WordPress website’s design is based on the theme you use. They’re created in WordPress’ dashboard, and there are thousands of them available in public sites like ThemeForest and directly from developers.
It’s crucial that you know how to install the WordPress theme you buy. This will allow you to customize it to your liking and make the most of what you’ve purchased.
There are various ways to configure themes and plugins in WordPress. Free themes have a dedicated interface in the Dashboard, while premium websites require you to use an uploader. There can also be situations where you need to carry out a manual install, which comes with its own set of instructions.
In this tutorial, we’re going to show you how to install a WordPress theme in a few ways.
What to consider before you install a WordPress theme
It’s not hard to change your WordPress site theme, but you should make sure to do research before going ahead with anything. Let’s take a look at a few important factors that you might want to consider when picking a theme.
In fact, there are three key questions you should start with:
- What do I want my new theme to achieve?
- Are there any key design elements I want to implement?
- How much do I have to spend on a new theme?
To help you choose a WordPress theme, you must determine which dimensions are most important to you. This can often be accomplished by identifying criteria in the following list: quality of development, update schedule, support and compatibility with current WordPress versions, and themes that are compatible with your website template.
When viewing the WordPress Themes Directory, you should see this information on the right-hand side of the screen.
The Updates panel on an individual theme page.
That’s not all that you should also consider.
User ratings and reviews
In addition to the reputable themes, the WordPress Theme Directory also has resources that can help you select a theme. User feedback is just as important as development quality, since if someone likes the theme and recommends it, you’ll want to give it serious consideration for use in your company.
A theme ratings panel for an individual theme.
It’s important to keep a close eye on one-star reviews for new themes. While there may be review bombs or other reasons for the low ratings other than a theme being poor, these reviews often highlight issues that you’ll want to know about.
How can you tell if a company cares about its users? When they’re quick to respond to negative reviews. And how do you know if a company is doing well? By accessing the ratings, and seeing if more than one star has been tapped by the developer’s support team, who will also provide solutions for any issues.
There are three ways to install a WordPress theme. Here they are:
After you have a theme in mind, the next step is to install it on your site. There are three ways to install a new theme within WordPress, and which one you use depends on the cost of the theme and whether you can make changes to the WordPress dashboard.
Getting your theme at WordPress.org is easy, quick, and incredibly convenient. All you need to do is log in to your dashboard and the theme will be available for installation in seconds.
If you have a premium theme or otherwise configured your blog differently, which means it’s not available at WordPress.org, then you will need to manually add the theme to WordPress anyway. The process of adding a new theme to WordPress is fairly simple though – all you need to do is upload the ZIP file that the developer gives you. We’ll go into more detail in the second method tip.
The third approach doesn’t need to be something that most people will need, but we wanted to guide our users through each possible step. 99% of WordPress users should use something one of the first two methods, though.
1. How to install WordPress theme from the admin screen
For users who prefer not to use the dashboard interface, there is a dedicated option within the WordPress.org Theme Directory that saves you time and effort. You’ll find it on the Appearance → Themes tab in the left-hand sidebar of your WordPress dashboard:
The Appearance > Themes link within WordPress.
This is all the themes you currently have installed in your WordPress. To add a new theme, click the Add New button at the top of the screen:
The Add New button within WordPress.
So you are used to navigating through WordPress, but sometimes things just get too overwhelming. Let’s make things simple! Just go ahead and head over to the themes directory.
You’ll see a few different elements to the page here:
- There is (of course) a gallery of thumbnails for each theme in the directory.
- The themes you already have available to you will show the green “Installed” bar.
- There’s a header bar at the top that lets you filter the list of themes to narrow down your selection.
Filtering the themes list
If you want to narrow down the number of themes, there’s a number of ways to do it. First, you can search for the name of themes by scrolling through the list. If you don’t know what you’re looking for yet, or if you have a preference but not a name, then use the filters to do a search from 7,500+ themes available on WordPress.org.
WordPress themes have a filter bar for dedicated theming.
You can easily keep track of all the themes that are available on the current site through your preferred browser by using the Theme Directory. There is a tab for most popular, latest additions, and favorite themes. As for this last one, you have to make choices from your browser version of the Theme Directory.
For the last two theme options, you have a search bar and a feature menu. This lets you filter down your search based on what features a theme will have. The features in this menu include whether or not it’s an eCommerce theme or one that uses a three-column layout.
WordPress comes with a handy feature filter that lets you find just what you’re looking for.
Are you looking for a certain type of theme? You can filter the search bar to easily find your chosen theme. To install one, hover over the thumbnail and click the blue Install button:
A theme thumbnail, showing Install and Preview buttons.
Duet is specialized in a variety of design themes for WordPress. Whether you’re looking for something that’s suitable for your website, blog, or magazine, all you have to do is click on the Theme Selector to preview it. You can also see additional information about the theme right on the sidebar. Plus, there are 500+ free themes.
A preview screen for a dedicated theme.
From here, you can install your chosen theme.
Installing your theme
With one click, you’ll be live. As soon as the installation is complete and the Activate link is your homepage, you will see a green “Installed” bar on your thumbnail. Perform this simple step to activate your newly installed theme today.
A theme thumbnail showing an Activate button in place of Install.
In the case that your old theme was deleted, WordPress will send you back to the main Themes page. You’ll see a confirmation that your new theme is now live.
A confirmation notice for an installed theme.
If you visit your site’s preview, you’ll notice that it now uses your new theme.
2. How to install WordPress theme from ZIP file
If you’re looking for a free theme, you can find your perfect WordPress style in The WordPress Theme Directory. However, if you want a premium theme, it’ll have to be sideloaded. Sideloading is when you download the theme from the developer’s website and then upload it via FTP.
These themes and templates can be customized with your brand’s color palette and fonts. You decide on these important variables by going to Appearance → Themes page, putting a check next to the theme you want, clicking the Add New button, and choosing the Upload Theme button next to it.
The Upload Theme button within WordPress.
Anytime you want to install a WordPress theme for your site–one that’s not available in the Theme Directory–you’ll be able to use this dedicated uploader. This is the file format that most premium themes will come in. Non-premium themes, however, will also work with this interface option, but they are visible only in the Theme Directory.
If you purchased a premium theme, it should come with the download link for the ZIP file right there. If you can’t find the link, contact the company or marketplace from which you purchased the theme or consult their support documentation.
You’ll need to download the version that’s appropriate for your operating system. On a PC, go to the location where you extracted the ZIP file and double-click it in order to install CloudApp.
A ZIP file ready to install, with a displayed Install Now button.
You’ll soon see a rundown of what WordPress does to install a theme. When you click on the Install link, your site will be transformed into this new theme.
The success confirmation for a ZIP install.
This takes you back to the main Themes screen and shows your current theme.
3. How to install WordPress theme via FTP
There are certain times where you’ll be unable to use the dashboard interface, or the theme uploader dialog. This might happen when you come across an issue with your WordPress installation and can’t access your site at all. You may need to use a theme without using the normal channels.
There are several ways to install a WordPress theme. One way to install themes is using File Transfer Protocol (FTP). This allows you to connect online and transfer files using a dedicated app.
How WordPress themes help you with setup
Where do you start when you want to begin customizing your theme? The best way to get started is with an easy installation process. The team at ThemeGooby designed an easy installation process that will have your working with the theme in no time.
If you’re unsure about how to set up a theme, many developers have created setup wizards or screens to make the process easier. You typically have several points to check off for optimization, ensuring that your theme will work well for years to come. For example, Neve features its own welcome screen:
There will be various different implementations that pertain to your specific template. It’s smart of you to test these out because then you won’t miss out on some essential functionality your particular theme offers.
Two quick note about WordPress themes
Before we wrap up, let’s quickly touch on two other key details for working with WordPress themes.
Some themes offer premium features through plugins.
More and more themes are being developed with a freemium version followed by a premium paid version. This can be seen in the increasing number of options available on WordPress.org.
However, the premium features of a theme tend to come in a plugin, not something that you usually need for themes.
For example, consider purchasing the Neve theme from WordPress.org. The free version is listed there but if you buy the pro version, you’ll get access to a plugin you can install that will let you add new features with it.
So, if you’re having trouble installing a premium theme that you purchased and aren’t using the add-on plugin for the same theme, you may be uninstalling and installing the wrong plugins.
Child themes are important for custom code edits
This last one won’t apply to most WordPress users, so most people won’t have to follow this.
You can’t change your WordPress theme directly. However, if you plan to make changes from the code up, it’s best to create a new child theme than editing the original one.
A child theme, or duplicate theme, is like a clone of your original theme. You can make changes to the child theme without fear that it’ll change the site’s design. A starting point for any new design, it still presents some technical elements you may need to be familiar with in order to understand how it functions.
This topic is covered in-depth on our blog, so check it out and make sure you know how to create a child theme if you ever plan to edit your theme’s code.
