WordPress Themes

Learn how to install, switch, customize, and update WordPress themes on Hostinger, including uploading zips, using child themes, and API deployment.

Themes control the look of your WordPress site. Install from the WordPress directory, upload a zip, or deploy via API.

Tip: To generate a complete design from a description of your site, use the AI theme.

Install a theme

From the WordPress admin

1. Appearance → Themes → Add New.

2. Browse or search.

3. Click Install, then Activate.

Upload a zip

1. Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload Theme.

2. Upload the .zip.

3. Click Install Now, then Activate.

Via API

Deploy a theme with the Deploy WordPress theme endpoint. Optionally activate automatically.

Switch themes

1. Appearance → Themes.

2. Hover over the theme.

3. Click Activate.

Switching themes doesn't delete posts, pages, or media — only the presentation changes.

Customize

WordPress Customizer

1. Appearance → Customize.

2. Adjust colors, fonts, layout.

3. Click Publish.

Full Site Editing (FSE)

If your theme is a block theme, go to Appearance → Editor for drag-and-drop editing.

Child themes

A child theme inherits from a parent theme but isolates your customizations — so parent updates don't overwrite your changes.

Create a directory in wp-content/themes/ with a style.css that references the parent theme and a functions.php.

Update themes

1. Appearance → Themes.

2. Click Update Now on themes with updates.

Tip: Back up first. See Backups.

Troubleshooting

Site broken after activating a theme Switch back to a default theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four) via SSH:

mysql -u dbuser -p dbname -e "UPDATE wp_options SET option_value='twentytwentyfour' WHERE option_name='template' OR option_name='stylesheet';"

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Last updated: October 8, 2026