When building a Thesis-based site for a client, I develop it on a separate server and move it to the client’s when it’s time to launch. I use a plugin called Thesis Import/Export to move all the changes to the Thesis Options and Design Options to the next site.
Once you’ve made all the changes to your Thesis theme, do the following:
- Go to Plugins > Add New, and search for “Thesis Import/Export”
- Download the plugin and activate it.
- Go to Appearance > Thesis Import/Export, and click “Download Current Layout” under both Thesis Options and Design Options.
- Go to the new WordPress site. Activate Thesis, and leave the default Thesis Options/Design Options settings.
- Search for Plugins > Add New, and search for “Thesis Import/Export.” Download and activate the plugin.
- Browse for both files and upload them.
I also use this to keep a backup of the design changes I’ve made on sites.
All Thesis Tips:- Adding “nofollow” to Category Links
- Thesis Tip #18 – Full Width Navigation
- Thesis Tip #17 – Adding Content Between Posts
- Thesis Tip #16 – Redirect Pages
- Thesis Tip #15 – Custom Author Pages
- Thesis Tip #14 – Add Related Posts Before Comments Link
- Thesis Tip #13 – Using Gravatars in WordPress
- Thesis Tip #12 – Adding Custom Headers to Category Pages
- Thesis Tip #11 – Clickable Logo in Header
- Thesis Tip #10 – Filter Categories from Homepage
- Thesis Tip #9 – Custom Options Page
- Thesis Tip #8 – Change Next and Previous Post Text
- Thesis Tip #7 – Import and Export Your Design
- Thesis Tip #6 – Print Stylesheets
- Thesis Tip #5 – Featured Content Rotator
- Thesis Tip #4 – Adding Classes to Body
- Thesis Tip #3 – Multiple content areas
- Thesis Tip #2 – Additional Sidebars
- Thesis Tip #1 – Custom Images and Category Pages
Bill Erickson is a WordPress Consultant who builds custom websites using WordPress as a CMS and Thesis or Genesis as a framework. He’s a cofounder and resident of The Creative Space, and a cofounder of the BIL Conference (the open analog to the TED Conference).
