You\u2019ll find detailed instructions and explanations. So, even if you are a beginner in using WordPress, you can choose the most suitable method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Understanding WordPress Themes: The Building Blocks of Your Website<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nA WordPress theme is essentially a collection of templates and stylesheets that come together to define the appearance and display of a WordPress powered website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is much like the blueprint of a house – it creates the structure, design and layout of your website. These themes are primarily composed of files known as template files, which include coding (PHP), graphics, and stylesheets (CSS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the primary advantages of using a WordPress theme is that it saves you from the tedious task of creating page styling from scratch. Instead of having to manually code the look and feel of every single page, you simply choose a theme that aligns with your aesthetic preferences and functional requirements. The theme comes equipped with predefined styles for various elements such as typography, color schemes, spacing, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the utility of a WordPress theme extends far beyond just aesthetics. Themes can significantly enhance the functionality of your website. For instance, if you’re running an online store, specific themes can optimize the display of your products, facilitating easier navigation for your customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the other hand, if you’re running a blog or a news website, there are themes designed to highlight your articles and posts in a visually appealing and reader-friendly manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To sum up, a WordPress theme is a powerful tool that lets you create and control the desired look and feel of your website. It provides you with the flexibility to customize your website according to your unique needs, whether you’re looking to create an e-commerce platform, a personal blog, a corporate website, or anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By choosing the right theme, you can ensure that your website not only looks good but also delivers an optimal user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where Can You Find a WordPress Theme?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
You can find both free and paid WordPress themes on different resources. The WordPress theme directory<\/a> is itself a vast collection of themes that you can get for free. <\/p>\n\n\n\nA huge variety of companies, in addition to WordPress itself, offer free and premium themes. Themeforest<\/a>, Themify<\/a>, CreativeMarket<\/a>, TemplateMonster<\/a> are just a few examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHow to Choose the Right Theme?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you haven\u2019t chosen a theme yet, read these tips to help you select the best option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Free or Premium Themes: Which Are Better?<\/h3>\n\n\n\nFree Themes by WordPress<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The most significant advantage of themes found at WordPress.org is their quality. To get to the WordPress directory, themes have to be carefully reviewed by developers. That means that you\u2019ll get a reliable theme. Furthermore, you can check people\u2019s reviews and see their feedback on each theme. Also, free themes by WordPress will definitely work with all free plugins that you can also find in the directory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main disadvantage of free themes by WordPress is their minimal design and support. Mostly, these themes include only basic pages (homepage and blog post examples) that you can customize. Additionally, it\u2019s difficult to get support fast if you need it. Likewise, free themes may have updates more rarely than the paid versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Third-party Sources: Free and Premium<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Numerous companies offer free and paid WordPress themes. As for premium themes, you can choose from a one-time purchase or a subscription that usually provides more regular updates to ensure proper functions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, premium themes often include a bigger number of ready-made pages for customization. You can even get similar pages that differ in colors or style within the same theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Niche Themes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you have a niche-specific business, you can opt for a WordPress niche theme. Such themes take into account the peculiarities of businesses, adjusting the layout and functions to them. Some examples are themes for medical clinics, salons, restaurants, logistics companies, cleaning services, etc. So, if you are an entrepreneur, you can explore a variety of designs in your sphere to get the desired website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the screenshot below, you can see real estate WordPress themes by themeforest<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03215758\/envato-1024x472.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSimilarly, you may also consider eCommerce themes for different stores, such as food, beauty products, clothes, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Features<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Besides niche-specific and responsive design, several other features differentiate WordPress themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Firstly, themes may have various customization options. Often, free themes have a limited number of features that you can change, while premium themes allow greater variability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secondly, if you plan to deal with payments (it\u2019s not only about online stores but also booking services), it\u2019s necessary to ensure that a theme is compatible with WooCommerce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thirdly, WordPress themes can include different custom widgets. They follow the general theme style and provide additional customization options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, social sharing features can be essential. This feature is vital for news websites and blogs where higher users\u2019 activity contributes to success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Credible Sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When looking for your perfect WordPress theme, you should pay attention to the credibility of the sources. Some websites, like Colorlib<\/a>, offer WordPress themes created by their developers. So, after you purchase or download a theme, you can reach the team for support.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOther websites (such as TemplateMonster, for instance) are marketplaces where various vendors sell their products. When you are selecting a theme on a marketplace, check<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- the number of products this vendor offers (the more trusted a vendor is, the more products are available usually)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- the number of sales <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- support options for the theme<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- customers\u2019 rating and reviews (to get a clear view of what customers think about the theme)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In the screenshot below, we show educational WordPress themes that you can find on the TemplateMonster website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03215843\/templatemonster.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nUsually, you can preview demo versions of themes before purchasing or downloading them to have an idea of what you\u2019ll get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Responsive Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Responsive design ensures that your website looks great and functions properly on all devices. As more and more people browse sites via mobile phones, search engines prefer to show mobile-friendly websites on their search engine results pages. Thus, it\u2019s not just a matter of the website\u2019s look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The majority of companies offer responsive themes. However, there are some that don\u2019t consider responsive design a priority. We highly recommend checking this point before installing a WordPress theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Theme Support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
As we mentioned before, free themes don\u2019t usually provide full support at any time. Yet, you can also get limited support with premium themes. When you choose a theme on the marketplace, check what kind of support the vendor provides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Switching to a New Theme: Things to Keep in Mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you have an existing customized theme and want to change to a new one, there are several points to follow to make the process smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Back Up Your Current Website<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before installing a new theme, it\u2019s best to create a backup of your current website. Thus, you\u2019ll save your pages, posts, databases, and media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Copy Tracking Codes<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you added analytics or advertising codes to theme files, make sure you copy them before installing a new theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Check Functionality and Plugins<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When changing a theme, you\u2019ll need to keep current functions, so it\u2019s necessary to ensure that the new theme supports all the functions you need. Likewise, it\u2019s advisable to check that the plugins you\u2019ll need will work with the new theme. You should also delete the plugins that you don\u2019t need anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How to Install a WordPress Theme<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now, we\u2019ll cover the main methods of installing a WordPress theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Install a Theme Using the WordPress Admin Theme Search<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If you want to install a theme from the WordPress directory, the simplest way is to use the embedded theme search option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After you log in to your WordPress admin panel, you have to select the Themes submenu in the Appearance menu on your dashboard. Then, click the \u2018Add new\u2019 button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03215914\/admin-1024x430.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter that, you\u2019ll see available themes. Also, you\u2019ll get the possibility to sort themes by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- featured<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- popular<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- latest<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- favorites<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, you can search for a particular theme by name or by applying feature filters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03215937\/search-1024x486.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFeature filters are a great tool to choose the most suitable WordPress theme to cover your needs. You can search by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- subject (or topic, such as eCommerce, education, news, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- features that you need<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- theme layout (if you wish to have a specific website layout, such as three columns or left sidebar)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03220053\/layout-1024x703.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhen you get search results, you\u2019ll be able to see the themes that meet your search criteria. Then, it\u2019s possible to preview themes and read details about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03220103\/preview-1024x374.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you open the Details and Preview window, read the information, and decide to install the specified theme, click on the \u2018Install\u2019 button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03220218\/install-button-1024x502.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nIf you don\u2019t need to preview the theme, you can hover the mouse and click \u2018Install\u2019 right on the search results page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03220234\/hover-1024x374.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfter successful installation, you\u2019ll see a message \u2018Installed\u2019 on your Themes page. The last step here is to press the \u2018Activate\u2019 button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03220248\/installed-1024x376.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSome themes will require some additional settings. You can get a message advising you to install additional plugins for easier customization. Follow the instructions and add recommended features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03220300\/message-1024x358.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nAfterward, you can start customizing your theme. To do this, press the \u2018Customize\u2019 button or choose the \u2018Customize\u2019 submenu in the Appearance menu on the dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03220313\/customize-1024x358.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Install a Theme by Using the Upload Method from WordPress Admin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The first method described above works only for the themes that you can find in the WordPress repository. If you have downloaded a free or premium theme from other sources, you can install it by uploading it. Let\u2019s look at the steps to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Go to the Appearance – Themes<\/strong> submenu on the dashboard and click the \u2018Add new\u2019 button (we\u2019ve talked about this step earlier). On the next screen, press the \u2018Upload Theme\u2019 button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03220358\/upload-1024x482.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThen, you will see a message instructing you to upload a theme file. It should be a .zip file saved on your computer. After you upload it, click the \u2018Install Now\u2019 button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03220419\/install-now-1024x356.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhen WordPress finishes the installation process, you\u2019ll see a notification about its success and the links for previewing and activating the theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03220433\/activate.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Install a Theme Using FTP<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
This method is the best for installing complex themes with large files or custom themes. Besides knowing how to add a theme to WordPress, you\u2019ll also need some skills in working with FTP clients. Let\u2019s look at the steps you should take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First, download the theme to your computer and unpack the .zip file in a folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secondly, open your website (or your hosting account) with the help of an FTP client. If you don\u2019t have an FTP client, you should download and install it on your computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thirdly, when you are connected to the site, open the \/wp-content\/themes\/ folder. It contains the folders of the themes that are already installed on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next step is to find the folder that contains the file themes you want to install (you have unzipped the theme file into this folder on your computer).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Afterward, choose \u2018Upload\u2019 after right-clicking on the necessary folder. The FTP client will start the uploading process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the theme upload is finished, you should go to the Appearance – Themes menu on your WordPress dashboard. There, you\u2019ll see the list of installed themes. Click on the new one you wish to set and choose \u2018Activate\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Free Theme vs. Premium Theme: Differences in Installation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As we have already mentioned, the theme installation process depends on the source where you get the theme rather than its free or paid status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can install free themes from the WordPress repository using the theme search method in the admin panel. However, free and premium themes from other sources require installation via uploading or using an FTP client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you\u2019ve selected WordPress as your content management system, you\u2019ll need to know how to use WordPress themes. A WordPress theme is responsible for what your website looks like and how it functions. A considerable variety of free and premium WordPress themes lets you choose the most appropriate variant that will meet your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are three main methods of installing WordPress theme files:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- using the WordPress admin theme search<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- uploading a theme via WordPress admin panel<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- using an FTP client to add a theme<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
If you are going to use a free theme from the WordPress directory, you can apply the first method. If you ave a free or premium theme from a third-party resource, download the theme file to your computer and use the second or the third method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nExceptional WordPress Development Services from GetDevDone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Having trouble finding or installing a WordPress theme? Let our expert WordPress developers <\/a>assist you. With 16+ years of industry experience and thousands of successfully completed WP projects, we know everything about the world\u2019s most popular CMS.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nReach out to <\/a>us with any WordPress-related request, from developing a custom theme or modifying your present one to satisfy your specific business needs to Core Web Vitals optimization and strengthening the security of your website. .<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you're new to setting up WordPress themes and want to get the hang of it, this article is your guide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":14044,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[740,752],"tags":[774,781,814],"class_list":["post-13880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorial","category-wordpress-development","tag-cms-development","tag-theme-development","tag-wordpress"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"Dmytro Mashchenko","author_link":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/author\/dima"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4-300x300.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Tutorial<\/a>","WordPress development<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Tutorial<\/span>","WordPress development<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["CMS development<\/a>","Theme development<\/a>","WordPress<\/a>"],"unlinked":["CMS development<\/span>","Theme development<\/span>","WordPress<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 4 years ago","modified":"Updated 1 year ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on March 21, 2022","modified":"Updated on April 3, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on March 21, 2022 11:30 am","modified":"Updated on April 3, 2025 10:04 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","featured_image_urls":{"thumbnail_723x315":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4-400x315.png","thumbnail_723x315-2x":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4.png","thumbnail_723x315-3x":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4.png","thumbnail_770x510":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4.png","thumbnail_770x510-2x":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4.png","thumbnail_770x510-3x":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4.png"},"featured_post_color":"#e88080","author_avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/97bd036a871c68c70de0956108719ad9489849769ee15e25e0bee81f3bdd7286?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_position":"CEO of GetDevDone","reading_time":"<\/span> 9<\/span> min read<\/span><\/span>","prev_post":{"slug":"wordpress-website-development-common-problems-and-how-to-deal-with-them","name":"Common WordPress Website Building Issues and How to Deal with Them"},"next_post":{"slug":"embedding-youtube-videos-in-wordpress-best-practices","name":"Embedding YouTube Videos in WordPress: Best Practices"},"related_posts":["best-chatgpt-content-generation-wordpress-plugins","winchester-white-website-transformation-wordpress-plugin-integration","wordpress-website-development-common-problems-and-how-to-deal-with-them"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13880"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13880\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24684,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13880\/revisions\/24684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
A huge variety of companies, in addition to WordPress itself, offer free and premium themes. Themeforest<\/a>, Themify<\/a>, CreativeMarket<\/a>, TemplateMonster<\/a> are just a few examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you haven\u2019t chosen a theme yet, read these tips to help you select the best option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most significant advantage of themes found at WordPress.org is their quality. To get to the WordPress directory, themes have to be carefully reviewed by developers. That means that you\u2019ll get a reliable theme. Furthermore, you can check people\u2019s reviews and see their feedback on each theme. Also, free themes by WordPress will definitely work with all free plugins that you can also find in the directory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main disadvantage of free themes by WordPress is their minimal design and support. Mostly, these themes include only basic pages (homepage and blog post examples) that you can customize. Additionally, it\u2019s difficult to get support fast if you need it. Likewise, free themes may have updates more rarely than the paid versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Numerous companies offer free and paid WordPress themes. As for premium themes, you can choose from a one-time purchase or a subscription that usually provides more regular updates to ensure proper functions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Moreover, premium themes often include a bigger number of ready-made pages for customization. You can even get similar pages that differ in colors or style within the same theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have a niche-specific business, you can opt for a WordPress niche theme. Such themes take into account the peculiarities of businesses, adjusting the layout and functions to them. Some examples are themes for medical clinics, salons, restaurants, logistics companies, cleaning services, etc. So, if you are an entrepreneur, you can explore a variety of designs in your sphere to get the desired website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the screenshot below, you can see real estate WordPress themes by themeforest<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, you may also consider eCommerce themes for different stores, such as food, beauty products, clothes, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides niche-specific and responsive design, several other features differentiate WordPress themes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Firstly, themes may have various customization options. Often, free themes have a limited number of features that you can change, while premium themes allow greater variability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondly, if you plan to deal with payments (it\u2019s not only about online stores but also booking services), it\u2019s necessary to ensure that a theme is compatible with WooCommerce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thirdly, WordPress themes can include different custom widgets. They follow the general theme style and provide additional customization options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, social sharing features can be essential. This feature is vital for news websites and blogs where higher users\u2019 activity contributes to success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When looking for your perfect WordPress theme, you should pay attention to the credibility of the sources. Some websites, like Colorlib<\/a>, offer WordPress themes created by their developers. So, after you purchase or download a theme, you can reach the team for support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other websites (such as TemplateMonster, for instance) are marketplaces where various vendors sell their products. When you are selecting a theme on a marketplace, check<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the screenshot below, we show educational WordPress themes that you can find on the TemplateMonster website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Usually, you can preview demo versions of themes before purchasing or downloading them to have an idea of what you\u2019ll get.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Responsive design ensures that your website looks great and functions properly on all devices. As more and more people browse sites via mobile phones, search engines prefer to show mobile-friendly websites on their search engine results pages. Thus, it\u2019s not just a matter of the website\u2019s look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The majority of companies offer responsive themes. However, there are some that don\u2019t consider responsive design a priority. We highly recommend checking this point before installing a WordPress theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we mentioned before, free themes don\u2019t usually provide full support at any time. Yet, you can also get limited support with premium themes. When you choose a theme on the marketplace, check what kind of support the vendor provides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have an existing customized theme and want to change to a new one, there are several points to follow to make the process smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Back Up Your Current Website<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before installing a new theme, it\u2019s best to create a backup of your current website. Thus, you\u2019ll save your pages, posts, databases, and media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. Copy Tracking Codes<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you added analytics or advertising codes to theme files, make sure you copy them before installing a new theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Check Functionality and Plugins<\/p>\n\n\n\n When changing a theme, you\u2019ll need to keep current functions, so it\u2019s necessary to ensure that the new theme supports all the functions you need. Likewise, it\u2019s advisable to check that the plugins you\u2019ll need will work with the new theme. You should also delete the plugins that you don\u2019t need anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, we\u2019ll cover the main methods of installing a WordPress theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to install a theme from the WordPress directory, the simplest way is to use the embedded theme search option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After you log in to your WordPress admin panel, you have to select the Themes submenu in the Appearance menu on your dashboard. Then, click the \u2018Add new\u2019 button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After that, you\u2019ll see available themes. Also, you\u2019ll get the possibility to sort themes by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, you can search for a particular theme by name or by applying feature filters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feature filters are a great tool to choose the most suitable WordPress theme to cover your needs. You can search by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you get search results, you\u2019ll be able to see the themes that meet your search criteria. Then, it\u2019s possible to preview themes and read details about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you open the Details and Preview window, read the information, and decide to install the specified theme, click on the \u2018Install\u2019 button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t need to preview the theme, you can hover the mouse and click \u2018Install\u2019 right on the search results page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After successful installation, you\u2019ll see a message \u2018Installed\u2019 on your Themes page. The last step here is to press the \u2018Activate\u2019 button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some themes will require some additional settings. You can get a message advising you to install additional plugins for easier customization. Follow the instructions and add recommended features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Afterward, you can start customizing your theme. To do this, press the \u2018Customize\u2019 button or choose the \u2018Customize\u2019 submenu in the Appearance menu on the dashboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first method described above works only for the themes that you can find in the WordPress repository. If you have downloaded a free or premium theme from other sources, you can install it by uploading it. Let\u2019s look at the steps to do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Go to the Appearance – Themes<\/strong> submenu on the dashboard and click the \u2018Add new\u2019 button (we\u2019ve talked about this step earlier). On the next screen, press the \u2018Upload Theme\u2019 button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, you will see a message instructing you to upload a theme file. It should be a .zip file saved on your computer. After you upload it, click the \u2018Install Now\u2019 button.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When WordPress finishes the installation process, you\u2019ll see a notification about its success and the links for previewing and activating the theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This method is the best for installing complex themes with large files or custom themes. Besides knowing how to add a theme to WordPress, you\u2019ll also need some skills in working with FTP clients. Let\u2019s look at the steps you should take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, download the theme to your computer and unpack the .zip file in a folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondly, open your website (or your hosting account) with the help of an FTP client. If you don\u2019t have an FTP client, you should download and install it on your computer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thirdly, when you are connected to the site, open the \/wp-content\/themes\/ folder. It contains the folders of the themes that are already installed on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next step is to find the folder that contains the file themes you want to install (you have unzipped the theme file into this folder on your computer).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Afterward, choose \u2018Upload\u2019 after right-clicking on the necessary folder. The FTP client will start the uploading process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the theme upload is finished, you should go to the Appearance – Themes menu on your WordPress dashboard. There, you\u2019ll see the list of installed themes. Click on the new one you wish to set and choose \u2018Activate\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we have already mentioned, the theme installation process depends on the source where you get the theme rather than its free or paid status.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can install free themes from the WordPress repository using the theme search method in the admin panel. However, free and premium themes from other sources require installation via uploading or using an FTP client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve selected WordPress as your content management system, you\u2019ll need to know how to use WordPress themes. A WordPress theme is responsible for what your website looks like and how it functions. A considerable variety of free and premium WordPress themes lets you choose the most appropriate variant that will meet your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three main methods of installing WordPress theme files:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are going to use a free theme from the WordPress directory, you can apply the first method. If you ave a free or premium theme from a third-party resource, download the theme file to your computer and use the second or the third method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having trouble finding or installing a WordPress theme? Let our expert WordPress developers <\/a>assist you. With 16+ years of industry experience and thousands of successfully completed WP projects, we know everything about the world\u2019s most popular CMS.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Reach out to <\/a>us with any WordPress-related request, from developing a custom theme or modifying your present one to satisfy your specific business needs to Core Web Vitals optimization and strengthening the security of your website. .<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" If you're new to setting up WordPress themes and want to get the hang of it, this article is your guide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":14044,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[740,752],"tags":[774,781,814],"class_list":["post-13880","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tutorial","category-wordpress-development","tag-cms-development","tag-theme-development","tag-wordpress"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"Dmytro Mashchenko","author_link":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/author\/dima"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4-300x300.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Tutorial<\/a>","WordPress development<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Tutorial<\/span>","WordPress development<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["CMS development<\/a>","Theme development<\/a>","WordPress<\/a>"],"unlinked":["CMS development<\/span>","Theme development<\/span>","WordPress<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 4 years ago","modified":"Updated 1 year ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on March 21, 2022","modified":"Updated on April 3, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on March 21, 2022 11:30 am","modified":"Updated on April 3, 2025 10:04 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","featured_image_urls":{"thumbnail_723x315":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4-400x315.png","thumbnail_723x315-2x":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4.png","thumbnail_723x315-3x":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4.png","thumbnail_770x510":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4.png","thumbnail_770x510-2x":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4.png","thumbnail_770x510-3x":"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/newblog.psd2html.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/21111842\/Intro-preview-4.png"},"featured_post_color":"#e88080","author_avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/97bd036a871c68c70de0956108719ad9489849769ee15e25e0bee81f3bdd7286?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_position":"CEO of GetDevDone","reading_time":"<\/span> 9<\/span> min read<\/span><\/span>","prev_post":{"slug":"wordpress-website-development-common-problems-and-how-to-deal-with-them","name":"Common WordPress Website Building Issues and How to Deal with Them"},"next_post":{"slug":"embedding-youtube-videos-in-wordpress-best-practices","name":"Embedding YouTube Videos in WordPress: Best Practices"},"related_posts":["best-chatgpt-content-generation-wordpress-plugins","winchester-white-website-transformation-wordpress-plugin-integration","wordpress-website-development-common-problems-and-how-to-deal-with-them"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13880"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13880\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24684,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13880\/revisions\/24684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13880"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13880"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/getdevdone.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How to Choose the Right Theme?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Free or Premium Themes: Which Are Better?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Free Themes by WordPress<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Third-party Sources: Free and Premium<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Niche Themes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFeatures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Credible Sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nResponsive Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Theme Support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Switching to a New Theme: Things to Keep in Mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Install a WordPress Theme<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Install a Theme Using the WordPress Admin Theme Search<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n2. Install a Theme by Using the Upload Method from WordPress Admin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n3. Install a Theme Using FTP<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Free Theme vs. Premium Theme: Differences in Installation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\nExceptional WordPress Development Services from GetDevDone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n