Does Stoat use Google Fonts?
No, and it will not. Stoat serves self-hosted fonts only: nine web-safe stacks that download nothing, plus any family you install through WordPress’s own Font Library, served from your domain.
This is a privacy decision before it is a performance one. A Google Fonts link sends every reader’s IP address to a third party on every page load, which several European data-protection authorities have found unlawful without consent.
You can still use a Google font — download the files and install them under Appearance → Fonts. The licence allows it.
How much JavaScript does the theme load?
One file: js/modal.js, 9 KB unminified. It opens the mobile menu and the search dialog.
WordPress’s own comment-reply.js is loaded as well, but only on a singular page where comments are open and threading is on. Nothing else.
How do I get a 99/100 page speed score?
Page speed is theme plus plugins plus hosting. Stoat handles the theme part: one stylesheet, one small script, no external requests, no webfonts unless you add them.
A clean Stoat site on reasonable hosting scores around 99 on Lighthouse mobile out of the box, with no caching plugin and no CDN. What usually takes that away is plugins — every one that enqueues its own script and stylesheet on every page costs you something — and unoptimised images.
A page cache (LiteSpeed Cache, WP Super Cache) helps on shared hosting and Stoat works fine with all of them.
Can I use the classic editor?
Yes. Install the official Classic Editor plugin. The theme’s styles apply to whatever HTML ends up in the post.
Is there a dark mode?
There is no toggle. There is a full set of colour pickers, which is enough for a permanently dark site — that page has the values.
An automatic light/dark switch following the reader’s system setting is not in the theme.
How do I remove the “Powered by Owldraft” credit?
Customize → Footer → Keep theme credit → off.
Stoat is GPL and the GPL does not require you to keep it. The switch exists so you do not have to edit a template.
Is there a sidebar?
No. Stoat is single-column by design. The only widget area is the footer.
Why is my featured image not showing on the post?
Customize → Single Post → Show featured image (top) is off by default. See featured image.
A post has a thumbnail in the listing that I never set
Stoat falls back to the first image in the post content that is at least 300px wide when a post has no featured image. That is usually a feature on an old blog. See listing thumbnails.
Can I use Stoat with a page builder?
Elementor, Beaver Builder and the rest will run, and their full-width templates bypass the theme’s own. But Stoat’s whole premise is that the block editor is enough, and a builder brings back the JavaScript and the stylesheet weight the theme is built to avoid. If you want a builder, a builder-first theme will suit you better.
Is Stoat free? What is OwlDraft Publisher?
Stoat is free, GPL, and on WordPress.org, with no paid version.
OwlDraft Publisher is a separate paid plugin that turns a WordPress site into a paid publication — memberships, a newsletter, a paywall. Stoat is the theme it is built against, and the two are designed together. Neither needs the other.