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Installation

Installing Vara SaaS takes about two minutes. There are two routes — pick the first unless you have a reason to use the second.

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Before you start

If you already have a site running, create a backup before switching themes. Switching themes can change your menus, front page, and widget areas.
The theme requires PHP 7.4 or newer. Check under Tools → Site Health → Info → Server. See Requirements.

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Method 1 — install from WordPress.org

1

Go to Appearance → Themes

In your WordPress admin, choose Appearance → Themes → Add New.
2

Search for Vara SaaS

Type Vara SaaS in the search box. The theme is published on the WordPress.org directory.
3

Click Install

Click Install Now and wait for the confirmation.
4

Click Activate

Click Activate. The theme becomes live immediately.
Screenshot: Appearance → Themes → Add New with Vara SaaS in the search results
After activation you’ll see a Vara SaaS banner inviting you to run the setup wizard. Take it — it installs Elementor and imports four finished pages in one pass. See Setup wizard.

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Method 2 — upload the zip

Use this if your host blocks the WordPress.org installer, or you want a specific version.
1

Download the zip

Get vara-saas.zip from the theme page on WordPress.org. Do not unzip it.
2

Open Appearance → Themes → Add New

Then click Upload Theme at the top of the page.
3

Choose the file

Select vara-saas.zip and click Install Now.
4

Activate

Click Activate.
Screenshot: Appearance → Add New Theme → Upload Theme with the file picker
If WordPress rejects the upload, it’s almost always a PHP version or file-size limit. Raise upload_max_filesize and post_max_size, or ask your host to allow it. The theme zip is small — roughly a few megabytes including the bundled fonts.

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What happens on activation

Activating the theme triggers a small amount of housekeeping:
  • A Vara SaaS panel appears in the Customizer with all theme settings
  • An activation banner appears offering the setup wizard
  • Three theme options are reset so a previous install’s leftovers don’t leak in
  • If a front page using the Page Builder Full Width template exists but has no Elementor data, the theme regenerates the homepage layout automatically
The theme does not create or change any of your pages during activation. Pages, menus, and Elementor layouts are only created when you run the setup wizard or the demo import. If you already have a site, activating Vara SaaS is safe.If you would rather not have the theme create anything automatically, skip the wizard and read Demo content first.

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Next: install the page builder

Vara SaaS works without Elementor, but the demo pages and most of the design tooling need it.

Run the setup wizard

Installs Elementor and imports the demo pages in three steps. Recommended.

Install plugins yourself

What to install and what is optional.

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Updating the theme later

1

Check for updates

WordPress will show an update notice on Dashboard → Updates when a new version is released.
2

Update as normal

Click Update Now. If you use automatic updates, WordPress handles it.
3

Review the changelog

Version notes are published on the WordPress.org page. Accessibility and template changes are worth reading before updating a production site.
Your Customizer settings live in the database, not in theme files, so updating the theme never resets your colors, typography, or footer content. Your posts, pages, and Elementor layouts are equally unaffected. See Settings will not save if you’re seeing something different.

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Switching away from another theme

If you’re migrating from an existing theme, do it in this order:
  1. Install and activate Vara SaaS
  2. Create and assign a menu under Appearance → Menus to the Primary Menu location
  3. Set your front page and posts page under Settings → Reading
  4. Re-check your colors and logo under Appearance → Customize → Vara SaaS
  5. Review your widget areas — see Sidebars and widgets
Your previous theme’s settings do not transfer. Menus and widgets are theme-managed, so treat this as a fresh start rather than expecting your old customizations to carry over.