Theme is a required component in the WordPress system. When you install a new WordPress website, you will have a default theme which you can replace with any theme of your choice. This post will show you how to install a new theme in WordPress.
In WordPress itself, there are two types of themes: classic theme and block theme.
A classic theme uses the old customization approach via theme customizer, while a block theme uses the newer customization method via Site Editor. In a block theme, everything is done via Gutenberg aka block editor.
The question is, which type of theme should you use?
Shortcuts ⤵️
- Picking the right theme
- Installing a theme in WordPress.com
- Installing a theme available on theme repository
- Installing a theme available from a third-party source
- Installing a theme manually using FTP
- Managing the installed themes
- Summary
How to Pick the Right WordPress Theme
Despite the name, a classic theme is not something ancient. “Classic theme” is just a label to distinguish themes that don’t leverage Site Editor.
In reality, the vast majority of WordPress themes available in the market are classic themes.
For most users, a classic theme is easier to use than a block theme because using the same editor to create blog posts, pages, and templates is confusing.
Yes, if you use a block theme, you will use the same editor (Gutenberg) to create blog posts, pages, header, footer, archive pages, etc.
In a classic theme, meanwhile, you have a different editor to customize every area of your website. Some themes, such as Divi and Avada, even come with a dedicated page builder to make creating a page more convenient.
You can use a block theme if:
- You are okay to use the same editor to create blog posts, pages, header, footer, and other parts of your website
- You want to create a website with a simple design
- You want to build a faster website on a traditional shared hosting
You can use a classic theme if:
- You prefer to use a different editor to create blog posts and pages
- You prefer using theme customizer to customize the header, footer, and other parts of your website
- You want to use a page builder to create your website
Installing a Theme on WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a great option if you are looking for a simple solution to create a WordPress website. It offers a site building experience with a managed hosting service.
Managed hosting service means you don’t need to deal with technical aspects related to hosting administration.
But you need to be aware that not all plans offered by WordPress.com allow you to install a custom theme. You can only install a custom theme (and plugin) if you use the Business plan — which costs you $40 per month.
So, if you are a WordPress.com user and you want to install a theme downloaded from external sources (e.g., ThemeForest), you need to upgrade your plan to the Business plan or the above plans.
3 Ways to Install a Theme in WordPress
There are at least three ways to install a WordPress theme, depending on the source of the theme file.
1. Installing a WordPress Theme Available in the Theme Repository
There are thousands of free themes in the official WordPress theme repository. From blogging themes, e-commerce themes, portfolio themes, magazine themes, and so on.
You can install a theme according to your needs.
For WordPress themes that are available in the official theme repository, you can install them directly from your WordPress dashboard without needing to download the theme files first.
To start installing a theme available in the theme repository, first, login to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance -> Themes to open the themes manager screen.

On the themes manager screen, click the Add New button on the top side.

Click one of the available tabs to filter the themes. You can also use the advanced filtering feature (the Feature Filter tab) to filter themes by specific features. Or, you can also use the search box.
Once you found a theme you like, hover your cursor over it and click the Install button. You can also preview it first by clicking the Preview button.

Wait a moment until WordPress is done installing your theme. Once done, click the Activate button to activate it.

2. Installing a WordPress Theme from a Third-Party Source
If you buy a WordPress theme from ThemeForest, TemplateMonster, or other market places, you will get a ZIP file of the theme you bought.
You can’t use the method above since the theme files are not available on the WordPress theme repository.
To install a WordPress from a third-party resource, first, login to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance -> Themes. Click the Add New button on the top side.

Click the Upload Theme button, followed by the Choose File button to select the ZIP file of the theme you want to install. Hit the Install Now button to install it.

Wait a moment until WordPress is done installing the theme. Once done, you will be directed to a new screen. Click the Activate link on the new page to activate the theme.
You can also preview it first by clicking the Live Preview button.

In most cases (if you install a paid theme), you will be asked to enter the license key to activate the theme. Just follow the instructions to complete the activation process.
3. Installing a WordPress Theme Manually via FTP
There are probably some technical issues causing you unable to install a theme via the WordPress dashboard. Two common technical issues are:
- Your server doesn’t meet the minimum requirements demanded by your theme, such as the PHP version and memory limit.
- The file size of your theme exceeds the maximum file size allowed by your server.
If you are unable to install your theme via the WordPress dashboard, you can install it manually by uploading the theme files to your server. To ease your job, you can use FTP.
To use FTP, you need:
- An FTP account
- An FTP client app
Most hosting providers offer FTP. If your hosting provider uses cPanel, you can create an FTP account by clicking FTP Accounts on the FILES section.

While for the FTP client, you can use apps like WinSCP, FileZilla to Cyberduck.
In this article, I use WinSCP (Windows only). You can download the binary file (the EXE file) of WinSCP on its website. Simply double-click the binary file to install it on your computer.
Once installed, launch the WinSCP app.
Set the File protocol to FTP (you don’t need to change this if your file protocol is SFTP with the port 22). Enter the hostname of your FTP, FTP username as well as the FTP password, and click the Login button (or hit enter on keyboard).

WinSCP comes with a dual-panel interface. The left panel for the local files (files on your computer) and the right panel for the remote files (files on your server).
Upload the ZIP file of the WordPress theme you want to install by dragging it from the left panel and drop it to the right panel. Place the ZIP file to the themes folder under the wp-content folder.

Once the ZIP file is uploaded, login to the control panel of your hosting and open the file manager.

Search for the ZIP file you have just uploaded and extract it. In cPanel, you can extract a ZIP by selecting the ZIP file and click the Extract menu on the upper-right corner.
Alternatively, you can right-click the ZIP file and select Extract.

Next, login to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance -> Themes. You should see the theme you have just installed on the list.
Hover your mouse over it and click the Activate button to activate it.

Managing the Installed Themes
Although this is not the best practice, you can install as many themes as you want on your WordPress website. You can switch from one theme to another from the installed themes list.
If you want to switch to another theme, first, go to the Themes screen on your WordPress dashboard by going to Appearance -> Themes on your WordPress dashboard.

Hover your cursor over the theme you want to switch to and click the Activate button.

Deleting the Installed Themes
Ideally, you only need to keep two installed themes on your WordPress site. One active theme and another as a backup.
Having too many installed themes is not the best practice when it comes to security.
To delete an installed theme, you can click on the theme you want to delete to view the details of the theme.

On the appearing window, you can click the Delete button.

A little note. You can’t install an active theme. If you want to delete the theme that is currently active, you need to switch to another theme first before you can delete it.
Summary
You can’t run a WordPress website without a theme as it is a required component in the WordPress system. In the past, a theme played a significant role in controlling the design of your website.
Today, in the page builder era, you have more control over the design of your website regardless of the design options offered by the theme you use.
There are at least three ways to install a new theme in WordPress. If the theme you want to install is available on the theme repository, then you can install it directly from the WordPress dashboard without needing to download the theme file first.
If the theme you want to install is downloaded from a third-party source, then you need to manually upload the theme file.
Lastly, you can also install a theme via FTP if, for a certain reason, you can’t install a theme via the WordPress dashboard.