How To Update WordPress Themes

Learn how to easily update WordPress themes inside your dashboard …

How To Upgrade Your ThemeIf you are new to WordPress, make sure to read our introduction to WordPress themes. This in-depth article explains what themes are and how using a theme can save web business owners time and money.

This tutorial will show you how to easily upgrade your theme with just a few clicks inside your admin area.

Upgrading Themes – Best Practices

Upgrading Themes - Best Practices

We recommend going through the checklist below before going through the upgrade process, to help minimize any problems during your updating process.

1. Back Up Everything

Backing up your site before making any changes to your site is vital. Whenever something doesn’t go as planned, you can always restore your site to its former settings.

If you don’t want to perform manual backups, there are many WordPress plugins you can use. You can read about a WordPress backup plugin that can fully automate your site backups 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 accompanying an update listing new features, improvements, bug fixes or any other changes in the new version.

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

3. Test The Theme

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

Practical Tip

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

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

4. Search Online

Before updating your theme, it’s a good idea to search online to see if other theme users have reported any issues 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 paid themes, and even for some free plugins).

5. Is Your Theme Customized? Use A Child Theme

If you have made extensive changes to your existing 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 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 child themes, especially if you plan to use 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:

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! What can feel slightly bothersome is the preparation involved prior to upgrading.

Some people don’t upgrade their WordPress themes regularly, while many upgrade without going through some or 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, as a website owner, it is your responsibility to protect your online properties.

Updating Your Theme – Step-By-Step Tutorial

Upgrading your WP themes from your dashboard is easy.

Log into your WordPress admin area …

Upgrading Your WordPress Theme

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

Updating Themes In WordPress

Updating a WordPress theme in the WP dashboard is easy. You can update your themes using the “Themes” page, or the “Updates” area.

Updating Your Site Themes Using The “Themes” Area

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

Select Appearance > Themes in your WP dashboard menu …

Updating Your Themes

This brings you to the “Themes” page …

How To Upgrade Themes In WordPress

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

Theme Management: Updating Your Themes

Locate the theme that needs to be updated and click on the “Update Available” alert.

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

Updating Your Themes

WordPress will automatically update the theme …

Theme Management: Upgrading Your Themes

Your theme is now updated …

Updating Your WordPress Theme

Repeat the above to update all of your out-of-date themes, or use the method below to bulk update multiple themes at once.

Updating WordPress Themes Via The “Updates” Screen

Update your theme via the “Updates” area as shown below:

To view all themes on your website that need updating, click on Dashboard > Updates

Theme Management: Upgrading Themes In WordPress

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

WordPress Theme Management: How To Update Your Themes

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

Theme Management: Updating Themes In WordPress

WordPress automatically updates all of the selected themes …

Upgrading Your Theme

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

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"I have used the tutorials to teach all of my clients and it has probably never been so easy for everyone to learn WordPress ... Now I don't need to buy all these very expensive video courses that often don't deliver what they promise." - Stefan Wendt, Internet Marketing Success Group

Originally published as How To Update WordPress Themes.