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One of WordPress’ greatest assets is the fact that it’s quick and easy to change the look of your website.
That’s done through the myriads of plugins and themes available for WordPress.
I’ve written about how to add a WordPress plugin. In this article I’ll show you how to add a WordPress theme.
I’ll be installing the Page Builder Framework, since I work with the Elementor and Brizy page builders for creating websites.
Page Builder Framework comes with a free version which you can upgrade for extra functionality.
Page Builder Framework is available for installation through your WordPress dashboard.
You must be logged in to install Page Builder Framework from your WordPress dashboard.
Your admin login panel should be located at a URL like: https://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin. That is, unless you installed it in a different folder. But it’s conventional to install WordPress to the root folder of your domain name.
When you visit https://yourwebsite.com/wp-admin you should be taken directly to your WordPress admin panel, unless you’re not logged in, in which case you’ll be redirected to https://yourwebsite.com/wp-login.php. Here you can enter your username or email and password, after which you’ll be redirected to your admin panel.
Login Form Of A Standard WordPress Website.
The Dashboard Of A Fresh WordPress Install.
Once inside the WordPress dashboard, you must go to the Themes page, which is a sub-menu item of the Appearance menu item in the left hand sidebar.
Clicking on Appearance in the left hand sidebar menu takes you to exactly the same page you’ll be taken to when you click on the Themes sub-menu.
Click On Appearance In The Left Hand Sidebar. Clicking On Themes Takes You To The Same Page.
The Themes Page From Where You Can Install A New Theme.
The Themes page shows all the themes you have installed.
Typically, a fresh WordPress install contains at least two themes that come with the CMS, created by the WordPress team.
Click The Add New Button At The Top Of The Page.
You can search for a theme using keywords. Because I’m installing Page Builder Framework, I’m just adding the name of the theme.
The Add Themes Page Contains A Search Bar.
Inside The Search Bar, Type The Words, page builder framework.
WordPress should automatically update the page to show results based on your search term.
In this case, the Page Builder Framework theme should show up right at the top. And it does.
Page Builder Framework Shows Up Right At The Top When You Search For It.
Hovering over the thumbnail for the Page Builder Framework theme brings up various options, including a Details & Preview option, and two buttons, one that reads Install and another that reads Preview.
Click The Install Button and wait for the installation to complete.
Once the theme is installed the Install button’s text will change to Activate.
Click The Activate Button.
You can also install a theme by downloading it from the WordPress repository, then uploading it to your website.
Let’s install Page Builder Framework from the WordPress repository.
You can get to the repository a number of ways: through Google or another search engine or through a link on another website. For this tutorial, let’s assume I did a Google search for a WordPress theme that works well with page builders like Elementor and Brizy and came across Page Builder Framework.
In this case, the URL is https://wordpress.org/themes/page-builder-framework/.
The WordPress Repository Page For Page Builder Framework. It might look slightly different on your end, depending on which part of the world you access the site from (if you’re logged in).
Look for the big download button.
Click The Download Button.
The file should now download to your computer. Where it downloads to depends on your configuration. I’ve set up my Chrome browser to download all files to my desktop.
In the left hand sidebar, find the Appearance menu item.
Click On Appearance In The Left Hand Sidebar. Clicking On Themes Takes You To The Same Page.
You’re on a page that shows all your currently installed themes.
Click The Add New Button At The Top Of The Page.
On this page you’re presented with featured themes, a search box where you can search for a theme and an upload button that lets you upload a theme.
Click The Upload Themes Button At The Top.
A box drops open with the following instructions:
If you have a theme in a .zip format, you may install or update it by uploading it here.
There’s also a button with the text, Choose file.
Click The Choose File Button.
You need to locate the theme’s zip file you downloaded earlier.
Since I download all files to my desktop, I simply choose it from the desktop.
Find The Theme’s Zip File, Select It And Click The Open Button.
Click The Install Now Button.
The system goes through all the steps to install the theme.
Once it’s done, it should look something like…
The Theme Was Successfully Uploaded.
It’s time to start using your new theme.
Click The Activate Link To Activate Your New Theme.
Once the theme is installed you can customize it. The level of customization depends on the theme creator. Some themes come with hardly any customization capabilities, while others, like Page Builder Framework, come with just the right level of customization.
WordPress, being the top CMS it is, comes with enough bells and whistles to throw multiple Christmas parties every year.
The ability to add all sorts of themes adds to its amazing flexibility.
If you’re unhappy with the look of your site, chances are there’s a theme out there that’ll give you exactly what you want.
I prefer Page Builder Framework because I use page builders exclusively for building websites, which gives me the design flexibility I want.
