Looking for how to fix broken wordpress theme? You are in the right place. In this article, you will find the best solutions to fix this issue once and for all.
About WordPress Themes
WordPress theme is a package of files that provide a template for your site or blog. You can use that template to create a beautiful website or blog.
You can think of it as the ‘clothe’ on your website. WP themes help your website look organized, and the template can be chosen according to your needs.
Why is the WordPress theme not working?
When your wordpress theme is missing some files or corrupted, you are only left with a blank and broken website. This would usually happen if your theme is broken.
Now, there are some instances where the page only shows PHP errors on your blog. This is another sign that something is broken in your wordpress theme.
And when it comes to PHP errors, the main cause is coding issues. This happens mostly when you touch or made changes to your theme files.
Now, before we look at how to fix broken wordpres theme, there are some steps you first need to take care of.
Backing Up WordPress Theme Files
First, you need to back up your theme files or you will not be able to recover your files and your wordpress website from a crash.
WordPress theme files are usually stored in the wp-content/themes directory of your wordpress.
You can then easily locate them and back it up somewhere you can easily access.
The reason for backup is just in case something goes awfully wrong, you won’t have to start from scratch thanks to your theme backup.
There are two ways to backup your wordpress files;
a). Copy the wordpress theme folder and save it somewhere else.
b). Back up the entire website using a plugin.
Once you have a copy somewhere, it is now time to get into how to fix broken wordpress them.
Solution 1: Edit Broken File Coding
Most of the time, the issues with your wordpress theme are because of coding. The first thing you need to do is to go into the theme directory.
You can find it through the Appearance section on your WordPress dashboard. And then click on the Editor tab.
From here, you can choose the theme file you’d wish to edit. And then make changes using a text editor.
Alternatively, you can copy the code and paste it to an external editor like Visual Code.
But the advantage of editing directly on the editor on WP, it allows you to preview changes there.
Solution 2: Reinstall WordPress Theme
Or if you are uncomfortable digging into the code, this is your best bet.
By reinstalling the theme, you are setting it back to its original code. As such, if there was an issue or corrupted files, the reinstallation will fix it ASAP.
Now, to reinstall a wordpress theme, head over to your wp dash and click on appearance >> Themes. And then activate or install a different theme.
Finally, delete the one with issues and then head over to Install Themes and install it back.
That should fix broken wordpress theme issue.
Can I reinstall a WordPress theme without losing content?
Yes, reinstalling a wordpress theme won’t delete your existing content. If it is the same exact theme, you may even get back the appearance layouts and widgets.
