How to Install the Genesis Framework and Child Theme

WordPress by itself is an amazing program that provides an excellent platform for building powerful websites. When I first started building WordPress websites in 2007-2008, I came across StudioPress premium WordPress themes. Since I was just getting started with WordPress and learning the platform, I purchased a premium theme from StudioPress to use as a starting point for building my first WordPress website.

That purchase turned out to be one of the best decisions that I have made for several reasons. One of the most important reasons was the early introduction to the Genesis Framework when it was first introduced. I was amazed at the quality and craftsmanship that went into coding the Genesis Framework, and I\’ve been a fan ever since. In fact, all of the WordPress websites that we build are developed exclusively on Genesis. But, I won\’t bore you with the details about Genesis, I\’m going to assume that if you are reading this tutorial, you\’ve already made the decision to purchase the best premium theme Framework on the market!

Two Minute Tutorials

This tutorial will guide you through the installation of Genesis and a Child Theme. We will be installing this theme on a new WordPress install with no plugins or other themes installed; however, the installation process is the same regardless of how many themes and plugins you have installed. We are also installing the Altitude Pro child theme, but you can install any Genesis Child Theme in the same steps.

Installing the Genesis Framework

Before you install and activate a Genesis Child Theme, you must first install the Genesis Framework. You do not need to Activate the Genesis Framework theme, but child themes will search for an installed framework theme before being activated.

First, navigate to the theme upload page by following these steps:

1. Click or mouse over Appearance
2. Click Themes
3. Click Add New
4. Then Upload Theme

You should see a screen like this:

Browse to the location of the Genesis Framework and Select the Genesis .zip file. Click Install Now to upload the Genesis Framework theme to WordPress.

That\’s it. You\’ve successfully installed Genesis. You do not need to activate the theme at this time. Please proceed with Installing the Child Theme.

Installing a Genesis Child Theme

Once you have installed a copy of the Genesis Framework theme to WordPress, you are ready to install and activate a Genesis Child Theme.

Return to the theme upload page:

1. Click or mouse over Appearance
2. Click Themes
3. Click Add New
4. Then Upload Theme

Browse to the location of the Genesis Child Theme and Select the .zip file. Click Install Now to upload the Genesis Child Theme to WordPress.

Congratulations! You\’ve installed your Genesis Framework and Child Theme. You can now Activate your Child Theme by navigating back to the theme page:

1. Click or mouse over Appearance
2. Hover over your Child Theme screenshot
3. Click Activate

You can also choose Live Preview which will open the WordPress Customizer and allows you to make real-time changes to your website while viewing the updates on your site. Once you have installed and activated your Genesis Child Theme, you are ready to update your Genesis Theme Settings.

We hope you found this article helpful. You can see a video demonstrating the installation process on our YouTube Channel.

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