WordPress is the nigh widely-used Content Management System in the world for building self-hosted websites. Chances are if you're not already, you've decided to use WordPress for your ain website. But practice you know how to install a WordPress theme?

Agreement how WordPress themes are added to your website is non complicated at all, no matter which method you cull to apply — and there are a few! The keen thing is, once your theme is installed, yous're ready to showtime creating a standout website right away.

In today's post, we'll dig deeper into how to install a WordPress theme. Specifically, we'll encompass:

Permit'south get started!

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Where to Find WordPress Themes (Both Gratis and Paid)

Learning how to install a WordPress theme on your website isn't hard to do. What is difficult, though, is choosing the right theme for your needs. Merely earlier we await at what you need to successfully achieve that, let's have a quick look at where you lot can detect WordPress themes.

Correct now, the WordPress Repository is one of the most common places to find reliable and free plugins and themes to extend the design and functionality of your WordPress website. In fact, there are over 7,400 themes in the WordPress Repository alone.

Calculation to that, in that location are likewise thousands of free and premium themes available for WordPress users that can exist found in marketplaces such as MOJO Market place, CSS Igniter, and StudioPress. That said, the near famous theme market place to date is Themeforest, which currently has over 46,000 WordPress themes to choose from.

How to Choose the Correct WordPress Theme

So, how are yous supposed to know which WordPress theme is right for you?

Here are some tips to help:

1. Make up one's mind Betwixt a Free or Premium WordPress Theme

The complimentary vs paid WordPress theme argue has been around for a long fourth dimension. This makes information technology tough to know whether you should save your coin and become for a free theme or invest a small amount of money for a premium 1 and reap the benefits. If you come across a WordPress site with a theme that you like, you can use our theme detector tool to find out what theme it uses.

It really does come up down to your budget, there are some things to consider before making a terminal choice:

Pros of Using a Free WordPress Theme

Using a complimentary WordPress theme comes with enough of advantages:

  • They're free to use, which means if you end up non liking it and desire to change your WordPress theme, you've lost no money for giving it a effort.
  • The free themes in the WordPress Repository are officially approved after going through a strict review process.
  • Gratuitous themes plant at WordPress.org volition be uniform with all the complimentary plugins found in the same identify.

That said, gratis themes do come with some disadvantages too.

For example, they typically have a express characteristic set, are used by many people (making information technology hard to create a unique website), and in that location's unremarkably little to no prompt support if at that place are issues. Not to mention, gratis themes found outside the WordPress Repository may exist poorly coded, which opens your site up to vulnerabilities and attacks.

Pros of Using a Premium WordPress Theme

Only like using a gratis theme, premium themes come up with their own gear up of benefits:

  • Yous go support for information technology to aid you with things like bugs, technical issues, and customization (suggested reading: How to Customize Your WordPress Theme).
  • You'll receive frequent updates, which come up with increased security and features.
  • The characteristic sets range from mild to wild, so you tin can pattern your site to look and do whatever you want.
  • If from a trusted theme market, visitor, or developer, you'll know your premium theme is up-to-appointment with all the latest versions of WordPress, HTML, CSS, and PHP.

Premium themes do, however, toll money. Some paid themes require a yearly payment, and others require a one-time payment. This means if you lot buy one, and later on decide to change, you're out any money was spent.

ii. Know Your Niche

WordPress caters to all kinds of websites, and so you can expect WordPress themes to do the same. Knowing your niche before yous make up one's mind on a theme will help y'all find WordPress themes that will have the design and functionality you need.

For instance, if you're starting a WordPress food weblog, yous'll desire to be on the lookout for a WordPress blogging theme that caters to food websites. Better yet, if you lot retrieve y'all might desire to sell products and services to fellow foodies similar yourself, you might desire to check out some ecommerce themes that come with the functionality to first both an online food concern and blog.

To make a good decision, think almost the type of content y'all want to publish, key features your theme will need, your target audience, and what industry you lot want to be in, so you tin narrow your options and make deciding a little easier.

three. Employ Credible Sources

Anyone that can develop a WordPress theme and brand a turn a profit off it, will. Simply the thing is, just considering someone has created a WordPress theme doesn't mean it'south costless from bad lawmaking, viruses, or even spam links.

If you lot've decided to utilise a gratis WordPress theme, the best place to wait is the WordPress Repository. If you need a premium theme or want to employ a free one from a third-party theme company, check for the following:

  • Author reputation
  • Frequency of updates
  • Positive customer reviews
  • Number of sales

In the end, information technology doesn't matter what type of WordPress theme you demand. What really matters is that you avoid using nulled WordPress themes, then you don't take problems in the future with site security, reanimation, and lost site visitors.

iv. Keep Information technology Simple

Information technology's like shooting fish in a barrel to become defenseless up in the appeal of pop multipurpose WordPress themes such as Avada or X. And while these themes may accept the features and design some people need, the truth is, simple is oftentimes better.

This is especially true for those simply starting out. Sometimes multipurpose themes come with too many features, have a high learning curve, and impact your site'south speed and operation.

It's best to use a theme that has but what you need and nothing more.

5. Wait for Responsive Design

Not to be dislocated with mobile-friendly design, responsive design is necessary for giving your mobile site visitors exceptional user experience.

Having a mobile-friendly WordPress theme means that no matter what device your site visitor accesses your website from, it will appear the same. The site visitor will exist able to see all your site's content, navigate the site hands, and click the CTA buttons you want them to. That said, none of the elements on your website will modify, no matter the device or screen size accessing your site.

To check for mobile-friendliness, utilize Google's Mobile-Friendly test.

Google mobile-friendly test
Google mobile-friendly test

On the other hand, having a WordPress theme with responsive design means that when your site visitors click on your website using a mobile device, your website will arrange according to the screen size. Elements on your website will modify to render seamlessly for site visitors and so they tin can access your site content with ease.

To check for responsive blueprint, utilise the complimentary Responsive Checker tool:

Responsive Checker tool
Responsive Checker

The cracking thing nearly this online tool is that you tin evaluate your website using multiple device types, including laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. In addition, you tin navigate the site as if y'all were really accessing information technology using a mobile device to make sure your site looks and functions the fashion you desire it to for site visitors.

6. Evaluate the Theme Back up

At that place may come a time when you need support while using your WordPress theme. That'due south why being able to make it touch with the theme developer or their back up squad is crucial.

Find out what kind of support is offered before deciding on a WordPress theme. And think, most costless WordPress themes come with very little support, if whatsoever at all.

seven. Consider the Features

Lastly, yous should definitely consider the features your WordPress theme comes with. Here are some of the best things to look for in any theme you choose, whether it's gratis or premium:

  • Social media sharing
  • Built-in SEO optimization
  • Cross-browser compatibility
  • Inclusive WordPress folio builders for easier site cosmos
  • Popular WordPress plugin compatibility
  • Multilingual and translation ready
  • Ecommerce support

Of course, every person needs different things for their website. Yet, the to a higher place-mentioned considerations will aid point you in the correct management and help yous make a conclusion.

Now, let's take a look at how to install a WordPress theme onto your website after you've chosen the perfect one.

How to Install a Free WordPress Theme

If y'all want to utilise a theme found in the WordPress Repository on your website, the easiest way to do this is on the backend of your website.

Subscribe Now

To start, log into your WordPress website and get to Appearance > Themes in the WordPress dashboard and click Add New.

How to install a new WordPress theme
Calculation a new WordPress theme

From there, you can filter the results based on:

  • Featured
  • Pop
  • Latest
  • Favorites
Filter theme results
Filter theme results

Or, you tin use the Feature Filter button to filter the theme results based on specific features.

Feature filter
Characteristic filter

Lastly, you can search for a specific WordPress theme if you know the proper name of it past entering the theme'southward name into the search bar:

Searching for a specific WordPress theme in WordPress

Once you observe a theme you might desire to employ, y'all can click Details and Preview to see more than information about the theme, Preview to see a preview of the theme in activeness, or Install to install the theme onto your WordPress site:

Preview or install a WordPress theme
Preview or install a WordPress theme

When y'all decide you desire to use a theme found in the WordPress Repository, click Install.

So, click on Alive Preview get-go to see how your site will look using the theme. This makes information technology easier to decide if the theme yous're interested in is the one for you or not. When you've made the determination, click Activate to finish calculation information technology to your website.

Your WordPress theme is now installed on your website and you can start publishing content right abroad.

How to Install a Premium WordPress Theme

If you've purchased a premium WordPress theme, you lot'll need to utilize the upload method from your WordPress dashboard to install your theme.

To kickoff, download the theme you purchased from the theme marketplace or company you bought it from. Salvage the downloaded nothing file to your computer.

Next, log into your WordPress website and go to Appearance > Themes in the WordPress dashboard and click Add New:

How to install a new WordPress theme
Calculation a new WordPress theme

Next, click Upload Theme to upload the zip file of your premium WordPress theme to your website from your reckoner:

Upload theme feature in WordPress
Upload theme characteristic in WordPress

Click Browse to select the zero file from your computer.

Upload your zip file
Upload your naught file

Then, click Install Now to add the theme to your website.

Install a premium WordPress theme
Install a premium WordPress theme

WordPress volition install your premium theme on your website. If you want to see how your website will look using the uploaded theme, click Live Preview.

Lastly, click Activate to make the theme gear up to go along your website.

The upload method volition work for any premium WordPress theme you have saved as a zip file. It will also work when y'all need to import a theme from ThemeForest. Just download the nothing file that's saved on your computer and follow the same steps above.

How to Install a WordPress Theme Using FTP

The last method we're going to bear witness you is using FTP (file transfer protocol), which is the standard network protocol used for transferring estimator files between a client and server on a computer network. In other words, an FTP helps you upload files between you and your website's servers.

There are several FTP clients y'all tin can use, only we're going to apply FileZilla, which is easily downloaded on your computer. It's free to apply and has a simple interface. Go on in mind, however, this is an advanced style of installing a WordPress theme on your website and is not recommended for beginners.

Step 1: Secure FTP/SFTP Credentials

To go started, yous'll demand to get your FTP or SFTP credentials to enter into FileZilla so information technology tin connect to your site's servers (learn the difference betwixt FTP and SFTP). This information is unremarkably institute in your web hosting business relationship. If you have problem finding it, achieve out to your host and have them help you.

If you employ Kinsta hosting, first log into your MyKinsta account and click on Sites in the dashboard and so on the Info to go the credentials needed:

When you practise this, you should run across your credentials nether SFTP/SSH. You'll demand your username, password, and port:

Pace 2: Enter Credentials into FileZilla

After you've found your FTP/SFTP credentials, open up up FileZilla.

Here is the information you're going to need to enter:

  • Host: from your MyKinsta dashboard (or your site's IP address preceded by "sftp://" for other hosting providers)
  • Username: from your MyKinsta dashboard
  • Password: from your MyKinsta dashboard
  • Port: from your MyKinsta dashboard

This is what information technology will look like at the top of the FileZilla screen:

Using SFTP in FileZilla
Using SFTP in FileZilla

Afterwards yous've entered your credentials, click Quickconnect. FileZilla will then connect to your site'south servers.

Step 3: Upload WordPress Theme Files

Later y'all're connected to your FTP, it's time to install a WordPress theme on your website. Proceed in listen that the left side of FileZilla is how y'all'll admission your computer files, and the correct side of FileZilla is how you lot'll access your site'south files that are stored on your host'due south servers.

To open up your site'due south files, click on the folders in the right-side panel until you lot notice the one labeled Themes:

WordPress themes folder
WordPress themes folder

When you do, any WordPress themes already installed on your website will appear underneath the file folders.

Next, become to the left-side console in FileZilla and search for the naught file of the WordPress theme yous desire to install. When you observe it, right-click on information technology and select Upload:

Uploading WordPress theme via FTP
Uploading WordPress theme via FTP

When the files are done uploading to your site'south servers (this may take a while depending on the size of the file), yous'll see the files on the right-side console in FileZilla.

files uploading to a site's servers in FileZilla

Lastly, log into your WordPress website and go to Appearance > Themes. You'll detect your newly uploaded theme is correct there, waiting for you to actuate and apply on your website.

Appearance, Themes in WordPress

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Summary

If you're going to use WordPress every bit your Content Management System, you're going to need to know how to install a WordPress theme. And chances are, yous'll become through a few WordPress themes until you find the one y'all like and has everything you need.

Luckily for you, at that place are non simply several methods to cull from for installing WordPress themes, but all‌ ‌of‌ ‌them‌ ‌are also relatively easy, even for novice website owners:

  1. You can install a theme through the Appearance>Themes > Add New pick directly from within WordPress.
  2. You can install a theme by uploading it as a zip file via the Upload Theme feature.
  3. You tin install a theme Using an FTP customer.

So, perform a little inquiry and notice the perfect WordPress theme for your weblog, online business, or ecommerce store. And so, install it on your WordPress site so you can begin building a unique website that represents your brand.


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