{"id":825435,"date":"2018-02-17T12:00:59","date_gmt":"2018-02-17T12:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lafactory.com\/blog\/5-ways-to-check-if-your-theme-is-secure-to-use\/"},"modified":"2022-12-11T07:29:36","modified_gmt":"2022-12-11T07:29:36","slug":"5-ways-to-check-if-your-theme-is-secure-to-use-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lafactory.com\/blog\/en\/5-ways-to-check-if-your-theme-is-secure-to-use\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Check If Your Theme Is Secure to Use"},"content":{"rendered":"
One of the most important choices you\u2019ll make during your WordPress career is which theme to use for your website. Not all themes are equal though, and some are safer than others. Choosing the wrong theme can leave your site vulnerable security-wise, so it\u2019s essential you don\u2019t base your decision on looks alone.<\/p>\n
WordPress theme security can be hard to gauge at first unless you know what to look for. In this article, we\u2019ll teach you five ways to spot a safe theme without you having to peek under the hood and see through its code. Let\u2019s get to it!<\/p>\n
WordPress\u2019 popularity makes it one of the best platforms you can use to create a website. It\u2019s easy to use, and it offers a lot of customization options through plugins and themes. The problem is, that same popularity also makes it a target for attackers who prey on vulnerabilities on both the platform and its extensions. Themes can also be vulnerable to attack in several ways:<\/p>\n
The good news is you can avoid unreputable themes for the most part by downloading yours from reputable sources only. We\u2019ll talk more about some of the best places to look for themes in a minute. For now, let\u2019s talk about how you can spot the safest options.<\/p>\n
Figuring out which themes are safe to use is mostly a matter of common sense. There are several red flags you should be on the lookout for and if you know what they are, spotting winning options isn\u2019t complicated. Let\u2019s take it from the top.<\/p>\n
As we mentioned earlier, regular updates are the number-one indicator of a safe theme. If the team behind a theme is active when it comes to updates, chances are they aren\u2019t just working on adding new features but also patching bugs and vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n
Most theme repositories enable you to keep up with development updates. If you check out a theme on WordPress.org<\/a>, for example, you can see the last time it was updated right below its version number:<\/p>\n For even more information, you can scroll down a bit further and click on the Development Log <\/em>button under Browse the Code<\/em>. On the next screen, you\u2019ll see a list of every update to the theme throughout its history:<\/p>\n If you click on the latest number under the Rev <\/em>column, you\u2019ll see a list of folders representing each version of the theme:<\/p>\n From this screen, you can open the directory for any version of the theme and look for its changelog file within. You can open the file right from your browser, which will enable you to see a thorough breakdown of the changes from one version to another:<\/p>\n Sadly, not every theme on WordPress.org includes full changelog files, but they\u2019re common enough for most popular options. Likewise, premium theme repositories also make a habit of letting you know when themes were updated last and what changes there are for each version. For example, we usually publish in-depth articles each time we launch a new version of Divi, or just plain old updates if there\u2019s enough new content for us to discuss:<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a regular reader of our blog, chances are you\u2019ve seen at least one of those update announcements. In case you haven\u2019t, you can sign up for our newsletter so we can keep you informed about theme updates.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t matter how many amazing features a theme offers if there\u2019s no way for you to get in touch with the developers when you need support. Thorough documentation often does the trick when it comes to solving problems, but it\u2019s not the same as being able to ask a human being for help with specific issues.<\/p>\n Sure, popular themes often have such large enough communities that other users may be able to help you, but even they may not be enough. Finally, if you have zero ways to reach someone who works on the theme, it means they might not care about user bug reports, which is a huge red flag.<\/p>\n On WordPress.org, there\u2019s a section called Support <\/em>below each theme\u2019s reviews. If you click the View Support Forum<\/em>, you\u2019ll find a section where you can ask questions and wait for answers by the themes\u2019 developers:<\/p>\n When a question is solved, you\u2019ll see a green checkmark next to it. The more checkmarks and replies you see in the forum, the better the odds you\u2019re using a theme with developers who are happy to provide support. When it comes to premium repositories, you should also be able to find dedicated support sections for any themes you look into. For example, ThemeForest<\/a> shows a Support <\/em>tab right below the theme\u2019s title. Within, you\u2019ll find information on how to contact the theme\u2019s developers and get help:<\/p>\n Finally, when it comes to Divi, you can open a support ticket at any time from your account dashboard, and we\u2019ll get back to you as soon as possible:<\/p>\n Support is available for licensed users, and there are dedicated sections for each of our products. There\u2019s also a support forum, where you can get answers from the entire Divi community!<\/p>\n Transparency is one of the things that sets successful WordPress themes apart. When you know who\u2019s working on a theme\u2019s development, chances are you\u2019ll come to trust them over time and maybe even check out some of their other WordPress projects.<\/p>\n In most cases, it\u2019s easy enough to find out the basics about a theme\u2019s developer(s). When you\u2019re using WordPress.org, for example, you can see who built a theme right next to its name at the top of the screen:<\/p>\n If you click on their user, you\u2019ll see a list of all the projects they\u2019ve created:<\/p>\n However, this often isn\u2019t enough information. We recommend looking for a website, where the developers include further information, such as team members, a business address, and more. It\u2019s not a matter of stalking your favorite theme\u2019s developers \u2013 instead, it\u2019s all about accountability. If you\u2019re using a theme created by a team with a legitimate business, chances are they\u2019ll be more proactive when it comes to developing their products and supporting them. Elegant Themes is a great example of that business model (in our humble opinion!).<\/p>\n Many of the people behind Divi are regular contributors to the Elegant Themes blog, so chances are you already know a few of them. However, you can always check out the full list of the company\u2019s members within our About Us<\/em> page.<\/p>\n These days, finding reputable online products (including WordPress themes) isn\u2019t hard if you take the time to read through reviews. Most reputable theme repositories showcase unbiased, detailed reviews, from genuine users.<\/p>\n For example, on WordPress.org they\u2019re under the Ratings <\/em>section to the right of the screen. There, you\u2019ll find the theme\u2019s average score, which ranges from one to five:<\/p>\n In our experience, most themes below a four-star average aren\u2019t worth your time. However, it pays to read any one, two, or three-star reviews your theme might have regardless of its overall score, so you can check out if users are dealing with common errors or anything else to scare you away. To get to these reviews, just click on the links next to the ratings:<\/p>\n On the next screen, you\u2019ll find a list of all available reviews for each star rating, and you can click on any of them to read a full version. When it comes to premium repositories, such as ThemeForest, you should also be able to find an average rating and read individual user reviews:<\/p>\n Finally, themes with their own home pages could be trickier due to the developer being able to \u2018finesse\u2019 the content towards their own narrative. In our opinion, you\u2019ll either need to carry out some deeper searches (which should bring up some independent reviews), and take all of the other factors into account before making a decision.<\/p>\n You may also find some developers provider deeper insight into their customer base, such as with our own customer spotlights:<\/p>\n These aren\u2019t paid or sponsored, they\u2019re genuinely happy customers who want to help us spread the word about Divi. In short, a trustworthy developer in all other areas with a vested interest in happy customers is likely going to deliver the goods, rather than hoodwink you into opening your wallet.<\/p>\n The wisdom of crowds isn\u2019t something you can always rely on. However, users tend to do a great job of making secure and powerful themes popular within the WordPress ecosystem. In most cases, unsafe or mediocre themes never make it too far, whereas great ones spread around fast.<\/p>\n Of course, the size of a theme\u2019s user base is something you should only take into consideration if you\u2019re impressed with the other criteria we\u2019ve mentioned so far. To see how many people are using a specific theme, you can visit its WordPress.org page and look at the Active Installs <\/em>section under its Download <\/em>button:<\/p>\n Generally speaking, any theme with over 10,000 simultaneous installations tends to be pretty good. After all, users often don\u2019t stick around for long if a theme doesn\u2019t meet their requirements. Sadly, premium repositories often don\u2019t include information about active installs. Instead, they just show you how many sales a theme has, which doesn\u2019t tell you the full story:<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, less reputable independent developers will forgo information such as how many people use their products. Every Elegant Themes page includes those numbers, so you know you\u2019re in good hands:<\/p>\n Overall, popular themes are that for a good reason. Usually, there are multiple factors, but hard numbers offer a good base from which to research a developer further.<\/p>\n Generally speaking, the safest place to find new themes is in the WordPress.org repository<\/a>, due to the theme approval process<\/a>. However, they don\u2019t include premium options, so chances are you\u2019ll need to look through marketplaces such as ThemeForest<\/a>. They are the most popular premium theme repository online, and their themes tend to be safe.<\/p>\n Finally, you\u2019ll also find plenty of theme shops that offer only their own products, such as Elegant Themes:<\/p>\n For these, you\u2019ll want to take all of the tips mentioned in this piece and ruthlessly apply them. In our case, we\u2019ve gone through several security audits from Sucuri, and passed with flying colors each time. Good developers will often display their successes proudly, making your choice much easier.<\/p>\n Most WordPress themes with sizable user bases are safe enough. However, if you\u2019re going to pay for a premium option, you should aim for only the best. Our own Divi is a great option for most types of websites, and <\/em>it\u2019s gone through extensive security audits to ensure it\u2019s safe for you to use.<\/p>\n In any case, here are five ways you can spot a safe WordPress theme quickly:<\/p>\n What do you think is the most important criteria when it comes to choosing a safe WordPress theme? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!<\/strong><\/p>\n Article thumbnail image by Anton Chuvstvin \/ shutterstock.com<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n 5 Ways to Check If Your Theme Is Secure to Use<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/p>\n
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2. There Is Direct Support From the Developers<\/h3>\n
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3. You Can Find Clear Information About Who\u2019s Working On the Theme<\/h3>\n
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4. The Theme\u2019s Website Showcases Unbiased Reviews<\/h3>\n
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5. It\u2019s Popular With Plenty of Users<\/h3>\n
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Where to Find Secure WordPress Themes<\/h2>\n
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Conclusion<\/h2>\n
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