How To Update WordPress Themes

Learn how to easily update WordPress themes inside your dashboard …

WordPress Theme Management: Updating Your WordPress ThemesIf you are new to WordPress, make sure to read our overview of WordPress themes. The in-depth article explains what WordPress themes are and how using themes can be cost-effective and time-saving for business owners.

This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to easily upgrade your theme to its latest version inside the dashboard.

Upgrading Themes – Best Practices

Upgrading Your WordPress Theme - Best Practices Checklist

Before updating any WordPress themes, we recommend going through the checklist below.

1. Back Up Your Site

Backing up your site before making any changes to your site is vital. This way, if things don’t go as planned, you can always restore.

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

2. Check The Changelog

Changes made to the WordPress software can affect the functionality of certain themes. Depending on the theme you are using, there may be a changelog file included with an update listing any new features, improvements, security fixes or important changes in the new theme version.

If the theme 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 the theme, track bugs and make sure that all plugins are working fine with the new theme before applying it to a live site.

If you manage your own website, you can install a test WordPress site on a subdomain or a separate domain name using the same configuration settings (e.g. plugins) and play with the new theme versions on your test site before applying it to your live website.

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

5. Use Child Themes For Heavily Customized Themes

If you have made extensive changes to your existing theme files, upgrading your theme could 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 the parent theme. When you update the “parent theme”, your customizations are preserved through the “child theme.”

If you plan to customize your theme files, then we recommend becoming familiar with the use of 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 official WordPress child theme page here:

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 bit of the update process that takes the most time and effort to complete is the preparation involved prior to upgrading.

Some people don’t upgrade their WordPress themes regularly, while many upgrade without going through all of the steps listed in the section above. As mentioned earlier, the above are recommended “best practice” methods for ensuring problem-free upgrades. Ultimately, it is your responsibility as a website owner to protect your online assets.

Upgrading Themes In WordPress – Tutorial

Updating your theme in your dashboard is easy.

Log into your WordPress administration area …

Theme Management: Updating WordPress Theme In Your Admin Dashboard

Depending on what theme(s) are installed on your site, you may receive occasional notifications in your dashboard that new theme versions are available and require updating …

WordPress Theme Management: Upgrading Your Themes

Updating themes in your WP dashboard is a simple process. You can update your WordPress theme from the “Themes” page, or the “Updates” section.

Updating WordPress Themes Using The “Themes” Screen

You can see which themes need updating by going to your Themes area.

Choose Appearance > Themes from your WP dashboard menu …

How To Upgrade Your WP Themes

This brings you to the “Themes” screen …

Updating Your Themes

WordPress Themes with new versions display an “Update Available” message over the theme’s thumbnail image …

Updating 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

Theme Management: Updating WP Themes From The WP Dashboard

WordPress will automatically update your theme in seconds …

Theme Management: Updating A Theme In WordPress

Your theme is now up-to-date …

Theme Management: Upgrading Your WP Theme

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

Updating WordPress Themes From The “Updates” Area

Update your themes using the “Updates” page as shown below:

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

WordPress Theme Management: Upgrading Your Themes

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

WordPress Theme Management: Updating Your Themes

Select all the themes you want to update and click on Update Themes to complete the bulk upgrade process …

WordPress Theme Management: How To Update Your Themes

WordPress automatically updates all of your selected themes …

WordPress Theme Management: How To Upgrade WordPress Themes From Your Dashboard

Congratulations! Now you know how to upgrade your themes from your dashboard.

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