Messina Blog Documentation

Thank you for using the Messina Blog Theme. Please read and follow the instructions carefully. If you have any questions beyond the scope of this help file, feel free to submit a ticket.

Important Note:

Before starting the installation process, ensure you are using the latest WordPress and theme versions.

Getting Started

Let’s begin! First, ensure you have everything needed to install the Messina Blog theme.

Theme Requirements

Ensure you have the latest version of WordPress installed by checking the updates tab in your WordPress dashboard.

If you haven’t downloaded WordPress yet, you can download it from the WordPress repository via WordPress download.

After obtaining the latest version of WordPress, download the theme ZIP file and save it somewhere accessible on your computer. You will need these files for the rest of the installation process.

Theme Installation

Step 1: Upload and Activation

There are two methods to install the Messina Blog theme. You can upload the zipped theme file using the WordPress theme installer (Recommended) or the unzipped theme folder via FTP (Advanced).

Method 1 (Recommended): Install Using the WordPress Theme Installer

Log into your WordPress site and open the Administration Panel.

  1. Go to Appearance > Themes in the WordPress Dashboard.
  2. Click on the Add New button.
  1. Click on the Upload Theme link.
  2. Click Choose File, select the Messina-blog.zip file from your computer, and click Upload. You can download the ZIP file from Messina Blog.
  1. Click Install Now.

Method 2: Install Using File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

  1. Unzip the “Messina-blog.zip” file on your computer.
  2. Login using an FTP client to access your web host server.
  3. Locate the wp-content folder in your WordPress install files.
  4. Upload the unzipped Messina-blog folder into the wp-content/themes folder.

For more information about installing themes using FTP, visit here.

Activate the Theme

  1. Log in to the WordPress Administration Panel.
  2. Go to Appearance > Themes in the WordPress menu.
  3. Hover over the theme thumbnail and click the Activate button.

Adding License Key to The Theme (For Premium Version Users)

The theme will not function correctly unless you enter the License Key. You will receive the License Key and Theme ZIP File when you purchase the theme. To enter the license key, install and activate the purchased theme, then go to Dashboard > Elegant Blog Theme License. You will find fields for Email and License Key there.

Import Demo Content

Go to Appearance > Install Plugin and install and activate the recommended plugins.

After installing and activating both plugins, go to Dashboard > Appearance > Import Demo Data. From there, you can import demo content for the Messina Blog.

Home Page Setup like Demo

If you have already imported demo content by following the steps above, you do not need to follow these steps, as your homepage will already be set up like the demo.

Step 1: Go to Pages and click on Add New.

Step 2: Enter a title (e.g., Homepage). On the right sidebar, find Page Attributes. Under Template, select “Frontpage.”

Step 3: Click Publish.

Step 4: Now go to Settings > Reading. Choose A Static Page (Select Below). Under Home Page, select your created page and click Save Changes.

Theme Options (For Free Version)

After setting up the Homepage, as mentioned above, you will be able to use these options:

Theme Options include:

  1. Header Section
  2. Banner Carousel Section
  3. Homepage Sidebar Section
  4. Prefooter Section

Theme Options (For Premium Version)

After setting up the Homepage, as mentioned above, you will be able to use these options:

Theme Options include:

  1. Header Section
  2. Banner Section
  3. Sidebar Blog Section
  4. Newsletter Section
  5. Instagram Section
  6. Prefooter Section
  7. Copyright Section

Posts

Creating posts:

Step 1: Navigate to Posts in your WordPress admin sidebar.

Step 2: Click the Add New option to create a new post. Enter a title for your post and insert the content in the editing field.

Step 3: Select Post Format from the right side.

Step 4: Add categories from the right side. To assign a category to a post, check the box next to the category name.

Step 5: Add tags from the right side. Type the tag name in the field; separate multiple tags with commas.

Step 6: You can add a featured image. To do this, click the featured image box, select an image, and click the set featured image button.

Creating Menu

Step 1: Go to the backend. Click Appearance > Menus.

Step 2: Enter the Menu Name and assign the menu.

Step 3: Click on Create Menu.

Step 4: AYoucan find Menu Settings with options like auto-add pages and display location. At the bottom, Select Primary Menu and click Save. Now, check the front end or homepage for the menu you assigned.

Site Identity

To set up Site Identity:

  1. Go to Appearance > Customize > Default Settings > Site Identity.
  2. Click Select Logo.
  3. Upload and select the desired image.
  4. Enter the Site Title and Tagline.
  5. Check Dthe isplay Header Text ito see f you want the Site Title and Tagline to appear on your homepage.
  6. Click Select Image under Site Icon.
  7. Upload and select the desired image. (The Site Icon/favicon is used as your site’s browser and app icon. The recommended Site Icon size is 512×512 pixels.)
  8. Click Save & Publish.

Colors

  1. Go to Appearance > Customize > Colors.
  2. Change the Header Text / Background Color by clicking the Select Color button.
  3. Click Save & Publish.
  4. Theme Color Options are only available in the Premium Version of the theme.
For further information, please check out our Knowledge Base.