borders) and Elementor-Pro-style dynamic tags resolved at render time.
  • Extensions — modular features (Portfolio, Sidebars, Breadcrumbs, SEO, Forms, WooCommerce, and more) you install only when you need them.
  • GitHub auto-updates — the plugin, theme, and every extension update directly from GitHub.

How is Unyson+ different from the original Unyson?​

Unyson+ is a community-maintained fork that continues Unyson after ThemeFuse discontinued it, then takes it further:

  • Modern PHP & WordPress — a PHP 8.0+ baseline (dropped 5.6–7.4) and ongoing security hardening, where the original stopped at legacy PHP.
  • Brizy and Bootstrap removed — the old Brizy dependency is gone, and the bundled Bootstrap stylesheet was dropped for a lean, self-sufficient CSS layer and a cleaner frontend DOM.
  • Page-builder-first — a Flexbox/Div layout model, 60+ elements, Component Presets, Dynamic Content, and per-device responsive editing that the original never had.
  • New capabilities — a no-library Animation Engine, a Site Converter (AI-design → WordPress), a Theme Builder, and ACF-style Custom Fields / Post Types builders.
  • GitHub delivery — the plugin, theme, and each extension update automatically from GitHub releases; no WordPress.org listing or license keys.

See Migrating from Unyson if you're moving an existing site.

How the pieces fit together​

PieceWhat it is
Unyson+ pluginThe core framework, plus the page builder and everything built on the options framework. Install it like any WordPress plugin.
Unyson+ ThemeThe parent theme built for the framework, with Theme Settings powered by the options framework (no Bootstrap dependency).
ExtensionsOptional modules you activate from Unyson+ → Extensions, downloaded on demand.

You don't need every piece. Use the options framework for a theme's settings, custom fields to model content, or the page builder for layout, and leave the rest turned off.

Minimum requirements​

  • WordPress 5.8 or greater
  • PHP 8.0 or greater
  • MySQL 5.6+ / MariaDB 10.1+

Next steps​