Additional themes

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  njwilli3 · Member · Oct 19, 2014 at 3:54 pm

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  Hi I’d like to install a theme from a third-party (i.e. http://athemes.com/collections/best-metro-style-wordpress-themes/), but it seems WordPress only allows 300 themes and has no option to upload any others (http://en.support.wordpress.com/themes/adding-new-themes/)?

  Is there any way around this, why is this a limitation when hosting with WordPress?

  Thanks,
  Nick

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  timethief · Member · Oct 19, 2014 at 4:13 pm

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  The only themes we can use on WordPress.com blogs like your blog are licensed and adapted to run on our multiuser software the themes are found here http://wordpress.com/themes/

  There is no FTP access to free hosted WordPress.com blogs for security reasons and we cannot:
  upload any third party themes,
  create child themes,
  create our own themes,
  edit templates,
  create own own layouts,
  or use stylesheets from other themes.

  Relevant support docs:
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/ftp-access/
  http://en.support.wordpress.com/themes/adding-new-themes/

  There is no upgrade you can purchase that changes that. WordPress.org offers free software that you can install on a web server. You can create themes, upload and install themes and plugins, run ads, and edit the database, etc. If you want FTP access and to install plugins or third party themes into a site then you will have to hire a web host http://wordpress.org/hosting/ and set up your own WordPress.org install.

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  auxclass · Member · Oct 19, 2014 at 4:53 pm

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  why is this a limitation when hosting with WordPress?

  It’s a security, reliability & performance issue – the themes here are modified to run here and have many built in features that require Plug-in’s on other themes.

  Not having you upload a theme that crashes your site – makes keeping your blog up and running much easier – also many third party themes have security flaws that can let hackers take over your site

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  njwilli3 · Member · Oct 19, 2014 at 5:39 pm

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  OK thanks guys, does WordPress ever add to the available themes?

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  timethief · Member · Oct 19, 2014 at 5:42 pm

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  Yes. There are new themes added almost every week. You can follow these instructions to request specific theme https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/how-to-use-the-themes-forum?replies=1 but don’t hold your breath when you do create a thread here for that reason https://en.forums.wordpress.com/forum/themes#postform

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  timethief · Member · Oct 19, 2014 at 5:48 pm

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  why is this a limitation when hosting with WordPress?

  WordPress.COM blogs are not freestanding sites. They share a common architecture. When it comes to themes on WordPress.COM hosted blogs every blog wearing the same theme on this multiuser blogging platform is using the same underlying template. We bloggers cannot, of course, access that template and edit as all changes would universally impact every other blog wearing the same theme. CSS editing here is limited for that same reason. We cannot access and edit the underlying HTML and PHP.