Are you looking to install a WordPress theme?
There are thousands of WordPress themes available (both free and paid). As a beginner, you may want to try out a few of them on your site until you find the right one.
In this beginner’s guide, we’ll share detailed step by step instructions on how to install a WordPress theme. We’ll cover three different ways to install a WordPress theme, so you can choose the method that works best for you.
Before You Install a WordPress Theme
Installing a WordPress theme is easy but keep in mind that if you activate a new theme, then it will change how your website looks and functions.
If you’re switching from an existing theme, then you may want to look at our checklist of things you need to do before changing WordPress themes.
If you are installing a WordPress theme on a new site, then you are good to go.
Bonus Tip: See our list of the best and most popular WordPress themes.
Video Tutorial
If you don’t like the video or need more instructions, then continue reading.
Install a Theme using WordPress Admin Theme Search
If you’re looking to install a free WordPress theme from the WordPress.org themes directory, then the easiest way is by using the built-in theme search functionality.
The first thing you need to do is log in to your WordPress admin area. Next, go to the Appearance » Themes page and click on the Add New button.
On the next screen, you will have the ability to select from: Featured WordPress themes, Popular WordPress themes, Latest WordPress themes, search for a specific theme, or search for themes with specific features.
Clicking on the ‘Feature Filter’ button will allow you to sort themes based on features. For instance, you can sort themes by subject, specific features, and layout.
Based on your search, you will see a list of themes that met your criteria. In our case, we searched for the popular Astra theme.
When you see the theme that you want to install, simply bring your mouse on top of the image. This will reveal the install button, preview button, and details button.
Go ahead and click on the install button.
WordPress will now install your theme and show you a success message along with ‘Activate’ or ‘Live preview’ buttons.
Click on the activate button, and you’ve successfully installed and activated your WordPress theme.
Depending on the theme, it may add additional settings options that you may need to configure.
For instance, your theme may ask you to install the recommended plugins, download demo data, or review settings.
You can follow the on-screen instructions, or click on the customize button to start setting up your theme.
Install a Theme by using the Upload Method from WordPress Admin
The first method that we covered only allows you to install free themes that are available in the WordPress.org theme’s directory.
What if you want to install a premium WordPress theme from companies like StudioPress, Elegant Themes, Themify, etc.
Or what if you want to install a custom theme? Well, in this case, you would need to install the theme using the upload method from your WordPress admin.
Start by downloading the .zip file of the theme that you purchased from a marketplace or a commercial theme shop.
Next, go to the Appearance » Themes page in WordPress admin area and click on the Add New button at the top.
This will take you to the add new theme page showing featured free themes. Since you already have the theme you want to install, go ahead and click on the ‘Upload Theme’ button at the top.
You will be prompted to choose the zip file that you downloaded earlier. Select the file and click Install Now.
Once your theme is installed, you will see a success message along with the link to activate and preview the theme.
Click on the ‘Activate’ link, and you’ve successfully installed and activated your WordPress theme.
Depending on the theme, it may add additional settings options that you may need to configure either through the theme customizer or through a separate options panel.
Note: The theme upload functionality is only available for self-hosted WordPress.org users. If you’re using WordPress.com, then you will not see this option because it limits you.
In order to use custom theme upload feature, you would need to use self-hosted WordPress.org (See this article that explains the difference between Self Hosted WordPress.org vs WordPress.com).
If you want to switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, then read our tutorial on how to properly move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org.
Installing a WordPress Theme using FTP
If you’re feeling adventurous and want to take your skills to the next level, then you can learn about installing WordPress themes using FTP.
Remember, this is not for true beginners because it is a little bit more advanced.
First, you need to download the theme zip file to your computer. After that, you need to unzip the file.
This will create a new folder with the theme’s name on your computer. We downloaded the popular Divi premium theme.
Now that you have the theme files, you are ready to upload them to your website.
To do that, you’ll need to connect to your website / WordPress hosting account using an FTP client. If you need help, then see our guide on how to use FTP to upload WordPress files.
Once connected, you need to go to /wp-content/themes/ folder. Inside, you’ll see folders for all themes currently installed on your website.
Select your unzipped theme folder from your computer and then upload it to your website.
Once you have uploaded the theme, you would need to go to your admin area and click on Appearance » Themes.
You should see the theme that you uploaded listed there. Simply bring your mouse on top of that theme and click on the activate button.
FAQs About Installing WordPress Themes
The following are some of the most commonly asked questions about installing WordPress themes.
1. How many themes can I use in WordPress?
You can only use one theme at a time. However, you can install as many themes as you like. Not all installed themes on your WordPress website are active.
As soon as you activate a WordPress theme, it automatically deactivates your previous active theme and makes the new theme your active theme.
2. What is a child theme in WordPress?
A child theme in WordPress is a sub-theme that inherits all the functionality, features, and style of its parent theme. You will need to install both parent and child themes on your website and activate the child theme.
For more details, see our guide on how to create a child theme in WordPress and how to install a child theme in WordPress.
3. What is a WordPress theme framework?
Theme frameworks are highly optimized WordPress themes designed to be used as parent theme.
Intended for advanced users and developers, these theme frameworks contain several code and speed optimizations that help other developers quickly build upon them.
Genesis by StudioPress is the best example of a WordPress theme framework. For more information, see our article on WordPress theme frameworks.
4. Premium vs Free themes – Which one I should use?
If you are just starting out on a limited budget, then we recommend getting started with a flexible free theme. See our pick of the best free WordPress themes for blogs and best free themes for business websites.
If you can spend a little more, then choose a premium theme. These themes come with priority support which comes in handy particularly for beginners.
For more on this topic, see our guide on free vs premium WordPress themes.
5. How do I choose the best theme for my website?
There are so many WordPress themes out there and most of them are designed by professionals so they look really great.
This makes it a bit confusing for beginners to choose the perfect theme for their website.
We recommend keeping it simple. Choose a minimalist design that comes close to what you have in your mind. Make sure that the theme looks great on mobile and run a website speed test on the demo site.
See our beginner’s guide on how to choose the perfect WordPress theme for your website.
6. Can I use the same theme I have seen on another WordPress site?
If it is not a custom WordPress theme, then you can find and use the same theme on your own website. See our guide on how to find out which WordPress theme a site is using.
We hope this step by step guide helped you install a WordPress theme on your site. You may also want to see our guide on how to make money online from your new WordPress website, and the must have / best WordPress plugins.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also catch us on Twitter and Facebook.
How can I install theme with its content??
I need some help. From the appearance tab, I have no option to add a new theme. The site I am trying to update was made with Divi (and no one knows that password for that site) – so I need to update it using one of the WP free themes.
You may want to check your user role permissions following our guide below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/wordpress-user-roles-and-permissions/
So this is a common issue? Free themes has this issue all the time?
It depends on the specific theme, some have demo content and others do not. It does not matter if the theme is free or not.
Hi
I have activated a free theme from the list you provided but the website does not look same as the demo. I get a single blog page “sample page”. No other pages or anything else.
How to fix this issue?
If you want the site to look the same as the demo, you would want to reach out to the theme’s support for if they offer demo content that you can import to your site.
i do not have an “add new” button at top of screen as shown. how do i install?
Are you using WordPress.com? We would recommend taking a look at our guide below for the comparison below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
If I want to develop a website on localhost server by premium theme,how to install the premium theme?
It would depend on the specific theme, you would want to reach out to the theme’s support for how they handle local installs
Hello
I can’t find the Appearance tab in my WordPress. Please help me
f you are using a WordPress.org site you may be seeing their interface, for the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org you would want to take a look at our article below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
Hi,
If I install a new theme after loading demo data from the first, but without creating any live content, will I have a problem installing the demo data from the new theme?
It would depend on the theme but for the most part, you shouldn’t have an issue.
Uhhhh…. I have following ur methods but when I go to Appearance> Theme page… I don’t see “add new” icon…. so what to do???????
You may be on WordPress.com, in which case you would want to take a look at our article below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
hi thank you for the information
please i have a question about paid themes, could i use my licenses to design my website on localhost and then move it to live because i want to familiarise with the theme and design it the way i want before .
have a nice day
It would depend on the specific theme for their limitations but you should normally be able to do that.
Can I use a premium them multiple times and in different websites
Thank you
It would depend on the specific theme. If you reach out to your theme’s support they should let you know their licensing limitations.
Hey,
When I try to do this, the web tells me that I have to upgrate to a paid version, is there any way I can install this theme on my free account?
Not on the free WordPress.com at the moment, part of your confusion would be our guides are for WordPress.org sites and we cover the difference here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
amazing information
Thank you
When i download my themes for some reason it seems I am missing something. For instance the last them i downloaded and installed had a graphic next to the page title and that wasn’t there, there was a graphic on the side bad, again not there…. as well as the background color. Which was sorta lavender and as well that was not their either.. What am i doing wrong?
Not all themes have their demo content as their defaults. If you reach out to your theme’s support they can let you know if they offer their demo content.
Ok. The themes that are with WordPress should have all the demo content there right? or is that also just for demo
You would need to reach out to each theme for if their demo content is available.
I want to know how to open a theme on my desktop so I can work with it here as a “Local Server” and then either copy/paste a page to my WordPress site or upload with FTP. I have the theme in a zipped folder on my desk now but how do I open it and put it to work learning my way around it?
Please help: Advanced Thanks
Modifying a theme would require some coding knowledge, for a starting point you may want to take a look at our child theme article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-themes/how-to-create-a-wordpress-child-theme-video/
Hello,
I followed the instructions to upload my custom theme, however, there isn’t an “Add New” button. Any ideas?
Is your site on WordPress.com? We have an article explaining the differences here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
How do I maintain the graphics that comes with a theme? Themes will look very beautiful on vendor’s site but after installation, it’ll be looking boring. I’m sure there’s something I’m not doing correctly.
You would want to reach out to the theme’s support for if they have a method to replicate their demo content for how much of the demo content is available
Not Found
The requested URL /index.php was not found on this server.
Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request.
Please I need some help guys
You may want to recreate your htaccess file using the steps in: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/beginners-guide-to-troubleshooting-wordpress-errors-step-by-step/