Getting Started with Themes

What is a theme? A theme is a package that changes how the IPS Community Suite looks. By default, the software has a blue theme (it's the one you see here on our own community), but with themes you can completely change that, including colors, fonts, images and much more. With a little skill, your imagination is the limit! Above all, themes are a great way to keep consistent branding between your main website and your community.

If you've downloaded a ready-made theme from somewhere (such as our Marketplace), you need to install it in order to use it. Tip Most themes are made up of a single file ending in .xml. If the theme you are installing is more complex and has other files, follow the instructions provided by the developer.   In the AdminCP, navigate to Cust

The default theme is the one guests and members who have not specifically chosen a theme will see. Any of your themes can be the default theme. To set a theme as default, navigate to Customization -> Themes, and click the Edit next to the theme you want to make default: On the General tab of the Edit form, toggle the Default Theme? setting to On, and then save the form. Note: Changing the default theme won't affect members who have already specifically chosen a theme. 

On occasion you may wish to override the theme choice members have made (for example, when you install a new default theme). The IPS Community Suite allows you to do this easily on a per-group basis. Navigate to Customization -> Themes in the AdminCP, and click the dropdown arrow next to the theme you want to force as the selected theme. Select Set as Members' Theme from the menu: In the popup window that will appear

For most admins, creating a theme with the Easy Editor is the best option. It allows you to customize the default theme in a point-and-click environment and see your changes in real-time, and requires no coding skills whatsoever.   Creating the theme To create the theme we'll edit, navigate to Customization -> Themes in the AdminCP. Click the Add Theme button. In the popup window, ensure the Easy Mode option is

Themes in the IPS Community Suite offer an easy way to change three of the key images used by the software. They are: Logo The logo image shown at the top of every page of your community Favicon The small icon shown in the user's browser tab, and next to bookmarks in their browser Sharer image The image Facebook pulls from your community when a user shares a link from your site. Often you'll use

If you have created a theme and you want to share it with others (perhaps in our Marketplace) or keep a backup, the IPS Community Suite makes it easy to download. To do so, navigate to Customization -> Themes in the AdminCP, and click the dropdown menu next to the theme you wish to export. Click the Download menu item, and after a second or two your browser will prompt you to download the theme. The file you do