After you find a WordPress theme, you can install the theme on your WordPress site via FTP or the WordPress Dashboard.
To install a theme via FTP, follow these steps:
Typically, theme files are provided in a compressed format, or Zip file.
(I discuss how you can peruse the WordPress Free Themes Directory from your WordPress installation in the next section.)
You see a new folder on your desktop, typically labeled with the corresponding theme name (revisit Book II, Chapter 2 if you need to refresh yourself on how to use FTP Protocol).
Connect to your hosting server via FTP and upload the extracted theme folder into the /wp-content/themes folder on your server (see Figure 2-2).
To install a theme via the Dashboard's theme installer, follow these steps:
Typically, theme files are provided in a compressed format, or Zip file. Using this method, you do not extract the Zip file because the theme installer does that for you.
The Manage Themes panel appears.
The Install Themes panel appears and displays a submenu of links.
The panel displays a utility to upload a theme in Zip format.
Click the Browse button, and then locate and select the Zip file you stored on your computer.
WordPress unpacks and installs the theme in the appropriate directory for you. Figure 2-3 shows the results of installing a theme via this method.
Finding free themes via the Install Themes tab is extremely convenient because it lets you search the Free Themes Directory from your WordPress site. Start by choosing AppearanceThemes on the WordPress Dashboard and click the Install themes tab, as shown in Figure 2-4.
After you navigate to the Install Themes tab, you see the following submenu links:
After you find the theme that you want, click the Install link below the theme screenshot.
After you upload a theme via FTP or the theme installer, you can preview and activate your desired theme.
The WordPress Theme Preview option allows you to look at your site without actually activating the theme on your site. If you have a site that's receiving traffic, it's best to preview any new theme before activating it to ensure You'll be happy with its look and functionality. If you're trying to decide between several new theme options, you can preview them before changing your live site.
To preview your new theme, follow these steps:
The Manage Themes page appears and displays your current (activated) theme and any themes that are installed in your /wp-content/themes directory on your Web server.
Click the Preview link beneath the theme name; a preview of your blog using the theme appears.
Click Activate in the top-right corner to go live with your new theme, or close the preview by clicking the Close button in the top-left corner, as shown in Figure 2-5.
To activate a new theme without previewing, follow these steps:
The Manage Themes page appears and displays your current (activated) theme and any themes that are installed in your /wp-content/themes directory on your Web server.
The theme immediately becomes live on your site, as shown in Figure 2-6.