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How to Install a WordPress Theme

WordPress themes set the design style of your site, including how content displays on it. Installing a WordPress theme is the easiest way to customize your site. One of the most amazing things about the WordPress community is the thousands of free themes that are available — and the new ones released each week. After you find a WordPress theme, you can install the theme on your WordPress site via FTP or the WordPress Dashboard. The steps here cover installation using the Dashboard:

To install a theme via the Dashboard’s theme installer, follow these steps:

1

Download the theme file from the Theme Directory to your desktop.

Typically, theme files are provided in a compressed format, or Zip file. Using this method, you do not extract the Zip file because the theme installer does that for you.

2

Log in to your WordPress Dashboard and choose Appearance and then click Themes.

The Manage Themes panel appears.

3

Click the Install Themes tab.

The Install Themes panel appears and displays a submenu of links.

4

Click the Upload link.

The panel displays a utility to upload a theme in Zip format.

5

Click the Browse button, and select the Zip file you stored on your computer in Step 1.

Themes are essentially pieces of software. Therefore, they can contain things that could be scammy, spammy, or potentially harmful to your site or computer. Therefore, it’s vital that you do your homework by reading online reviews and downloading themes from credible, trusted sources. For new users, the best place to find free WordPress themes is the WordPress Free Themes Directory.

6

Click the Install Now button.

WordPress unpacks and installs the theme in the appropriate directory for you.

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