How to Install a WordPress Theme from a .zip File

How do you upload a theme .zip in WordPress?

1. Download the theme. If your computer unzips it automatically (some Macs do), zip the theme folder up again or use the original download.
2. Log in to WordPress and go to Appearance › Themes.
3. Click Add Theme at the top of the screen, then Upload Theme.
4. Click Choose File, select the .zip and click Install Now.
5. When WordPress says the theme was installed, click Activate. Or click Live Preview to see it with your own content first.

That's it. With a block theme, go to Appearance › Editor to change your header, footer, home page, colours and fonts.

What should be inside a theme .zip?

A theme .zip should contain one folder named after the theme, with a style.css file inside it. A block theme also needs templates/index.html. If WordPress says "The package could not be installed. The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet", you've probably uploaded the wrong file: a zip containing documentation and the real theme zip, or a plugin. Look inside the download for a second zip named after the theme. Read more in what's inside a block theme.

What does "The link you followed has expired" mean?

This message almost always means the file is bigger than your host allows for uploads. You can:

• Ask your host to raise the upload limit (the PHP settings upload_max_filesize and post_max_size). Many cPanel hosts let you change these yourself in Select PHP Version › Options or MultiPHP INI Editor.
• Install the theme by FTP or File Manager instead (below), which isn't affected by the upload limit.

Themes from our theme builder are usually well under 1 MB unless you add very large photos, so they upload on almost any host.

How do you install a theme by FTP or File Manager?

1. Unzip the theme on your computer. You should have a folder named after the theme with style.css inside.
2. Connect with an FTP program such as FileZilla, or open File Manager in cPanel.
3. Go to /wp-content/themes/ in your WordPress folder.
4. Upload the theme folder there. In cPanel's File Manager you can upload the .zip and use Extract instead.
5. In WordPress, go to Appearance › Themes and activate it.

Will changing theme delete my content?

No. Your posts, pages, images and products are stored in the WordPress database, separately from the theme. Changing theme changes how they look. Some things are tied to a theme, though: menus and widget areas in classic themes, and any edits you made to templates in the Site Editor. Take a backup before switching theme on a live site.

Can I install a theme on WordPress.com?

Yes, on a paid plan. WordPress.com says theme uploads are available on its Personal, Premium, Business and Commerce plans. See WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.

Where to go next

Need a theme? Download a free block theme or design your own. Already installed? Learn how to update a theme without losing changes.