How to Backup WordPress Theme? (A Complete Guide)

There’s more to your WordPress theme than just code—it’s the core of your website’s identity and design, affecting user experience and representing your brand.

Additionally, a lot of work goes into customising a theme. Losing all your hard work is a daunting prospect, but an entirely plausible one. There are multiple reasons that could cause a theme to crash: server malfunctions, updates, or even malware. 

The potential consequences of losing your theme are quite severe. Your brand consistency could crumble, leading to substantial downtime as you scramble to recreate your design from scratch. Your website’s reputation may suffer when visitors encounter a broken or unfinished look.

We strongly recommend that you take a complete WordPress backup. You can also do this by using a bunch of plugins like BlogVault inste

ad of doing it manually. But for now, we will talk about all the different methods you can use to specifically backup WordPress themes.

TL;DR: Your website is vulnerable to risks if backups aren’t taken. With just one click, BlogVault offers an easy and safe method for backing up your website, allowing quick restoration in a time of need.

Before we dive into the different methods to backup WordPress theme, we have to say that we don’t recommend taking partial backups. A partial backup, in this case, just a backup of your theme, is far more likely to fail when you attempt to restore. Unfortunately, a backup is only as good as its restore.

So, we cannot in good faith recommend only backing up your theme.

Option 1: Backup WordPress theme with a plugin (RECOMMENDED)

The most effective way to backup WordPress theme is with a plugin, especially one that takes them automatically. BlogVault is the most effective and secure backup technique for your websites. By default, BlogVault backs up your entire website, including the theme in question. This means that all your site files and database tables are backed up as well. 

BlogVault is incredibly user-friendly with an intuitive external dashboard. You can set it up very easily and if worst comes to worst, you can always restore your site with one click. 

With just a few simple clicks, you can efficiently back up your WordPress themes including your entire website! Not convinced? Just read through the steps below and see for yourself.

1. Sign up and create a BlogVault account.

2. Click on Add New Site.

3. Enter your website’s URL and click on Continue.

4. You can easily add it by providing your WordPress admin login credentials and clicking on Submit. The website will install the plugin for you. 

5. Once the plugin is installed successfully, click on the button that says Initiate Sync.

6. Your website backup process has started.

And now you’re through! Simple, yes? But like we said earlier, this is a backup of your entire website which includes your theme files.

Export WordPress theme backup

Now that you have a full backup of your site, you can export a backup of just the theme just as easily. 

1. Navigate to your site’s overview and find the Backup card and click on Details.

2. Now find the Download button and click on it. 

3. Select the backup version you want to restore.

4. Under Selective Download, click on All Files.

5. From the menu that appears, open wp-content and then Themes and select only the theme you want to download. Hit Confirm followed by Continue.

6. Go ahead and click on the Download button. It took us less than two seconds to download a 3.0MB file.

You now have a backup of your theme saved on your device that you can edit and upload! 

Restore theme with backup plugin

To restore the backed up theme, BlogVault is still the easiest option:  

1. On the Backup card, click on Restore.
2. Pick a backup version, select the theme file you want to restore, and hit Confirm followed by Continue.
3. BlogVault selectively restores just the theme, while keeping everything else intact.  

It took us about a minute to restore a 3MB theme file. The time it takes to restore your theme may vary depending on the overall size of the file.

Option 2: Backup WordPress theme using cPanel

While backing up a theme with BlogVault is relatively simpler, here’s another method that you can use. You’ll need to access cPanel through your hosting account. Note that not all web hosts offer cPanel, so you may need to choose a different method depending on your provider. If your host does provide cPanel, here’s how to proceed:

1. Navigate to your cPanel from your hosting account. Under Tools and then Files, click on File Manager. You can access your files from there.

2. Once that’s open, look for the root folder on the left-hand panel of your screen. The root folder of your website is where WordPress is installed. It is often the public_html, root, or www folder, but can be named anything else. 

3. Within this, find a folder called wp-content and click on it. The wp-content folder contains your website’s plugins, themes, media files, and much more.

4. Click on Themes. Here, you can see all the activated and deactivated themes for your site. Find the theme you want to backup and right click.

5. Click on Compress.

6. Select the compression type as Zip Archive, then click Compress file(s) refresh the page and a zip file should appear in the same folder.

7. Right click on the file and then click on Download.

Restore theme with cPanel

You now have a backup of your WordPress theme saved on your computer. Now how do you restore it? The steps are similar but this time, instead of downloading your zip file, you need to upload it.

1. At the top of your page, you will find the Upload button, click it.
2. Once uploaded, right-click on the uploaded .zip file and select Extract from the context menu.
3. Make sure the extraction path is set to /wp-content/themes/, then hit the Extract File(s) button.

And you’re set. Your theme has been restored!

Even though the cPanel method of backing up and restoring a WordPress theme is easy for smaller themes, it becomes riskier and more prone to errors as the themes become larger and more complex. Over a certain size, file transfers using cPanel tend to fail. Unfortunately, because you are replacing a theme, a failed transfer will result in a crashed site.

Option 3: Backup WordPress theme using FTP 

Using an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is one of the most popular ways to backup WordPress theme. It’s easier than you think but not as easy as backing up with BlogVault! It’s just like the cPanel method—only using a client that requires different access details.

Get your IP address and SSH/SFTP details from your hosting provider. For example, if you’re using Cloudways, you can find this info under the Access Details section on your hosting dashboard. 

Next, you’ll need an FTP client. Two popular choices are Cyberduck and FileZilla. Go ahead and download your favourite one. We will be using Cyberduck for this article.

1. On Cyberduck, find and click the Open Connection button. 

2. Enter your IP address and SSH/SFTP details in the provided fields. Don’t forget to switch the protocol from FTP to SFTP, depending on your server configuration.

3. Your screen will display the directory structure of your server. Look for the root folder and click it; that’s the main directory housing your WordPress website files.

4. Within wp-content, look for the Themes folder. This is where all your activated and deactivated themes reside.

5. Once you’ve found the right theme folder, right-click on it, and select the Download option. 

Keep in mind that the download time may vary depending on the size of the theme folder. If you have a large theme with lots of images and files, it might take a little longer. But hey, good things come to those who wait! 

It will take you around two minutes approximately to download a 5MB theme file. 

Restore theme using FTP

Now how would you restore this? It’s just as simple as how you downloaded it.

1. Follow the same steps outlined above to connect to your server using the FTP client.
2. Instead of downloading, click on the Upload option in your FTP client. This time, you’re aiming to restore your previously saved theme.
3. Locate the backup file on your local computer and select it for upload. Make sure that you choose the correct theme folder to replace or overwrite the existing theme on your server.
4. Let the FTP client work its magic and complete the upload process. And voilà! Your WordPress theme is back where it belongs.

With these simple steps, you can easily backup WordPress theme using an FTP client. So, go ahead and give it a try. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that your valuable theme is securely backed up and ready to be restored whenever needed. 

Option 4. Backup WordPress theme using theme editor

If you’re comfortable working within the WordPress dashboard and only need to make minor theme changes or backup specific parts, the Theme Editor is an easy way to get the job done. 

However, it is an incredibly tedious and time-consuming method to backup WordPress theme, and it still not as safe, foolproof, or effective as a backup plugin like BlogVault.

Please note that some security plugins will disable the Theme Editor option within your website. But there is a way to enable the Theme Editor with a few code tweaks.

Let’s dive into how to go about it: 

1. Start by logging into your WordPress Admin dashboard. 

2. Once you’re in, navigate to the Tools section. Look for the Theme Editor option and click on it.

3. In the Theme Editor, you’ll notice a dropdown menu at the top right corner. This is where you choose which theme you want to backup.

4. Make sure that you’ve picked the styles.css file on the right side of the editor. With the mouse cursor, highlight everything from top to bottom and hit that trusty Copy shortcut or right-click and select Copy.

5. Open a new empty PHP file or use a text editor. Paste the copied content into this file.

Save the file with the same name, styles.css. Make sure to keep the extension intact. Repeat for all the files in the theme folder, and make sure to replicate the same folder structure on your local drive. 

As pointed out before, this is an ineffective, error-prone way to backup a WordPress theme. However, if you want to quickly extract a single file, this is the way to go about it. 

Restore theme from the theme editor

Now that you have a backup of your theme saved on your device, we’ll look at how you can restore this.

1. Find your way back to the Theme Editor on your WordPress Admin dashboard.
2. Double-check that you’ve got the correct theme selected using the dropdown menu. You don’t want to end up restoring the wrong theme!
3. Now, go back to the previously saved file (the one you created or edited in a text editor) and copy the entire file contents.
4. Return to the Theme Editor and locate the corresponding file on the right side like we did before.
5. Now, say goodbye to the old content! Delete it all and replace it with the copy you want to restore.
6. Last but not least, hit that Update File button. This will save your changes and restore your theme back to its former glory.
7. Again, rinse and repeat for all other files. 

Note that using the Theme Editor to make changes requires caution. A single error could bring down your website or cause a negative impact. 

What does it mean to backup WordPress theme?

When we talk about backing up a WordPress theme, we’re basically creating a saved copy of the style, design, and overall appearance of your website. Think of it as a safety net for all the essential files that give your site its unique look and feel.

So, when you backup WordPress theme, you’re essentially making a duplicate set of all the important files that mould the visual and functional aspects of your site. 

These files include CSS, JavaScript, PHP files, and sometimes even image assets. They’re responsible for customising everything from the colours, fonts, and layout to the interactive elements of your website.

Why is a theme backup important?

Accidents happen—whether it’s an unintended deletion, a corrupted file, or a failed update, having a backup ensures you can quickly restore your site’s design without missing a beat.

A lot of website owners invest hours in tailoring their themes to the unique style of their brand. All of your lengthy edits and modifications are preserved by a backup, sparing you from having to start over.

WordPress core and theme updates can sometimes cause compatibility problems. If something goes wrong with an upgrade, you can easily go back to a previous version thanks to a backup.

Cyberattacks have the ability to corrupt your theme files, inject harmful code, or altogether change the look of your website. Having a backup serves as a safeguard, enabling you to recover a spotless copy.

Backups enable you to test new themes or major changes on a staging site first. If anything breaks, you can always fall back on it  without affecting your live site.

Restoring a backed-up theme is much quicker and cost-effective than rebuilding your theme from scratch. It saves both time and resources, allowing you to focus on other essential aspects of your business.

Without a backup of your theme, you’re taking great risks. Any accidental changes, software updates gone wrong, or even malicious attacks could wipe out all your customisations and modifications. That’s where having a backup becomes a superhero, swooping in to save the day.

How often should you backup a theme?

Backing up your WordPress theme is like having insurance for your website – it provides you with a peace of mind and safeguards your hard work.

If you use a backup plugin like BlogVault all you have to do is sit back and relax after setting up your dashboard.The best part is that it requires zero maintenance. BlogVault automatically takes a backup of your site on a daily basis. It also takes real-time backups for WooCommerce sites.

It’s like having a superhero protecting your website data round the clock! This is especially useful if your website is a happening place with lots of traffic and frequent updates.

Based on your site’s activity level and specific needs, the level of traffic and updates your website receives, you may need to adjust your backup frequency accordingly.

• For websites that receive moderate traffic and updates a few times a week, weekly backups are usually sufficient. This still provides you with a safety net while not overwhelming your server resources.

Whenever you plan to modify your theme in any way, it is crucial to take a backup beforehand. This includes making changes to the theme’s code, applying updates, or installing new plugins. By doing so, you have a restore point in case something goes wrong during the process.

Pro tip: Use a child theme to apply customizations. When customising your theme, it is recommended to use a child theme. This allows you to make modifications without affecting the core theme files. By using a child theme, you can easily update the parent theme without losing your customisations. 

If, unfortunately, your website falls prey to hackers, we do not recommend using the approach of restoring your website from a previous backup. However, it can definitely work as a last-ditch resort if malware has changed your site beyond reasonable recovery.

This is due to a variety of factors, the main one being that, without extensive logs, it is impossible to determine the exact moment the website was hacked. Besides that, it is possible that by restoring a backup you will also end up restoring the malware infection.

Fixing a hack requires a thorough investigation and cleaning process. But BlogVault has an option to clean malware with one click! 

Parting thoughts

To wrap it up, we’ve got a few options on the table: plugins, cPanel backup, manual FTP client, and an in-built theme editor tool.

Even with all these methods out there, we would recommend considering using a robust plugin like BlogVault to ensure automated and reliable backups. 

Sure, manual FTP, using cPanel or custom code could do the job, but let’s face it: they can be a pain. Not to mention the potential for human error. Why bother with all that when you can have a reliable plugin like BlogVault doing the heavy lifting for you?

FAQs

Should I have a backup theme on WordPress?

Having a backup of your theme on WordPress is not necessary, but it’s important to regularly backup your entire WordPress site, including your theme files. Backups ensure that you have a copy of your website in case anything goes wrong or you want to revert to a previous version.

How do I make a full backup of WordPress?

To take a full backup of WordPress, you can use a backup plugin like BlogVault or rely on your hosting provider’s backup tools. There is a drawback if you choose your hosting provider’s backup as they save it on your server slowing down your site. But BlogVault saves it on their own servers, not affecting the performance of your site. These plugins make it easy to create a complete backup of your website, including themes, plugins, settings, and content.

What is a theme backup?

Theme backup involves creating a copy of your WordPress theme files to protect any customisations or changes you’ve made. However, it’s crucial to note that we highly recommend complete and regular backups of your entire WordPress website. These backups ensure the security and integrity of your site, allowing you to revert to a previous version if needed. Using reliable backup plugins or services with automatic, scheduled backups is advisable.

Can I download my WordPress theme?

Yes, you can download your WordPress theme. Simply go to your WordPress dashboard, click on “Appearance,” then “Themes.” Find the theme you want to download and look for an option like “Download” or “Export.” This will save the theme files to your computer, allowing you to keep a local copy.

How do I export a modified WordPress theme?

To export a modified WordPress theme, you need to download the modified theme files from your WordPress installation. Access your website’s files using an FTP client or through your cPanel’s’s file manager. Locate the theme folder in the “wp-content/themes” directory and download the entire folder to your computer. This will export the modified theme for backup or future use.