Something went wrong between buying the theme and seeing a working site. Find the stage you are at, match what you see in the first column, and open the article in the last one. That article has the full fix. This page only sends you to the right one.
Most of these problems come from the archive, the server or the order of the steps, not from the theme. The exact wording of the error is what tells them apart, so copy it before you change anything.
#Getting the files
| Symptom | Likely cause | Read |
|---|---|---|
| You paid and nothing arrived | the email went to spam, or the address on the order has a typo | Buying a theme directly from jkdevstudio |
| Your Hub account is empty | you signed in with a different email address than the one you bought with | Signing in to your Hub account |
| The Envato download has no Pro plugin in it | you took "Installable WordPress file only" instead of "All files and documentation" | Buying and downloading a theme on ThemeForest |
| An Envato purchase is missing from your Envato downloads | a delay or a problem on the Envato side, which we cannot see or reissue | Buying and downloading a theme on ThemeForest |
| You found the theme on a "free download" site | that copy is not ours, and it will not activate or update | Why nulled copies do not work |
#Before installing
Check the server first. A limit that is too low looks like a broken theme at every later stage.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Read |
|---|---|---|
| System Info shows amber or red values | PHP version, memory_limit, max_execution_time or the upload limits are below what the theme needs | Server requirements |
| One feature is missing and everything else works | a PHP extension is off, for example zip, which only disables demo import and updates | Server requirements |
| Activation, updates and demo downloads all fail while the site loads normally | the server blocks outbound HTTPS, or the certificate is missing, expired or issued for another domain | Setting up your domain and HTTPS |
| Imports fail and settings revert on a site set up with a panel auto-installer | the installer added its own must-use plugins, caching or forced updates | Choosing hosting for a WordPress theme |
| Nothing that talks to our servers completes, and the server is in Russia or Belarus | those networks are blocked at our infrastructure level | Choosing hosting for a WordPress theme |
| After switching from another theme, a portfolio or testimonials section disappeared | the old theme registered those content types itself | Preparing WordPress before you switch theme |
#Uploading and installing the theme
| Symptom | Likely cause | Read |
|---|---|---|
| "The package could not be installed. No valid theme stylesheet found." or "missing the style.css stylesheet" | you uploaded the full package instead of the theme zip inside it, or the zip was unpacked and packed again | Installing a theme from a zip file |
| The upload is rejected as too large, or the page goes blank after clicking | the zip is bigger than upload_max_filesize or post_max_size | Installing a theme over FTP or SFTP |
| "The link you followed has expired" | the upload went past post_max_size, so the request never finished; clicking again does not help | Server requirements |
| The upload stops partway, or a fatal error appears while unpacking | max_execution_time or memory_limit is too low | Server requirements |
| WordPress asks for FTP credentials instead of installing | PHP cannot write to wp-content, which is a file ownership question for your host | Installing a theme over FTP or SFTP |
| There is no Add Theme or Upload Theme button | your role is not administrator, or the host or a security plugin turned off file installs | Installing a theme over FTP or SFTP |
| "Destination folder already exists" | an earlier attempt left the theme folder behind; delete that one folder and install again | Installing a theme over FTP or SFTP |
| A theme uploaded over SFTP does not appear in the list | an extra folder level, so style.css sits one level too deep | Installing a theme over FTP or SFTP |
| The theme sits under Broken Themes with a PHP version message | the server runs an older PHP than the theme requires | Server requirements |
| Installed, and the site looks exactly the same | the theme was installed and never activated | Installing a theme from a zip file |
| The site lost its styling after activating a child theme | the parent theme is not installed | White label and the child theme generator |
On multisite, only a Super Admin can install themes, and the theme then has to be enabled for the site in the network before it shows in that site's list.
#The Pro plugin and the companion
| Symptom | Likely cause | Read |
|---|---|---|
| The Pro plugin is active and the Pro settings are missing | the license is not active yet; installing the plugin does not unlock Pro | Installing the Pro plugin |
| The Pro plugin will not upload | the same upload limits and folder permissions that stop a theme | Installing a theme over FTP or SFTP |
| On a free edition, there is no Demo Import screen or theme menu | the companion plugin is not installed, or not activated | Installing the free companion plugin |
| The companion switched itself off | expected once the Pro plugin is on the site, because Pro includes it | Installing the free companion plugin |
| The free edition does not show up in the theme search | the theme has no free edition, or the server cannot reach wordpress.org | Installing the free edition from WordPress.org |
| The theme dashboard loads blank or spins forever | a security plugin or firewall is blocking the REST API | The theme dashboard |
| There is no Version Control page | a Regular license from Envato does not include automatic updates | Updating the theme and rolling back a version |
| Integration cards say Required license or Not in your license | no active license, or a Regular license and an integration not marked available to Envato; a direct license includes every integration | Installing and managing plugin integrations |
#License activation, and a license that drops
| Symptom | Likely cause | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing happens when you click Activate License | a popup blocker or an extension stopped the activation window | Activating your theme license |
| The license list is empty after signing in | the account you signed in with does not hold this purchase, usually a second email address | Activating your theme license |
| "Already active on another domain", or no activations left | every slot is in use; free one or add one | Deactivating a license to free the slot |
| Refused on the new domain after a move | the old domain still holds the slot | Moving a license to another domain |
| A clone or staging copy shows the license as inactive | the copy reports a domain the activation was never made on | Moving a license to another domain |
| A staging site is refused as a live site | it is publicly readable: no password, or no environment name paired with noindex | Moving a license to another domain |
| Active for days, then inactive, with the site loading fine the whole time | the server cannot reach Hub and the grace period ran out | How a license is checked on your site |
| Inactive on a quiet site nobody logs into | WP-Cron is disabled and no server cron calls wp-cron.php | How a license is checked on your site |
| "Please wait a moment before trying again" | repeated clicks hit the rate limit; it clears in about a minute | How a license is checked on your site |
| The license says blocked | the purchase was refunded, or the Terms were breached | License problems |
| The license is active and updates never arrive | a Regular (Envato) license does not include automatic updates | What an Envato license covers |
WP-Cron has to run on every site with an active license.
The license re-checks itself once a day through WP-Cron, and the check cannot be turned off. If nothing runs the scheduler, a valid license ends up looking deactivated.
#Demo import
A demo import puts more load on the server than anything else a site does, so read the checks before the first run.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Read |
|---|---|---|
| The import stops partway | a timeout or the memory limit; running it again continues without duplicating | Demo import problems |
| Content arrived and the images did not | the upload limit, memory for image processing, or a missing gd extension | Demo import problems |
| "This site cannot fit the demo" before starting | something the demo needs, such as the upload quota, is too small | Importing a demo site |
| The import will not start | outbound HTTPS is blocked, or a premium demo is missing the Pro plugin or an active license | Checks to run before a demo import |
| A demo shows a locked Pro button | premium demos need the Pro plugin and an active license | Installing a free demo |
| A demo card says Not included | a direct license includes every demo, and an Envato license gets only the demos marked available to Envato | Importing a demo site |
| "Another import is already in progress" | a run is still recorded as active, often after the tab was closed | How demo import works |
| A half-assembled site after using another import plugin | our demo packages only unpack with the importer that ships with the theme | Demo import problems |
| Imported pages return 404 | the permalink rules were not rewritten | What to check after a demo import |
| The site does not look like the demo | parts were left unticked, required plugins were skipped, or a cache is serving the old site | What to check after a demo import |
#After installing
| Symptom | Likely cause | Read |
|---|---|---|
| A white screen, a 500 error, or "There has been a critical error on this website" | PHP stopped with a fatal error; the real message is in debug.log | PHP errors and the white screen |
| The white screen appeared right after an update | the update needs a newer PHP, or the theme and Pro plugin versions drifted far apart | Updating the theme and rolling back a version |
| A setting reverts after you save it | the REST API is blocked, or max_input_vars cut off the end of the form | Settings will not save |
| The setting saved and the site still shows the old version | a page cache, host cache, CDN or object cache | Settings will not save |
| Imported settings changed nothing on the site | the styles were not rebuilt after the import | Exporting and importing your theme settings |
| You added a font and nothing changed | adding a font makes it available; the typography settings apply it | Adding fonts to your site |
| An integration install fails | the site cannot reach Hub, or the plugins folder is not writable | Installing and managing plugin integrations |
#When none of this fixed it
Run System Info and Diagnostics first. Both are read only and safe on a live site, and between them they show whether the problem is the server, the connection to Hub, or neither. Then work through the diagnosis steps and open a request with both reports attached.
Hosting and server configuration are not covered by support: PHP limits, file permissions, firewalls, DNS and certificates are your host's to change, as the Support Policy sets out. License, activation and download problems never count against your support allowance.
How to diagnose a problem and report a bug
#Common questions
None of the symptoms here match mine
Copy the exact error text and check System Info and Diagnostics. If there is no visible message at all, the answer is in the debug log, and PHP errors and the white screen shows how to turn it on.
The install worked on one site and fails on another
Compare the two servers, not the two archives. The same file behaves differently under different upload limits, memory limits and file permissions, and System Info on each site shows the difference on one screen.
Should I ask my host or open a ticket with you?
A red check in Diagnostics, an upload limit, a request for FTP credentials or a certificate error goes to your host. A problem that stays with every third party plugin deactivated and every check passing is one to send us.
#Still stuck
Open a support ticket and say what you tried and where it stopped. Your product, your domain, a screenshot and the exact message you saw are usually enough to settle it in one reply.
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