How to install a WordPress theme using the dashboard, manual upload, and WP-CLI
One of the benefits of building your website with WordPress is that you have a ton of themes to choose from. Each theme has a set of templates, stylesheets, and scripts that determine your site’s appearance. Instead of creating a design from scratch, you can install a theme that fits your brand and needs.
In this article, we’ll show you different ways to install a WordPress theme and offer tips on choosing a suitable theme for your site. Let’s start with what you need to do before setting up a new theme.
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What you need to do before installing a WordPress theme
Before installing a new WordPress theme, take these precautionary measures to protect your content and settings:
- Back up the WordPress site. If anything goes wrong, you can restore your site to its previous state without losing any data.
- Test the new theme on a staging website. As a copy of your live site, the staging environment lets you experiment without affecting user experience or functionality.
- Save current code customizations and the tracking code. Doing this before changing themes simplifies the process of reapplying them to the new theme, ensuring your site’s functionality and analytics remain intact.
- Update WordPress and plugins. Make sure you’re using their latest versions to avoid compatibility issues with the new theme.
5 Ways to install a WordPress theme
After completing all the necessary preparations, you’re ready to change your site’s theme. We’ll guide you through five installation methods, starting with the simplest.
1. Using the WordPress theme directory in the dashboard
This method works for installing free themes in the official WordPress theme directory. Here’s how:
- Head to Appearance → Themes from your WordPress dashboard, then select Add New Theme.