Keeping WordPress themes up to date helps protect site security and ensures features continue to work. You can update or change a theme from the WordPress admin area, or enable Softaculous auto-updates to handle it for you.
About theme updates
Theme updates often include security patches and compatibility fixes for newer WordPress versions. Exact Hosting gives you three ways to manage them: update an existing theme, switch to a different theme, or enable Softaculous auto-updates.
Tip: Back up your site before changing or updating a theme. See WordPress manual backup (Softaculous).
Before you begin
- An active Exact Hosting WordPress Hosting service with cPanel access. These steps require cPanel and Softaculous, which are not available on Managed WordPress plans.
- WordPress admin credentials. You need administrator access to install theme updates from the admin area.
Step 1: Open cPanel
- Log in to the Exact Hosting client area.
- Select Services.
- Click Active next to your hosting service.
- Click Login to cPanel.
Step 2: Update an existing theme
- In cPanel, click the WordPress icon under Scripts.
- Click the Admin icon for your installation.
- In WordPress admin, go to Appearance > Themes.
- If a theme has a pending update, click Update now.
Step 3: Change your active theme
- In cPanel, click the WordPress icon under Scripts.
- Click the Admin icon for your installation.
- In WordPress admin, go to Appearance > Themes.
- Click Activate on the theme you want to use.
- Click Visit site to preview the new theme.
Step 4: Enable Softaculous auto-updates for themes
- In cPanel, click the WordPress icon under Scripts.
- Click the Pencil icon for your installation to open the edit panel.
- Click Upgrade theme now to immediately apply pending theme updates.
- To automate future updates, check the auto-upgrade boxes for themes. Softaculous will install future theme updates automatically.
Note: Auto-updating themes is convenient but can occasionally cause compatibility issues. Consider testing major updates on a staging site first. See Creating a Managed WordPress staging site.
Next steps
- Update your plugins too. See Updating WordPress plugins.
- Install new plugins and themes. See Installing WordPress plugins and themes.
Questions? Contact Exact Hosting Support.
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