How to Update a WordPress Theme Safely

Keeping your WordPress theme up to date is an important part of maintaining your website.

Theme updates can include:

• Security fixes
• Bug fixes
• Compatibility improvements
• Support for newer WordPress versions
• PHP compatibility changes
• Performance improvements
• New features or design options

That does not mean every update should be installed without preparation.

A theme update can affect templates, styling, custom code and integrations, especially if the site has been heavily customised.

The safest approach is to understand what is changing, make sure you can recover if something goes wrong, then update using the simplest appropriate method.

This guide explains how to update a WordPress theme safely and what to check before and after the update.

Before Updating Your WordPress Theme

Do not begin with the update button.

A few checks beforehand can make the difference between a routine maintenance task and an avoidable website problem.

Check What the Theme Update Changes

Start by reviewing the theme developer’s release notes or changelog where available.

Look for changes involving:

• Templates
• Header or footer layouts
• WooCommerce support
• Block Editor compatibility
• Site Editor support
• PHP requirements
• WordPress version requirements
• Deprecated features
• CSS or JavaScript changes
• Bundled plugins
• Major design changes

A small maintenance release may be relatively low risk.

A large version jump that changes templates or removes old features deserves more care.

If the theme developer lists compatibility requirements, check that your WordPress version, PHP version and important plugins meet them before updating.

Back Up the Website First

Before updating a theme, make sure you have a recent backup that you can actually restore.

A useful backup should cover the parts of the site you would need to recover if the update causes problems.

That normally includes:

• The WordPress database
• Themes
• Plugins
• Uploaded media
• Other files in wp-content
• Relevant configuration files

Do not rely on the backup existing somewhere without knowing whether it is complete and accessible.

For a fuller walkthrough, see our guide to backing up and restoring a WordPress website.

If your hosting provider creates automatic backups, check when the latest backup was taken and how you would restore it before continuing.

Check Whether the Theme Has Been Customised

One of the biggest risks when updating a theme is overwriting custom changes.

The level of risk depends on how those changes were made.

Customisations made through WordPress settings

Changes made through normal WordPress or theme controls are generally safer than directly editing theme files.

Examples include:

• Site Editor changes
• Customizer settings
• Theme option panels
• Menus
• Widgets
• Logo settings
• Global styles
• Additional CSS

These may be stored in the database rather than directly inside the parent theme files.

You should still back up and test the update, but these settings are not usually overwritten in the same way as direct file changes.

Changes made directly to the parent theme

Be much more careful if someone has edited files inside the parent theme itself.

That could include:

• style.css
• functions.php
• Template files
• PHP files
• JavaScript files
• Theme assets
• Block templates
• Template parts

When WordPress replaces the theme with a newer version, modified parent-theme files can be overwritten.

If you suspect this has happened, stop before updating and identify the custom changes first.

Our guide to customising a WordPress theme safely explains safer ways to handle theme customisation.

Understand the Role of a Child Theme

A child theme lets you keep your own theme files separate from the parent theme.

If the site uses a child theme correctly, you normally update the parent theme while leaving the child theme active.

The custom files in the child theme are not simply replaced by the parent-theme update.

That does not mean the update is risk-free.

If the new parent theme changes:

• Template structure
• Functions
• CSS classes
• Markup
• Hooks
• Block behaviour

your child-theme customisations may still need adjusting.

A child theme protects your own files from being overwritten. It does not guarantee that old customisations remain compatible with every future parent-theme release.

Decide Whether You Need a Staging Site

Not every theme update requires staging.

A small update on a simple website with no significant theme customisation and a reliable backup may reasonably be installed directly.

Staging becomes much more valuable when the website is:

• Business-critical
• An online shop
• Heavily customised
• Running an older theme
• Using a child theme with extensive overrides
• Dependent on custom templates
• Making a major theme version jump
• Using plugins that interact closely with the theme
• Difficult to restore quickly if something goes wrong

A staging site gives you somewhere to test the update without affecting visitors.

If the update works correctly there, you can then repeat the same update on the live site.

How to Update a WordPress Theme Through the Dashboard

For themes that receive updates through WordPress, the built-in update process is usually the best option.

WordPress may show available updates under:

Dashboard > Updates

or:

Appearance > Themes

If an update is available, WordPress will normally show the new version and provide an update option.

Before clicking it:

1. Confirm your backup is current.
2. Review the theme changelog if available.
3. Check whether the theme has direct file customisations.
4. Use staging first if the update is high risk.
5. Make sure you have enough time to test the site afterwards.

You can then run the update through WordPress.

The system downloads the new theme version and replaces the installed parent-theme files.

Once the update finishes, do not treat the task as complete until you have tested the website.

Updating a Theme Using a ZIP File

Some commercial or externally supplied themes do not always update through the standard WordPress update system.

You may instead receive a new theme ZIP file from:

• The theme developer
• A commercial theme marketplace
• An agency or developer
• Your own development workflow

WordPress can replace an installed theme using a newer uploaded ZIP.

You can normally start from:

Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload Theme

Select the ZIP file supplied by the theme developer.

If WordPress recognises that the theme is already installed, it can compare the installed and uploaded versions and let you replace the existing version.

Check the ZIP before installing it

Make sure you are uploading the actual installable theme package.

Some marketplaces provide a larger download containing:

• Documentation
• Licence information
• Demo files
• Plugins
• Multiple theme packages

Uploading the wrong ZIP can result in an installation error.

You should also make sure the update comes from a trusted source rather than downloading a theme package from an unofficial website.

Manual SFTP Updates Are an Advanced Fallback

Updating theme files manually can still be useful in certain situations, but it should not be the normal first choice.

Manual access may be necessary when:

• WordPress cannot complete the update
• The theme does not support dashboard updates
• A controlled deployment process is being used
• A developer needs direct filesystem access
• The WordPress admin area is unavailable
• A specific recovery procedure requires file access

If you need to work directly with the server, use a secure connection such as SFTP where available.

The theme files normally live under:

wp-content/themes/

Avoid overwriting files blindly

Simply uploading a new theme folder over an old one can create problems if the transfer is interrupted or leaves a mixture of old and new files.

A safer manual process should include:

1. A verified backup
2. The correct theme package from the official source
3. Confirmation of the existing theme directory name
4. A controlled replacement of the complete theme version
5. Appropriate file permissions
6. Immediate testing afterwards

If you are not comfortable working directly with WordPress files, the dashboard or ZIP replacement route is usually safer.

What Happens If You Use a Child Theme?

If your website uses a child theme, you normally update the parent theme.

The child theme remains active.

For example:

• Parent theme: updated to the new version
• Child theme: remains installed with your custom files
• Active site: continues using the child theme

After updating the parent theme, test anything the child theme overrides.

Pay particular attention to:

• Templates
• Headers
• Footers
• WooCommerce templates
• Custom functions
• CSS overrides
• Theme hooks
• Custom block templates

If the parent theme introduces major structural changes, the child theme may need updating as well.

Should You Enable Automatic Theme Updates?

WordPress can enable automatic updates for individual themes.

This can reduce the amount of routine maintenance you need to perform, but it is not suitable for every website.

Automatic theme updates are more reasonable when:

• The theme is actively maintained
• The site has few customisations
• Updates are usually low risk
• Backups run reliably
• Someone monitors the website
• Problems can be restored quickly

You may prefer controlled manual updates when:

• The website is business-critical
• The theme is heavily customised
• The site uses extensive child-theme overrides
• WooCommerce is involved
• Theme updates regularly change layouts
• Updates need to be tested before going live

Automatic updates do not remove the need for backups or monitoring.

They only automate when the update is installed.

Test the Website After Updating the Theme

A successful WordPress update message only tells you that the update process completed.

It does not confirm that every part of your website still looks or works correctly.

After updating, check the site carefully.

Clear relevant caches

Before assuming something is broken, clear any relevant caches.

That may include:

• WordPress caching plugins
• Hosting cache
• Server cache
• CDN cache
• Browser cache

Old cached CSS or JavaScript can sometimes make the site appear broken even though the updated files are correct.

Check the main pages

Review a representative selection rather than only checking the homepage.

Useful pages to test include:

• Homepage
• Standard content pages
• Blog posts
• Archive pages
• Search results
• Contact page
• Landing pages
• 404 page
• Account pages
• WooCommerce pages where applicable

Look for visual changes involving:

• Fonts
• Colours
• Spacing
• Buttons
• Images
• Columns
• Headers
• Footers
• Sidebars
• Templates

Test navigation

Check:

• Main navigation
• Dropdown menus
• Mobile menus
• Footer navigation
• Important internal links

Theme updates can sometimes affect menu styling or responsive behaviour even when the menu data itself is unchanged.

Test forms and interactive features

Submit important forms rather than checking only how they look.

That may include:

• Contact forms
• Enquiry forms
• Search
• Login
• Registration
• Newsletter forms
• Account features

For ecommerce sites, test the important purchase flow as well.

Check the website on mobile

Theme updates can alter responsive CSS, breakpoints or layout behaviour.

Check at least a few representative pages on smaller screens.

Look for:

• Horizontal scrolling
• Overlapping elements
• Cut-off text
• Oversized images
• Broken menus
• Poor spacing
• Buttons that are difficult to tap

For a more detailed process, see our guide to checking the responsiveness of a WordPress website.

Check for errors

If something looks wrong, check for more than visible layout problems.

Depending on your setup, you may also need to look for:

• PHP errors
• JavaScript errors
• Broken templates
• Missing assets
• Failed network requests
• Plugin conflicts
• Deprecated-function warnings
• Fatal errors

The update itself may have completed successfully even if the new theme version exposes a compatibility problem elsewhere.

What to Do If the Theme Update Fails

WordPress includes safeguards for some failed manual theme and plugin updates.

If an installation or update process itself fails, WordPress can restore the previous installed version in supported cases rather than leaving the site with a partially updated theme.

That is useful protection, but it should not be confused with a general rollback system.

A theme can update successfully and still introduce:

• Layout problems
• Plugin conflicts
• Customisation issues
• Template changes
• Broken functionality

In that situation, WordPress may consider the update successful even though the result is not acceptable for your site.

What to Do If the Update Breaks the Website

If the site develops problems after a successful update, avoid making several unrelated changes at once.

Start by identifying what changed.

Check whether the problem is cache-related

Clear the relevant caches and test again.

Check the theme changelog

Look for changes that affect the broken area.

Check your customisations

If the site uses custom CSS, a child theme or modified templates, check whether the updated parent theme changed something those customisations depend on.

Check plugin compatibility

A plugin may depend on theme markup, templates or functions that changed during the update.

Restore if necessary

If the website is significantly broken and the cause is not obvious, restoring the known-good backup can be safer than troubleshooting on a damaged live site.

You can then investigate the update on staging before trying again.

Reinstall a known-good previous theme version

Where the developer provides older releases, reinstalling the previous known-good version can be another recovery option.

Use an official copy from the theme developer or marketplace rather than downloading an old version from an untrusted source.

Do Not Ignore Theme Updates Indefinitely

Avoiding all updates is not a good long-term strategy either.

An outdated theme can become increasingly difficult to maintain as WordPress, PHP and plugins continue changing around it.

You may eventually run into:

• Security vulnerabilities
• PHP incompatibility
• WordPress compatibility issues
• Plugin conflicts
• Unsupported features
• Broken layouts
• Missing bug fixes

If a theme can no longer be updated safely because it has been abandoned or heavily modified beyond recognition, it may be time to consider replacing it.

Our guide to choosing the right WordPress theme can help if you are evaluating alternatives.

Keep WordPress Theme Updates Manageable

A safe theme update does not need to be complicated.

The important steps are:

1. Review what the update changes.
2. Check compatibility requirements.
3. Make sure you have a restorable backup.
4. Identify any theme customisations.
5. Use staging when the level of risk warrants it.
6. Update through WordPress or ZIP replacement where possible.
7. Use manual file replacement only when there is a clear reason.
8. Test the site after updating.
9. Have a recovery plan if something goes wrong.

Keeping themes updated is part of normal WordPress maintenance, but the goal is not simply to install the latest version.

The goal is to keep the website secure and maintainable without introducing unnecessary disruption.

If you would rather have updates, backups and routine maintenance managed for you, see our WordPress maintenance care plans.