Chapter 6: Themes – Appearance & Design

Themes – Appearance & Design. This is one of the most fun parts—turning your blank WordPress site into something that looks professional, matches your brand, and feels like “you”. Right now, in January 2026 (5:19 PM IST here in Hyderabad time), themes are more powerful than ever thanks to Full Site Editing (FSE) and block-based design. No more fighting with clunky customizers for basic changes.

I’ll explain everything like we’re sitting together troubleshooting on your laptop: what themes are, how to install free ones, the best beginner picks for 2026, how FSE works (and why it’s a game-changer), and importing starter templates to skip the blank-canvas struggle. Examples tailored for your freelance web design/portfolio site in Hyderabad.

What Are WordPress Themes?

A WordPress theme is basically the “skin” or design framework of your site. It controls:

• Overall look: Colors, fonts, layout (header, footer, sidebar if any).
• Structure: How pages/posts display (e.g., blog grid vs single column).
• Features: Responsive (mobile-friendly), speed optimizations, WooCommerce support.
• Customization level: Some are rigid; others super flexible.

Themes are separate from content/plugins — change theme = new design, but your posts/pages stay intact (usually).

Two main types in 2026:

• Classic themes — Use the old Customizer (Appearance → Customize) for live previews. Good if you love drag-and-drop builders like Elementor.
• Block themes (FSE/block-based) — Use the Site Editor (Appearance → Editor) to edit everything visually with blocks (header, footer, templates). No classic Customizer needed — more modern, powerful, but steeper learning curve at first.

Themes can be free (from WordPress.org repository) or premium (paid, often with extras like more templates).

Real example: Your current fresh install probably has Twenty Twenty-Five (the latest default as of early 2026—WordPress skipped a “Twenty Twenty-Six” default theme this year to focus on block maturity). It’s a clean, block-based starter—minimal design, great for testing FSE.

Installing Free Themes from the Repository

Super easy—no downloads needed for free ones.

1. Dashboard → Appearance → Themes.
2. Click Add New Theme (top).
3. Search bar: Type theme name (e.g., “Astra”).
4. Hover preview → See live demo.
5. Click Install → Wait 10–30 seconds.
6. Click Activate — your site instantly changes!

Tips:

• Preview before activating (click “Live Preview”).
• If you hate it: Appearance → Themes → Activate old one (always keep one backup).
• Hostinger/others cache — clear browser cache or site cache plugin if changes don’t show.

Example for you: Search “Astra” → Install/Activate. Site goes from plain default to a fast, modern blank canvas ready for your portfolio.

Popular Beginner-Friendly Themes (2026 Recommendations)

From real usage data, speed tests, and community buzz in 2026, here are top free beginner picks (lightweight, fast, Gutenberg/FSE friendly, huge templates). These dominate for freelancers/business sites in India:

1. Astra (Still #1 for most beginners — 1M+ active installs) Ultra-light (<50KB), lightning-fast, perfect speed/SEO. Works with any page builder (Elementor, Gutenberg). 30+ free starter templates. Great for portfolios, services, local businesses. Why for you: Hyderabad web designer? Astra + portfolio template = professional look in minutes. Pro version adds more if needed (~$49/year).
2. Blocksy (Rising star — modern, Gutenberg-first) Dynamic layouts, advanced headers/footers, creative options. Super customizable without code. Excellent for blogs/portfolios/eCommerce. 100% positive reviews often. Why for you: If you want stylish animations or unique headers for your services page.
3. OceanWP (Versatile chameleon — WooCommerce strong) Multi-purpose, extensions for popups/cart. 200+ templates (many free-ish via pro). Fast, responsive. Why for you: If you plan to add shop later (sell design templates).
4. Kadence or GeneratePress (Speed kings — often top in 2026 tests) Minimal code, blazing fast. Great with builders. Starter sites library. Why for you: Prioritize Google ranking in Hyderabad searches.
5. Twenty Twenty-Five (Current default — free, block-based) Clean, modern typography. Full FSE support. Perfect “no extras” starter to learn blocks.

Quick pick for beginners in 2026: Start with Astra or Blocksy — both lightweight, template-rich, and FSE-compatible. Avoid heavy multipurpose like Avada unless needed (slower).

Using Full Site Editing (FSE) Themes (Block-Based, No Classic Customizer in Many Cases)

FSE = Full Site Editing — edit your entire site (header, footer, templates, styles) using the block editor. No separate Customizer for most block themes.

How it works (Appearance → Editor):

• Site Editor opens visual canvas.
• Left sidebar: Templates (Single Post, Page, Archive), Template Parts (Header, Footer), Styles (global colors/fonts).
• Click anything → Edit with blocks (add logo, menu, buttons).
• Global Styles: Change site-wide colors, typography once.
• Patterns: Pre-made block sections (hero, testimonials) — insert and tweak.

Example for your site:

• Activate a block theme like Blocksy or Astra (FSE mode).
• Appearance → Editor → Edit header → Drag logo block, add navigation block.
• No classic Customizer — everything in one visual place.
• Pros: Consistent, no plugin conflicts, future-proof (WordPress pushes this).
• Cons: Learning curve if new to blocks; some old plugins don’t play nice.

Many popular themes (Astra, Blocksy, OceanWP) support hybrid — use FSE if you want, or classic tools.

Importing Starter Templates / Demo Content

Don’t build from scratch—import a ready-made design!

Most top themes have starter sites/templates (pre-designed pages with placeholders).

Steps (example with Astra — similar for others):

1. Install/activate Astra.
2. Install free Starter Templates plugin (by Brainstorm Force — appears prompt or Plugins → Add New → Search “Starter Templates”).
3. Appearance → Starter Templates (or Astra → Starter Sites).
4. Browse library (30+ free): Pick “Agency”, “Portfolio”, “Freelancer” → Preview.
5. Click Import → Choose pages (full site or selective) → Import (includes images, pages, settings).
6. Done! Site now has Home, About, Services, Contact — replace text/images with yours.

For Blocksy: Starter Sites plugin → Import full demos. OceanWP: Ocean Extra plugin → Starter Sites. Kadence: Kadence Starter Templates.

Pro tip: Import on fresh site (or staging). Use placeholder images first, then upload real ones (your Hyderabad projects). Optimize images with plugin like Smush.

Your example flow:

• Install Astra + Starter Templates.
• Import “Digital Agency” template.
• Edit Home page in Site Editor: Swap hero image with your photo, change text to “Web Design Services in Hyderabad”.
• Boom—professional site in <30 minutes.

Themes are where creativity kicks in—no wrong choice, just experiment (easy to switch)!

Questions?

• Want step-by-step for installing Astra right now?
• Which theme sounds best for your portfolio?