How to Install a WordPress Theme

Now you know how to install WordPress on your website, you need to know how to install a nice stylish theme to make it as individual as your blog or business should be!

The first step in this process is an easy one: Google. Or Bing, or Yahoo, or whatever your favourite search engine is. Search whatever you want, be it a premium WordPress theme that you pay for, or a free one that you love.

Then you have to download the file to a location you can remember. WordPress themes come in .zip files, making this quite easy, as WordPress has a clever system for installing them. Once you’ve downloaded your .zip file, log in to your WordPress Dashboard (your domain.com/wp-admin). You then find the ‘Appearance‘ tab on the left hand menu. Expand this tab and click on the ‘Themes‘ link. This will open a page of previously installed themes; this will be empty if you have not installed any, only including the default themes.

You should then click on the ‘Install Themes‘ tab at the top.

This button will take you to a search screen, which you can also use to find a theme you like. This is another easy way of installing a theme, but limits you to only themes that have been submitted to the WordPress themes catalogue. If you want to do it this way, choose a search term for the search box at the top, or select colours and styles in the tick-boxes and click ‘Find Themes‘. WordPress will then list the themes it thinks you will like. If you find one suitable, click on the Preview link to see what it looks like with your content, and then click Install. WordPress will then install the theme and you’re ready to go!

If you have downloaded a theme you wish to install, there will be a little menu above the search box in the Install tab. Click on the ‘Upload‘ link. This will take you to an upload screen, where you should click ‘Choose File‘ and find the theme you have downloaded. Click ‘Install Theme‘, and WordPress will extract the files and save them in the right place.

Now you should have your perfect new WordPress theme up and running! If you can’t find a theme you like, why not talk to our friends at K@design for WordPress design, who will gladly customise your website to whatever style you want!