You can delete WordPress themes through the admin dashboard, which is the safe and preferred way of deleting themes. However, if this is not possible, you can manually delete a theme by deleting its folder in WordPress.
⚠️ Customizations will be lost
This process will also delete any customizations you have made to the theme, including changes to functions.php. To avoid this problem in the future, use a code plugin like FluentSnippets, Code Snippets or WP Code. These plugins let you write custom code outside of functions.php, so they won’t be deleted then you remove the theme.
File system access
These instructions require access to your WordPress file system (the folders containing your WordPress code and media). Most hosting companies provide some way of reaching the file system.
- You may be able to access the files through an online file browser through your hosting account.
- Another common option is to connect over SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol).
Either way you will need to sign into your hosting account for look a way to connect to the file system.
WordPress.com
If you are hosted on WordPress.com (rather than another host like GoDaddy or Namecheap), you must be on a paid plan to access the file system. Instead of deleting manually, you can contact WordPress support and request they delete the theme for you.
Instructions
- Backup your website before proceeding
You should always backup your website before making any changes through the file system, especially when deleting files. It is not impossible for you to accidentally delete the wrong folder and bring your site down.
- Confirm your active theme
It is important that you not accidentally delete your active theme. If you want to delete the active theme, then first sign into your WordPress dashboard and switch to another theme before proceeding.
- Connect to your WordPress files
Use your online file browser or SFTP client to connect to your WordPress file system.
- Navigate to the themes folder
Go to the
wp-content/themesfolder. This is where all installed themes are stored. - Identify the theme to delete
Find the folder that matches the name of the theme you want to remove. Make sure it is not the active theme. If you wish, download a copy so you can quickly restore later.
- Delete the theme folder
In most apps, you can select the file and then click a delete button, or right-click and select delete. If you don’t see a delete command, try selecting the file and pressing the Del button.
- Verify the theme is removed
Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance > Themes to confirm the theme no longer appears.
See also
- How to remove a theme from WordPress – this is the usual way of removing a theme through the admin dashboard.
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