Vi state chiedendo cosa dovreste fare prima di cambiare tema WordPress?
Quando si cambia il tema di WordPress, ci sono alcuni passi molto importanti da compiere per garantire che il processo sia fluido e che non si perdano dati importanti.
Abbiamo lavorato su innumerevoli siti web e modificato temi senza problemi, quindi sappiamo bene come farlo bene.
In questa lista di controllo per WordPress, condivideremo le principali cose da fare prima di cambiare tema WordPress.
Nota dell’editore: se state cercando istruzioni passo-passo su come cambiare tema, consultate la nostra guida per principianti su come cambiare correttamente il tema di WordPress.
Cambiare tema è una decisione importante che ogni proprietario di un sito web prende almeno una volta ogni qualche anno.
Naturalmente dovete decidere il motivo per cui state cambiando e scegliere un tema che soddisfi tutte le vostre esigenze.
Abbiamo un elenco dei migliori temi WordPress multiuso e dei migliori temi WordPress per blog che potete consultare se siete alla ricerca di consigli.
Una volta scelto il tema a cui passare, è importante seguire la lista di controllo riportata di seguito per assicurarsi di non perdere alcun contenuto o dato durante il processo.
1. Prendere nota di tutte le personalizzazioni del tema WordPress
Alcuni proprietari di siti web WordPress personalizzano i loro temi WordPress aggiungendo snippet di codice direttamente ai file del tema. Gli snippet di codice possono essere un ottimo modo per aggiungere nuove funzionalità al vostro sito web che non fanno parte del tema standard.
Ma se si aggiungono questi snippet direttamente ai file del tema, può essere facile perderne traccia.
Se siete stati voi o uno sviluppatore web ad apportare queste modifiche, assicuratevi di esaminare i file del vostro tema attuale e di prendere nota di tutto il codice aggiuntivo che è stato aggiunto.
Per aggiungere snippet di codice in futuro, consigliamo sempre di utilizzare un plugin per snippet di codice come WPCode. In questo modo, è possibile mantenere gli snippet anche se si cambia tema in seguito.
Per maggiori dettagli, consultate la nostra guida per principianti sull’incollaggio di snippet dal web in WordPress.
2. Ottenere le metriche attuali delle prestazioni del tema WordPress
Prima di cambiare tema, è opportuno verificare la velocità di caricamento e le prestazioni del sito web attuale. In questo modo è possibile confrontare eventuali differenze nel tempo di caricamento della pagina dopo il cambio di tema.
Poiché la velocità e le prestazioni di WordPress hanno un ruolo importante nell’esperienza utente e nella SEO di WordPress, è necessario assicurarsi che il nuovo tema sia più veloce di quello che si sta utilizzando ora.
Potete facilmente verificare le metriche di velocità del vostro sito web utilizzando uno strumento di test della velocità di WordPress, come lo strumento gratuito di test della velocità del sito web di IsItWP.
Per maggiori dettagli, consultate la nostra guida su come eseguire un test di velocità del sito web.
3. Prendere nota delle barre laterali e delle aree per i widget del tema corrente.
Le barre laterali sono utilizzate per aggiungere diversi widget al sito web, come i moduli per l’abbonamento alla newsletter, i pulsanti dei media, i post più popolari e altro ancora.
Poiché ogni tema ha aree per i widget diverse, i widget potrebbero inaspettatamente spostarsi o scomparire dal sito se si cambia tema.
Per questo motivo, prima di cambiare tema, è importante notare quali widget si utilizzano nelle barre laterali di WordPress e in qualsiasi altra area del sito web. In questo modo, potrete replicarli facilmente anche dopo il cambio di tema.
Se sono stati aggiunti codici personalizzati o shortcode, assicurarsi di copiare il codice e salvarlo in un luogo sicuro, in modo da poterlo utilizzare con il nuovo tema.
4. Copiare i codici di tracciamento WordPress esistenti
Molti utenti aggiungono il codice di tracciamento analitico direttamente ai file del loro tema. Alcuni temi WordPress consentono anche di aggiungere i codici di monitoraggio direttamente nel pannello delle opzioni del tema.
È un errore comune trascurare questi importanti codici di tracciamento.
Dovete assicurarvi di copiare tutti i codici di tracciamento del vostro sito web che utilizzate per l’analisi, la pubblicità e altro, in modo da poterli aggiungere al vostro nuovo sito.
Se volete semplificarvi la vita, vi consigliamo di utilizzare un plugin come MonsterInsights per installare Google Analytics in WordPress.
Utilizzando MonsterInsights, potete essere certi che non ci saranno interruzioni delle vostre analisi o perdite di dati. Inoltre, sbloccherete un monitoraggio bonus come il monitoraggio dei clic sui link e sui pulsanti, l’analisi delle categorie e dei tag di WordPress, il monitoraggio degli autori e molto altro ancora.
Per tutti gli altri codici di tracciamento, è possibile utilizzare il plugin gratuito WPCode. Per maggiori dettagli, consultate la nostra guida su come aggiungere il codice dell’intestazione e del piè di pagina in WordPress.
5. Eseguire il backup del sito web WordPress attuale
È sempre una buona idea eseguire regolarmente il backup del sito web. Prima di cambiare tema, è necessario eseguire un backup completo di post, pagine, plugin, media e database.
Il modo più semplice per farlo è utilizzare un plugin di backup per WordPress per creare un backup dell’intero sito.
Si consiglia di utilizzare il plugin Duplicator. Permette di creare facilmente backup automatici e programmati e di salvarli su servizi di cloud storage come Dropbox, Google Drive e altri.
Esiste anche una versione gratuita di Duplicator per iniziare. Per maggiori dettagli, consultate questa guida su come eseguire il backup di un sito WordPress.
In questo modo è possibile recuperare facilmente il sito web se qualcosa va storto durante il cambio di tema.
6. Mettete il vostro sito WordPress in modalità di manutenzione
Quando si apportano modifiche al sito, è sempre una buona pratica mettere il sito in modalità di manutenzione. La modalità di manutenzione consente di visualizzare un avviso di facile consultazione per i visitatori.
In questo modo si evita che i visitatori vedano il sito web quando è incompleto o in costruzione.
Per farlo, vi consigliamo di utilizzare il plugin SeedProd. È il miglior costruttore di pagine WordPress drag and drop, utilizzato da oltre 1 milione di siti web.
Permette di creare facilmente pagine personalizzate in modalità di manutenzione, landing page, pagine coming soon, pagine 404 e altro ancora.
Per maggiori dettagli, consultate la nostra guida su come mettere il vostro sito WordPress in modalità di manutenzione.
7. Testate tutte le funzionalità e i plugin WordPress installati
Una volta attivato un nuovo tema WordPress, è necessario assicurarsi di avere le stesse funzionalità di prima e che tutti i vecchi plugin funzionino con il nuovo tema.
Si può iniziare aggiungendo nuovamente gli snippet di codice copiati dai file del vecchio tema di WordPress. Per maggiori dettagli, consultate la nostra guida per principianti sull’inserimento di snippet di codice in WordPress.
Quindi, passate un po’ di tempo a utilizzare le funzioni del vostro sito che sono alimentate dai plugin di WordPress. Se in questo momento si verificano degli errori, consultate la nostra guida per principianti alla risoluzione degli errori di WordPress.
8. Test del nuovo tema WordPress su tutti i browser e dispositivi
Il test cross-browser vi aiuterà ad assicurarvi che il vostro nuovo sito web venga visualizzato bene su diversi browser, dimensioni dello schermo, sistemi operativi e dispositivi mobili.
La maggior parte dei visitatori probabilmente utilizzerà Google Chrome per visitare il vostro blog WordPress. Tuttavia, altri browser come Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Safari e altri sono ancora utilizzati da centinaia di milioni di utenti in tutto il mondo.
Se il vostro nuovo sito web non funziona bene su uno di questi browser, vi state perdendo visitatori e traffico.
Fortunatamente, è possibile utilizzare tutti i tipi di strumenti di test cross-browser per vedere come appare il vostro sito web su diversi browser e dispositivi.
Per maggiori dettagli, consultate la nostra guida su come testare un sito WordPress con diversi browser.
9. Eliminare i plugin di WordPress che non servono più
Alcuni temi WordPress preinstallano i plugin al momento dell’installazione. Alcuni di questi possono essere utili, ma altre volte non ne avrete bisogno.
Basta andare su Plugin ” Plugin installati per vedere se il tema ha aggiunto nuovi plugin.
Questo è anche un buon momento per esaminare l’intero elenco dei plugin per vedere se ce ne sono alcuni che vale la pena eliminare.
Se siete alla ricerca di plugin di alta qualità da utilizzare con il vostro nuovo tema, consultate la nostra selezione dei plugin WordPress indispensabili.
10. Far sapere agli utenti che il nuovo sito web è attivo
Una volta che si è pronti a rendere live il nuovo tema di WordPress, si può disattivare la modalità di manutenzione.
Dovreste anche mettervi in contatto con i vostri lettori per informarli del vostro nuovo sito web. In questo modo preparerete il pubblico in modo che non sia confuso da eventuali grandi cambiamenti di design e contribuirete a mantenere i vostri abbonati impegnati e a tornare sul vostro sito per vedere il nuovo design.
Ecco un esempio di condivisione su Facebook del nostro nuovo sito web.
Si consiglia di informare il pubblico tramite la newsletter, i social media e le notifiche push.
Se state cercando altri modi per promuovere il vostro sito, consultate la nostra guida su come condividere i post del vostro blog con i lettori.
11. Test della velocità di caricamento del nuovo tema WordPress
Una volta che il nuovo tema è attivo e che avete seguito i passaggi precedenti, è il momento di eseguire un altro test di velocità. Idealmente, il nuovo sito web sarà più veloce e otterrà punteggi migliori nel test di velocità.
A tal fine, è sufficiente utilizzare lo stesso strumento per la velocità del sito web usato in precedenza e confrontare i risultati.
Se il nuovo tema è più lento di quello vecchio, assicuratevi di eseguire più test, di eseguire il test da aree diverse e di verificare se le impostazioni della cache o del firewall possono essere la causa del calo.
12. Monitorare la frequenza di rimbalzo del sito WordPress
La frequenza di rimbalzo è la percentuale di visitatori che atterrano sul vostro sito web e lo abbandonano senza proseguire con una seconda pagina. Un’alta frequenza di rimbalzo significa che non avete convinto il visitatore a rimanere sul vostro sito abbastanza a lungo da intraprendere un’azione.
Dopo aver cambiato tema, è importante monitorare la frequenza di rimbalzo. Alcuni temi sono semplicemente più amichevoli nell’aiutare i visitatori a navigare all’interno del sito.
Se la frequenza di rimbalzo è aumentata da quando avete cambiato tema, dovete lavorare per ridurla. Per farlo, potete migliorare i menu di navigazione, aggiungere un widget per i post più popolari, aggiungere più link interni e altro ancora.
Per maggiori dettagli, consultate la nostra guida su come aumentare le pagine viste e ridurre la frequenza di rimbalzo in WordPress.
13. Ascoltare il feedback dei lettori per migliorare il vostro sito web WordPress
Infine, è importante ascoltare il feedback dei lettori dopo il passaggio a un nuovo tema. Alcuni lettori potrebbero amare o odiare alcune parti del vostro design.
Non è necessario ascoltare tutti i lettori e apportare le modifiche che suggeriscono. Ma se c’è un gruppo di lettori che riscontra lo stesso problema, probabilmente vale la pena di approfondire la questione.
Potete raccogliere il feedback dei visitatori aggiungendo un modulo di contatto al vostro sito web, o facendo un sondaggio per chiedere ai lettori un parere sul vostro nuovo design.
Il modo più semplice per farlo è utilizzare WPForms. È il miglior plugin per sondaggi per WordPress sul mercato, utilizzato da oltre 6 milioni di siti web.
Permette di creare facilmente moduli d’indagine accattivanti grazie al costruttore drag and drop.
Inoltre, la sezione di reporting crea automaticamente dei bellissimi report per analizzare i risultati.
Per maggiori dettagli, consultate la nostra guida su come creare un sondaggio in WordPress.
Speriamo che questo articolo vi abbia aiutato a capire esattamente cosa dovreste fare prima di cambiare tema WordPress. Potreste anche voler consultare il nostro elenco dei migliori temi WordPress per blog di moda e come personalizzare il vostro tema WordPress.
Se questo articolo vi è piaciuto, iscrivetevi al nostro canale YouTube per le esercitazioni video su WordPress. Potete trovarci anche su Twitter e Facebook.
Ayanda Temitayo
Does changing WordPress theme affects ranking as such? I changed one of my blog theme sometimes ago and I lost some of my post rankings… Maybe not. But I ain’t gonna try changing any blog theme again.
Thanks for this insight.
WPBeginner Support
It would depend on the changes but as you are changing a large amount of your site the changes can improve your rankings as well.
Admin
Peter Iriogbe
Thank you for the step-by-step guide. Is it necessary to create a 404 page to inform users, or is it acceptable to display a message on the screen indicating that the website is in maintenance mode? What would you recommend?
WPBeginner Support
IT is important to have a coming soon or maintenance mode page. A 404 page would only be helpful if someone goes to a bad link on your site instead of a page you have published.
Admin
Muhammad Hammad
My concern is that I have a site with Uncode theme installed for 8 years which is causing a lot of issues as it is not beign able to update. I am planning to change it with the Hello Elementor theme. Will it impact the site’s SEO?
WPBeginner Support
Any change to a site will likely have an affect to your SEO but it can be a positive or negative change. If your current theme is causing errors and problems then you will likely see an improvement in your site’s SEO.
Admin
Moinuddin Waheed
I have used updraft plus for creating backup which is a good choice for making backup.
I will give a try to duplicator as well in the future to see all the features that it has at its end to make the backup process easy and intuitive.
transition from one theme to another is infact a big decision and every care needs to be taken while making a smooth transition without losing anything in the process
Jiří Vaněk
Perhaps another rule I follow is to create a new appearance template for a Child Theme. After all, making modifications in a child theme tends to be easier and of higher quality compared to the main theme, where changes might always get overwritten during updates. That’s something I wouldn’t forget.
WPBeginner Support
Thank you for sharing your recommendation
Admin
andri
What I do, create on localhost first the new theme, after all fix, change it online
Aditya B
Hello WP Beginner team, thanks for an awesome blog. This is exactly what I was searching for. I have one question though. I have used plugins like Monster insights and Header and Footer code to add tracking code to my website. If I change my theme will I have to again repeat the process and will I lose all my analytics data? I hope to see your reply soon.
WPBeginner Support
If you added the code using a plugin method then you wouldn’t need to worry as the code would stay when changing your theme. We would only recommend adding the code using one method as multiple instances of the code could cause issues with your tracking.
Admin
Ally StirlIng
Hi
I’m a newbie and still working on my author site. I’m not sure I picked the right theme but I’m so far down the line that I’m scared it’ll all disappear if I try out another there. While I’m still in ‘coming soon’ csn I try out another theme?
WPBeginner Support
You can certainly try other themes on your site and you should see your previously activated themes in the Appearance>Themes area of your site so the old theme shouldn’t disappear.
Admin
Lynn
I installed a new theme and was in the process of activating it, and now I am completely stuck with the following error message.
Fatal error: Can’t use method return value in write context in /home/easc/public_html/wp-content/themes/hestia/inc/core/class-hestia-public.php on line 864
How do I correct it?
WPBeginner Support
You would want to follow our guide below for how to change your theme when you’re unable to log in:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/beginners-guide-to-troubleshooting-wordpress-errors-step-by-step/
Admin
raj
hey i have recently changed my wordpress website theme is it necessary to paste the google search console verification code again plzz tell me my post is not indexing in google
WPBeginner Support
That would depend on how you added the code previously. If you manually modified the theme then you would need to add it back. If you used a plugin then you should still have the code on your site.
Admin
Shawn Bird
When I first signed up with Wordpress, a decade ago, we could preview our site with a new theme and then decide whether to activate it.
How do we do that now?
Where are the preview and activate options?
WPBeginner Support
You would want to go under Appearance>Customize and change the theme there. Until you save your changes the theme will not change on your site. You may also want to take a look into creating a staging site to test your changes following our guide below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-create-staging-environment-for-a-wordpress-site/
Admin
Olid Ahmed
I installed the demo importer on my theme now its automatically added so many articles, now what I do of those articles?
WPBeginner Support
You can remove the demo content if you want.
Admin
Anna
Thanks so much for this. It’s so helpful.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Janien
I really got a lot out of this article on “what to do when changing themes” I didn’t know that themes cam with their own pages and that’s why I always had more pages than I needed.
WPBeginner Support
That would depend on the theme, some have demo content that you have the choice to download or not.
Admin
ZUBAIR
i had been getting problem in accesing my wp dashboard….my cpanel is easily be able to access,but not the dashboard…
when i try to access it this shows
The page isn’t redirecting properly
An error occurred during a connection
try again
WPBeginner Support
You may want to go through the recommendations in our article below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-fix-error-too-many-redirects-issue-in-wordpress/
Admin
Mike
Thanks for the tips. This is great info.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad you found our guide helpful
Admin
Oluwaseun
Hi, my webpages appear blank even after editing pages and updating. I’ve tried deactivating all plugins and activating one by one but no improvement. What should i do? Should i change my theme?
WPBeginner Support
You may want to try that, for other steps you can try you would want to take a look at our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/beginners-guide-to-troubleshooting-wordpress-errors-step-by-step/
Admin
Kenny Lambert
I’m using Google Analytics for WordPress by MonsterInsights plugin and have changed themes several times.
I’ve checked and Google Analytics tracking code still intact
This plugin also inserts tracking code for you when you install it
WPBeginner Support
You normally will need to connect the plugin but yes, the plugin allows you to easily swap themes and keep your tracking information
Admin
Julie
Just wanted to say…AMAZING! What a fantasitc resource this site is. I am a complete novice with all this stuff, and you explain it clearly and in plain language that is easy to understand. I will be regularly visiting your site.
Thank you so much for helping so many strangers, like myself.
With gratitude
Julie
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, glad our articles can be helpful
Admin
Stanley
Hi
Thanks for the pos. However I have a problem about my theme
Google adsense is not showing on some pages and i don’t know the reason.
please could you review my site and tell me why this is happening, thanks
WPBeginner Support
Google Adsense likely does not have a recommended ad for the page it’s not displaying on for the reason the ad is missing.
Admin
Byju
Hello,
I am a starter. When I changed the theme, all the sidebars like, home, shop, contact etc disappeared. But in the real theme model it is showing. What did I wrong
WPBeginner Support
It would depend on your specific theme but normally you would want to check under Appearance>Widgets if it is content from the sidebar that is missing.
Admin
Lori
I have a WP site that I want to change. I’ve found a theme I like and want to download and start working on. My question is, if I download this theme is there a way I can work on it without disrupting the current site theme until I’m ready to make the new theme live? If not, what do I do? How/where can I set this theme up and add content without changing the current site?
WPBeginner Support
If you preview the new theme under Appearance>Customize then as long as you don’t save you can see what your site would look like with that theme. If you wanted to set it up more in-depth, you could create a staging environment as we show in our article here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-create-staging-environment-for-a-wordpress-site/
Admin
Mark
Hi Team,
I have an old non-responsive theme – and wish to migrate. My site Googles #1 in its’ space and I CANNOT lose that. Do I need to use the same permalinks / naming / structure? Can I obtain the info from my WP All in one SEO plugin and transfer? Do I need to add all the tags – cut n’ paste ect? Any advice would be helpful!
Mark
WPBeginner Support
It would be best to keep your same permalinks but changing your theme shouldn’t affect those normally so it shouldn’t be an issue. IF you reach out to your SEO plugin they can let you know what SEO information they can transfer for you.
Admin
Travenjo
Hi author,
Great article.
Thanks for sharing the awesome piece of information.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Mucky
I was getting the 500 error message. Your advice on removing plugins and slowly adding them back was a great help. I have used those plugins for a long time but maybe they do not like my new theme. Thanks for the help.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our recommendation was helpful
Admin
Indiatechmoney.com
Very nice post
WPBeginner Support
Thank you
Admin
dipak
i want to Make my site SEO how i can ? i dont know how to rank my website
WPBeginner Support
For understanding SEO you would want to take a look at our page here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wordpress-seo/
Admin
Marvin
I am the webmaster/developer of many Department Sites built with Dreamweaver over many many years. On Site alone has over 300 web pages with over 7000 files/links (documents, media, images, etc). I’m retiring in 3 years and want to transition everything into another software where people in the various departments and section can update their own pages. I would like to get some idea how I should tackle this. I can’t use the same urls while developing because I’ll have to run parallel while developing.Wordpress replacements. Any advice would be appreciated
WPBeginner Support
You could create a local installation for what it sounds like you’re looking for: https://www.wpbeginner.com/how-to-install-wordpress/#installlocal
Admin
Alex Joe
An Awesome Content it really helped me out
WPBeginner Support
Glad it helped
Admin
Nazeer Ahmec
Hi
I m new, I create a WordPress blog and select a theme, in 2nd step I like to change theme and insert links into images. (Clickable image) when we click image, it will open new document.
1- Unfortunately, my themes not changed even after selection I click activate button. (Same old theme appear)
2- there is not option add link to image. (Create a clickable image) , I just add through HTML codes in thml mode but not working.
I need help in both problems. Thankd
WPBeginner Support
1. Try clearing your caching to see if that is preventing you from seeing your changes.
2. When you select the image in the block editor, there is a Link Settings section where you can change where the image links to on click.
Admin
John
I find that WP Beginner is a great and useful site with lots of information, both for beginners as well as seasoned WP people on the net. A lot of work has gone into this site so Thank You for your efforts.
WPBeginner Support
Hi John,
Thanks for the kind words.
Admin
MClay
Hi. I have a site up and running currently. I’d like to download a new theme and play with it/build it out while my other site is still live. How do I go about this? I am looking and it appears I can download the new theme, but can I be working on it in the background while logged in and not effect the live site?
WPBeginner Support
Hi MClay,
You can install a theme but as soon as you activate, it would become live on your site. The best way to test themes is to install them on a local server.
Admin
Lawrence
Hello everybody
Quick question: If I use the theme customizer on a specific theme but later change to another theme do I have to re-enter all the customizer settings for the new theme?
And secondly if i change back to the original theme when it still have the original customizer settings or will it have adopted the settings from the second theme?
thanks in advance…
WPBeginner Support
Hi Lawrence,
Customizer settings are for a particular theme. If you switch theme then you will have to configure the new theme. If you switch back to the old theme, your settings will be there.
Admin
godwin christo
If we change anything in the site often our site traffic gets low?
Jenn
I plan to upgrade from a free wordpress blog to an upgraded (premium) one in the future. At what point do you suggest making the switch? When you have 100 followers? 1000 views? Just whenever you’re ready? I don’t want to commit $8/month without knowing my blog is getting traffic.
Any advice appreached!
Thanks!
WPBeginner Support
Hi Jenn,
We assume you are talking about WordPress.com. Please see our guide on the difference between self hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com blog.
Admin
Rushil
Hi,
As per my real experience (Wordpress.com) , I suggest you to buy the premium plan (Maybe something like personal) because wordpress.com has really very less features and modifications that you can make to make your Site look the best! To be honest , the first time I started with a premium plan of wordpress.com but ended up cancelling it and moving over to wordpress.org (It’s amazing!).
mark
i have been asked to rebuild a wordpress website – i have content and SEO expertise but limited knowledge of any back end stuff. (i managed to muddle through building one wordpress site a few years ago using an avada theme) other than the domain name i am not looking to keep any of the content or structure from the existing site, so do i follow the steps to change the theme? or should i create a staging site in the same spot as the current site, build the new content there and then simply switch over when its ready for publishing? thinking of using avada theme again as it seems to rate well – i am building a small brochureware style of site.
Corinne
Hi I love the info here and am a newbie so forgive me for what may seem like simple questions. I am currently running a .org site and want to switch to a new theme. I’ve uploaded the new theme but not activated it as I need to work on it before launching, the old theme info will not be transferred. (I own the domain) I believe I have to set up a sub directory in order to do this so it’s not seen until I’m ready…how??
Also will the new theme affect my current search results (do I have to copy any info to keep my status)
Surya
For my wp website, I am planning to upgrade from the free version of the theme to the pro version of the same theme. Currently I have plugins installed. Do I need to deactivate the plugins before upgrading to pro version & then reinstall?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Surya,
Yes, you should. In case a plugin causes conflict with the theme you wouldn’t be able to find out which plugin. Disabling them will allow you to activate them one by one to see if they all work nicely with new theme.
Admin
Alex
I am preparing to move from WP.com to WP.org self hosted. I checked and I can keep my old theme on org but I would like to use a new premium theme going forward on the new site. Can you please advise what is the best way to go about it? I would also like to do a clean-up of my blog and refresh posts, delete posts that are no longer relevant and of course, revamp the look. Many thanks!
WPBeginner Support
Hi Alex,
Please see our guide on properly switching WordPress themes.
Admin
Michael
I recently installed the flatsome theme in my Wordpress/WooCommerce website. I’m trying to load products from my t-shirt fulfillment company but their POST requests are being ignored by my website like there’s nothing there. I’ve whitelisted all there IP addresses and give them the api key. They are unable to establish webhooks as well. Could this be a problem with the flatsome theme?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Michael,
Please see our WordPress troubleshooting guide, it will help you figure out what’s causing the issue and how to fix it.
Pearl Allard
Very helpful! Thank you for providing this checklist. Excited to switch themes on my blog.
Charles Pedley
Hello!
From one perennial newbie to other newbies ….
Before I change ANYTHING on my WP site, I use the Export function under Tools in your dashboard – it is the fastest, accurate way of making sure you lose no content.
I save the xml file in a Documents folder on my hard drive. Then if you change a theme and it messes stuff up, then you import the xml file you saved on your hard drive back into the new Wordpress theme.
I know there are all kinds of other ways but I challenge anyone that says that they are easier or cheaper. A standard XML file can be exported and imported so fast and saved so you do not lose your site. It only takes a few minutes and you do not have to pay for any of the expensive backup programs like Backup Buddy. Not saying Backup Buddy is bad, just expensive!
And maybe it is not for you if you are an amateur like me. I do my own sites. I do not do sites for others.
Good luck and happy exporting and importing!
-Charles Pedley
WPBeginner Support
Hi Charles,
The method you described above works only for your posts, pages, and comments. It is not a full database backup. It can be used to import content only but it wouldn’t import any website settings stored in the database.
If price is your main concern, then you can try the free version of Updraft Plus. Also see our list of WordPress backup plugins for alternates.
Admin
Monika
Great article thanks. i have changed my theme several times 2017 to 2016 but now i am using Genesis and genesis sample child theme. i tried to change my header image but the code is not responsive. the image still stays the same. also when i tried to write a code in a text widget on the side bar it is not responsive. what could be wrong. thanks!
WPBeginner Support
Hi Monika,
If you are editing code, then you need to make your changes in child theme. Theme frameworks use their own filters and functions that may sometimes override what you are trying to do in a child theme. See Genesis documentation for more help on customizing your child theme.
Admin
Jimmy Lai
Hello…I have recently installed WP and upon instalation my website was replaced with a WP Theme “Twenty Seventeen” with all my contents gone. I attempted to undo everything to restore the original website and received a error message stating “Twenty Sixteen” directory not found. I uploaded the “Twenty Sixteen” theme but none of my original contents moved over. Please advise what I need to do to restore my original website.
Thanks
WPBeginner Support
Hi Jimmy,
Did you install WordPress in a folder where another non-WordPress website was already installed? In that case, WordPress will overwrite your website. Your website files may still be there. Please ask your hosting provider, they may be able to provide you with a backup of your website or restore your website to an earlier state.
Admin
Jimmy
Thank you for your response! WordPress was installed in the same folder with a previous version of my website created via Word Press. I have spoke with my hosting company and they were not able to restore the website to a earlier version. We located the files and was advised to reinstall WP, which led to a response of “Twenty Sixteen” directory not found.
Mike Harwood
Jimmy, do you mean you installed ANOTHER version of Wordpress? As far as I know you can only install 1 version of Wordpress so you may have inadvertently overwritten all of the previous installed version of Wordpress included content, theme etc and unless your hosting company can help restore from an old back up you are going to have to re-build from scratch. Have to admit, if your host does not have a back-up that is very odd and you should consider moving your hosting to a more responsible company.
Allison P
I am getting ready to do a total redesign of a client’s website. I have backed it up and chosen a new WP theme but am not sure how to make the transition easy. Once you install a new theme, what do you do with the backed up version? Can you access it and copy and paste certain content back onto the new site?
Ex. They want to keep the bios of their directors but the current theme includes an element that allows you to add individual staff members info. It then creates a shortcode which you can add to any page on the site linking it to their bio. I will be using as the new theme but it doesn’t have a Staff feature. Any suggestions?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Allison,
That’s one downside of using themes that rely on shortcodes or include functionality inside the theme instead of plugin. Your best option is to copy code blocks from their own theme, and try to add it into a site-specific WordPress plugin.
Admin
Ratul Ahmed
I am new to wordpress. So Can you please tell me whether changing the theme can cause data/content loss or broken href ?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Ratul,
No, all your posts and comments are safely stored in your WordPress database.
Admin
Kishore Seal
Changing the theme will delete the plugins?
WPBeginner Support
Hi Kishore,
No, it will not. However, if you are using a plugin that has some Theme Specific settings, then you may need to readjust those settings after switching the theme.
Admin
Pete Hogg
What happens to all your current url’s when you change your wordpress theme?
Do you keep them and and content?
Thanks
WPBeginner Support
Hi Pete,
Yes, changing theme does not delete your content. However, it may change your site’s navigation menu which you can restore by visiting Appearance » Menus page.
Admin
Paul Rak
You should NEVER directly edit theme files. If you do, then you will lose all your changes when you update the theme. Create a child-theme instead, and edit that. Then, when the underlying theme gets updated, you haven’t lost your changes.
Gregory Constant
Hi, how are you doing? Congratulation for your Blog. I really like it, and It always sold my problem. Keep going and thanks for creating this blog. Can you please help me or give me an idea. I’m gonna build a E commerce website that also have more feature than shopping. I bought a multi purpose eCommerce template and I customized it but not the CSS code but I put some new Icon, widget, and customize some new pages. I had to update my theme because it was not compatible with the woocommerce new version. I used a plugin called Easy Update theme & plugin cause I didn’t want to delete and upload the theme again. After I update the theme, the woocomerce plugin still not updated and the search bar missing on the front page it looks like the page deform. Do you have an idea where I can get a ecommerce multi purpose Child theme where I can just update it like I update all my plugin through WP . Where I dont have to delete my theme and uninstall my plugins and reinstall them again. I need a theme where I can get a serial number and update it automatically through WP. Thanks for anyone suggestion.
Tom Robinson
Please help +++ I bought a theme to try and revive my charity’s website look. It said nothing or no files would be changed or lost – not so. My front page with nice sliding picture disappeared and was deleted. I reverted back to my own theme but the front page was lost. I have another part of the site which is our US version. I want to copy its front page back to the UK version but on my admin side bar the tools tab is missing so I cannot import that page. I am desperate and have tried searching the web about tools missing without success.
my site is
the US version is
Please can you help me.. Thanks
WPBeginner Support
Hi Tom,
When you buy a new theme, you should always test it out on a staging website or on local server. Once you got it setup, you can move it to the live site. Always backup your complete website before switching themes to stay safe.
Your previous theme may have a different setup process to add slider and other things. Go to your site’s US version and visit theme settings, or Appearance -> Customize page to see how it is setup. Then try to replicate them on your UK version.
Hope this helps.
Admin
Noelle
Hi, when you say “Once you got it setup, you can move it to the live site”, how do you do this? Do you upload the theme as per normal and then the theme settings by exporting/importing a specific database table from the staging to the live site?