¿Se pregunta qué debe hacer antes de cambiar de tema de WordPress?
Al cambiar de tema de WordPress, hay algunos pasos muy importantes que debes seguir para asegurarte de que el proceso se realiza sin problemas y de que no pierdes ningún dato importante.
En esta lista de comprobación de WordPress, compartiremos las principales cosas que debe hacer antes de cambiar los temas de WordPress.
Nota del editor: Si busca instrucciones paso a paso sobre cómo cambiar de tema, consulte nuestra guía para principiantes sobre cómo cambiar correctamente el tema de WordPress.
Cambiar de tema es una decisión importante que todo propietario de un sitio web toma al menos una vez cada varios años.
Por supuesto, tienes que decidir tu razonamiento de por qué estás cambiando, y elegir un tema que se adapte a todas tus necesidades.
Tenemos una lista de los mejores temas WordPress multipropósito y los mejores temas WordPress para blogs que puedes marcar / comprobar si estás buscando recomendaciones.
Una vez que hayas elegido el tema al que quieres cambiar, es importante que sigas la siguiente lista de comprobación para asegurarte de que no pierdes ningún contenido o dato durante el proceso.
1. Tome nota de cualquier tema de WordPress Personalizadores
Algunos propietarios de sitios web WordPress personalizan sus temas añadiendo fragmentos de código directamente a los archivos de sus temas. Los fragmentos de código pueden ser una buena forma de añadir nuevas características a su sitio web que no formen parte del inventario / existencias del tema.
Pero si añades esos fragmentos de código directamente a los archivos de tu tema, es fácil perderlos de vista.
Si usted o un desarrollador web ha realizado estos cambios, asegúrese de revisar los archivos de su tema actual y anote todo el código adicional que se ha añadido.
Para añadir fragmentos de código en el futuro, siempre recomendamos utilizar un plugin de fragmentos de código como WPCode. De esta forma, puedes conservar esos fragmentos de código incluso si cambias de tema más adelante. Para más detalles, consulte nuestra guía para principiantes sobre cómo pegar fragmentos de código de la web en WordPress.
2. Obtenga las métricas actuales de rendimiento del tema de WordPress
Antes de cambiar de tema, deberías comprobar la velocidad de carga y el rendimiento de tu sitio web actual. Así podrás comparar las diferencias en el tiempo de carga de la página después de cambiar de tema.
Dado que la velocidad y el rendimiento de WordPress desempeñan un perfil importante en la experiencia del usuario y en el SEO de WordPress, debe asegurarse de que el nuevo tema sea más rápido que el que está utilizando ahora.
Puede comprobar fácilmente las métricas de velocidad actuales de su sitio web utilizando una herramienta de comprobación de velocidad de WordPress como la herramienta gratuita de comprobación de velocidad de sitios web de IsItWP.
Para más información, consulte nuestra guía sobre cómo realizar una prueba de velocidad de sitios web.
3. Anote las barras laterales y las áreas de widgets del tema actual
Las barras laterales se utilizan para añadir diferentes widgets a su sitio web, como formularios de suscripción a boletines por correo electrónico, botones de medios sociales, entradas populares, etc.
Dado que cada tema tiene diferentes áreas de widget, tus widgets pueden moverse inesperadamente o desaparecer de tu sitio si cambias de tema.
Por eso es importante que anotes qué widgets estás usando en tus barras laterales de WordPress y en cualquier otra área de widgets de tu sitio web antes de cambiar de tema. Así podrás replicarlos fácilmente después de cambiar.
Si ha añadido algún código personalizado o shortcode, asegúrese de copiar este código y guardarlo en un lugar seguro para poder utilizarlo con su nuevo tema.
4. Copiar los códigos de seguimiento de WordPress existentes
Muchos usuarios añaden el código de seguimiento analítico directamente a los archivos de su tema. Algunos temas de WordPress también permiten añadir códigos de seguimiento directamente en el panel de opciones del tema.
Es un error común pasar por alto estos importantes códigos de seguimiento.
Asegúrese de copiar todos los códigos de seguimiento de su sitio web que esté utilizando para análisis, publicidad, etc., para poder añadirlos a su nuevo sitio web.
Si quieres ponértelo fácil, te recomendamos que utilices un plugin como MonsterInsights para instalar Google Analytics en WordPress.
Al utilizar MonsterInsights, puede estar seguro de que no habrá interrupciones en su análisis o pérdida de datos. También desbloqueará el seguimiento de bonificación como enlazar clics y seguimiento de clics de botón, categoría de WordPress y análisis de etiquetas, autor de seguimiento, y mucho más.
Para el resto de códigos de seguimiento, puede utilizar el plugin gratuito WPCode. Para más detalles, consulte nuestra guía sobre cómo añadir código de cabecera y pie de página en WordPress.
5. Haga una copia de seguridad de su sitio web actual en WordPress
Siempre es una buena idea hacer copias de seguridad de tu sitio web con regularidad. Antes de cambiar de tema, haz una copia de seguridad completa de tus entradas, páginas, plugins, medios y bases de datos.
La forma más sencilla de hacerlo es utilizando un plugin de copia de seguridad de WordPress para crear una copia de seguridad de todo su sitio.
Te recomendamos que utilices el plugin Duplicator. Te permite crear fácilmente copias de seguridad automatizadas y programadas y guardarlas en servicios de almacenamiento en la nube como Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
También existe una versión gratuita de Duplicator para empezar. Para más detalles, consulta esta guía sobre cómo hacer una copia de seguridad de un sitio WordPress.
Esto te ayudará a recuperar fácilmente tu sitio web si algo va mal al cambiar de tema.
6. Ponga su sitio WordPress en modo de mantenimiento
Cuando realice cambios en su sitio web, siempre es una buena práctica ponerlo en modo de mantenimiento. El modo de mantenimiento le permite mostrar un aviso fácil de usar a sus visitantes.
Así evitará que sus visitantes vean su sitio web a medio terminar o en construcción.
Para ello, recomendamos utilizar el plugin SeedProd. Es el mejor editor de arrastrar y soltar páginas de WordPress utilizado por más de 1 millón de sitios web.
Le permite crear fácilmente páginas personalizadas en modo de mantenimiento, páginas de destino, próximas páginas, páginas 404 y mucho más.
Para más detalles, consulte nuestra guía sobre cómo poner su sitio WordPress en modo de mantenimiento.
7. Pruebe toda la funcionalidad y los plugins de WordPress instalados.
Una vez que tengas un nuevo tema de WordPress activado, necesitas asegurarte de que tienes la misma funcionalidad que antes y que todos tus antiguos plugins funcionan con tu nuevo tema.
Puedes empezar añadiendo de nuevo los fragmentos de código que copiaste de los archivos de tu antiguo tema de WordPress. Para más información, consulta nuestra guía para principiantes sobre cómo pegar fragmentos de código en WordPress.
A continuación, dedique algún tiempo a utilizar las características de su sitio que funcionan con plugins de WordPress. Si experimenta algún error en este momento, consulte nuestra guía para principiantes sobre cómo diagnosticar errores de WordPress.
8. Pruebe el nuevo tema de WordPress en todos los navegadores / dispositivos
Las pruebas entre navegadores le ayudarán a asegurarse de que su nuevo sitio web se ve bien en distintos navegadores, tamaños de pantalla, sistemas operativos y dispositivos móviles.
Es probable que la mayoría de tus visitantes utilicen Google Chrome para visitar tu blog de WordPress. Sin embargo, otros navegadores web como Firefox, Microsoft Edge o Safari, entre otros, siguen siendo utilizados por cientos de millones de usuarios en todo el mundo.
Si su nuevo sitio web no funciona correctamente en uno de esos navegadores, está perdiendo visitantes y tráfico.
Por suerte, puedes utilizar todo tipo de herramientas de pruebas entre navegadores para ver cómo se ve tu sitio web en distintos navegadores y dispositivos.
Para más detalles, consulte nuestra guía sobre cómo probar un sitio de WordPress en diferentes navegadores.
9. Borrar plugins de WordPress que ya no necesitas
Algunos temas de WordPress preinstalan plugins cuando instalas el tema. Algunos de ellos pueden ser útiles, pero otras veces no los necesitarás.
Simplemente vaya a Plugins ” Plugins instalados para ver si su tema ha añadido nuevos plugins.
Ahora también es un buen momento para revisar toda tu lista de plugins para ver si merece la pena borrar alguno.
Si está buscando plugins de alta calidad para utilizar con su nuevo tema, consulte nuestra selección de plugins imprescindibles para WordPress.
10. Informe a sus usuarios de que su nuevo sitio web está activo
Una vez que esté listo para lanzar su nuevo tema de WordPress, puede desactivar el modo de mantenimiento.
También debería ponerse en contacto con sus lectores para informarles acerca de su nuevo sitio web. Así preparará a su público para que no se sienta confundido por los grandes cambios de diseño, y también contribuirá a que sus suscriptores sigan participando y vuelvan a su sitio para ver el nuevo diseño.
Este es un ejemplo de una entrada que compartimos en Facebook acerca del rediseño de nuestro sitio web.
Le recomendamos avisar a su público a través de su boletín de correo electrónico, medios sociales y avisos instantáneos.
Si busca más formas de promocionar su sitio, consulte nuestra guía sobre cómo compartir las entradas de su blog con los lectores.
11. Pruebe la velocidad de carga de su nuevo tema de WordPress
Una vez que tu nuevo tema esté activo y hayas seguido los pasos anteriores, es hora de hacer otra prueba de velocidad. Lo ideal es que tu nuevo sitio web sea más rápido y obtenga mejores puntuaciones en el test de velocidad.
Para ello, sólo tiene que utilizar la misma herramienta de velocidad de sitios web que utilizó anteriormente y comparar los resultados.
Si el nuevo tema es más lento que el anterior, asegúrate de realizar varias pruebas, desde diferentes áreas, y comprueba si tienes algún ajuste de caché o cortafuegos que pueda estar causando el problema.
12. Supervisar su sitio web WordPress tasa de rebote
La tasa de rebote es el porcentaje de visitantes que llegan a su sitio web y lo abandonan sin pasar a una segunda página. Una tasa de rebote alta significa que no ha convencido a su visitante para que permanezca en su sitio el tiempo suficiente para realizar una acción.
Después de cambiar de tema, es importante supervisar la tasa / tarifa de rebote. Algunos temas ayudan más a los visitantes a navegar por el sitio.
Si tu tasa / tarifa de rebote ha subido desde que cambiaste de tema, entonces querrás trabajar para bajarla. Puedes hacerlo mejorando los menús de navegación, añadiendo un widget de entradas populares, enlazando más páginas internas, etc.
Para más detalles, consulte nuestra guía sobre cómo aumentar las páginas vistas y reducir la tasa de rebote en WordPress.
13. Escuche los comentarios de los lectores para mejorar su sitio web en WordPress
Por último, es importante que escuche las respuestas / comentarios / opiniones de los lectores después de cambiar de tema. A algunos lectores les pueden gustar o no ciertas partes de tu diseño.
No tiene por qué escuchar a todos los lectores y hacer los cambios que le sugieran. Pero si hay un grupo de lectores con el mismo problema / conflicto / incidencia, probablemente merezca la pena estudiarlo.
Puede recoger las respuestas de los visitantes añadiendo un formulario de contacto a su sitio web o realizando una encuesta para conocer la opinión de los lectores sobre su nuevo diseño.
La forma más fácil de hacerlo es utilizando WPForms. Es el mejor plugin de encuestas para WordPress del mercado utilizado por más de 6 millones de sitios web.
Le permite crear fácilmente atractivos formularios de encuesta con el editor de arrastrar y soltar.
Además, la sección de informes crea automáticamente bonitos informes para ayudarle a analizar sus resultados.
Para más detalles, consulte nuestra guía sobre cómo crear una encuesta en WordPress.
Esperamos que este artículo te haya ayudado a saber exactamente qué debes hacer antes de cambiar de tema de WordPress. Puede que también quieras ver nuestra guía sobre cómo elegir el mejor alojamiento para WordPress y nuestra selección experta del mejor software de chatbot de IA para tu sitio web.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Syed Balkhi says
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Ayanda Temitayo says
Does changing WordPress theme affects ranking as such? I changed one of my blog theme sometimes ago and I lost some of my post rankings… Maybe not. But I ain’t gonna try changing any blog theme again.
Thanks for this insight.
WPBeginner Support says
It would depend on the changes but as you are changing a large amount of your site the changes can improve your rankings as well.
Administrador
Peter Iriogbe says
Thank you for the step-by-step guide. Is it necessary to create a 404 page to inform users, or is it acceptable to display a message on the screen indicating that the website is in maintenance mode? What would you recommend?
WPBeginner Support says
IT is important to have a coming soon or maintenance mode page. A 404 page would only be helpful if someone goes to a bad link on your site instead of a page you have published.
Administrador
Muhammad Hammad says
My concern is that I have a site with Uncode theme installed for 8 years which is causing a lot of issues as it is not beign able to update. I am planning to change it with the Hello Elementor theme. Will it impact the site’s SEO?
WPBeginner Support says
Any change to a site will likely have an affect to your SEO but it can be a positive or negative change. If your current theme is causing errors and problems then you will likely see an improvement in your site’s SEO.
Administrador
Moinuddin Waheed says
I have used updraft plus for creating backup which is a good choice for making backup.
I will give a try to duplicator as well in the future to see all the features that it has at its end to make the backup process easy and intuitive.
transition from one theme to another is infact a big decision and every care needs to be taken while making a smooth transition without losing anything in the process
Jiří Vaněk says
Perhaps another rule I follow is to create a new appearance template for a Child Theme. After all, making modifications in a child theme tends to be easier and of higher quality compared to the main theme, where changes might always get overwritten during updates. That’s something I wouldn’t forget.
WPBeginner Support says
Thank you for sharing your recommendation
Administrador
andri says
What I do, create on localhost first the new theme, after all fix, change it online
Aditya B says
Hello WP Beginner team, thanks for an awesome blog. This is exactly what I was searching for. I have one question though. I have used plugins like Monster insights and Header and Footer code to add tracking code to my website. If I change my theme will I have to again repeat the process and will I lose all my analytics data? I hope to see your reply soon.
WPBeginner Support says
If you added the code using a plugin method then you wouldn’t need to worry as the code would stay when changing your theme. We would only recommend adding the code using one method as multiple instances of the code could cause issues with your tracking.
Administrador
Ally StirlIng says
Hi
I’m a newbie and still working on my author site. I’m not sure I picked the right theme but I’m so far down the line that I’m scared it’ll all disappear if I try out another there. While I’m still in ‘coming soon’ csn I try out another theme?
WPBeginner Support says
You can certainly try other themes on your site and you should see your previously activated themes in the Appearance>Themes area of your site so the old theme shouldn’t disappear.
Administrador
Lynn says
I installed a new theme and was in the process of activating it, and now I am completely stuck with the following error message.
Fatal error: Can’t use method return value in write context in /home/easc/public_html/wp-content/themes/hestia/inc/core/class-hestia-public.php on line 864
How do I correct it?
WPBeginner Support says
You would want to follow our guide below for how to change your theme when you’re unable to log in:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/beginners-guide-to-troubleshooting-wordpress-errors-step-by-step/
Administrador
raj says
hey i have recently changed my wordpress website theme is it necessary to paste the google search console verification code again plzz tell me my post is not indexing in google
WPBeginner Support says
That would depend on how you added the code previously. If you manually modified the theme then you would need to add it back. If you used a plugin then you should still have the code on your site.
Administrador
Shawn Bird says
When I first signed up with WordPress, a decade ago, we could preview our site with a new theme and then decide whether to activate it.
How do we do that now?
Where are the preview and activate options?
WPBeginner Support says
You would want to go under Appearance>Customize and change the theme there. Until you save your changes the theme will not change on your site. You may also want to take a look into creating a staging site to test your changes following our guide below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-create-staging-environment-for-a-wordpress-site/
Administrador
Olid Ahmed says
I installed the demo importer on my theme now its automatically added so many articles, now what I do of those articles?
WPBeginner Support says
You can remove the demo content if you want.
Administrador
Anna says
Thanks so much for this. It’s so helpful.
WPBeginner Support says
You’re welcome
Administrador
Janien says
I really got a lot out of this article on “what to do when changing themes” I didn’t know that themes cam with their own pages and that’s why I always had more pages than I needed.
WPBeginner Support says
That would depend on the theme, some have demo content that you have the choice to download or not.
Administrador
ZUBAIR says
i had been getting problem in accesing my wp dashboard….my cpanel is easily be able to access,but not the dashboard…
when i try to access it this shows
The page isn’t redirecting properly
An error occurred during a connection
try again
WPBeginner Support says
You may want to go through the recommendations in our article below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-fix-error-too-many-redirects-issue-in-wordpress/
Administrador
Mike says
Thanks for the tips. This is great info.
WPBeginner Support says
You’re welcome, glad you found our guide helpful
Administrador
Oluwaseun says
Hi, my webpages appear blank even after editing pages and updating. I’ve tried deactivating all plugins and activating one by one but no improvement. What should i do? Should i change my theme?
WPBeginner Support says
You may want to try that, for other steps you can try you would want to take a look at our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/beginners-guide-to-troubleshooting-wordpress-errors-step-by-step/
Administrador
Kenny Lambert says
I’m using Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights plugin and have changed themes several times.
I’ve checked and Google Analytics tracking code still intact
This plugin also inserts tracking code for you when you install it
WPBeginner Support says
You normally will need to connect the plugin but yes, the plugin allows you to easily swap themes and keep your tracking information
Administrador
Julie says
Just wanted to say…AMAZING! What a fantasitc resource this site is. I am a complete novice with all this stuff, and you explain it clearly and in plain language that is easy to understand. I will be regularly visiting your site.
Thank you so much for helping so many strangers, like myself.
With gratitude
Julie
WPBeginner Support says
Thank you, glad our articles can be helpful
Administrador
Stanley says
Hi
Thanks for the pos. However I have a problem about my theme
Google adsense is not showing on some pages and i don’t know the reason.
please could you review my site and tell me why this is happening, thanks
WPBeginner Support says
Google Adsense likely does not have a recommended ad for the page it’s not displaying on for the reason the ad is missing.
Administrador
Byju says
Hello,
I am a starter. When I changed the theme, all the sidebars like, home, shop, contact etc disappeared. But in the real theme model it is showing. What did I wrong
WPBeginner Support says
It would depend on your specific theme but normally you would want to check under Appearance>Widgets if it is content from the sidebar that is missing.
Administrador
Lori says
I have a WP site that I want to change. I’ve found a theme I like and want to download and start working on. My question is, if I download this theme is there a way I can work on it without disrupting the current site theme until I’m ready to make the new theme live? If not, what do I do? How/where can I set this theme up and add content without changing the current site?
WPBeginner Support says
If you preview the new theme under Appearance>Customize then as long as you don’t save you can see what your site would look like with that theme. If you wanted to set it up more in-depth, you could create a staging environment as we show in our article here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-create-staging-environment-for-a-wordpress-site/
Administrador
Mark says
Hi Team,
I have an old non-responsive theme – and wish to migrate. My site Googles #1 in its’ space and I CANNOT lose that. Do I need to use the same permalinks / naming / structure? Can I obtain the info from my WP All in one SEO plugin and transfer? Do I need to add all the tags – cut n’ paste ect? Any advice would be helpful!
Mark
WPBeginner Support says
It would be best to keep your same permalinks but changing your theme shouldn’t affect those normally so it shouldn’t be an issue. IF you reach out to your SEO plugin they can let you know what SEO information they can transfer for you.
Administrador
Travenjo says
Hi author,
Great article.
Thanks for sharing the awesome piece of information.
WPBeginner Support says
You’re welcome
Administrador
Mucky says
I was getting the 500 error message. Your advice on removing plugins and slowly adding them back was a great help. I have used those plugins for a long time but maybe they do not like my new theme. Thanks for the help.
WPBeginner Support says
Glad our recommendation was helpful
Administrador
Indiatechmoney.com says
Very nice post
WPBeginner Support says
Thank you
Administrador
dipak says
i want to Make my site SEO how i can ? i dont know how to rank my website
WPBeginner Support says
For understanding SEO you would want to take a look at our page here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wordpress-seo/
Administrador
Marvin says
I am the webmaster/developer of many Department Sites built with Dreamweaver over many many years. On Site alone has over 300 web pages with over 7000 files/links (documents, media, images, etc). I’m retiring in 3 years and want to transition everything into another software where people in the various departments and section can update their own pages. I would like to get some idea how I should tackle this. I can’t use the same urls while developing because I’ll have to run parallel while developing.Wordpress replacements. Any advice would be appreciated
WPBeginner Support says
You could create a local installation for what it sounds like you’re looking for: https://www.wpbeginner.com/how-to-install-wordpress/#installlocal
Administrador
Alex Joe says
An Awesome Content it really helped me out
WPBeginner Support says
Glad it helped
Administrador
Nazeer Ahmec says
Hi
I m new, I create a WordPress blog and select a theme, in 2nd step I like to change theme and insert links into images. (Clickable image) when we click image, it will open new document.
1- Unfortunately, my themes not changed even after selection I click activate button. (Same old theme appear)
2- there is not option add link to image. (Create a clickable image) , I just add through HTML codes in thml mode but not working.
I need help in both problems. Thankd
WPBeginner Support says
1. Try clearing your caching to see if that is preventing you from seeing your changes.
2. When you select the image in the block editor, there is a Link Settings section where you can change where the image links to on click.
Administrador
John says
I find that WP Beginner is a great and useful site with lots of information, both for beginners as well as seasoned WP people on the net. A lot of work has gone into this site so Thank You for your efforts.
WPBeginner Support says
Hi John,
Thanks for the kind words.
Administrador
MClay says
Hi. I have a site up and running currently. I’d like to download a new theme and play with it/build it out while my other site is still live. How do I go about this? I am looking and it appears I can download the new theme, but can I be working on it in the background while logged in and not effect the live site?
WPBeginner Support says
Hi MClay,
You can install a theme but as soon as you activate, it would become live on your site. The best way to test themes is to install them on a local server.
Administrador
Lawrence says
Hello everybody
Quick question: If I use the theme customizer on a specific theme but later change to another theme do I have to re-enter all the customizer settings for the new theme?
And secondly if i change back to the original theme when it still have the original customizer settings or will it have adopted the settings from the second theme?
thanks in advance…
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Lawrence,
Customizer settings are for a particular theme. If you switch theme then you will have to configure the new theme. If you switch back to the old theme, your settings will be there.
Administrador
godwin christo says
If we change anything in the site often our site traffic gets low?
Jenn says
I plan to upgrade from a free wordpress blog to an upgraded (premium) one in the future. At what point do you suggest making the switch? When you have 100 followers? 1000 views? Just whenever you’re ready? I don’t want to commit $8/month without knowing my blog is getting traffic.
Any advice appreached!
Thanks!
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Jenn,
We assume you are talking about WordPress.com. Please see our guide on the difference between self hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com blog.
Administrador
Rushil says
Hi,
As per my real experience (WordPress.com) , I suggest you to buy the premium plan (Maybe something like personal) because wordpress.com has really very less features and modifications that you can make to make your Site look the best! To be honest , the first time I started with a premium plan of wordpress.com but ended up cancelling it and moving over to wordpress.org (It’s amazing!).
mark says
i have been asked to rebuild a wordpress website – i have content and SEO expertise but limited knowledge of any back end stuff. (i managed to muddle through building one wordpress site a few years ago using an avada theme) other than the domain name i am not looking to keep any of the content or structure from the existing site, so do i follow the steps to change the theme? or should i create a staging site in the same spot as the current site, build the new content there and then simply switch over when its ready for publishing? thinking of using avada theme again as it seems to rate well – i am building a small brochureware style of site.
Corinne says
Hi I love the info here and am a newbie so forgive me for what may seem like simple questions. I am currently running a .org site and want to switch to a new theme. I’ve uploaded the new theme but not activated it as I need to work on it before launching, the old theme info will not be transferred. (I own the domain) I believe I have to set up a sub directory in order to do this so it’s not seen until I’m ready…how??
Also will the new theme affect my current search results (do I have to copy any info to keep my status)
Surya says
For my wp website, I am planning to upgrade from the free version of the theme to the pro version of the same theme. Currently I have plugins installed. Do I need to deactivate the plugins before upgrading to pro version & then reinstall?
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Surya,
Yes, you should. In case a plugin causes conflict with the theme you wouldn’t be able to find out which plugin. Disabling them will allow you to activate them one by one to see if they all work nicely with new theme.
Administrador
Alex says
I am preparing to move from WP.com to WP.org self hosted. I checked and I can keep my old theme on org but I would like to use a new premium theme going forward on the new site. Can you please advise what is the best way to go about it? I would also like to do a clean-up of my blog and refresh posts, delete posts that are no longer relevant and of course, revamp the look. Many thanks!
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Alex,
Please see our guide on properly switching WordPress themes.
Administrador
Michael says
I recently installed the flatsome theme in my WordPress/WooCommerce website. I’m trying to load products from my t-shirt fulfillment company but their POST requests are being ignored by my website like there’s nothing there. I’ve whitelisted all there IP addresses and give them the api key. They are unable to establish webhooks as well. Could this be a problem with the flatsome theme?
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Michael,
Please see our WordPress troubleshooting guide, it will help you figure out what’s causing the issue and how to fix it.
Pearl Allard says
Very helpful! Thank you for providing this checklist. Excited to switch themes on my blog.
Charles Pedley says
Hello!
From one perennial newbie to other newbies ….
Before I change ANYTHING on my WP site, I use the Export function under Tools in your dashboard – it is the fastest, accurate way of making sure you lose no content.
I save the xml file in a Documents folder on my hard drive. Then if you change a theme and it messes stuff up, then you import the xml file you saved on your hard drive back into the new WordPress theme.
I know there are all kinds of other ways but I challenge anyone that says that they are easier or cheaper. A standard XML file can be exported and imported so fast and saved so you do not lose your site. It only takes a few minutes and you do not have to pay for any of the expensive backup programs like Backup Buddy. Not saying Backup Buddy is bad, just expensive!
And maybe it is not for you if you are an amateur like me. I do my own sites. I do not do sites for others.
Good luck and happy exporting and importing!
-Charles Pedley
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Charles,
The method you described above works only for your posts, pages, and comments. It is not a full database backup. It can be used to import content only but it wouldn’t import any website settings stored in the database.
If price is your main concern, then you can try the free version of Updraft Plus. Also see our list of WordPress backup plugins for alternates.
Administrador
Monika says
Great article thanks. i have changed my theme several times 2017 to 2016 but now i am using Genesis and genesis sample child theme. i tried to change my header image but the code is not responsive. the image still stays the same. also when i tried to write a code in a text widget on the side bar it is not responsive. what could be wrong. thanks!
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Monika,
If you are editing code, then you need to make your changes in child theme. Theme frameworks use their own filters and functions that may sometimes override what you are trying to do in a child theme. See Genesis documentation for more help on customizing your child theme.
Administrador
Jimmy Lai says
Hello…I have recently installed WP and upon instalation my website was replaced with a WP Theme “Twenty Seventeen” with all my contents gone. I attempted to undo everything to restore the original website and received a error message stating “Twenty Sixteen” directory not found. I uploaded the “Twenty Sixteen” theme but none of my original contents moved over. Please advise what I need to do to restore my original website.
Thanks
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Jimmy,
Did you install WordPress in a folder where another non-WordPress website was already installed? In that case, WordPress will overwrite your website. Your website files may still be there. Please ask your hosting provider, they may be able to provide you with a backup of your website or restore your website to an earlier state.
Administrador
Jimmy says
Thank you for your response! WordPress was installed in the same folder with a previous version of my website created via Word Press. I have spoke with my hosting company and they were not able to restore the website to a earlier version. We located the files and was advised to reinstall WP, which led to a response of “Twenty Sixteen” directory not found.
Mike Harwood says
Jimmy, do you mean you installed ANOTHER version of WordPress? As far as I know you can only install 1 version of WordPress so you may have inadvertently overwritten all of the previous installed version of WordPress included content, theme etc and unless your hosting company can help restore from an old back up you are going to have to re-build from scratch. Have to admit, if your host does not have a back-up that is very odd and you should consider moving your hosting to a more responsible company.
Allison P says
I am getting ready to do a total redesign of a client’s website. I have backed it up and chosen a new WP theme but am not sure how to make the transition easy. Once you install a new theme, what do you do with the backed up version? Can you access it and copy and paste certain content back onto the new site?
Ex. They want to keep the bios of their directors but the current theme includes an element that allows you to add individual staff members info. It then creates a shortcode which you can add to any page on the site linking it to their bio. I will be using as the new theme but it doesn’t have a Staff feature. Any suggestions?
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Allison,
That’s one downside of using themes that rely on shortcodes or include functionality inside the theme instead of plugin. Your best option is to copy code blocks from their own theme, and try to add it into a site-specific WordPress plugin.
Administrador
Ratul Ahmed says
I am new to wordpress. So Can you please tell me whether changing the theme can cause data/content loss or broken href ?
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Ratul,
No, all your posts and comments are safely stored in your WordPress database.
Administrador
Kishore Seal says
Changing the theme will delete the plugins?
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Kishore,
No, it will not. However, if you are using a plugin that has some Theme Specific settings, then you may need to readjust those settings after switching the theme.
Administrador
Pete Hogg says
What happens to all your current url’s when you change your wordpress theme?
Do you keep them and and content?
Thanks
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Pete,
Yes, changing theme does not delete your content. However, it may change your site’s navigation menu which you can restore by visiting Appearance » Menus page.
Administrador
Paul Rak says
You should NEVER directly edit theme files. If you do, then you will lose all your changes when you update the theme. Create a child-theme instead, and edit that. Then, when the underlying theme gets updated, you haven’t lost your changes.
Gregory Constant says
Hi, how are you doing? Congratulation for your Blog. I really like it, and It always sold my problem. Keep going and thanks for creating this blog. Can you please help me or give me an idea. I’m gonna build a E commerce website that also have more feature than shopping. I bought a multi purpose eCommerce template and I customized it but not the CSS code but I put some new Icon, widget, and customize some new pages. I had to update my theme because it was not compatible with the woocommerce new version. I used a plugin called Easy Update theme & plugin cause I didn’t want to delete and upload the theme again. After I update the theme, the woocomerce plugin still not updated and the search bar missing on the front page it looks like the page deform. Do you have an idea where I can get a ecommerce multi purpose Child theme where I can just update it like I update all my plugin through WP . Where I dont have to delete my theme and uninstall my plugins and reinstall them again. I need a theme where I can get a serial number and update it automatically through WP. Thanks for anyone suggestion.
Tom Robinson says
Please help +++ I bought a theme to try and revive my charity’s website look. It said nothing or no files would be changed or lost – not so. My front page with nice sliding picture disappeared and was deleted. I reverted back to my own theme but the front page was lost. I have another part of the site which is our US version. I want to copy its front page back to the UK version but on my admin side bar the tools tab is missing so I cannot import that page. I am desperate and have tried searching the web about tools missing without success.
my site is
the US version is
Please can you help me.. Thanks
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Tom,
When you buy a new theme, you should always test it out on a staging website or on local server. Once you got it setup, you can move it to the live site. Always backup your complete website before switching themes to stay safe.
Your previous theme may have a different setup process to add slider and other things. Go to your site’s US version and visit theme settings, or Appearance -> Customize page to see how it is setup. Then try to replicate them on your UK version.
Hope this helps.
Administrador
Noelle says
Hi, when you say “Once you got it setup, you can move it to the live site”, how do you do this? Do you upload the theme as per normal and then the theme settings by exporting/importing a specific database table from the staging to the live site?