There are two ways to Installing the Genesis parent theme or a Genesis child theme – manually with an FTP client, or automatically through the upload feature in the WordPress dashboard. Below you will see both options. Please note that In order to use a child theme, you will also be required to have the Genesis parent theme in the wp-content/themes directory on your server.
Installing Genesis or a Child Theme Through the WordPress Dashboard
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard and go to Appearance > Add New Themes.
- Just below the headline, you will see a link that says “Upload” – click that.
- Click the browse button and find the genesis.zip file from your local machine (or if using a child theme find the child theme’s zip file) and then click the “Install Now” button.
Installing Genesis or a Child Theme With an FTP Client
- Download the theme zip file to your local machine and unzip it. You will see a theme folder labeled "genesis" or possibly something else if you’re unzipping a child theme.
- Log onto your server through an FTP client, and find your site’s wp-content/themes directory. You will want to transfer the entire theme folder to that directory. If you are using a child theme, you will need to transfer both the "genesis" theme folder as well as the child theme folder to that directory.
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard, and go to Appearance > Themes. There you will see screenshots of the themes that are available for you to use. Click on the theme title (or theme screenshot) for the theme you wish to activate. A preview of the theme will be shown, and then you can click the Activate link in the top right of the preview window. If you wish to use a child theme, make sure you activate the child theme, and not the Genesis parent theme.