How to Uninstall and Delete a WordPress Theme (Step by Step)

If you have recently switched your WordPress theme, then you may want to remove the old one. Unused themes can impact a site’s performance and security, yet many WordPress users don’t realize the potential risks.

We’ve helped hundreds of site owners clean up their WordPress installations, and theme removal is always a key step. It’s not just about deleting files – it’s about doing it safely and efficiently.

In this guide, we’ll share our go-to approach to uninstalling and deleting WordPress themes.

When to Delete a WordPress Theme

If you are not using a WordPress theme, then it is recommended to delete it from your website for the following reasons:

• WordPress themes can take up significant space on your server. Keeping them installed can increase your website’s files, which can affect your WordPress performance.
• WordPress theme files also increase your backup sizes, making it longer for your WordPress security plugin to scan them.
• You will also keep getting updates for those themes, even though you are not using them at all.
• If your WordPress theme is from a lesser-known developer, then you have to be careful. Rogue developers could hide backdoors and malicious code or malware in unused themes.

If you want to test various themes in WordPress, we recommend using a staging site or a local WordPress install rather than using them directly on your site. Doing this won’t affect your live website and allows you to maintain a good user experience.

For more information, check out our article on what happens when you switch your WordPress themes.

What is the difference between uninstalling vs. deleting a WordPress theme?

There is actually no difference between uninstalling and deleting a WordPress theme. Both means removing a WordPress theme and all of its files from your WordPress website.

That said, at times, uninstalling a WordPress theme from the admin area doesn’t remove all of its files completely from your server. So, it may help to check your WordPress site’s directory using FTP or the file manager and delete the files from there.

Is it safe to delete old WordPress themes?

Yes, it is safe to delete a WordPress theme that you are not using. Each WordPress site needs at least one theme installed to function properly. This is the theme that WordPress will use to display your website.

You can view which WordPress theme you are currently using by visiting the Appearance » Themes page. Your current theme will appear as the ‘Active’ theme.

We also recommend keeping one default WordPress theme (e.g. Twenty Twenty or Twenty Nineteen) installed on your website. It acts as the fallback theme in case your current theme is not working.

If your current theme is a child theme, then you will also need to keep the parent theme installed on your WordPress website.

Apart from these themes, you can safely delete any other themes installed on your website.

That being said, let us show you how to delete a WordPress theme.

You can use these quick links to navigate through the different methods:

What to Do Before Deleting a WordPress Theme

If you have customized a WordPress theme and want to preserve those customizations before deleting it, then you can create a complete WordPress backup.

We recommend using the Duplicator plugin, and you can follow this tutorial on how to back up your WordPress site for step-by-step instructions.

You can also just download the theme folder to your computer as a backup.

To do that, you can use FTP or the File Manager app in your WordPress hosting account dashboard.

Once connected, go to the /wp-content/themes/ folder and download the inactive theme folder to your computer.

Once you have safely backed up your old theme, you can go ahead and delete it.

Method 1: Deleting a WordPress Theme via the Admin Area

This is the easiest and most recommended way to delete a WordPress theme.

First, you need to go to the Appearance » Themes page and click on the theme that you want to delete.

WordPress will now open theme details in a popup window. You need to click on the ‘Delete’ button at the bottom of the popup screen.

Next, you will be asked to confirm that you want to delete the theme.

Simply click the ‘OK’ button to continue, and WordPress will delete your selected theme.

Method 2: Deleting a WordPress Theme via FTP

This method is a bit advanced, but it comes in handy if you are unable to access the WordPress admin area. It’s also a good idea to do this after you go through the first method to check if all of the WordPress theme files have been removed.

Simply connect to your WordPress site using an FTP client and then go to your site’s root folder, which is typically public_html. Then, go to the /wp-content/themes/ folder.

From here, you need to locate the theme folder that you want to delete. Right-click on the folder name and then select ‘Delete.’

Your FTP client will now delete your selected theme.

Method 3: Deleting a WordPress Theme via Your Host’s File Manager

If you are uncomfortable using an FTP client, then you can also use the File Manager app in your web hosting control panel, like cPanel.

For this example, we will be showing screenshots from Bluehost’s hosting dashboard. Depending on your hosting provider, your hosting dashboard may look a bit different.

First, log in to your hosting account dashboard and go to the ‘Websites’ tab. Then, locate the specific website for which you want to delete the theme and click ‘Settings.’

Now, scroll down the page and click ‘File Manager.’

The page will also show you your site’s root folder. This will be handy if you host multiple sites in the same account and are unsure which root folder is the right one.

In the file manager, go to your site’s root folder and go to this path: /wp-content/themes/.

After that, simply right-click on the theme you’d like to remove and hit ‘Delete.’

What to Do If You Accidentally Delete a WordPress Theme

If you accidentally deleted a WordPress theme, then there are multiple ways to restore it.

If you have a backup, then you can simply restore it. This is easier as many WordPress backup plugins allow you to quickly restore your website to an earlier stage.

However, if you didn’t make a backup, then you can restore the theme by downloading and installing a fresh copy of the same theme.

The downside of the second approach is that you will lose any customizations you made to the theme. That’s why we highly recommend creating a backup before doing any of the theme deletion methods.

We hope this article helped you learn how to easily delete a WordPress theme. You may also want to see our guide on how to choose the best premium WordPress theme and our comparison article on free vs premium WordPress themes.

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