How to Change a WordPress Theme

Last modified: June 28, 2026

FAQ

Changing a WordPress theme is a two-minute process in the admin dashboard, but the risks are easy to underestimate. Widgets, menus, Customizer settings, and any CSS you added to the old theme will not automatically carry over to the new one. This guide covers not just the steps, but what to expect when you make the switch.

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Why Change a WordPress Theme?

There are clear signals that a theme has run its course. The most common is that it has not received an update in six months or more. Outdated themes are a significant security risk. WordPress core and plugin updates can break compatibility, and an abandoned theme may leave vulnerabilities unpatched with no developer available to fix them.

A second reason is plugin conflicts. If your contact form, WooCommerce setup, or SEO plugin behaves unexpectedly, and you have ruled out the plugin itself as the cause, the theme is often the source of the conflict.

Sometimes the reason is simply a rebrand. If your business has changed direction or updated its visual identity, your existing theme may no longer fit, and no amount of Customizer tweaking will close the gap.

Performance is another driver. Some older themes load heavy scripts and use page-building frameworks that have since been superseded. Replacing them with a lighter, modern option can meaningfully improve your WordPress site speed without touching your content. Good options include Soledad for blogs and magazines, as well as others in our fastest WordPress themes roundup.

Why you Might Not Want to Change a WordPress Theme?

Before switching, it is worth understanding what you will lose. WordPress themes control more than visual appearance. They also store certain types of configuration that do not automatically transfer.

Widget assignments , any widgets placed in sidebar or footer positions will disappear when you switch. They revert to an “inactive widgets” area and need to be reassigned in the new theme.
Customizer settings , colors, fonts, header images, and background images set through Appearance > Customize are often theme-specific and will not carry over.
Theme-specific shortcodes , if your content uses shortcodes built into the old theme, those may show as broken text after switching. This is common with premium themes that bundle page-builder shortcodes.
Additional CSS , any custom CSS added under Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS is stored with the theme and will not move to the new one automatically. Copy it before switching.
Theme options , settings in a theme’s own options panel (typography, layout, header configuration) are specific to that theme and will not transfer.

What is preserved: posts, pages, images, WooCommerce products, Elementor page designs, and all database content stay exactly as they are. Elementor layouts are stored in the database rather than the theme files, so page builder designs survive a theme change intact.

If your content is heavily tied to the current theme’s shortcodes or layout options, customizing via a child theme is worth considering before committing to a full switch.

How to Change a WordPress Theme

Before making any changes, create a full backup. A theme change is low-risk but not zero-risk, and a quick snapshot means you can restore in minutes if something breaks. Most hosts offer one-click backups from their dashboard, or you can use a WordPress backup plugin.

Step 1: Preview the New Theme Before Activating

In WordPress, go to Appearance > Themes. If the new theme is already installed, hover over it and click Live Preview. This opens the Customizer with the new theme applied to your actual content, without making it live for visitors. Use this to check that your homepage, posts, and key pages look acceptable before committing.

Step 2: Activate the Theme

When ready, hover over the new theme thumbnail and click Activate. WordPress switches the theme immediately for all visitors. There is no built-in staging mode, so if you need to test without affecting live visitors first, use a staging site.

Step 3: Re-Configure Widgets and Menus

After activating, go to Appearance > Widgets and check the “Inactive Widgets” section. Your old widgets should be there, ready to be dragged into the new theme’s sidebar and footer positions. Do the same in Appearance > Menus and reassign your navigation menus to the new theme’s menu locations.

Step 4: Check Key Pages and Re-Enter Any Custom CSS

Visit your homepage, a sample post, your contact page, and any WooCommerce pages if applicable. Look for broken layouts, missing elements, or visible shortcodes. If you had custom CSS in the old theme’s Additional CSS panel, re-enter it under Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS in the new theme.

Final Word: How to Change a WordPress Theme

Switching themes in WordPress is straightforward once you know what to expect. Widgets, menus, Customizer settings, and any theme-specific shortcodes all need attention after the switch. Your actual content, including posts, pages, images, and Elementor layouts, transfers automatically because it lives in the database rather than the theme files.

If you’re switching themes specifically to use Elementor, the choice of theme matters more than it does for a standard WordPress site. Not all themes pair equally well with Elementor. See our guide on adding an Elementor-compatible theme to WordPress to find a theme that won’t conflict with your layouts or add unnecessary overhead.

Once the new theme is active and reconfigured, it is good practice to delete the old theme. Inactive themes with unpatched vulnerabilities are a common attack vector, and there is no reason to keep one around once you have confirmed the switch went well.

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