# How to install and manage WordPress themes > This guide explains how to find, evaluate, and install themes in WordPress, including how to switch themes safely on an existing site using a staging copy. Source: https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/wp-getting-started/how-to-install-and-manage-wordpress-themes Updated: 2026-06-08 --- This guide explains how to find, evaluate, and install themes in WordPress. It assumes you already have WordPress installed and are logged in to the WordPress Dashboard. ## Choosing a theme Before you install anything, it is worth spending a moment on what makes a theme a good choice. A poor theme can slow your site down, introduce security vulnerabilities, or leave you stranded when WordPress updates break it. ### What to look for - **Active development** - check when the theme was last updated. A theme that has not been updated in over a year may not be compatible with the current version of WordPress or its block editor. On WordPress.org, the last-updated date and the "Tested up to" version are shown on every theme's page. - **Good ratings and a healthy install base** - a theme with thousands of active installs and consistently high ratings has been tested in the real world. Be cautious of themes with very few reviews. - **Responsive design** - your theme should work well on mobile, tablet, and desktop without extra effort. - **Lightweight code** - bloated themes load slowly. Look for themes that score well in speed tests, or that are known to work well with caching tools such as LiteSpeed Cache. - **Adequate support** - free themes on WordPress.org have a support forum; premium themes should come with documented support channels and a clear update policy. - **Compatibility with page builders** - if you plan to use a block-based editor or a page builder plugin, confirm the theme supports it. ### Where to get a theme There are three main sources: - **The WordPress.org theme directory** - free themes that have been reviewed by the WordPress team. This is the safest starting point and themes can be installed directly from your Dashboard. - **Premium theme marketplaces** - sites such as ThemeForest (Envato Market) sell themes built by independent developers. Quality varies, so check ratings, the number of sales, and when the theme was last updated before buying. You download a ZIP file and upload it to WordPress. - **Theme developer websites** - many popular themes (Astra, GeneratePress, Kadence, and others) are sold or given away free directly by their developers, with optional paid upgrades. Buying direct often means faster support and cleaner update channels. :::tip If you would rather not think about themes at all, our AI Starter Sites feature builds a complete, multi-page WordPress site for you automatically - including a pre-configured theme. See [Getting Started with WordPress AI Starter Sites](/knowledgebase/wp-getting-started/getting-started-with-wordpress-ai-starter-sites) for details. ::: ## Switching themes on an existing site If your site is already live and you want to change its theme, bear in mind that activating a new theme happens instantly - your visitors will see the change the moment you click **Activate**. Most themes also require some setup and configuration work (menus, widgets, colour schemes, homepage layout, and so on) before they look the way you want. For that reason, we strongly recommend testing a new theme on a staging copy of your site before touching the live version. That way you can configure everything at your own pace without affecting your visitors. WP Toolkit makes it straightforward to create a staging site and push changes across when you are happy. See [Creating Staging Websites with WP Toolkit](/knowledgebase/wp-toolkit/creating-staging-websites-with-wp-toolkit) for step-by-step instructions. ## Accessing the themes screen 1. Log in to your WordPress **Dashboard**. 2. Go to **Appearance > Themes**. You will see all the themes currently installed on your site. ![Themes screen](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/be/98/be9837104f4e6a7b77bd2b3435c832dc803d5f06.png) 3. Click **Add New** to install a theme. ![Add New button](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/4c/6d/4c6d72ea7b5ba7b7436340d8852b887f271122b7.png) From here you have two options: search the official WordPress.org theme directory, or upload a theme file from your computer. ## Installing a theme from the WordPress directory Themes listed in the official WordPress.org directory can be installed directly from your Dashboard - no downloading required. 1. On the **Add Themes** screen, type the theme name into the **Search themes...** field if you know what you are looking for. ![Search themes field](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/e3/63/e36395a809d27bd86626fd9c6ed4761da7f9453b.png) 2. For a more targeted search, click **Feature Filter** to filter by layout, features, and subject tags. ![Feature Filter](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/7b/be/7bbe03f4bdcd7935f63c31906828c0ab1d1b7760.png) 3. Tick the tags you want - for example, **White** and **Responsive** - then click **Apply Filters**. ![Apply Filters](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/49/50/49503b1ff21dcb92c173394905a095ec6f45f898.png) 4. Hover over any result to reveal the **Preview** and **Install** buttons. Click **Install** on the theme you want. ![Install button](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/b6/c8/b6c8d5325455f95894de3af0b85c6b10d142ceb0.png) 5. Once WordPress has downloaded and installed the theme, click **Activate** to make it live on your site. ![Activate link](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/0d/b2/0db2fc6dd8bc760abba6e8e25fa05b4a0c8b3103.png) Visit the front end of your site to see the new theme in action. ## Uploading a theme from a third-party source If your theme is not listed in the WordPress.org directory - for example, a premium theme purchased from a marketplace such as ThemeForest, or downloaded directly from a theme developer's website - you can upload the ZIP file directly. 1. Go to **Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload Theme**. ![Upload Theme button](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/3e/0a/3e0a0f8098c8309da04334d2c1d1a8108d125190.png) 2. Click **Choose File** (or **Browse...**), select the theme ZIP archive from your computer, then click **Install Now**. ![Install Now button](https://kb-cdn.kualo.com/c2/65/c265e2cab7438739c18f97fb4b1be039f0693e88.png) 3. Once WordPress has uploaded and extracted the archive, click **Activate** to apply the theme to your site. Visit the front end of your site to confirm the new theme is active. :::tip Before activating a new theme on a live site, use the **Preview** option to check how it looks without affecting your visitors. ::: ## Keeping your theme up to date An outdated theme is one of the most common entry points for attackers. WordPress will notify you of available updates in the Dashboard under **Appearance > Themes**. We recommend applying theme updates promptly, and checking that your chosen theme is still being actively maintained at least once a year. If you want updates handled automatically, WP Toolkit in cPanel lets you enable auto-updates per theme. See [Configuring software auto-updates](/knowledgebase/other-apps/configuring-software-auto-updates) for more detail. --- _Source: Kualo Knowledgebase — https://www.kualo.com/knowledgebase/wp-getting-started/how-to-install-and-manage-wordpress-themes · © Kualo Ltd._