Dark Mode in WordPress: UX Trends and Implementation Techniques

Dark mode has evolved from a design trend into a core feature of modern digital experiences. From smartphones to desktop apps, users increasingly prefer interfaces that are easy on the eyes—especially in low-light environments. WordPress, the world’s most popular CMS, is also adapting to this trend.

Whether you’re a theme developer, agency, or site owner, adding dark mode to your WordPress site can enhance user experience, accessibility, and even engagement. In this post, we’ll explore the UX value of dark mode and walk through techniques to implement it effectively in WordPress.

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Why Dark Mode Matters

Dark mode isn’t just a visual preference—it’s a user-centered design improvement:

• Reduces eye strain, especially in low-light environments
• Extends battery life on OLED screens
• Modern, sleek aesthetic many users prefer
• Follows system-level settings for accessibility

Understanding prefers-color-scheme

This is a modern CSS media query that allows your website to detect a user’s system preference (light or dark mode).

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  body {
    background-color: #121212;
    color: #ffffff;
  }
}

No JavaScript needed—this method automatically adjusts styles based on system settings.

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Manual Toggle for User Control

Not all users want their OS preference to control their browsing experience. Adding a toggle switch lets them choose light or dark mode manually.

This requires:

• A toggle UI element
• JavaScript to update styles dynamically
• Saving preference with localStorage

<label class="dark-mode-toggle">
  <input type="checkbox" id="darkModeSwitch"> Dark Mode
</label>

document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
  const toggle = document.getElementById('darkModeSwitch');
  const isDark = localStorage.getItem('dark-mode') === 'true';

  document.body.classList.toggle('dark-mode', isDark);
  toggle.checked = isDark;

  toggle.addEventListener('change', () => {
    document.body.classList.toggle('dark-mode', toggle.checked);
    localStorage.setItem('dark-mode', toggle.checked);
  });
});

Enqueuing Scripts in WordPress

To use the above script in your theme:

function enqueue_dark_mode_script() {
  wp_enqueue_script('dark-mode', get_template_directory_uri() . '/js/dark-mode.js', array(), false, true);
}
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'enqueue_dark_mode_script');

Admin Panel Dark Mode

For backend customization:

• Use the Dark Mode plugin
• Or add admin-specific styles using admin_enqueue_scripts

function custom_admin_dark_mode() {
  wp_enqueue_style('admin-dark', get_template_directory_uri() . '/admin-dark.css');
}
add_action('admin_enqueue_scripts', 'custom_admin_dark_mode');

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Basic Dark Mode with CSS Variables

This makes toggling easier and scalable.

:root {
  --bg-color: #ffffff;
  --text-color: #000000;
}
body {
  background-color: var(--bg-color);
  color: var(--text-color);
}
body.dark-mode {
  --bg-color: #121212;
  --text-color: #f5f5f5;
}

JavaScript to Add Dark Class

function enableDarkMode() {
  document.body.classList.add('dark-mode');
}
function disableDarkMode() {
  document.body.classList.remove('dark-mode');
}

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Best Practices

Design Considerations

• Maintain high contrast between text and background
• Avoid pure black (#000000)—use dark grays like #121212 for better readability
• Test hover/focus states for accessibility

UX Tips

• Give users control with a toggle switch
• Save preferences using localStorage or user meta for logged-in users
• Test on multiple devices and browsers

Performance

• Use CSS custom properties for better maintainability
• Load only essential dark mode styles when needed

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Conclusion

Dark mode is more than just a design trend—it’s a functional enhancement that improves usability, accessibility, and user satisfaction. Implementing it in WordPress is both achievable and beneficial, whether you’re building themes, plugins, or custom sites.

With a combination of CSS, JavaScript, and thoughtful UX, you can create a seamless dark mode experience tailored to your users.

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How Sitebox Solves This

Building and maintaining dark mode manually can become tedious, especially across multiple themes or client projects. Sitebox streamlines this process by offering:

• Built-in dark/light theme toggling out of the box
• Customizable theming layers with CSS variables
• User preference storage without extra code
• Accessible components that adapt automatically

Whether you’re working with WordPress or headless frontends, Sitebox accelerates the path from design to deployment with robust real-time theming support.

👉 Discover how Sitebox handles theming