First, install the downloaded pkg ZIP as a Joomla extension, then configure the new site template style for your site, and complete an initial review of modules, positions, and placeholders.
What you will learn
- Upload the outer export ZIP package using the correct installation path.
- Activate a new site template style.
- Perform an initial safe verification of the site layout.
- Add the production images and extensions that were excluded from the export.
Staging site and backup first
Do not test a new template directly on a live, active production website for the first time. Prepare a staging environment running the identical versions of Joomla, PHP, and essential extensions. Verify that the server runs PHP 8.2 or newer. The package declares a Joomla manifest version of 6+; for Joomla 5 installations, perform a standalone compatibility test first.
Keep the original default template accessible and secure a fresh backup of both database and site files. Ensure your Joomla account holds appropriate administrative permissions to install extensions and modify default styles.
Installation and activation step-by-step
- Log in to the destination Joomla administrator panel and navigate to System → Install → Extensions.
- On the Upload Package File tab, select the outer pkg_….zip file. Do not unzip the main archive or manually upload its nested sub-ZIP files.
- Wait for the successful installation confirmation message. If an error occurs, document the full message text instead of repeatedly attempting to upload random internal files.
- Navigate to System → Site Templates → Site Template Styles. Locate the newly created style and assign it as the default, or assign it exclusively to specific menu items for testing purposes first.
- Open the public front-end of the website in an incognito or private browser window. Inspect both the homepage and internal subpages across desktop and mobile devices.
- Verify active modules, their position assignments, and visibility settings. While the installation script can create missing managed modules, it does not build menu types or actual navigation items.
- Replace placeholder assets with final production images and install any required external third-party modules incorporated into your original design.
Official Joomla documentation
Active interface screens and labels may vary slightly depending on your language settings and Joomla version. The official procedures are detailed in Installing Extensions in Joomla 5. Setting default styles and assigning them to menu items is explained in Template Style Management.
Do not switch live sites blindly
Assign the style to a single test menu item first or work within a staging copy. The editor preview utilized sample content and could not verify compatibility with all live extensions on your target site.
Initial verification with real data
On the destination site, open pages featuring lengthy articles, web forms, search functions, and product displays. Inspect heading hierarchies, data tables, system error messages, and visual layouts for both logged-in users and guest visitors. Real site content may be significantly longer than the sample data used in the editor.
If a module does not render, verify its publication status, position assignment, language settings, publishing access levels, and menu item assignments. The installer does not construct menu types or navigation items automatically. Clear all relevant site caches after making adjustments and repeat testing in an incognito window to ensure you are not viewing cached pages.