When and How to Switch Themes Later
Once you've mastered the basics, you might feel ready to explore new themes like Kadence or others recommended by WA. Switching themes can be exciting, but it must be done at the right time and in the right way. Move too early, and you’ll feel lost. Move too late, and you might limit your design options. This guide shows you when and how to switch themes safely.
Step 1: Know When You’re Ready to Switch
You are ready to change themes when you can:
• build a homepage layout without confusion
• manage containers, rows, and columns
• adjust spacing confidently
• troubleshoot basic layout problems
• understand List View
If you can do these, switching themes becomes smooth.
Step 2: Decide Why You Want to Switch
Don’t switch because you feel bored or rushed. Switch because you need:
• more design options
• better block patterns
• modern layout controls
• new features like Kadence’s starter templates
Clear reasons help you choose the right theme.
Step 3: Create a Full Backup Before Switching
Go to WA SiteManager and create a backup.
This protects you from layout conflicts, broken pages, or plugin issues.
Backups give you confidence.
Step 4: Install the New Theme Without Activating It
Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New.
Search for the theme you want.
Click Install but don’t activate it yet.
Review its features, settings, and documentation first.
Step 5: Test the New Theme Using Live Preview
Click Live Preview on the theme.
This shows you how your site will look without changing anything.
Check:
• header
• footer
• homepage layout
• spacing
• typography
If everything looks stable, you’re in good shape.
Step 6: Activate the Theme
Once you feel confident, click Activate.
Expect your site to look a little different.
Themes have different spacing systems and typography defaults.
Step 7: Rebuild Key Sections Slowly
Start with:
• global colors
• typography
• header
• footer
Then adjust your homepage.
Don’t try to fix everything at once.
Move section by section.
Step 8: Replace Broken Blocks or Layouts
Some blocks behave differently across themes.
If something breaks:
• delete the broken block
• replace it with the equivalent block from your new theme
This is normal and easy to handle.
Step 9: Review All Essential Pages
Visit:
• About Me
• Contact
• Privacy Policy
• Affiliate Disclosure
Make sure spacing and alignment still look correct.
Step 10: Visit Every Page in Mobile View
Go to Preview → Mobile.
Fix any spacing issues caused by the theme change.
Modern themes often adjust spacing differently on small screens.
Step 11: Clear Cache and Refresh
If your site looks odd, clear your cache plugin (if you use one).
Then refresh your site.
Many layout glitches disappear instantly after cache clearing.
Step 12: Don’t Switch Themes Often
Once you settle on a stable theme, stay with it for a while.
Frequent switching disrupts learning and slows progress.
Pick a powerful, modern theme and grow with it.
You now know how and when to switch themes safely. This keeps your site stable and allows you to move forward without fear.
In the final post, we’ll invite members to share their experiences — just as JDGresham encouraged — and open the conversation for community support.
That’s all for today! Next is the last blog post in this WordPress series. What do you think about this post? Let us know in the comments below.
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Recent Comments
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Enter your authenticator app code.
This is the problem I encountered this morning. Where can I find this code?
John, how can you help me?
Hey, I have no idea which app you used to set up the two-factor authentication (2FA), but I'm sure you did set one up before. Below is an attempt to help you find the code:
If Gravatar is asking for an authenticator app code, it means two-factor authentication (2FA) is enabled on your account. The code comes from the authenticator app you used when you first set it up. Common apps include Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy, or any similar app on your phone.
Where to find the code:
1. Open the authenticator app on your phone.
2. Look for an entry labeled Gravatar or WordPress.com (since Gravatar uses WordPress accounts).
3. You will see a 6-digit code that refreshes every 30 seconds.
4. Enter that code on the Gravatar login page.
If you cannot find the code or you no longer have the authenticator app:
1. Go to the Gravatar/WordPress login page.
2. Click “Lost your authentication device?” or “Can’t access your authenticator?”
3. Follow the recovery steps.
4. You may need to use your backup codes if you saved them earlier.
5. If you have no backup codes, you must contact WordPress.com support to remove 2FA or verify your identity.
If you want, you can tell me:
1. Do you remember which authenticator app you used?
2. Do you still have the phone where you set it up?
I can then guide you step by step with your situation.
I hope this helps. Please let me know.
Ah, do you recall which step worked or was it solved before the tips and tricks above? Good to know it was solved.
John, thanks for following the theme - switching guides, your result helped, so now we can learned from it.
Thanks a lot, brother, and I'm glad the guide is helpful to you now. Let me know if there's anything I might help you with.
These are great instructions. It took me a while to find the live preview button, and it's a great help. I wish I would have read this post much earlier. Sometimes it will totally eliminate a theme choice.
I have one website now that I simply can't find a good theme for. It's frustrating, but I keep trying. 🙂
Thanks a lot for reading and giving feedback. Any theme can work if you know how to play with WordPress blogs, which act like themes. I wish you can go through the series and see if it can help you with these issues and get back here with updates.
This is fantastic, John.
I have missed several of due to being busy. But this shows that you are doing the job well.
Thank you, and thanks for the shout out.
JD
You're most welcome, JD. I realized the scheduled posts didn't go live as expected. That created the gap. But they are now live, and this is one of them. I was not so active because I'm tired and unwell from a very long road journey across three countries. I'm getting better now and resuming work soon.
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This is a really good tutorial. I'm not happy with Generate Press for one of my sites because I want something more aesthetic.
I enjoyed this post as always!
Good to hear from you. About the theme, you can make a lot of good designs regardless of which theme is installed these days if you can play with WordPress blocks. Do that and let me know what you have discovered. You can also watch WordPress videos by Eric and others.