This is quite a common question I’ve seen from new WordPress users, and whilst it may not seem like the most straightforward thing in the world, it’s actually very easy. Very little can go wrong, and really the worst that can happen is that the new theme won’t work, and you have to try again.
If you installed your copy of WordPress using FTP originally, you’re ahead of the game already. If you got your webhost to do it for you, or installed using the Fantastico script, you may need to get a File Transfer Protocol utility, like the free Filezilla. I wrote a short post on how to install Filezilla previously.
In addition to backing up your WordPress database regularly, I also recommend having a backup of your entire WordPress install on your own PC. Using Filezilla, you can drag and drop all files and folders onto your hard drive, so that in the event of a big webhost failure, it’s easy to restore your blog to what it was. Even if you don’t want to do this, you will need an empty directory to download and unzip your themes into (You can actually unzip them direct to your webserver, but I’m not going into that right now!).
Steps
- Find the theme or themes you wish to try, and download the zipped files to your hard drive.
- Unzip them, and they will extract to new folders.
- Start up Filezilla and connect to your webhost. Navigate to the wp-content directory.
- Now open the themes directory, and drag and drop the extracted theme folder from your hard drive into the wp-content/themes directory.
- When it has finished uploading, enter your WordPress dashboard, and click on ‘Presentation’.
- Here you will see the two default themes, plus any that you have uploaded. To switch to a new theme, simply click on it’s name, and then view your blog.
- I would recommend that you upload more than one theme at a time, as you can quickly switch between them for comparison purposes.
- Remember to view your new theme in Internet Explorer as well as Firefox. This is because IE cannot render modern websites properly in all cases, and may cause the theme to ‘break’. Another good reason to use FF instead of IE!
That’s it really, and the same advice can be applied to plugins: Extract them on your PC, and then upload the files or folders to the wp-content/plugins directory. As easy as moving a file on your PC.
The best place to get new free WordPress themes is still the WP theme viewer, although the thumbnail viewer has been broken for some time now. I would recommend reducing your shortlist using the filters, and then viewing your prospective themes using the ‘Test Run’ feature which still works fine.
A new theme is really essential for a new blog (the defaults are used by far too many people) and sometimes an old blog needs freshening up – WordPress makes it so easy to switch, you’ve no excuse not to!
9 users commented in " How To Install A New WordPress Theme "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackThanks mate.
I blogged it.
http://blogavenues.blogspot.com/2007/05/word-press-installation-guide.html
[...] first Talk Back Fridays comment winner, Chris from Blog-Op, gives us the skinny on installing WordPress themes [...]
Sorry to be completely off-topic here. I found you on the Z-list which went around a few months ago. Figured you might be interested in participating the Feed my Feed experiment.
Point 8 is more to do with IE6, I have read that IE7 is more standards compliant than FF now – doesn’t mean it works better though.
http://goldcoaster.wordpress.com
Sometimes people forget to deactivate their plugins before installing. There’s always a small chance of messing things up.
Thanks everyone: BTW this is about installing WordPress Themes – not WordPress itself which I blogged about here.
It’s not essential to deactivate plugins before changing themes, but they are often the cause of any errors you get.
GC, IE7 still has it’s moments
Chris,
I think that one thing you forgot to mention when installing a new theme is that you may also have to edit your plugins.
I know that I am currently using the plugin wp-notable for social networking bookmarking (although i’m tempted to take that out and just put in a stumble button and a digg button). When I install a new theme I’ll have to go edit the theme to reactivate several of my plugins
Hey Scott, it’s a fair point.
If you use things like Optimal title or Top Commentators you will have to re-insert the line of code into the new theme, although hopefully if you’ve done that once, you should remember to do it again!
This post was prompted by a posting I saw in a forum from somebody who had just installed WordPress & didn’t know how to change themes. The official instructions are clear enough, but a little ‘dry’.
Dry as toast would be my observation. I mean WP’s instr. Using your directions was SO much easier. Only one thing, the templates are all in the right folder, but when I try to change from one theme to another to see what they will untimately look like, it just stays on the same “not all there” one I have currently chosen (Blue Wonder 10). I don’t like the header picture though, so maybe it is providence at work?
Right now, none of the pictures for the blog template are showing. ::: big sigh:::
Anyway, thanks again for your great helpful blog here Chris. It is much appreciated.
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