Koha System

How to Choose the Right Preset in Koha Theme Builder™

A practical decision guide for selecting the best preset in Koha Theme Builder™ based on audience, content style, and branch needs.

April 15, 2026 2 min read

This guide helps you choose a preset that fits your audience, content style, and rollout goals.

Why this matters

Preset choice affects homepage structure, content pacing, and the amount of editing required before go-live.

Before you start

Choose your theme family first
Gather your homepage priorities (search-first vs content-first)
Confirm whether branch-level variation is planned

Preset decision tree

Is your homepage primarily search-driven?
If yes, choose a search-first preset.
If no, decide whether your page is image-led or text-led.
If image-led, choose a visual/promo preset.
If text-led, choose an editorial/information preset.
If you have multi-branch needs, choose a preset with simpler block structures for easier branch overrides.

Selection criteria

Library type and patron expectations
Formal vs warm institutional tone
Content-heavy vs search-heavy homepage goals
Image capacity (do you have strong visual assets?)
Ongoing maintenance capacity

For multi-branch libraries Start with a globally stable preset and apply only minimal branch overrides at launch. Expand branch-specific customization after baseline consistency is verified.