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Technical problem

Pro Add-on: Install as a Plugin, Not a Theme

Updated Jun 24, 2026 1 min read

Some pro products — like Astra Pro and GeneratePress Premium — ship as a pro add-on that extends a free core theme. The add-on is a plugin, so it has to be installed under Plugins, not Themes. Uploading it under Themes is what triggers an error or a “no files” message.

Quick fix: install the free core theme first, then upload the pro add-on under Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin — never under Themes.

Install the pro add-on the right way

  1. Install the free core theme from the official WordPress.org repository.
  2. Download the pro add-on from your account.
  3. Install it under Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin — not under Appearance → Themes.
  4. Activate it to unlock the pro options.

Good to know

  • The core theme must be in place first, otherwise the add-on has nothing to extend.
  • If the add-on still won’t install, make sure you unzipped the bundle first — see “No valid plugins were found”.
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