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Complete Guide to Importing and Exporting Divi Theme and Child Theme in WordPress

August 30, 2025 No comments yet

The Divi theme, developed by Elegant Themes, is one of the most versatile and user-friendly WordPress themes available. Its vast customization options, intuitive page builder, and flexibility make it a favorite among web designers and developers. Whether you’re moving your website design to a new domain or sharing templates with others, understanding how to import and export the Divi theme and child themes is essential.

Understanding the Divi Theme and Child Themes

The Divi theme is a full-featured WordPress template that includes its own visual builder. A child theme is essentially a customized version of the main theme that allows modifications without altering the core Divi files. This setup ensures updates to Divi won’t overwrite your custom CSS or functions set within the child theme.

How to Export the Divi Theme

It is important to note that you cannot export the core Divi theme using the WordPress dashboard. Instead, Divi allows users to export specific elements such as layouts, theme options, customization settings, and library items.

To export your layouts or settings, follow the steps below:

  • Go to the Divi menu in your WordPress dashboard.
  • Select the Divi Library or Theme Options.
  • Click the Portability icon (up and down arrows).
  • In the popup window, click Export.
  • Name your export file and click the blue Export Divi Builder Layouts button.

How to Import the Divi Theme or Layouts

If you are porting a layout into another website using Divi, follow these steps:

  • Log into the WordPress site where you want to import the layout.
  • Go to Divi > Divi Library.
  • Click on the same Portability icon as before.
  • Choose Import and then upload your previously exported .JSON file.
  • Click Import Divi Builder Layouts to finalize.

Your imported layouts will now be available in the Divi Library and accessible for use in any page.

Exporting and Importing Divi Child Theme

To export a child theme, you’ll need access to your hosting file manager or an FTP client. A Divi child theme typically contains the following:

  • style.css – for any custom styling
  • functions.php – for custom functions
  • screenshot.png – image used as theme preview

Steps to export your Divi child theme:

  1. Use an FTP client or file manager to navigate to /wp-content/themes/your-child-theme-folder.
  2. Select the entire folder and compress it into a ZIP file.
  3. Download the ZIP file to your computer.

To import the child theme on another WordPress installation:

  1. Go to Appearance > Themes and click Add New.
  2. Choose Upload Theme and upload the ZIP file.
  3. Click Install Now and then Activate.

Important Considerations

  • Make sure any images or media used within Divi layouts are also moved manually if not hosted externally.
  • Custom scripts or CSS stored outside the Divi Library need to be transferred separately.
  • After importing, clear your site cache to avoid layout glitches.

FAQs

  • Q: Can I export an entire Divi theme including the settings and pages?
    A: You can export layouts and settings, but the core theme must be installed separately from a fresh download from Elegant Themes.
  • Q: What if my .JSON file doesn’t upload properly?
    A: Ensure the file was not corrupted during export. Try re-exporting and uploading again. Also, confirm there’s no server-side upload limit.
  • Q: Can I use the same child theme on multiple Divi sites?
    A: Yes, as long as all custom functions and styling are universally compatible, the child theme can be reused.
  • Q: Is it possible to migrate Divi layouts directly between websites?
    A: Absolutely. Using the export/import tools in the Divi Library, you can easily share or move layouts across different WordPress installations.

Mastering the import and export process of Divi and its child themes can save significant development time, ensure design consistency, and make website backups more reliable. Whether creating templates or moving content, the tools provided by Divi make it easier than ever to handle website data efficiently.