How To Update WordPress Themes

Learn how to easily update WordPress themes inside your dashboard …

WordPress Theme Management: How To Upgrade WordPress Theme From The WP DashboardIf you are new to WordPress, make sure to read our introduction to WordPress themes. It explains what themes are and how themes can save website owners time and money.

In this step-by-step tutorial, you will learn how to upgrade your theme to its newest version inside your dashboard.

Updating WordPress Themes – Best Practices

Upgrading Themes - Best Practices

Before updating any WordPress themes, we recommend going through the handy checklist below to ensure that your upgrades go smoothly.

1. Back Up Everything

Backing up your website before making any changes to your site is essential. If something goes wrong, you can always restore.

If you don’t want to perform manual backups, there are many free and paid WordPress plugins you can use. You can read about a WordPress backup plugin that can fully automate your backup process here:

2. Check The Theme Update Notes

When WordPress upgrades its software to a new version, this can affect the functionality of certain themes. Depending on the theme you are using, there may be some release notes accompanying an update which provides an overview of any new features, improvements, bug fixes or any other changes in the new theme version.

If the changes seem irrelevant or unimportant, you can skip the update. Otherwise, you should update.

3. Test The Theme

If you can, it’s a good idea to check the theme before installing it on your site.

Useful Tip

Typically, web service providers will set up a test site where they can test the latest version of an installed theme, track any bugs and check to see if the new theme version doesn’t conflict with any existing plugins or settings before installing and activating it on a live site.

If you’re managing your own website, you can install a test WordPress site on a subdomain or a separate domain name using the same plugins and configuration settings and play with the new theme versions on your test site before applying it to your main site.

4. Search Online

Before updating your theme, it’s a good idea to do a quick search online and see if anyone has reported any serious problems with the new theme version.

You can enter the theme name and version into Google, and search the theme developer’s support forum (many developers provide forums for premium WordPress themes, and even for some free plugins).

5. Is Your WordPress Theme Heavily Customized? Use A Child Theme

If you have made extensive changes to your existing WordPress theme files, updating your theme may result in your custom modifications being overwritten. To prevent losing your theme modifications, therefore, we recommend you learn how to create “child themes”.

A WordPress child theme is a theme that inherits the functionality of another theme, called the parent theme, and allows you to modify, or add to, the functionality of that parent theme. When you update the “parent theme”, your modifications are preserved through the “child theme.”

If you plan to customize your theme files, then we recommend becoming familiar with using child themes, especially if you plan on using a theme that gets regularly updated. You can learn more about child themes by searching online, or visit the WordPress Codex child theme page here:

Useful Tip

As you will see below, the actual process of updating a WordPress theme is not complicated at all … a few simple clicks and you’re done! The step that takes the most time and effort to complete is the preparation involved prior to upgrading.

Some people don’t upgrade their themes regularly, while many upgrade without going through all of the steps listed in the section above. As mentioned earlier, the above are “best practice” methods to help you avoid problems. Ultimately, as a website owner, it is solely your responsibility to protect your digital properties.

Updating A Theme In WordPress – Step-By-Step Tutorial

Upgrading your theme from your admin dashboard is easy.

Log into your WordPress administration area …

Theme Management: Updating Your WordPress Themes

Depending on the theme(s) installed on your website, you may receive occasional alerts in your WordPress Dashboard that your theme(s) need updating …

How To Update Your WP Themes

Updating a theme from the dashboard is simple and easy. You can update your themes via the “Themes” section, or the “Updates” area.

Updating WordPress Themes Via The “Themes” Screen

To see which themes need updating, go to your Themes area.

Select Appearance > Themes in your WP admin menu …

How To Update Themes In WordPress

This brings you to the “Themes” screen …

How To Upgrade A Theme In WordPress

WordPress Themes that need updating display an “Update Available” message over their thumbnail image …

How To Upgrade A Theme In WordPress

Locate the theme you want to update and click on the “Update Available” message.

When the theme details window opens up, click on update now

Updating A Theme In WordPress

WordPress will automatically update your theme …

Theme Management: How To Update Your Theme

Your theme is now updated …

How To Upgrade WP Theme In Your Dashboard

Repeat the above to update all of your remaining themes, or use the method described below to bulk upgrade multiple themes.

Updating Your Theme Via The “Updates” Section

Update your WordPress theme using the “Updates” screen as follows:

To view all themes installed on your site that require updating, click on Dashboard > Updates

WordPress Theme Management: Upgrading WordPress Theme From Your Admin Dashboard

This opens up the Updates screen. Scroll down to the Themes section …

Upgrading Themes In WordPress

Check the box next to all the themes you want to update and click on Update Themes to complete the upgrade process …

Updating Your Theme

WordPress will automatically update all of your selected themes …

WordPress Theme Management: Upgrading Themes In WordPress

Congratulations! Now you know how to update your WP themes in your dashboard.

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