Vous vous demandez ce qu’il faut faire avant de modifier un thème WordPress ?
Lorsque vous changez de thème WordPress, il y a quelques étapes très importantes que vous devez suivre pour vous assurer que le processus est fluide et que vous ne perdez pas de données importantes.
Dans cette liste de contrôle WordPress, nous partagerons les principales choses que vous devez faire avant de modifier les thèmes WordPress.
Note de l’éditeur : Si vous cherchez des instructions étape par étape sur la façon de changer de thème, veuillez consulter notre guide du débutant sur la façon de modifier correctement votre thème WordPress.
Changer de thème est une décision importante que tout propriétaire de site web prend au moins une fois toutes les quelques années.
Bien sûr, vous devez décider de la raison pour laquelle vous changez de thème, et choisir un thème qui réponde à tous vos besoins.
Nous avons une liste des meilleurs thèmes WordPress polyvalents et des meilleurs thèmes WordPress de blog que vous pouvez consulter si vous êtes à la recherche de recommandations.
Une fois que vous avez choisi le thème vers lequel vous souhaitez passer, il est important que vous suiviez la liste de contrôle ci-dessous pour vous assurer de ne pas perdre de contenu ou de données au cours du processus.
1. Notez toutes les personnalisations du thème WordPress.
Certains propriétaires de sites Web WordPress personnalisent leurs thèmes WordPress en ajoutant des extraits de code directement dans les fichiers de leur thème. Les extraits de code peuvent être un excellent moyen d’ajouter de nouvelles fonctionnalités à votre site qui ne font pas partie du thème de base.
Mais si vous ajoutez ces extraits directement dans les fichiers de votre thème, il peut être facile d’en perdre la trace.
Si vous ou un développeur/développeuse web avez effectué ces modifications, assurez-vous de parcourir les fichiers de votre thème actuel et de noter tout le code supplémentaire qui a été ajouté.
Pour ajouter des extraits de code à l’avenir, nous recommandons toujours d’utiliser une extension d’extraits de code telle que WPCode. De cette façon, vous pouvez conserver ces extraits même si vous changez de thème ultérieurement. Pour plus de détails, consultez notre guide du débutant sur le collage d’extraits du web dans WordPress.
2. Obtenir les métriques de performance actuelles du thème WordPress
Avant de modifier votre thème, vous devez vérifier la vitesse de chargement et les performances de votre site actuel. Cela vous permet de comparer les éventuelles différences dans le temps de chargement des pages après avoir changé de thème.
La vitesse et les performances de WordPress jouant un rôle important dans l’expérience utilisateur et le référencement de WordPress, vous devez vous assurer que le nouveau thème est plus rapide que celui que vous utilisez actuellement.
Vous pouvez facilement vérifier les métriques de vitesse de votre site actuel à l’aide d’un outil de test de vitesse WordPress tel que l’outil gratuit de test de vitesse de site d’IsItWP.
Pour plus de détails, consultez notre guide sur l ‘exécution d’un test de vitesse de site.
3. Notez les colonnes latérales et les zones de widgets du thème actuel.
Les colonnes latérales sont utilisées pour ajouter différents widgets à votre site, comme des formulaires d’abonnement à la lettre d’information par e-mail, des boutons de réseaux sociaux, des publications populaires, et bien plus encore.
Étant donné que chaque thème possède des zones de widgets différentes, vos widgets peuvent se déplacer ou disparaître de votre site de manière inattendue si vous changez de thème.
C’est pourquoi il est important de noter les widgets que vous utilisez dans vos colonnes latérales WordPress et toute autre zone de widgets de votre site avant de modifier les thèmes. Vous pourrez ensuite les reproduire facilement après avoir changé de thème.
Si vous avez ajouté un code personnalisé ou des codes courts, alors assurez-vous de copier ce code et de l’enregistrer dans un endroit sûr afin de pouvoir l’utiliser avec votre nouveau thème.
4. Copier les codes de suivi WordPress existants
De nombreux utilisateurs/utilisatrices ajouteront le code de suivi des statistiques directement dans les fichiers de leur thème. Certains thèmes WordPress vous permettent également d’ajouter des codes de suivi directement dans le panneau d’options de votre thème.
C’est une erreur fréquente que de négliger ces codes de suivi importants.
Vous devez vous assurer de copier tous les codes de suivi de votre site web que vous utilisez pour les statistiques, la publicité et autres, afin de pouvoir les ajouter à votre nouveau site.
Si vous voulez vous faciliter la tâche, nous vous recommandons d’utiliser une extension comme MonsterInsights pour installer Google Analytics dans WordPress.
En utilisant MonsterInsights, vous pouvez être assuré qu’il n’y aura pas d’interruptions de vos Statistiques ou de pertes de données. Vous déverrouillerez également le suivi des bonus comme les clics sur les liens et les boutons, l’analyse des catégories et des identifiants WordPress, le suivi des auteurs/autrices, et bien plus encore.
Pour tous les autres codes de suivi, vous pouvez utiliser l’extension gratuite WPCode. Pour plus de détails, consultez notre guide sur l ‘ajout de code d’en-tête et de pied de page dans WordPress.
5. Sauvegarder votre site WordPress actuel
C’est toujours une bonne idée de sauvegarder régulièrement votre site. Avant de modifier votre thème, vous devez effectuer une sauvegarde terminée de vos publications, pages, plugins, médias et bases de données.
La manière la plus simple de le faire est d’utiliser une extension de sauvegarde WordPress pour créer une sauvegarde de l’ensemble de votre site.
Nous vous recommandons d’utiliser l’extension Duplicator. Il vous autorise à créer facilement des sauvegardes automatisées et planifiées et à les enregistrer sur des services de stockage dans le cloud comme Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.
Il existe également une version gratuite de Duplicator pour vous permettre de Premiers pas. Pour plus de détails, consultez ce guide sur la sauvegarde d’un site WordPress.
Cela vous aidera à récupérer facilement votre site en cas de problème lors du changement de thème.
6. Mettre votre site WordPress en mode maintenance
Lorsque vous apportez des modifications à votre site, il est toujours bon de le mettre en mode maintenance. Le mode maintenance vous permet d’afficher une notification simple/simple d’utilisation à vos internautes.
Cette aide permet d’éviter que vos internautes ne voient votre site à moitié terminé ou en cours de construction.
Pour ce faire, nous vous recommandons d’utiliser l’extension SeedProd. C’est le meilleur constructeur de page WordPress par glisser-déposer utilisé par plus d’un million de sites.
Il vous permet de créer facilement des pages de mode de maintenance personnalisées, des pages d’atterrissage, des pages « coming soon », des pages 404, et bien plus encore.
Pour plus de détails, consultez notre guide sur la mise en mode maintenance de votre site WordPress.
7. Tester toutes les fonctionnalités et les extensions WordPress installées
Une fois le nouveau thème WordPress activé, vous devez vous assurer que vous disposez des mêmes fonctionnalités qu’auparavant et que toutes vos anciennes extensions fonctionnent avec votre nouveau thème.
Vous pouvez commencer par ajouter les extraits de code que vous avez copiés depuis les fichiers de votre ancien thème WordPress. Pour plus de détails, consultez notre guide du débutant pour coller des extraits de code dans WordPress.
Ensuite, passez un peu de temps à utiliser les fonctionnalités de votre site qui sont alimentées par les extensions WordPress. Si vous rencontrez des erreurs à ce stade, consultez notre guide du débutant pour le dépannage des erreurs WordPress.
8. Tester le nouveau thème WordPress sur tous les navigateurs et appareils
Les tests inter-navigateurs vous aideront à vous assurer que votre nouveau site s’affiche correctement sur différents navigateurs, tailles d’écran, systèmes d’exploitation et appareils mobiles.
La plupart de vos internautes utiliseront probablement Google Chrome pour visiter votre blog WordPress. Cependant, d’autres navigateurs web comme Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari et bien d’autres sont encore utilisés par des centaines de millions d’utilisateurs/utilisatrices dans le monde.
Si votre nouveau site ne fonctionne pas correctement sur l’un de ces navigateurs, vous passez à côté de visiteurs et de trafic.
Heureusement, vous pouvez utiliser toutes sortes d’outils de test inter-navigateurs pour voir comment votre site se présente sur différents navigateurs et appareils.
Pour plus de détails, consultez notre guide sur la façon de tester un site WordPress dans différents navigateurs.
9. Supprimer les extensions WordPress dont vous n’avez plus besoin
Certains thèmes WordPress pré-installent des extensions lors de l’installation du thème. Certains de ces plugins peuvent être utiles, mais dans d’autres cas, vous n’en aurez pas besoin.
Il suffit d’aller dans Plugins » Plugins installés pour voir si votre thème a ajouté de nouvelles extensions.
C’est également le moment de passer en revue toute votre liste d’extensions pour voir si certaines d’entre elles méritent d’être supprimées.
Si vous êtes à la recherche d’extensions de haute qualité à utiliser avec votre nouveau thème, consultez nos sélections des extensions WordPress indispensables.
10. Faites savoir à vos utilisateurs/utilisatrices que votre nouveau site est en direct
Une fois que vous êtes prêt à rendre votre nouveau thème WordPress direct, vous pouvez inactif le mode de maintenance.
Vous devriez également prendre contact avec vos Lecteurs pour leur parler de votre nouveau site. Vous préparerez ainsi votre public afin qu’il ne soit pas modifié par des modifications importantes de la conception, et vous aiderez vos abonnés/abonnés à rester engagés et à revenir sur votre site pour voir la nouvelle conception.
Voici un exemple de publication que nous avons partagée sur Facebook à propos de la refonte de notre nouveau site.
Nous vous recommandons d’avertir votre public via votre newsletter par e-mail, les réseaux sociaux et les notifications push.
Si vous cherchez d’autres moyens de promouvoir votre site, consultez notre guide sur la façon de partager vos publications de blog avec les lecteurs.
11. Testez la vitesse de chargement de votre nouveau thème WordPress
Une fois que votre nouveau thème est en direct et que vous avez suivi les étapes ci-dessus, il est temps de procéder à un nouveau test de vitesse. Dans l’idéal, votre nouveau site sera plus rapide et obtiendra de meilleurs résultats lors de votre test de vitesse.
Pour ce faire, il vous suffit d’utiliser le même outil de mesure de la vitesse du site que vous avez utilisé précédemment et de comparer les résultats.
Si le nouveau thème est plus lent que l’ancien, assurez-vous d’effectuer plusieurs tests, de tester à partir de différents endroits et de vérifier si des paramètres de mise en cache ou de pare-feu peuvent être à l’origine de ce ralentissement.
12. Surveillez le taux de rebond de votre site WordPress
Le taux de rebond est le pourcentage d’internautes qui arrivent sur votre site et le quittent sans passer à une deuxième page. Un taux de rebond élevé signifie que vous n’avez pas réussi à convaincre votre internaute de rester sur votre site suffisamment longtemps pour passer à l’action.
Après avoir changé de thème, il est important d’évaluer votre taux de rebond. Certains thèmes sont tout simplement plus conviviaux pour aider les internautes à naviguer sur votre site.
Si votre taux de rebond a augmenté depuis que vous avez changé de thème, vous devez vous efforcer de le faire baisser. Vous pouvez le faire en améliorant vos menus de navigation, en ajoutant un widget pour les publications populaires, en ajoutant plus de liens internes, etc.
Pour plus de détails, consultez notre guide sur la façon d’augmenter le nombre de pages vues et de réduire le taux de rebond sur WordPress.
13. Écouter les retours des lecteurs pour améliorer votre site WordPress
Enfin, il est important d’écouter les retours des lecteurs après le passage à un nouveau thème. Certains lecteurs peuvent aimer ou détester certaines parties de votre design.
Vous n’êtes pas obligé d’écouter tous les lecteurs et d’apporter les modifications qu’ils suggèrent. Mais s’il y a un groupe de lecteurs qui rencontrent le même problème, cela vaut probablement la peine d’y réfléchir.
Vous pouvez recueillir les retours des internautes en ajoutant un formulaire de contact à votre site ou en organisant une enquête demandant l’avis des lecteurs sur votre nouvelle conception.
La façon la plus simple de le faire est d’utiliser WPForms. C’est le meilleur plugin d’enquête WordPress du marché utilisé par plus de 6 millions de sites.
Il vous permet de créer facilement des formulaires d’enquête attrayants grâce au Constructeur par glisser-déposer.
De plus, la section des rapports crée automatiquement de magnifiques rapports pour vous aider à analyser vos résultats.
Pour plus de détails, consultez notre guide sur la création d’une enquête sur WordPress.
Nous espérons que cet article vous a aidé à apprendre exactement ce que vous devriez faire avant de changer de thème WordPress. Vous voudrez peut-être aussi consulter notre guide sur la façon de choisir le meilleur hébergeur WordPress et nos choix d’experts du meilleur logiciel de chatbot IA pour votre site.
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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Did you know you can win exciting prizes by commenting on WPBeginner?
Every month, our top blog commenters will win HUGE rewards, including premium WordPress plugin licenses and cash prizes.
You can get more details about the contest from here.
Start sharing your thoughts below to stand a chance to win!
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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/
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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/
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
Anna says
Thanks so much for this. It’s so helpful.
WPBeginner Support says
You’re welcome
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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/
Administrateur
Mike says
Thanks for the tips. This is great info.
WPBeginner Support says
You’re welcome, glad you found our guide helpful
Administrateur
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/
Administrateur
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
Administrateur
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
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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/
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
Travenjo says
Hi author,
Great article.
Thanks for sharing the awesome piece of information.
WPBeginner Support says
You’re welcome
Administrateur
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
Administrateur
Indiatechmoney.com says
Very nice post
WPBeginner Support says
Thank you
Administrateur
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/
Administrateur
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
Administrateur
Alex Joe says
An Awesome Content it really helped me out
WPBeginner Support says
Glad it helped
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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.
Administrateur
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?