> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://kb.hosting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installing WordPress themes

> WordPress includes thousands of free themes that you can use to customize your web site's appearance. Learn how to install themes easily in this article.

[WordPress](https://hosting.com/hosting/platforms/wordpress-hosting/managed-wordpress-hosting/) includes thousands of free themes that you can use to customize your web site's appearance. This article describes how to install and activate WordPress themes.

The most common way to install a theme is by using the WordPress administration interface. However, if you already have a .zip file that contains a WordPress theme, you can also install it manually.

## Installing a theme using the administration interface

To install and activate a new WordPress theme using the WordPress administration interface, follow these steps:

1. Log in to WordPress as the administrator.

2. Under **Dashboard**, click **Appearance**, and then click **Themes**.

3. Click **Add New**, and then do one of the following:

   * To search for a new theme by name, type the name or keyword in the **Search themes** text box, and then press Enter. When you find a theme you want to install, click **Install**.
     > 📘 Note
     >
     > * You can also search for themes using the **Feature Filter**. Select the check boxes for the theme features you want, and then click **Apply Filters**. For example, you can search for themes by color, number of columns, layout type, specific features, and more.
     >
     > * You can preview a theme's appearance without installing it. To do this, click **Preview**.

   * Alternatively, if you already have a theme .zip file (for example, you purchased a theme), click **Upload Theme**, select the .zip file on your local computer, and then click **Install Now**.

4. To activate the new theme, click **Activate**. The new theme is now active.

## Installing a theme manually

If you have a .zip file that contains a WordPress theme, you can also upload it to your site and install the theme manually. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your site [using FTP](/docs/using-ftp-file-transfer-protocol).

2. Navigate to the directory where you installed WordPress.
   > 📘 Note
   >
   > If you installed WordPress in the document root directory, navigate to the *public\_html* directory. If you installed WordPress in a subdirectory beneath the *public\_html* directory, go to that directory instead.

3. Transfer the .zip file to the *wp-content/themes* directory.

4. Log in to your site [using SSH](/docs/using-ssh-secure-shell).

5. Type the following command:

   ```bash theme={null}
   cd ~/public_html/wp-content/themes
   ```

   > 📘 Note
   >
   > If you uploaded the .zip file to a different directory, type that path instead.

6. Type the following command, replacing *filename.zip* with the name of the file you uploaded:

   ```bash theme={null}
   unzip filename.zip
   ```

7. Log in to WordPress as the administrator.

8. Under **Dashboard**, click **Appearance**, and then click **Themes**.

9. Locate the theme, and then click **Activate**. The new theme is now active.

## More information

For more information about WordPress themes, please visit [http://wordpress.org/themes](http://wordpress.org/themes).

## Related articles

* [Changing the WordPress theme manually](/docs/changing-the-wordpress-theme-manually)

* [Disabling and deleting WordPress themes](/docs/disabling-and-deleting-wordpress-themes)

* [Disabling plugins in WordPress](/docs/disabling-plugins-in-wordpress)

* [Troubleshooting WordPress](/docs/troubleshooting-wordpress)