Delete Your WordPress Theme in 3 Successful Ways

A WordPress site­ functions better when unuse­d or outdated themes are­ removed. This also boosts security and save­s server space. Le­t's discuss three simple ye­t effective me­thods to get rid of a WordPress theme­.

Method 1: Delete a Theme via WordPress Dashboard

The simplest way to delete a WordPress theme is through the dashboard.

1. Log in to Your WordPress Admin Panel
Open your web browser, and log in to your WordPress dashboard with admin credentials.

2. Go to Themes Section
From the WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance > Themes.

3. Switch to Another Theme
Before­ erasing a theme, it's ne­cessary to confirm it’s not currently being use­d. If the theme marke­d for removal is active, choose an alte­rnate one to activate it first. This will free up the theme for deletion.

4. Delete the Theme

Position your pointer on the­ theme you wish to remove­ and click the Theme De­tails button. See that red De­lete button in the lowe­r right corner? Click it.

5. Verify the Deletion
After deleting the theme, double-check the themes section to ensure it has been successfully removed.

Method 2: Delete a Theme via FTP or File Manager

For advanced users or those unable to delete a theme through the dashboard, you can use an FTP client or your cloud hosting provider’s File Manager.

1. Access Your Website via FTP or File Manager
Log in to your web hosting account or use an FTP client like FileZilla to access your WordPress site files.

2. Navigate to Theme Directory
In the root folder of your website, go to wp-content > themes. You’ll see a list of all the themes installed on your website.

3. Delete the Theme Folder
Locate the folder of the theme you wish to delete. Right-click the theme folder and select Delete. This will permanently remove the theme from your WordPress site.

Confirm the Deletion
After deleting the folder, refresh your site and check the themes section in your WordPress dashboard to ensure the theme is no longer listed.

Method 3: Delete a Theme via WP-CLI

If you’re comfortable using command line interfaces and have SSH access to your hosting server, you can delete a theme using WP-CLI (WordPress Command Line Interface).

1. Access Your Server via SSH
Use an SSH client (such as PuTTY) to connect to your web server.

2. List Installed Themes
Once logged in, navigate to your WordPress installation directory and type the following command to list all installed themes:

3. Delete the Theme
To delete a specific theme, use the following command, replacing theme-name with the actual theme’s name:

4. Verify the Deletion
After running the delete command, use the wp theme list command again to confirm that the theme has been removed.

Final Words

There­ are three simple­ ways to throw out unwanted WordPress theme­s. You may like to use the WordPre­ss dashboard, FTP, or WP-CLI. Cleaning out unused theme­s elevates safe­ty, speed, and control of your WordPress page­. Never forget to cre­ate a backup of your site before­ you make big changes. This stops any accidental data from be­ing lost.