Always ensure you take a backup, whether this means using a plugin or hosting provider (like Kinsta) with one-click backups.
Deactivate the Theme
A WordPress theme is a collection of template files that determines the look and feel of your WordPress site. If your current theme has become outdated or you have found one that better meets your needs, deleting it could help reduce server files which in turn would reduce website loading times.
To delete a theme from your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance > Themes. Here, you will see a list of all installed themes; to remove one simply click its title; this will bring up more information and an “Uninstall” button will appear in its bottom-right corner.
Or you could use the cPanel tool provided by many web hosting providers to access your file manager and locate wp-content/themes folder. However, using this method requires knowledge of FTP/SFTP or SSH protocols – making this approach more complex than its predecessor.
Once you have deleted a theme, it is important to take the necessary steps in order to ensure its removal from your Media Library and to reassign any menu locations associated with that theme. Furthermore, test your site to ensure everything functions as planned.
Delete the Theme Files
No matter why or for how long, once a theme no longer fits your website needs, the easiest way to remove it is to delete its files from WordPress itself. This can be accomplished either using your host’s cPanel interface or FTP; either way, navigate to the wp-content/themes folder before selecting and locating your chosen theme for deletion.
Once you’ve located the theme you wish to delete in WordPress, simply right-click on it and choose “Delete.” A confirmation window will then appear, asking whether or not you wish to permanently remove the theme. Simply click “OK” to make Delete a Theme in WordPress disappear from your website.
There are multiple reasons for deleting unneeded themes from your WordPress website:
1. Decrease the Risk of Error. Themes often create issues on websites – either due to conflicts with plugins and other website elements, or independently by themselves. As more themes are installed, more are likely to cause errors than otherwise.
2. Clean Up Your Database. Deleting themes will clear away their associated tables from your WordPress database, which can greatly enhance performance for your website.
3. Save space. Deleting a theme will free up space on your server, saving both money and storage capacity.
There may be times when it would be advantageous to keep a theme even though you no longer require it, such as when customizing child themes and deleting its parent theme could break those modifications causing errors on your site.
Test the Deleted Theme
Deactivating a theme doesn’t actually delete it from your website, meaning any customizations you made remain intact unless they were added through plugins or child themes. Deleting is more drastic step and could potentially break your site if done incorrectly.
Before making any drastic changes to your theme, always test it on a staging site first – this will provide peace of mind that nothing will break on your live website and multiple browsers including mobile phones should work just fine with any changes made.
To delete a WordPress theme, access your database via phpMyAdmin and find the Options Table within WordPress install. Locate and replace “Theme Name” with “Deleted”, this will delete both its associated directory as well as files associated with that theme.
If you don’t have access to the WordPress dashboard, an alternative method of deleting themes would be through your web hosting provider’s cPanel. Simply log in and navigate to public_html/wp-content/themes, selecting your chosen theme from there before clicking “Delete.”
Create a Backup
Before proceeding with any theme deletion, make sure that a backup has been created of it first. This will allow you to easily restore it if anything goes amiss and save both storage space on your hosting server and improve site loading speed.
Begin by logging into your hosting account and accessing cPanel. Launch File Manager, locate the wp-content folder where WordPress website files reside and locate the themes folder to open it up.
Once you’ve identified a theme you wish to back up, right-click and choose “Download File”. Save its files directly onto your computer or use a free file compression utility such as WinZip for this process if preferred.
Once your theme has been backed up, you can proceed to delete it from your WordPress website. Before initiating the deletion process, it’s essential to ensure that everything is functioning as intended. Be sure to remove any dummy posts/pages manually if they were present before initiating the delete process. Additionally, you may need to reassign menu locations if your new theme requires different ones.
If you used an image uploader plugin to generate thumbnail images for the old theme, they will need to be regenerated using a different uploader plugin after Delete a Theme in WordPress.
you may read related article: What is Duplicate Content?
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it important to delete unused WordPress themes?
It helps keep your site tidy and secure. Unused themes can be a backdoor for hackers, so think of it as housekeeping for your website’s health.
What should I do before deleting a WordPress theme?
Always backup your site. It’s like putting on a safety net before walking the tightrope – better safe than sorry!
How can I delete a WordPress theme directly from the dashboard?
Go to Appearance > Themes, hover over the theme you want to ditch, click Theme Details, then hit Delete. It’s as easy as tossing out old clothes from your closet.
Is it possible to uninstall a WordPress theme using FTP?
Yes! Connect via FTP, navigate to wp-content/themes/, and delete the theme’s folder. Imagine you’re plucking out weeds from your garden.
Can I use my hosting provider’s file manager to delete a WordPress theme?
Absolutely! Log into your host’s file manager, find wp-content/themes/, and remove the unwanted theme. Think of it as decluttering files on your computer.
What should I do if I encounter errors while deleting a theme?
Stay calm and check error messages. It might be permissions-related or require removing files manually via FTP or File Manager – akin to troubleshooting why an app won’t uninstall from your phone.
After deleting a WordPress theme, what are some post-deletion actions I should take?
Review your site functionality and clear cache; it’s like dusting off after sweeping up – ensuring everything still shines.
