Find out how simple it is to implement a new ThemeForest-purchased WordPress theme. Find out how to avoid making some of the most typical mistakes that first-time theme installers make.
You’ve made a great choice in selecting WordPress as the foundation for your website. WordPress is not only user-friendly for blog creation, but it also provides a wide range of attractive template alternatives. In particular, it comes with tens of thousands of both free and paid themes from which you can choose to give your site a unique appearance.
We’ll walk you through the process of installing a new WordPress theme from ThemeForest so you can see for yourself how simple it is. We’ll also be drawing attention to some of the most typical problems that arise when people are first attempting to instal a theme. Pick a topic, and we’ll get going!
Choosing the right domain name is the first step. The next step is to choose a reliable web host, such as SiteGround, Bluehost, or Cloudways, all of which provide low-cost plans that come pre-installed with WordPress. Managed WordPress hosting from WP Engine is what we recommend and use because WordPress is pre-installed and configured for us (plus they manage your server side settings for you).
Option 1: Install Your Theme Through WordPress
Before you can instal the theme you bought from Themeforest, you’ll need to download the theme file. To access your theme, simply sign in to your account and navigate to your downloads. Select the “Installable WordPress file only” before clicking the download button. The theme archive will begin downloading.
Common Error: Downloading the Wrong Theme Zip File
Select the “Installable WordPress file only” option to ensure that your WordPress file can be installed. Incorrectly selecting “All files & documentation” will prevent this zip from being installed. Instead, extract the archive to a location from which you can instal the theme. Fortunately, most programmers diligently label their files, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to track down.
Common Error: Stylesheet Is Missing
If you see the message “The package could not be installed. If you get an error message saying, “The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet,” it means you skipped Step 1 of installing the theme. If you didn’t get the actual theme to instal, it’s probably because you downloaded “All files & Documentation.” Make sure you’ve got the right file by going back and checking your download.
Common Error: Are You Sure You Want to Do This?
WordPress may prompt you with “Are you sure you want to do this?” after you’ve selected your theme and clicked “Install Now.” This could be because your server’s upload quota is too low or because you are attempting to instal the wrong zip file (remember, you need the “Installable WordPress file only”).
If the latter is the case, you can either ask your host for an increase or modify your PHP.INI file directly through an FTP client.
Common Error: White Screen
White screen of death (the WordPress equivalent of Windows’ blue screen of death) means you need to adjust your server settings before continuing with the theme installation. Insufficient PHP memory on the server is the most common reason for this error. To get around this, either
Please get in touch with your host and request a memory upgrade.
Alternatively, you can increase your memory limit in your hosting cPanel; here are some links to popular hosts:
- Bluehost’s memory limit needs to be raised.
- GoDaddy needs more memory.
- Boost DreamHost’s Memory Capacity
- Raise HostGator’s Memory Limits
- Increase Inmotion’s Memory Capacity
The following code can be added to the end of your wp-config file (just before “That’s all, stop editing!”) to increase your memory limit via FTP: That is, we would use define(‘WP MEMORY LIMIT,’ 256M);
Check out our Total theme troubleshooting doc for a more in-depth breakdown of the process. If, however, you choose a WordPress host that offers management services, you won’t have to worry about this.
Do you still need help finding the right topic? Browse through some of the best WordPress templates available on ThemeForest.
Option 2: Install Your Theme via FTP/SFTP
Theme installation via File Transfer Protocol/SSH can also be performed. It’s still incredibly simple; there are just a few critical steps you shouldn’t skip.
To begin, download an FTP (file transfer protocol) client. Transmit and FileZilla are two of our favourites. Launch the app to establish a connection to the server once it has been installed. The following data requires that you be logged into your hosting account:
- Name: Think of a memorable moniker for your server (especially if you plan on connecting to multiple sites).
- Whence: Pick a folder on your server (I usually use favourites for FTP and SFTP).
- The protocol you use to connect to your server will vary based on the options made available to you by your host. Find your FTP/SFTP info in your hosting account. You may have to dig a little to find this; on WP Engine, it’s on the instals overview page, and on GoDaddy, it’s in the SSH & SFTP tab under site settings. Make use of the provided service by your host.
- For the server’s address (web address), type in your domain name.
- Your Username and Password Are: Your host will provide these in the FTP/SFTP settings, or you will be able to make your own. Replace them by copying and pasting.
- Port: If your host has already specified a port number, you probably don’t need to change it.
After you’ve entered all the information, click to open the server, then navigate to the wp-content/themes folder.
The next step is to get your WordPress theme, which we went over in depth in the “installing your WordPress theme through WordPress” section above. To avoid any problems, make sure you’re getting the “Installable WordPress file only.”
Unzipping the Themeforest download prior to uploading it via FTP/SFTP is recommended (it should look like an open folder icon). The extracted theme file must then be uploaded.
Enter your username and password for your WordPress installation, then go to Appearance > Themes and activate your theme. It’s not that difficult, you see.
Common Error: Wrong Theme File/folder
Remember to only upload the theme file to the server during the FTP installation process. In this case, a compressed file is useless. Verify that you have unzipped your download. Additionally, make sure you’re adding the correct theme folder. It’s possible that you downloaded the theme along with some other files by accident.
Option 3: Install (And Update) Your Theme With the Envato Market Plugin
The Envato Market plugin makes it simple to access your purchased theme after it has been installed and activated. The best part about WordPress is that you can instal a plugin that will give you access to your Themeforest and Codecanyon purchases from within the WordPress dashboard. This streamlines the process of installing and updating your new purchases, ensuring that you have the most recent features, plugins, and theme security patches available.
As a first step, grab the plugin’s zip file from github, then head into your WordPress admin area and click Plugins > Add New to instal it.
To instal the plugin, locate the.zip file you downloaded from Envato Market and click the “Upload Plugin” button in the top left of the screen. Select “Activate Plugin” when prompted to do so.
After the plugin has been installed and activated, you can access all of your Envato-purchased WordPress themes and plugins from the plugin’s settings page. To do this, navigate to the Envato Market plugin page from your WordPress dashboard, and then click the “Generate A Personal Token” link. Follow this link to access the EnvatoAPI page where you can create an access token.
The token generation procedure To create a token, sign in to your Envato account (if you aren’t already), confirm that you have read and agreed to the terms (but don’t deselect any of the select options; the Envato Market plugin requires access to this information), and click the green “Create Token” button. The next screen you see should be a cheery one. Make a copy of your token code and then head back to your WordPress admin area.
Copy the code and paste it into the Token field on the Envato Market plugin page, then click Save Changes. Don’t worry if you get an error message saying “You do not have sufficient permissions to delete transients” when attempting to add your token.
Following successful token storage, a list of your previous purchases will appear. You can quickly and easily instal your chosen theme by clicking the blue button. Similarly, if there is an available update, the Envato Market plugin will flag it with a banner above the product. In order to update, you need only click a button.
Common Error: Token Won’t Validate
Your token not validating could be due to one of two issues. It is possible that you are using an incorrect password. The Envato Market add-on won’t function without an EnvatoAPI token, which can be generated. There is a problem with the Themeforest dashboard, so you cannot use your theme licence, purchase invoice number, or any other code.
It’s also possible that you didn’t enable all of the necessary API permissions when you were creating your code. If this is the case, you should revert and generate a new code with the same set of permissions already checked off.
And theme!
OK, that’s all there is to it! In this article, we’ve gone over three distinct, yet simple, approaches to installing a WordPress theme from Themeforest. Of course, you may want to spend some time tailoring your theme via the Customizer options provided, the included page builder plugins, or even custom CSS, but that’s material for another entry. We recommend that you read these related articles: 10 Best Comparison Table Plugins for WordPress; How to Embed Audio and Video on WordPress; and How to Use WordPress Plugins for Facebook and Instagram. Also, have a look at some of these fantastic WordPress templates available on ThemeForest.
