Installation

Installation

This page describes how to install and activate the Aegis theme on your WordPress site.

Prerequisites

Before installing Aegis, ensure your environment meets the requirements.

Installation Methods

Method 1: Upload via WordPress Admin

1. Download the latest release of Aegis from the GitHub Releases page.
2. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
3. Navigate to Appearance → Themes.
4. Click the Add New Theme button at the top of the page.
5. Click the Upload Theme button.
6. Click Choose File and select the downloaded .zip file.
7. Click Install Now.
8. Once the installation is complete, click Activate.

Method 2: Manual Installation via FTP or File Manager

1. Download the latest release of Aegis from the GitHub Releases page.
2. Extract the .zip file on your local machine.
3. Connect to your server via FTP or use your hosting control panel file manager.
4. Navigate to the wp-content/themes/ directory.
5. Upload the extracted aegis folder into the themes directory.
6. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
7. Navigate to Appearance → Themes.
8. Locate the Aegis theme and click Activate.

Method 3: Using Composer

If your project uses Composer for dependency management, you can install Aegis as a package:

composer require aegiswp/theme

Ensure the theme is placed in the correct wp-content/themes/aegis directory.

Method 4: Using Git (Development)

For development purposes, you can clone the repository directly:

cd wp-content/themes/
git clone https://github.com/aegiswp/theme.git aegis
cd aegis
composer install
npm install
npm run build

Post-Installation Steps

Install PHP Dependencies

The Aegis theme requires PHP dependencies managed by Composer. The vendor/ directory must exist in the theme folder for the theme to function correctly.

If you installed Aegis from a release package, the vendor/ directory is already included. If you cloned the repository, run:

composer install --no-dev

Important: Deploying the theme without the vendor/ directory will cause a fatal error when WordPress attempts to load the theme.

Verify Activation

After activating Aegis:

1. Visit your site frontend to confirm the theme is rendering correctly.
2. Navigate to Appearance → Editor to access the Site Editor.
3. Check that block patterns are available in the block inserter.

Optional: Install Companion Plugins

Aegis works standalone, but you can enhance its functionality with the companion plugins:

• Aegis Plugin (free) — Adds map blocks, modal blocks, and additional hooks.
• Aegis Pro — Adds video blocks, query enhancements, tabs, image compare, and license management.

Automatic Updates

Aegis supports automatic updates from GitHub releases. When a new version is available, you will see an update notification in your WordPress admin dashboard under Appearance → Themes. Click Update to install the latest version.

The theme updater is configured through the aegis_theme_updater_config filter in functions.php.

Next Steps

• quick-start-guide — Learn how to start building with Aegis.
• site-editor — Explore the Full Site Editing experience.
• block-patterns — Discover the available patterns for rapid page building.