Installing a theme looks scary the first time, but it is a short list of steps. This walkthrough follows the same path as our installation guide, with extra context for beginners.
Prepare
- Back up your site. Use your host's backup tool or a backup plugin. If something goes wrong, you can go back.
- Try it on a staging copy if your current site is live. Many hosts offer staging in one click.
- Download and unzip the files from your order email or your account. Inside you will find the theme package, which is a .zip file, plus any extra files described on the theme page.
The mistake everyone makes once
The download itself is a zip that contains the theme zip. WordPress needs the inner theme zip, still zipped. If you upload the outer file, WordPress reports a missing stylesheet. Unzip the download once and upload the inner file.
Upload and activate
- In WordPress go to Appearance → Themes → Add New Theme → Upload Theme.
- Choose the theme .zip and click Install Now.
- Click Activate.
Install the plugins the theme needs
For Elementor themes, go to Plugins → Add New Plugin, search for Elementor, then install and activate it. The theme page says whether the free version is enough or a specific feature needs Elementor Pro. Install any other plugins listed there as well.
Set the homepage
Open Settings → Reading and choose a static page as the homepage. Then open that page with Elementor to edit it. If the pages from the demo do not exist, see our guide on importing demo content, and remember that demo images and sample content may not be included in the download.
Make it yours
- Add your logo and site title.
- Set your brand colours and fonts in the Elementor site settings.
- Replace placeholder text and photos with your own. Only use images you have the right to use.
- Check each page on a phone before you publish.
Common problems and quick fixes
- White screen after activation: switch back to your old theme from your host's file manager and check the PHP error log.
- Looks different from the demo: a required plugin is probably missing, or sample content has not been imported. Clear the cache.
- Upload size error: ask your host to raise upload limits, or install via FTP into the themes folder.
More fixes are in troubleshooting. If you would rather skip all of it, you can request installation: it is quoted from $29 per site and arranged separately by email.