Fix the Error: “The package could not be installed. The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet”
Fix the Error: “The package could not be installed. The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet”
Don’t let this common error slow down your site designing. ✨ Learn how to quickly resolve it (and prevent it from happening in the future!) with this video 👆
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You downloaded a beautiful new theme for your WordPress site and tried to upload it to the WordPress dashboard. Unfortunately, the theme failed to install and showed the following error: “The package could not be installed. The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet.”
In this tutorial, we’ll explore the reason for this error and how to resolve it. We’ll also show you how to avoid this error in the future through a solid understanding of the basics of WordPress file structures, as well as by helping you ensure you’re uploading the correct files in the first place.
Tune in! ▶️
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🕘Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:50 What’s Happening When You See “The package could not be installed” Error?
2:16 Where’s the style.css Stylesheet Supposed to Be?
3:29 How to Resolve a Situation Where Your Theme Is Missing the Style.css File
4:33 How to Resolve a Situation Where WordPress Doesn’t Recognize the style.css Sheet
5:07 Upload the Theme Properly
5:26 See If the Theme File Requires Unzipping
8:05 Figure Out If the Theme File Is for WordPress
10:10 Figure Out if It’s a Theme File
12:41 Make Sure the style.css File Is in the Right Place
📚Resources
🛠 How to Fix the Error: “The package could not be installed. The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet”
► https://kinsta.com/blog/the-package-c…
🌆 How to Install a WordPress Theme
► https://kinsta.com/blog/how-to-instal…
🗂A Comprehensive Guide on WordPress Files and How to Use Them
► https://kinsta.com/knowledgebase/word…
#WordPress #WebHosting #Kinsta #ManagedHosting #BestWebHosting #WordPressHosting
Content
0.12 -> Hi, I'm Alisha, and today,
2.08 -> we're going to learn how to fix a common error
4.82 -> that might happen when trying to install a new theme
7.81 -> from your WordPress dashboard.
9.262 -> (upbeat music)
15.358 -> So you downloaded a beautiful new theme
17.26 -> for your WordPress site
18.4 -> and tried to upload it to the WordPress dashboard.
21.66 -> Unfortunately, the theme failed to install
23.88 -> and showed the following error:
25.627 -> "The package could not be installed.
27.58 -> The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet."
31.1 -> In this video, we'll explore the reason for this error
34 -> and how to resolve it.
35.33 -> But before we get too far,
37.87 -> I wanna let you know that there will be links
39.81 -> to more resources in the video's description.
42.13 -> And remember, subscribe and ring that bell
44.72 -> to get notifications for future helpful content.
47.75 -> All right, let's get started.
52.63 -> It's one of the rare times
54.45 -> where an error on your computer screen tells you
56.79 -> almost exactly what's going on.
59.3 -> In the second line it states,
60.907 -> "The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet."
64.7 -> In short, you've attempted to install a WordPress theme
67.44 -> by way of uploading it to your WordPress dashboard.
70.52 -> It involves a zip file filled
72.057 -> with an intricate theme file directory
74.47 -> that contains coding, stylesheets,
76.88 -> and responsibilities to manage and present your dashboard,
80.266 -> frontend interface, and many other WordPress elements.
83.49 -> This error in particular shows
85.38 -> that either the style.css stylesheet
88.02 -> is not within the collection of WordPress files,
90.85 -> or WordPress has difficulty finding the stylesheet
93.62 -> because you've uploaded the file incorrectly.
95.77 -> In short, the error occurs
97.51 -> because it can't detect the style.css file.
101.03 -> It happens due to one of the following reasons:
103.84 -> the style.css file is missing
105.8 -> from your theme's root directory
107.6 -> because the theme developer made a mistake,
109.92 -> the style.css file is missing from the directory
112.65 -> because you accidentally deleted it at some point,
115.53 -> or the style.css file is actually in the root directory
119.04 -> but you haven't uploaded the directory
120.97 -> to WordPress correctly.
122.28 -> It sometimes happens
123.3 -> when you don't unzip the file before uploading.
125.95 -> You're attempting to upload a file
127.64 -> that doesn't belong in WordPress,
129.76 -> or it may not be a theme file at all.
131.79 -> The style.css sheet is a part of all WordPress themes.
135.52 -> Since it's the primary way WordPress controls
137.62 -> your site's visual design and layout, it's a required file.
141.59 -> That means whenever you purchase or download a theme,
144.65 -> you should find a style.css stylesheet
147.02 -> within the theme files.
148.53 -> For instance, we downloaded the Hello Elementor theme
151.38 -> and opened the theme files
152.77 -> to reveal a list of files and folders,
155.4 -> including the style.css sheet.
157.93 -> Opening the style.css sheet reveals its content,
161.32 -> starting with the essential information
163.36 -> like the author's theme name.
165.29 -> You'll notice that it tells you
166.59 -> not to change any part of this file
168.98 -> as many themes prefer you make CSS modifications
172.19 -> within the dashboard or in another custom directory,
176.19 -> Scrolling down, the style.css stylesheet shows a long list
180.32 -> of CSS snippets, all of which come together
183.06 -> to make your theme look the way it does.
185.25 -> So the style.css stylesheet is supposed to be
189.36 -> in every theme file directory,
191.72 -> often situated near other CSS files
194.32 -> in your folders for assets and templates.
199.87 -> In this section, we'll outline the two primary reasons
202.98 -> for seeing the missing stylesheet error,
205.24 -> along with information on how to resolve the problems.
208.5 -> A missing style.css file means one of two things.
212.71 -> The theme developer, potentially you,
214.89 -> failed to include it in the root directory
217.33 -> or you unintentionally removed style.css file yourself.
221.82 -> With the first situation,
223.25 -> we recommend the following course of action.
226.13 -> Contact the theme developer and notify them of the problem.
229.82 -> Although unlikely, you may have a bad download,
232.69 -> or someone or something on the developers and made an error.
236.77 -> Reputable theme developers should give you a quick response
239.95 -> with a new theme file.
241.59 -> Look for a new theme.
243.26 -> This is most likely the best course of action,
245.96 -> considering it's rare for a quality theme developer
248.62 -> to miss one of the most critical parts.
250.9 -> Perhaps you downloaded a theme from a sketchy source
253.69 -> or beginner who's learning how to code.
255.58 -> You could add a style.css sheet,
257.89 -> but that kind of defeats the purpose
259.39 -> of using a pre-made theme in the first place,
261.82 -> not to mention a theme that was meant to have a stylesheet
264.87 -> but is now missing it wouldn't work right.
266.91 -> Sometimes WordPress can't recognize a style.css sheet
270.91 -> within a theme directory
272.46 -> when you attempt to upload it in the dashboard.
274.87 -> Reasons for this include the following:
276.82 -> you're not uploading the theme properly,
279.63 -> you have to unzip the original file
281.57 -> from the developer to reveal the theme file,
284.92 -> the theme file isn't for WordPress,
288.1 -> the file isn't a theme file but something else,
292.13 -> the style.css isn't in the right spot
295.09 -> within the root directory.
296.84 -> Some of these reasons may seem simple,
298.81 -> but often the most superficial reasons
300.78 -> cause frustrating problems.
302.72 -> Here are some solutions.
304.45 -> One reason you may see "The package could not be installed.
307.91 -> The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet error"
311.39 -> is due to your process of uploading the theme file.
314.87 -> A new user, or even an experienced user,
317.86 -> may accidentally stray away from the best steps
320.42 -> to upload a theme file.
322.18 -> Many theme upload errors occur
324.16 -> because of a zipped download file.
326.4 -> It's somewhat confusing for people,
328.12 -> considering WordPress only accepts zipped files;
331.41 -> however, some theme developers give you a zipped file
334.87 -> within a zipped file,
336.26 -> and you must unzip the original package
338.62 -> to find the valid upload file
340.41 -> that only includes the contents of the theme.
343.26 -> For instance, you may find
344.93 -> that a theme developer packs other documentation
347.41 -> into the original download,
349.11 -> so WordPress will look at all this content
351.44 -> and wonder where the actual theme file is.
353.83 -> Although most reputable theme developers know
356.07 -> this confuses users,
357.57 -> we've stumbled upon the rare situation
359.7 -> where you may have to unzip the first theme download
362.24 -> to see things like user manuals and other content.
364.88 -> Outside of uploading a theme file the wrong way
367.54 -> in the previous point,
368.85 -> this is the first problem you should troubleshoot
371.14 -> before looking at other methods,
372.95 -> considering it's an easy fix
374.6 -> and still somewhat familiar for theme developers to do this.
378.17 -> It also only happens when you purchase a theme
380.53 -> from a third-party developer,
382.47 -> seeing as how the wordpress.org theme library restricts
385.92 -> oddly packaged theme files.
387.75 -> So let's say you upload a zipped file
390.26 -> from a third-party developer only to find
392.59 -> that you received the error reading
394.207 -> "The package could not be installed.
396.17 -> This theme is missing the style.css stylesheet."
399.51 -> There's a good chance all you have to do
401.37 -> is unzip the original file provided
403.42 -> by the theme developer
404.47 -> to extract yet another zip file inside of it.
407.52 -> To solve the problem,
408.8 -> go to the file you initially downloaded
410.84 -> from the theme developer.
412.3 -> It's most likely a zip file,
413.93 -> which makes sense for uploading into WordPress as a theme,
416.89 -> but it may contain additional content files
419.36 -> that clutter the folder and make it difficult
421.69 -> for WordPress to identify the theme files.
424.43 -> Therefore, open or unzip the file
427.19 -> to extract whatever is inside of it.
429.43 -> It's usually done by right-clicking
431.05 -> and selecting your preferred unzipping or archive utility.
434.33 -> Now, open the unzipped file to show its content.
438.06 -> As you can see in this example,
440.04 -> the theme developers included a readme.txt file
443.19 -> and another content folder
444.64 -> in the root of the theme download.
446.68 -> They also have the real zipped theme file
449.14 -> in this area as well.
450.86 -> It's the actual theme file you need to upload to WordPress.
454.18 -> Go back to Appearance and then Themes,
456.87 -> then Add New, then Upload Theme
459.2 -> to choose a file from your computer.
461.7 -> Then, make sure you select the zipped theme file
464.48 -> without any extras, like readme document in this example.
467.59 -> Remember that you may complete this troubleshooting process
469.942 -> and find that it's not a problem
472.01 -> where the theme was packaged strangely.
474.55 -> If you don't see a zipped theme file
476.41 -> within the original theme package from your developer,
479.44 -> consider these troubleshooting tips.
481.71 -> Many website themes exist online.
484.07 -> It's not uncommon to see a theme design you enjoy
487.23 -> only to purchase it
488.27 -> and find out it's not actually for WordPress.
491.31 -> For instance, the ThemeForest marketplace sells
493.9 -> website templates for various content management systems
497.15 -> and website builders, including Drupal,
500.13 -> Joomla!, Webflow, and Shopify.
502.41 -> Each platform has its root file structure for themes,
505.35 -> so WordPress will reject any attempt
507.52 -> to upload a theme meant for another system,
509.72 -> like BigCommerce or Magento.
512.1 -> Keep in mind that you may see
513.527 -> "The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet" error
517.09 -> for a situation like this.
519.36 -> After all, a theme directory from Shopify
522.13 -> or Drupal may have its style.css sheet located
525.69 -> in a different place.
527.2 -> However, you might also see another error.
529.52 -> As for fixing this problem, all you have to do
531.87 -> is get rid of the non-compatible theme file
534.37 -> and choose a new one.
535.48 -> In the future,
536.35 -> take a hard look at all theme product pages
538.5 -> to ensure they're for WordPress and not something else.
541.66 -> For instance, most ThemeForest
543.86 -> and other premium theme product pages show the platform
547.31 -> in which the theme is for several times on the page.
550.73 -> Look at the category, title and images on the page.
554.29 -> Most theme sellers also include an area
557.21 -> with the software type or version for that theme.
560.3 -> Again, look to see
561.72 -> that WordPress is the primary software listed.
564.3 -> Or you could stick to all WordPress libraries,
567.02 -> like the wordpress.org theme directory.
569.64 -> If you're having trouble finding any information
571.82 -> about the theme online,
573.38 -> look into the theme directory to see how it is.
576.57 -> Even though every WordPress theme directory
578.59 -> has different configurations and files,
581.02 -> you can get a good idea if it's in fact a WordPress theme
583.94 -> by looking for some specific files.
586.12 -> All WordPress themes have the style.css sheet
588.87 -> in the root directory.
590.22 -> You should also see folders like assets
592.35 -> and potential folders for templates.
594.69 -> Seek out files like index.php,
597.23 -> footer.php, and sidebar.php.
600.33 -> You sometimes see these in themes for other platforms,
603.18 -> but they're often given different names
604.88 -> or located in other places.
606.72 -> You can upload many types of zipped folders to WordPress,
609.92 -> sometimes making it difficult
611.41 -> to see if it's a theme file or not.
613.72 -> On the surface,
614.7 -> a plugin file looks no different than a theme file.
617.85 -> You can say the same for a site import file
620.05 -> from another WordPress site
621.36 -> or platforms like Tumblr or blogger.
623.98 -> You may also find
625.02 -> that you're trying to upload a WooCommerce product
627.53 -> or WXR file for importing items like posts and pages.
631.63 -> The list goes on,
632.87 -> but the idea is that none of these files is the same thing
636.22 -> as a WordPress theme file;
637.93 -> therefore, it's important to double check
640.36 -> what you're uploading in the first place.
642.36 -> It's possible to click on a file type on your computer
645.16 -> that's named something similar,
646.9 -> or you have trouble distinguishing
648.58 -> between a recent plugin file you downloaded
650.68 -> and a theme file you also downloaded around the same time.
654.47 -> The primary way to avoid this is by remaining organized
657.85 -> and focused when you save and upload WordPress files.
661.69 -> Make sure you keep theme files in memorable locations,
664.87 -> and know the names of the files
666.48 -> when they get downloaded to your computer.
668.35 -> Another way to distinguish between theme files
670.337 -> and other WordPress-oriented files is by knowing
673.13 -> what the file structure looks like for each one.
675.24 -> We recommend reading our guide
676.84 -> on WordPress files and using them,
678.9 -> particularly the WordPress theme directory section.
682.13 -> This way you build your knowledge
683.63 -> about the WordPress folder structure
685.45 -> and identify what a file does when you see its contents.
688.99 -> For this situation,
690.27 -> please open the file you're trying to upload
692.5 -> and ensure it looks like a theme file.
694.51 -> Let's say we have two files
695.85 -> and we don't remember the specific name of the theme.
698.66 -> You may have trouble deciding
700.11 -> which of the two you should upload to WordPress.
702.82 -> We know that one of them is a plugin file
704.88 -> and the other one is a theme file.
707.36 -> Start by unzipping them both to see what's inside.
710.19 -> Open each file separately to analyze the contents.
713.46 -> This file has folders like addons,
715.79 -> assets, blocks, and classes.
718.28 -> It doesn't include standard theme folders and files.
721.2 -> Although all plugin files look a little different,
723.59 -> it's safe to say this appears more like a plugin
726.29 -> than a theme.
727.123 -> The other file reveals an extensive collection
729.49 -> of folders and php files.
731.91 -> The style.css file is in there,
733.84 -> along with theme essentials like footer.php,
736.92 -> header.php, and sidebar.php.
740.08 -> It's also relatively common to see folders for CSS,
743.33 -> fonts and template parts in a theme file.
746.203 -> Therefore, this is the theme file we're looking for
749.16 -> and the other one is for a plugin.
751.16 -> In the future, keep an eye out
752.65 -> for the classic attributes of theme file
754.62 -> to ensure you upload the suitable files.
756.98 -> Whether done by yourself or the developer,
759.34 -> the style.css file may be missing in the correct place.
763.16 -> It doesn't matter why this occurred,
764.99 -> just that WordPress is searching for the style.css file
768.34 -> in the root directory and it cannot find it.
771.13 -> To fix this problem, examine the theme's root folder
773.94 -> and look for the style.css file.
776.11 -> We have the root folder for the 2020 theme opened,
779.15 -> and it appears there's no sign of the style.css stylesheet.
782.79 -> It's possible you unintentionally dragged it
784.97 -> into one of the other folder while organizing,
787.42 -> so you should at least take a few seconds
789.11 -> to click into the folders to see if it's in there.
791.28 -> It turns out, we had moved it to the templates folder.
794.54 -> WordPress may have trouble recognizing the style.css sheet
797.98 -> if it's not in the root folder,
799.72 -> so move it back to the root folder where it belongs.
804.34 -> Kinsta's WordPress hosting can speed up
806.61 -> your website by up to 200%,
809.41 -> and you'll get 24/7 support
811.7 -> from our expert WordPress engineers.
814.14 -> Let us show you the Kinsta difference.
815.799 -> Try a free demo of our MyKinsta Dashboard
818.7 -> at demo.kinsta.com.
821.15 -> Thanks for watching.
822.2 -> And don't forget to subscribe for more tutorials,
824.61 -> explainers, and helpful content like this.
827.292 -> (upbeat music)
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRIPzOIyiSk