Title: Easy Theme Preview Question
Last modified: May 2, 2020

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# Easy Theme Preview Question

 *  Resolved [tickmatrix](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tickmatrix/)
 * (@tickmatrix)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/easy-theme-preview-question/)
 * Just starting out with wordpress and have a basic question …
 * when I find a theme I like and select preview it looks different?
 * > [View post on imgur.com](https://imgur.com/2AUQQ5Y)
    -  This topic was modified 6 years, 1 month ago by [Jan Dembowski](https://wordpress.org/support/users/jdembowski/).
      Reason: Moved to Fixing WordPress, this is not an Developing with WordPress
      topic

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

 *  [Yobani](https://wordpress.org/support/users/yobani/)
 * (@yobani)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/easy-theme-preview-question/#post-12764659)
 * Hello [@tickmatrix](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tickmatrix/)
 * So that image of the theme you are seeing is an example with example content 
   already loaded. It’s to give you an idea of what it could look like. It looks
   like your site doesn’t currently have much content so you are getting the theme
   preview with what you have available on your site.
 * Does that make sense?
 *  Thread Starter [tickmatrix](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tickmatrix/)
 * (@tickmatrix)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/easy-theme-preview-question/#post-12765369)
 * ok thanks, I just expected to see the same site? not sure how helpful this is…
   choosing a theme that could look like the image shown (but isn’t). Probably due
   to copyright issues or something?
 *  Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * (@bcworkz)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/easy-theme-preview-question/#post-12765581)
 * In the case of themes in the WP repository, you can install themes on your site
   and preview what it would look like using your site’s content. This will not 
   affect other site visitors until the theme is activated. If you don’t like what
   you see you can always delete it and try another.
 * When you preview themes through a demo page or site, it may take some effort 
   to get your site to look similar. The theme may provide the tools to achieve 
   that look, but you may not get it by simply installing and activating. It’s generally
   not a copyright issue. More of practicality and marketing.
 *  Thread Starter [tickmatrix](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tickmatrix/)
 * (@tickmatrix)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/easy-theme-preview-question/#post-12765775)
 * OK thanks for responding, appreciated.
 * I suppose I got use to looking at WordPress templates with demos that are the
   same as the image.
 * Maybe this is a service that could be added to your site and invite contributors?
   Similar to plugins.
 * Again I’m new to WordPress so forgive any incorrect conclusions.
 *  Thread Starter [tickmatrix](https://wordpress.org/support/users/tickmatrix/)
 * (@tickmatrix)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/easy-theme-preview-question/#post-12766431)
 * I’m trying to move my website off a commercial platform to WordPress on my Web
   server but struggling to find a theme (and plugins that are compatible with the
   theme)
 *  Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * (@bcworkz)
 * [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/easy-theme-preview-question/#post-12769066)
 * You’re forgiven 🙂 You don’t learn what you need to know unless you ask questions.
   Naïveté in questions is expected. The purpose of themes are to manage the appearance
   and presentation of your site. The purpose of plugins is to extend your site’s
   functionality. Ideally the two are mutually exclusive and any theme should work
   with any plugin and vice versa. In practice that’s not always the case, especially
   with commercial products. It’s generally true of plugins and themes found in 
   the WP repository here.
 * Getting your WP site to match the appearance of your current site could prove
   to be difficult. The content can be identical, but unless the theme is custom
   developed, appearance will likely be different. This is a good opportunity to
   freshen your site’s appearance.
 * There are thousands of plugins that do all sorts of things, yet new, unique needs
   come up every day where there’s no ideal existing plugin and some custom development
   is needed to achieve certain functionality.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

The topic ‘Easy Theme Preview Question’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 6 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * Last activity: [6 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/easy-theme-preview-question/#post-12769066)
 * Status: resolved

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