Table of contents

Why export a WordPress theme? Method 1: Export your WordPress theme manually Method 2: Use a plugin to export your theme Method 3: Export a theme using WP-CLI (for developers) What exporting a theme does not include How to export a child theme Troubleshooting common issues Getting started Additional resources

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WordPress Guide → Theme → Export

How to export a WordPress theme

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Need to move your WordPress theme to a new site or save a custom design for later? Exporting a WordPress theme gives you flexibility—whether you’re building a new site, handing work off to a client, or just backing up your design files.

You don’t need to be a developer or know code to export a WordPress theme. With the right tools and a step-by-step process, anyone can do it. Let’s walk through all your options.

Why export a WordPress theme?

Before we jump into how, here’s why exporting a theme might come in handy:

You want to move a theme from one site to another.
You’re backing up a custom or child theme before making changes.
You’ve built a theme and want to share or reuse it.
You’re switching hosts or staging a site and want your design intact.

Method 1: Export your WordPress theme manually

This method is the most reliable if you’re comfortable working with file managers or FTP clients. You’ll download the actual theme folder from your site’s files.

Step 1: Locate your theme folder

Every WordPress theme is stored in the same place on your server:

Log into your hosting control panel (like cPanel).
Open File Manager and go to the public_html directory (or wherever your WordPress site is installed).
Navigate to wp-content/themes/.
Inside this folder, you’ll see all the themes currently installed on your site. Find the one you want to export. The folder name usually matches the theme name.

Not sure which one is active? In your WordPress admin area, go to Appearance > Themes. The active theme will show at the top.

Step 2: Download the theme folder

You can download the folder using File Manager or an FTP tool like FileZilla:

Using File Manager:

Right-click the theme folder.
Choose Compress to zip it.
After compression, right-click the new .zip file and select Download.

Using FTP (e.g., FileZilla):

Connect to your site using your FTP credentials.
Navigate to wp-content/themes/.
Right-click the theme folder and choose Download.
Once downloaded, compress the folder on your local computer into a .zip file.

Now you have a copy of your theme, ready to upload to another WordPress site.

Step 3: Install the theme on another site

To use your exported theme on a different site:

Log into the new WordPress dashboard.
Go to Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload Theme.
Click Choose File, select the .zip you downloaded, and click Install Now.
After installation, click Activate to make it your live theme.

Important: This method only transfers the theme files. It does not include customizer settings, menus, widgets, or content. We’ll cover that below.

Method 2: Use a plugin to export your theme

If you’re not comfortable using File Manager or FTP, a plugin can make the process easier—especially if you’re trying to export settings or backups along with the theme.

Recommended plugins

Customizer Export/Import: Perfect for transferring theme design settings.
WPvivid Backup Plugin: Exports your whole site (including themes).
WP All Export: Ideal for exporting site data; may require customization for themes.

How to use Customizer Export/Import

This is a great option if you want to transfer the theme settings, like colors, fonts, logo, and homepage layout.

Install and activate the Customizer Export/Import plugin on your original site.
Go to Appearance > Customize.
Scroll to the bottom and click Export/Import.
Click Export to download a .dat file with all your current customizer settings.

Then, on your new site:

Install and activate the same plugin.
Go to Appearance > Customize > Export/Import.
Click Choose File, upload the .dat file, and click Import.

This imports your theme’s visual settings to match your original site.

Using backup plugins

If you want to clone your entire site—including themes, content, plugins, and settings—use a backup plugin like WPvivid:

Install and activate the plugin.
Go to WPvivid Backup > Backup & Restore.
Click Backup Now, and download the backup package.
Use the same plugin on the new site to upload and restore that backup.

Note that this goes beyond just exporting the theme, but it can be useful if you’re building a replica of your site elsewhere.

Method 3: Export a theme using WP-CLI (for developers)

For advanced users or developers managing multiple sites, WP-CLI (WordPress Command Line Interface) provides a fast way to list, package, and move themes.

SSH into your server and navigate to your WordPress directory.
Run wp theme list to view installed themes.
Locate your desired theme folder under wp-content/themes/.
Use the zip command or a deployment script to package the folder:
zip -r my-theme.zip wp-content/themes/my-theme

You can then move or install the .zip file on another server.

What exporting a theme does not include

It’s important to understand the limits of exporting a WordPress theme:

Customizer settings (unless exported separately)
Widgets and menus
Plugin configurations
Content (pages, posts, media, etc.)
Database-driven settings (e.g., Advanced Custom Fields, theme options stored in the database)

To fully replicate a site’s appearance, you may need to export these elements individually or use a full-site migration plugin.

How to export a child theme

If you’re using a child theme (common when customizing a parent theme), you need to export both parts:

In wp-content/themes/, locate the child theme folder and the parent theme folder.
Download and zip both folders.
On your new site, upload and install the parent theme first, then upload and activate the child theme.
If you used the Customizer or other plugins to style the child theme, use the plugin method above to export those settings.

Child themes typically include:

style.css (with theme info and CSS)
functions.php (for custom PHP code)
Template overrides (e.g., header.php, single.php)

Don’t forget to check for dependencies like plugins or fonts that the theme needs to work properly.

Troubleshooting common issues

Theme not working as expected after export? Here’s what might be going wrong:

Missing stylesheet error: Usually means you uploaded the uncompressed theme folder instead of a .zip file, or your .zip file doesn’t contain a proper style.css.
Theme looks different on new site: You probably didn’t export Customizer settings or content.
Site breaks or shows errors: Make sure the PHP version, WordPress version, and plugin compatibility match between your old and new site.

Next steps for exporting a WordPress theme

Exporting your WordPress theme is a smart move—whether you’re switching sites, safeguarding your design, or prepping for development. With manual tools, plugins, and even WP-CLI, you’ve got multiple ways to take full control of your theme files.

If you plan to reuse or customize your theme further, make sure you also export your Customizer settings, menus, and widgets. And test your theme on a staging site whenever possible.

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