How to Make a Template Override for a Joomla Component

Joomla components have their view filles.

If you have a look in to a component's /views folder, you will see that there are several folders. Each folder is for another view.

Each of that view folders have a /tmpl folder.

Lets say, you want to customize Joomla's default user component : com_users

If you have a look at /views folder you will see 5 sub-folders. Each folder has /tmpl folder as a sub-folder.

Now lets say you want to customize the registration form, for that customization you need to work at /registration folder.

Steps to make Template Override for a Joomla Component

Now all you need to do is:

  • check your template folders e.g. if your template name is mytemplate, then check /templates/mytemplate and assure that there is a folder called /html
  • If folder /html is not exist in your templates folder ( /templates/mytemplate ) create /html folder
  • Now you are ready for template override
  • Create a new folder in your templates /html folder for the module com_users
  • now you have /templates/mytemplate/html/com_users folder ready.
  • Create registration folder in  /templates/mytemplate/html/com_users now you can move related fiile to /templates/mytemplate/html/com_users/registration
  • /registration folder has 2 .php files that you need to edit. Move them to /templates/mytemplate/html/com_users/registration and you may start customization.

This is same procedure for every component. Your component view files must be in your templates /html folder, inside the folder name exactly same like your component.