In this article, we walk you through the steps from downloading your theme to installing and activating it on your WordPress site.
These instructions assume that you’ve already set up your WordPress environment with the most recent version of WordPress.
We do our best to help where we can but at this time, technical support is not provided for any items on Envato Elements by the author or us (the Envato Elements support team). If you’re stuck, we recommend using these resources to find a solution.
How to download your theme
All your items are available for you to download via your download page.
- On the Envato Elements home page, hover over the main menu
- Select Downloads
- Select the item you want to download
- Click ‘Download’
- Select ‘Trial Use’ or ‘Project Use’ (If project use is selected, create a name for your project)
- Your download will now begin
Your download contains all files and documentation, you will need to extract the files provided in the zip file to locate the installable WordPress file.
Check your downloads folder, you should see something similar to the example below.
Now that you’ve downloaded the zip file, you will need to extract the files from the zip folder in order to locate the installable WordPress zip file.
Make sure you select the zip file which has the title of the theme you’ve purchased. You can find this file by searching for the file which has your theme name and the zip extension. For e.g. we’ve downloaded the ‘Krobs - Personal Onepage Responsive WordPress’ theme, so the file is titled krobs.zip’ (themename.zip).
How to install your WordPress theme
We’re almost there! It’s time to install your theme on your WordPress site.
Once you’ve logged into the administration area of your WordPress site, you’ll need to navigate to the theme menu by:
- Selecting ‘Appearance’ on the left pane.
- Select ‘Themes’
- Select ‘Add New’
- Select ‘Upload themes’
- Select ‘Choose file’
- Navigate to your downloaded file and select it, then select ‘Open’
- Once the upload has been completed, you will be presented with an ‘Install Now' option. Proceed to install now.
- Once the installation has been completed, you will be presented with a successful message. You can also activate the theme by selecting ‘Activate’.
And that’s it. You have now installed your WordPress theme. You can now explore the theme’s settings and begin to create your very own website.
How to upload your theme via FTP
Some hosting environments allow you to upload your theme via FTP or a user interface. You will need to upload your theme and extract the contents in the folder /wp-content/themes/. Check out the guide on WordPress.org for more information.
Theme is missing the style.css stylesheet error
If you’ve come across an error such as a stylesheet missing, you’ve most likely selected the wrong package to install.
It’s an easy fix and all you need to do is make sure you've uploaded the installable WordPress file from your downloads. Check the how to download your theme instructions above and learn how to download the installable WordPress file.
WordPress PHP upload file size limitation
By default, WordPress allows you to upload files with a maximum size of 2MB. Some themes can exceed this limitation so you will need to configure your PHP settings to allow for larger file uploads.
There are a few ways you can achieve this.
Create or edit an existing PHP.INI file
On some shared hosting environments, you may have access to create or edit a php.ini file. If you have an existing php.ini file or you need to create a new one, add the following code.
upload_max_filesize = 32M
post_max_size = 32M
max_execution_time = 300
You can find or create a php.ini file inside your root folder.
Create or edit an existing htaccess file
If you were unable to find or edit your php.ini file, you can use the htaccess file to increase your max file size for uploading. You can locate the htaccess file in your root directory. If your hosting provider allows you to make changes, you can insert the following code.
php_value upload_max_filesize 32M
php_value post_max_size 32M
php_value max_execution_time 300
php_value max_input_time 300
Ask your hosting provider
Some hosting providers may not support php.ini or htaccess file changes. Try contacting their support team to check if they can make these changes for you.