Planning to install a WordPress theme for your website? You’d be glad to know that there’s a whole plethora of available free and premium WordPress themes out there.
Before you make the final decision, you may want to try out a few themes on your site until you find the perfect one that meets your needs and preferences.
Installing a WordPress theme is not that difficult. But remember that once you activate a new theme, it will change how your website looks and functions.
In this tutorial, I’m going to provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to install a WordPress theme.
Basically, there are two different ways to install a WordPress theme. You can do so automatically through the Dashboard itself, or you can manually install one by using a free FTP software, like FileZilla.
Installing a Theme from the WordPress Admin
Step 1:
First, you need to log in to your WordPress admin area. If you’re looking for a theme, click on Appearance then go to Themes.
You can either click on the ‘Add New’ button or you can search installed themes.
If you choose to add a new theme, you’ll be able to find new WordPress themes that are available for free, all of which are part of the WordPress directory. From there, you’ll be able to select from Featured, Popular, or Latest WordPress themes, or you can search for themes with specific features.
If you click on the ‘Feature Filter’, you will be able to specify the colors, layout, features, as well as the different types of subjects of themes.
Step 2:
Once you’ve picked the right theme, bring your mouse on top of the image and click on the ‘Install’ button.
WordPress will then let you install your theme and show you a success message, along with a link that lets you activate or live preview. Click on the ‘Activate’ button.
If you go to the live site and refresh the page, you can see that the theme has changed.
OR
If you already have a theme in mind and you’ve already downloaded it from a website, simply click on the ‘Add New’ button and click on ‘Upload Theme’.
If you have the zip file, click on ‘Choose File’, locate that particular zip file, open it, and then click ‘Install Now’.
From there, you can click on ‘Activate’, and you’ve successfully installed and activated your WordPress theme.
If you take a look at the live site, you’ll notice that the theme has changed.
Installing a Theme by FTP
Take note that this is a bit more advanced for beginners but if you’re feeling adventurous, go ahead and give it a shot.
Step 1:
Once you installed and set up your FTP software, you need to connect to your host using FTP. Look for the public_html folder.
Locate the WordPress directory, wp-content, click on themes, and then upload the theme.
Step 2:
Once you’ve uploaded the theme, go to the Admin area and click on Appearance, and then Themes. You should see the uploaded theme from there.
Step 3:
Click on the ‘Activate’ button and once you refresh the page, you’re able to see the new theme.
We hope this tutorial helped you install a WordPress theme on your site. Feel free to drop a question or comment below.
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