How to Install and Set Up WP-FolioTheme
It doesn’t take a lot to install and set up your new WordPress theme. Read on, and you’ll have it knocked out in a snap.
Step 1 – Unzip the File
The file you downloaded can be unzipped with any standard unzip program (if you don’t have one already installed on your computer, Stuffit Expander is a popular option for PC or MAC users). When you unzip the file, you’ll end up with a folder named either wp-foliotheme-basic, wp-foliotheme-prem or wp-foliotheme-dev, depending upon which license you purchased. Within it are all the theme files along with the end user license agreement (please take a moment to read over the license agreement).
Step 2 – Upload the Theme Files to Your WordPress Site
Option 1
If you are using WordPress 2.8 and above, you are able to install the ZIP file of the theme directly from the Dashboard. This simplifies things since you don’t need to use FTP:
1. When viewing the WordPress Dashboard, go to Appearance -> Themes
2. Click “Install Themes” (big tab at top)
3. Click “Upload”
4. Click ‘Choose File’ then navigate to where you downloaded the theme ZIP file; click ‘Open’
5. Click ‘Install Now’
6. When done installing, click “Activate”
7. That’s it!
Option 2
For this step, you’ll need an FTP (file transfer protocol) program. An FTP program allows you to transfer files between your computer and your web hosting account. There are several available, but I use SmartFTP. You’ll want to upload your theme folder to the /wp-content/themes folder in your WordPress installation.
Step 3 – Activate WP-FolioTheme
Login into your WordPress control panel, and click the Appearance tab. On the next page you’ll see all your available themes. Simply click on the WP-FolioTheme screenshot, then click the Activate link in the upper right-hand corner of the pop-up screen.
Special Note: If you try to click the “Preview” link, you may receive an error message. Simply ignore this message and activate the theme.
Step 4 – Install and Activate Plugins Supported by WP-FolioTheme
WP-FolioTheme has built-in support for the following plugins:
Recently Popular – Your Most Popular Posts will appear at the top of the right sidebar in the tabbed navigation box as seen on this site.
Get the Image – This is a sweet, little plugin from the very brilliant Justin Tadlock. It will make it easier for you to include post thumbnails for all your posts without using custom fields. More on that in another tutorial.
WP-PageNavi – This is a great little plugin by Lester Chan that will add page numbers in place of the “Older Posts” and “Newer Posts” links at the bottom of your pages.
Yet Another Related Posts Plugin – this plugin will place Related Posts at the bottom of the Single Post page (see example). After you activate the plugin, visit the plugin settings page, and uncheck the box that says “Automatically display related posts.”
Yoast Breadcrumbs – This will place breadcrumb navigation at the top of your pages. Simply activate the plugin, and the breadcrumb will appear automatically.
flickrRSS – This plugin will allow you to easily add flickr photos to your sidebar or footer widgets.
Be sure you download the latest version of each plugin and upload them to your wp-content/plugins folder. Then activate them. The theme will do the rest.
Step 5 – Add Some Content to Your Sidebar
Click the Appearance tab, then Widgets, and drag some content into your sidebar. Be sure to click the “Save Changes” button when you’re done.
Step 6 – Be Sure To Visit the WP-FolioTheme Theme Settings Page
The link for this page is available under the Appearance tab. We’ve given you a whole slew of optional settings for the theme, so feel free to change a few of them, and see what sort of site you can create for yourself.
Step 7 (optional) – Activate Your Footer Widgets
WP-FolioTheme has 4 columns with built-in widgets in the footer area of the page (see bottom of this page).
To activate your footer widgets, simply visit the Theme Settings Page, and select “Yes” next to “Include Footer Widgets” under Basic Site Settings. Then be sure to visit the Widgets panel to place some content in your Footer widgets.
Step 8 – Custom Menus – Very Important
In WordPress 3.0 and above you are able to take advantage of the custom menu feature. Here is a short screencast to show you how it works.
Please note that you must set up the custom menus as instructed in the video. Otherwise, you will have a duplicate page navigation bar as the category bar (if part of the theme).
Step 9 – Be Sure to Read the Rest of the Tutorials
There are several other tutorials for this theme. Check them out here.
