Documentation - MaxWP PRO WordPress Theme

Introduction

MaxWP PRO is a beautiful, clean, and highly customizable 2-column responsive WordPress magazine blogging theme developed by ThemesDNA. Building on the solid foundation of the free MaxWP theme, the PRO version introduces advanced features including color and font options, an enhanced slider with more configuration options, 10 different non-singular post styles, 17 featured posts widgets, social/about/tabbed widgets, separate layout options for singular and non-singular pages, custom page/post templates, header layout options, social/share buttons, related posts, and much more.

The theme comes equipped with dynamic elements such as a featured posts slider (powered by Owl Carousel), a news ticker, and 17 unique featured posts widgets that can be individually activated to keep your site lean and fast. It supports WooCommerce for e-commerce integration, sticky menus and sticky sidebars for better navigation, and offers comprehensive customizer-based theme options for colors, fonts, layouts, and more.

Additional features include 2 navigation menus, a full-width header option, 4-column footer widgets, share buttons (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit, Digg, VK), related posts, author bio boxes, custom page templates for contact forms, sitemaps, and author pages, back-to-top button, and full translation and RTL readiness.

Buy MaxWP PRO Live Demo

Current Theme Version: 1.0.5

Theme Installation

After purchasing the MaxWP PRO WordPress Theme, you'll receive a download link via email. Check your email inbox (or spam folder) for the product delivery email. Click the provided download link to download the theme's .zip file to your computer. Follow one of a method given below to install the theme on your website.

Upgrading from the Free MaxWP Theme?

MaxWP PRO is a separate theme. Whether or not you're currently using the free MaxWP theme, you need to install MaxWP PRO using one of the methods below.

If you're upgrading from the free version, most of your existing WordPress Customizer settings will remain in place. So you don't need to reconfigure everything from scratch. However, you will need to reupload a few images and reapply specific color settings.

After activating MaxWP PRO, go to Appearance → Customize and reupload the following:

Site Logo
Site Icon (favicon)
Header Image
Background Image

If you changed below color options in the free version, reapply them in Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Colors:

Header Text Color
Background Color

Tip: You can install PRO without deleting the free theme. Use Live Preview to confirm your layout, then click Activate & Publish.

Method 1: Install Using the WordPress Dashboard (Easiest and Fastest)

This is the easiest and fastest method to install this WordPress theme.

Go to "WordPress Dashboard" → "Appearance" → "Themes" and click on "Add New" button.
Click on "Upload Theme" button and choose the zip file you have downloaded.
Click on "Install Now" button.
Activate the theme.
Now go to "Appearance" → "Customize" to configure theme options.

Method 2: Install using cPanel File Manager

In some cases, you may not be able to install a WordPress theme through the WordPress dashboard—especially if the theme's ZIP file exceeds the maximum upload size limit. When this happens, you can install the theme using cPanel's File Manager, which is often simpler than using FTP. Follow the steps below to install your theme via the File Manager in cPanel.

Log in to your cPanel account. Your cPanel URL will be https://yourdomain.com/cpanel or a similar URL.
Click on the "File Manager" icon. It's usually under the "Files" section.

You are now in the "File Manager". Open the public_html folder, which is your website's root directory.
Locate the wp-content folder inside "public_html," then open the themes folder inside of it.
In the File Manager interface, click the "Upload" button and choose the theme's .zip file from your local drive.
After it has been uploaded, right-click the .zip file and choose "Extract" or "Unzip".
You can now delete the uploaded .zip file, but it's optional.
Log in to your WordPress dashboard through your web browser.
Go to Appearance → Themes. Now you will see the newly extracted theme.
Make it your active theme by clicking the "Activate" button next to it.

Note: If your hosting provider doesn't offer cPanel, look for a File Manager option in your hosting dashboard (like DirectAdmin, Plesk, or CyberPanel). The process is usually very similar—just find the wp-content/themes folder and upload/extract the theme ZIP file there.

Method 3: Install using FTP

Installing a WordPress theme via FTP is straightforward, though it involves a few more steps compared to using the built-in theme uploader. Here's how to install a WordPress theme using FTP:

Unzip the theme's .zip file you have downloaded.
Connect to your hosting account using an FTP client such as "FileZilla" or "Core FTP".
Navigate to the /wp-content/themes folder in the "Remote site" section.
In the "Local site" section, locate the unzipped theme folder.
Drag and drop the unzipped theme folder from the "Local site" section to the "Remote site" section.
Be patient and let the transfer finish.
Once the transfer is complete, log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Appearance > Themes.
Find the theme you just uploaded and click Activate.

Troubleshooting Tips

Didn't receive the download email? Wait 5–10 minutes or check your spam/junk folder. But if you still can not find this email or download link is broken, please inform us. we will send it ASAP.
"The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini." - If you get this error when following the "Method 1", follow this tutorial: https://themesdna.com/blog/increase-maximum-file-upload-size-wordpress/
My menus disappeared or look different. Go to Appearance → Menus → Manage Locations and reassign your menus to the correct locations.
My header text or background color looks different after activating PRO. Reapply your colors in Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Colors for Header Text Color and Background Color. Then publish.
Still can't install the theme? Contact us for help.

Import Demo Content

You can import the demo content, widgets, and Customizer settings shown in the MaxWP PRO theme demo.

Manual Demo Import

Step 1: Import Main Site Content

This includes: Posts, pages, menus, media, categories, tags, comments, and custom fields.

Download: XML File
Go to Tools → Import.
Under "WordPress", click Install Now if not installed.
Click Run Importer.
Select the XML file and click Upload file and import.
Check "Download and import file attachments", click Submit.

Step 2: Import Widgets

Install the Widget Importer & Exporter plugin.
Go to Tools → Widget Importer & Exporter.
Copy content from: Widgets .wie File and paste into the box.
Click Import Widgets.

Step 3: Import Customizer Settings

Download: Customizer File
Install the Customizer Export/Import plugin.
Go to Appearance → Customize → Export/Import.
Select the .dat file, check "Download and import image files?", click Import.

Regenerate Thumbnails

If your website already has existing posts with featured images, it's highly recommended to regenerate thumbnails after activating the MaxWP PRO theme. This ensures that all images match the new theme's layout and display sizes.

Regenerating thumbnails is optional if your site is completely new and doesn't have any uploaded images yet.

However, if you imported the demo content, regenerating thumbnails is essential to display images correctly across the site.

Install and activate the Regenerate Thumbnails plugin.
Go to Tools → Regenerate Thumbnails.
Click the "Regenerate Thumbnails for All x Attachments" button to start the process.
Wait until all images are regenerated. This may take a few minutes depending on your media library size.
If you want, you can deactivate and delete the plugin once the process is complete.

This step ensures clean image alignment and sharp visuals throughout your website using the MaxWP PRO theme.

Header Image

Quick Start Guide

MaxWP PRO supports WordPress custom header images. Recommended dimensions: 1150×200 pixels (flexible height).

How to Add a Header Image?

Go to Appearance → Customize → Header Image
Upload your header image using the Add new image button.
Save and publish your changes.

Navigation Menus

This theme includes two Display Locations for menus: Primary Menu and Secondary Menu.

Go to Appearance → Menus and click create a new menu.
Enter a name in the Menu Name field.
Select a display location under Display location.
Click Create Menu.
Add items using the left-hand column—pages, posts, categories, or tags—then click Add to Menu.
Drag and nest items to create dropdowns.
Click Save Menu.

Note: You can disable menus via Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Other Options.

News Ticker

The News Ticker displays posts in a smooth horizontal scrolling (marquee) format at the top of your site. Fully customizable via the WordPress Customizer.

How to Configure

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → News Ticker.
Check Enable News Ticker.
Configure ticker options (heading, number of posts, post type, category/tag, duration).
Click Publish.

See the complete list of News Ticker Options

Tips

Use Category Posts or Tag Posts for topic-specific tickers.
Use Popular Posts to display posts sorted by comment count.
Adjust the duration value (ms) for scrolling speed. Default: 60000.

Slider

MaxWP PRO includes a built-in featured posts slider powered by Owl Carousel. It displays post thumbnails with overlay text including title, categories, author, date, and comment count.

How to Enable

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Slider.
Check Enable Slider.
Configure slider options.
Click Publish.

See the complete list of Slider Options

Tips

Ensure posts have featured images. Posts without them show a default placeholder.
The slider uses maxwp-medium-image (480×360px).
You can hide categories, author, date, and comments from slider items.

Custom Widgets

Quick Start Guide

MaxWP PRO includes 20 custom widgets that must be individually activated via the Customizer to prevent slowing down your site. Only activate the widgets you plan to use.

How to Activate Custom Widgets

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Custom Widgets.
Check the checkbox next to each widget you want to activate.
Click Publish to save.
Go to Appearance → Widgets and drag the activated widget into a widget area.

Featured Posts Widgets (1–17)

MaxWP PRO includes 17 unique featured posts widget styles, each offering a different layout. Each must be activated individually in Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Custom Widgets.

Key Features (Common to All)

Multiple post sources: Recent Posts, Category Posts, Tag Posts, or specific Post IDs
Sorting: Published Date, Modified Date, Comment Count, Random
Configurable number of posts
Post exclusion by IDs
Display controls for thumbnails, titles, author, date, comments, snippets, and share buttons
Customizable snippet length and type
Font size controls for titles, meta, and snippets
AJAX pagination support (on most widgets)
View All button for category/tag based posts

MaxWP About Widget

Displays a profile/about section with an image, description, and social media links. Perfect for author introductions or site information.

Profile image and customizable description
Social media platform links
Round or normal social buttons
Description supports HTML formatting

MaxWP Tabbed Widget

Displays three separate tabs of posts in a tabbed interface. Each tab can be configured independently to display posts based on recent posts, a selected category, a selected tag, or specific post IDs.

Key Features

Three independently configurable tabs
Multiple sorting options per tab (comment count, published date, modified date, random)
Customizable display elements
Font size controls
Customizable tab names (default: Popular, Recent, Random)

Widget Areas

There are 19 widget areas in the MaxWP PRO theme.

Header Banner
Located on the header. Add a "Custom HTML" widget with your 728×90 banner ad code.
Sidebar 1
Main sidebar, located on one side of the page (left or right depending on layout setting).
Top Full Width Widgets (Home Page Only)
Full-width widget area at the top of the homepage (not paged).
Top Full Width Widgets (Posts Only)
Full-width widget area at the top of single posts.
Top Full Width Widgets (Posts/Pages Only)
Full-width widget area at the top of single posts and pages.
Top Full Width Widgets (Every Page)
Full-width widget area at the top of every page.
Top Widgets (Home Page Only)
At the top of the homepage content area.
Top Widgets (Posts Only)
At the top of single posts content area.
Top Widgets (Posts/Pages Only)
At the top of singular content area.
Top Widgets (Every Page)
At the top of the content area on every page.
Bottom Widgets (Home Page Only)
At the bottom of the homepage content area.
Bottom Widgets (Posts Only)
At the bottom of single posts content area.
Bottom Widgets (Posts/Pages Only)
At the bottom of singular content area.
Bottom Widgets (Every Page)
At the bottom of the content area on every page.
Post Bottom Widgets
At the bottom of single post, before the comments section.
Footer 1
Column 1 of the 4-column footer.
Footer 2
Column 2 of the 4-column footer.
Footer 3
Column 3 of the 4-column footer.
Footer 4
Column 4 of the 4-column footer.

How to Control Widget Visibility by Location

1. Install and activate the Widget Display Conditions or Widget Context plugin.

2. Drag and drop your widget into any of the "Every Page" widget areas.

3. If using Widget Display Conditions, you will see a Display conditions button at the bottom of your widget settings.

4. Click on Add group button.

5. Set your display conditions and click save.

Custom Page Templates

MaxWP PRO includes 11 custom page and post templates.

Layout Templates

"Full Width, no sidebar" (Page) – Full width without sidebars.
"Full Width, bottom sidebar" (Page) – Full width with sidebar below.
"Content + Sidebar 1" (Page) – Content left, sidebar right.
"Sidebar 1 + Content" (Page) – Sidebar left, content right.
"Full Width, no sidebar" (Post) – Full width without sidebars.
"Full Width, bottom sidebar" (Post) – Full width with sidebar below.
"Content + Sidebar 1" (Post) – Content left, sidebar right.
"Sidebar 1 + Content" (Post) – Sidebar left, content right.

Special Function Templates

Contact Form – Built-in contact form page.
Sitemap – Structured list of pages, categories, and archives.
Authors – List of all authors with profiles.

How to Assign a Custom Template

Go to Pages or Posts → Add New or edit an existing one.
Look for the Template option in the editor sidebar.
Select the desired template.
Click Publish or Update.

How to Create a Contact Page

Step 1: Create the Page

Go to Pages → Add New.
Title it Contact Us.
Select the Contact Form template.
Click Publish.

Step 2: Configure Email

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Contact Page.
Enter your email in the Contact Form Email Address field.
Click Publish.

Note: If you do not set the Contact Form Email Address, the form will not send emails.

How to Create a Sitemap Page

Go to Pages → Add New.
Title it Sitemap.
Select the Sitemap template.
Click Publish.

The sitemap includes: Pages, Categories, Tags, Monthly Archives, and Authors.

How to Create a Site Authors Page

Step 1: Create the Page

Go to Pages → Add New.
Title it Our Authors.
Select the Authors template.
Click Publish.

Step 2: Customize (Optional)

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Authors Page.
Toggle: Hide site administrators or Hide authors with zero posts.
Click Publish.

Customizer Theme Options

To see available WordPress Customizer theme options:

Go to your WordPress Dashboard.
Navigate to Appearance → Customize.
Click on Theme Options.

Site Identity Options

Below is the complete list of Site Identity Options available:

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
custom_logo	Logo	Image ID of the custom logo. Recommended: 380×90 px.	Media Uploader	Integer (attachment ID)	0 (none)
blogname	Site Title	Main title of the website.	Text	A string	"My WordPress Site"
blogdescription	Tagline	Short descriptive sentence.	Text	A string	"Just another WordPress site"
display_header_text	Display Site Title & Tagline	Toggles whether the title/tagline are printed on the front-end.	Toggle Switch	true / false	true
site_icon	Site Icon (Favicon)	Image ID for the favicon (512×512 px recommended).	Media Uploader	Integer (attachment ID)	0 (none)

Colors Options

MaxWP PRO provides extensive color customization. All color options use a Color Picker control accepting hex color codes. Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Colors.

The color options are organized into the following groups:

Header Text Color & Background Color (WordPress core)
Primary Menu Colors – Background, link, hover, sub-menu colors
Secondary Menu Colors – Background, link, hover, sub-menu colors
Header Colors – Background, site title, tagline colors
Post Colors – Title, meta, link, content colors
Widgets Colors – Background, border, title, link colors
Footer Colors – Background, text, link, title, copyrights colors
Button & Input Colors – Button text, background, border, hover colors
Selected Text Colors – Text and background colors for selected text

Tip: If you want to disable all color options for performance, check Disable All Color Options at the bottom of the Colors section.

Font Options

MaxWP PRO provides comprehensive font customization via Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Font Options. You can customize fonts for:

Font Subsets – Select which language subsets to load
Body Text – Font family, size, weight, style, line-height
Site Title – Font family, size, weight, style, line-height, text-transform
Site Description – Font family, size, weight, style, line-height, text-transform
Headings – Font family, size, weight, style, line-height, text-transform
Navigation Menus – Font family, size, weight, style, text-transform
Widget Titles – Font family, size, weight, style, text-transform
Post Titles – Font family, size, weight, style, line-height, text-transform (separate settings for singular and non-singular)
Post Meta – Font family, size

Each font family option provides a dropdown with a large selection of Google Fonts and system fonts.

Custom Widgets Options

This section lets you activate or deactivate each custom widget individually. Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Custom Widgets.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
enable_fpost_widget_01	Enable Featured Posts Widget 1	Activate Featured Posts Widget 1.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_02	Enable Featured Posts Widget 2	Activate Featured Posts Widget 2.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_03	Enable Featured Posts Widget 3	Activate Featured Posts Widget 3.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_04	Enable Featured Posts Widget 4	Activate Featured Posts Widget 4.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_05	Enable Featured Posts Widget 5	Activate Featured Posts Widget 5.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_06	Enable Featured Posts Widget 6	Activate Featured Posts Widget 6.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_07	Enable Featured Posts Widget 7	Activate Featured Posts Widget 7.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_08	Enable Featured Posts Widget 8	Activate Featured Posts Widget 8.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_09	Enable Featured Posts Widget 9	Activate Featured Posts Widget 9.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_10	Enable Featured Posts Widget 10	Activate Featured Posts Widget 10.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_11	Enable Featured Posts Widget 11	Activate Featured Posts Widget 11.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_12	Enable Featured Posts Widget 12	Activate Featured Posts Widget 12.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_13	Enable Featured Posts Widget 13	Activate Featured Posts Widget 13.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_14	Enable Featured Posts Widget 14	Activate Featured Posts Widget 14.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_15	Enable Featured Posts Widget 15	Activate Featured Posts Widget 15.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_16	Enable Featured Posts Widget 16	Activate Featured Posts Widget 16.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_fpost_widget_17	Enable Featured Posts Widget 17	Activate Featured Posts Widget 17.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_social_widget	Enable Social Widget	Activate the Social Widget.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_about_widget	Enable About Widget	Activate the About Widget.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_tabbed_widget	Enable Tabbed Widget	Activate the Tabbed Widget.	Checkbox	true / false	false

Layout Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Layout Options.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
non_singular_layout	Non-Singular Layout Style	Layout for home, archive, search pages.	Radio	Sidebar 1 + Content / Content + Sidebar 1 / One Column	Content + Sidebar 1
singular_layout	Singular Layout Style	Layout for single posts and pages.	Radio	Sidebar 1 + Content / Content + Sidebar 1 / One Column	Content + Sidebar 1
show_sidebar_one_column	Show Sidebar in One Column Layout	Show sidebar below content in One Column layout.	Checkbox	true / false	false

Header Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Header Options.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
enable_fullwidth_header	Enable Full Width Header	Make the header stretch to full browser width.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_header_content	Hide Header Content	Hide the header content area (logo, site title, tagline, etc.).	Checkbox	true / false	false

News Ticker Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → News Ticker.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
enable_news_ticker	Enable News Ticker	Activate the news ticker on your site.	Checkbox	true / false	false
news_ticker_heading	News Ticker Heading	Custom heading/label for the news ticker.	Text	A plain text string.	Breaking News
news_ticker_length	Number of News Ticker Posts	Number of posts to display in the news ticker.	Text	A positive whole number.	5
news_ticker_post_type	News Ticker Posts Type	Select the post type to display.	Select	Recent Posts / Popular Posts / Random Posts / Category Posts / Tag Posts	Recent Posts
news_ticker_cat	News Ticker Posts Category	Select a category if Posts Type is Category Posts.	Category Dropdown	A WordPress category.	(none)
news_ticker_tag	News Ticker Posts Tag	Select a tag if Posts Type is Tag Posts.	Tag Dropdown	A WordPress tag.	(none)
news_ticker_duration	News Ticker Duration	Scrolling duration in milliseconds.	Text	A positive whole number (ms).	60000

Slider Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Slider.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
enable_slider	Enable Slider	Activate the featured posts slider.	Checkbox	true / false	false
slider_length	Number of Slider Posts	Number of posts to display in the slider.	Text	A positive whole number.	5
slider_post_type	Slider Posts Type	Select a post type to display in slider.	Select	Recent Posts / Popular Posts / Random Posts / Category Posts / Tag Posts	Recent Posts
slider_cat	Slider Posts Category	Select a category if Posts Type is Category Posts.	Category Dropdown	A WordPress category.	(none)
slider_tag	Slider Posts Tag	Select a tag if Posts Type is Tag Posts.	Tag Dropdown	A WordPress tag.	(none)
hide_slide_cats	Hide Slide Post Categories	Hide categories from slider posts.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_slide_author	Hide Slide Post Author	Hide author from slider posts.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_slide_date	Hide Slide Post Date	Hide date from slider posts.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_slide_comments	Hide Slide Post Comments	Hide comment count from slider posts.	Checkbox	true / false	false

Post Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Post Options.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
hide_posts_heading	Hide HomePage Posts Heading	Hide the heading above the homepage post list.	Checkbox	true / false	false
posts_heading	HomePage Posts Heading	Custom heading text for the homepage post list.	Text	A plain text string.	Recent Posts
thumbnail_link	Thumbnail Link	Whether single post thumbnails link to their post.	Select	Yes / No	Yes
post_style	Non-Singular Posts Style	Post layout style for home/archive/search pages.	Select	Style 1 / Style 2 / Style 3 / Style 4 / Style 5 / Style 6 / Style 8 / Style 9 / Style 12 / Style 13	Style 5
read_more_length	Auto Post Summary Length	Number of words in auto-generated summaries.	Text	A positive whole number.	25
read_more_text	Read More Text	Text for the read-more button.	Text	A plain text string.	Continue Reading
hide_posted_date_home	Hide Posted Date from Posts Summaries	Hide date from non-singular post listings.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_posted_date	Hide Posted Date from Single Posts	Hide date from single post pages.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_post_author_home	Hide Post Author from Posts Summaries	Hide author from non-singular listings.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_post_author	Hide Post Author from Single Posts	Hide author from single post pages.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_post_categories_home	Hide Post Categories from Posts Summaries	Hide categories from non-singular listings.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_post_categories	Hide Post Categories from Single Posts	Hide categories from single post pages.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_post_tags_home	Hide Post Tags from Posts Summaries	Hide tags from non-singular listings.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_post_tags	Hide Post Tags from Single Posts	Hide tags from single post pages.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_comments_link_home	Hide Comment Link from Posts Summaries	Hide comment link from non-singular listings.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_comments_link	Hide Comment Link from Single Posts	Hide comment link from single post pages.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_post_edit	Hide Post Edit Link	Hide the "Edit" link for logged-in users.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_thumbnail	Hide Thumbnails from Every Page	Hide featured image thumbnails from all pages.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_thumbnail_single	Hide Thumbnails from Posts/Pages	Hide thumbnails from single posts and pages only.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_post_snippet	Hide Post Snippet	Hide the excerpt/snippet from non-singular listings.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_read_more_button	Hide Read More Button	Hide the "Continue Reading" button.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_share_buttons_home	Hide Share Buttons from Posts Summaries	Hide share buttons from non-singular listings.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_share_buttons	Hide Share Buttons from Single Posts	Hide share buttons from single post pages.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_author_bio_box	Hide Author Bio Box	Hide the author biography box from single posts.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_related_posts	Hide Related Posts from Single Posts	Hide related posts section from single posts.	Checkbox	true / false	false
related_posts_heading	Related Posts Heading	Custom heading for the related posts section.	Text	A plain text string.	Related Posts
number_of_related_posts	Number of Related Posts	How many related posts to display.	Text	A positive whole number.	6

Social Links Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Social Links. These URLs are used to display social profile icons in the header.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
hide_header_social_buttons	Hide Social Buttons in Header	Hide the social profile buttons from the header area.	Checkbox	true / false	false
twitter_button	Twitter URL	Twitter profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
facebook_button	Facebook URL	Facebook profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
gplus_button	Google Plus URL	Google Plus profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
pinterest_button	Pinterest URL	Pinterest profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
linkedin_button	LinkedIn URL	LinkedIn profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
instagram_button	Instagram URL	Instagram profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
vk_button	VK URL	VK profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
flickr_button	Flickr URL	Flickr profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
stackoverflow_button	Stack Overflow URL	Stack Overflow profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
stackexchange_button	Stack Exchange URL	Stack Exchange network profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
codepen_button	CodePen URL	CodePen profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
jsfiddle_button	JSFiddle URL	JSFiddle profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
bsalink_button	BuySellAds URL	BuySellAds profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
slideshare_button	SlideShare URL	SlideShare profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
skype_username	Skype Username	Your Skype username (not a URL).	Text	A valid username.	(empty)
email_address	Email Address	Email address for contact/social.	Text	A valid email.	(empty)
rss_feed	RSS Feed URL	RSS feed link.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
youtube_button	YouTube URL	YouTube channel URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
vimeo_button	Vimeo URL	Vimeo profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
soundcloud_button	SoundCloud URL	SoundCloud profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
lastfm_button	Last.fm URL	Last.fm profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
github_button	GitHub URL	GitHub profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
bitbucket_button	Bitbucket URL	Bitbucket profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
tumblr_button	Tumblr URL	Tumblr profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
digg_button	Digg URL	Digg profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
delicious_button	Delicious URL	Delicious profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
stumbleupon_button	StumbleUpon URL	StumbleUpon profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
reddit_button	Reddit URL	Reddit profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
dribbble_button	Dribbble URL	Dribbble profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)
behance_button	Behance URL	Behance profile URL.	Text	A valid URL.	(empty)

Footer Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Footer Options.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
footer_text	Footer Copyright Notice	Custom copyright text displayed in the footer.	Textarea	HTML allowed.	(empty)
hide_footer_widgets	Hide Footer Widgets	Hide the 4-column footer widget area.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_footer_credits	Hide Theme Designer Credits	Hide the theme designer credits in the footer.	Checkbox	true / false	false

404 Page Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → 404 Page.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
error_404_heading	404 Error Page Heading	Enter the heading for the 404 error page.	Textarea	HTML allowed.	Oops! That page can not be found.
error_404_message	Error 404 Message	Enter a message to display on the 404 error page.	Textarea	HTML allowed.	It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try one of the links below or a search?

Search Page Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Search Page.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
no_search_heading	No Search Results Heading	Heading when no search results are found.	Textarea	HTML allowed.	Nothing Found
no_search_results	No Search Results Message	Message when no search results are found.	Textarea	HTML allowed.	Sorry, but nothing matched your search terms. Please try again with some different keywords.

Contact Page Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Contact Page.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
contact_form_email	Contact Form Email Address	The email address where contact form submissions are sent.	Text	A valid email address.	(empty)

Authors Page Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Authors Page.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
hide_admin_authors_page	Hide Site Administrators	Hide site administrators from the Authors page.	Checkbox	true / false	false
hide_noposts_authors_page	Hide Authors with Zero Posts	Hide authors with zero posts from the Authors page.	Checkbox	true / false	false

Other Options

Navigate to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Other Options.

Option ID	Option Name	Description	Control Type	Accepted Value	Default
enable_widgets_block_editor	Enable Gutenberg Widget Block Editor	Enable the Gutenberg block-based widget editor.	Checkbox	true / false	false
disable_sticky_menu	Disable Sticky Menu	Disable the sticky (fixed) navigation menu.	Checkbox	true / false	false
enable_sticky_mobile_menu	Enable Sticky Menu on Small Screen	Enable sticky menu on mobile devices.	Checkbox	true / false	false
disable_primary_menu	Disable Primary Menu	Completely disable the primary navigation menu.	Checkbox	true / false	false
disable_secondary_menu	Disable Secondary Menu	Completely disable the secondary navigation menu.	Checkbox	true / false	false
disable_sticky_sidebar	Disable Sticky Sidebar	Disable the sticky sidebar feature.	Checkbox	true / false	false
disable_backtotop	Disable Back to Top Button	Disable the back-to-top button.	Checkbox	true / false	false

Performance & SEO Tips

To get the best performance and SEO results with MaxWP PRO, follow these recommendations:

Use a Caching Plugin: Install a caching plugin like W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, or LiteSpeed Cache to dramatically improve page load times.
Optimize Images: Use an image optimization plugin like Imagify or EWWW Image Optimizer to reduce image file sizes without losing quality.
Use an SEO Plugin: Install Yoast SEO or Rank Math to manage meta tags, sitemaps, and structured data.
Enable GZIP Compression: Most hosting providers support GZIP compression. Enable it through your hosting control panel or caching plugin.
Use a CDN: A Content Delivery Network like Cloudflare speeds up content delivery by serving files from servers closest to your visitors.
Keep WordPress Updated: Always use the latest version of WordPress, themes, and plugins for security and performance improvements.
Minimize Plugins: Only install plugins you actually need. Too many plugins can slow down your site.
Only Activate Needed Custom Widgets: MaxWP PRO lets you activate custom widgets individually. Only enable the ones you use to keep your site fast.
Choose Good Hosting: A quality hosting provider makes a significant difference in site speed. Consider managed WordPress hosting for the best results.
Set Featured Images: Always set featured images for your posts. This ensures proper display in the slider, widgets, social media sharing, and search results.

Translation & RTL

MaxWP PRO is fully translation-ready and supports Right-to-Left (RTL) languages like Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian out of the box.

🌐 Translating the Theme

The theme includes a maxwp-pro.pot file located in the /languages folder inside the theme directory. You can use this file to create translations in your own language using any of the following tools:

Poedit – Desktop translation editor (view tutorial)
Loco Translate – Translate the theme directly from your WordPress dashboard (view tutorial)

After translating, save your files as:

maxwp-pro-[language_code].po
maxwp-pro-[language_code].mo

Place them inside the /languages folder in the theme.

↔️ RTL Language Support

MaxWP PRO includes built-in RTL support. If your WordPress site language is set to an RTL language, the theme will automatically adjust layout direction, alignment, and spacing accordingly. No extra setup required.

If you're customizing your site with RTL content, make sure your text widgets, menus, and custom styles are also RTL-compatible for best results.

FAQ

Quick answers to the most frequently asked questions about using the MaxWP PRO theme.

Why is my logo/site icon/header image/background image missing after upgrading to PRO?

When switching from the free to PRO version, you need to manually reupload your Site Logo, Header Image, Site Icon, and Background Image via Appearance → Customize.

My menus disappeared after theme activation. What should I do?

Go to Appearance → Menus → Manage Locations and reassign your existing menus to the correct theme locations.

How do I change the number of posts per page?

Go to Settings → Reading and change the "Blog pages show at most" value.

How do I activate custom widgets?

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Custom Widgets and check the widgets you want to activate. Then go to Appearance → Widgets to place them in widget areas.

How do I reset Customizer settings to default?

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Other Options, then click the Reset Theme Options button. Confirm the action to reset your settings.

How do I change the layout (sidebar position)?

Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Layout Options. You can set different layouts for singular (single posts/pages) and non-singular (home, archive, search) pages.

Can I use MaxWP PRO with WooCommerce?

Yes, MaxWP PRO is compatible with WooCommerce. Simply install and activate the WooCommerce plugin and it will work with the theme.

Troubleshooting

Common technical problems and their solutions. If your issue isn't listed, contact our support team.

Post thumbnails are missing when sharing on social media

Install an SEO plugin like Yoast SEO or Rank Math and enable Open Graph tags. Always set a featured image for each post.

I get "The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive" error.

Your hosting has a small file upload limit. Follow this guide to increase it or use cPanel/File Manager to upload the theme.

The slider is not showing

Make sure you have enabled the slider in Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Slider. Also verify that your posts have featured images set.

The news ticker is not showing

Enable the news ticker in Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → News Ticker. Ensure you have published posts matching the selected post type/category/tag.

Custom widgets are not appearing in the Widgets screen

Custom widgets must be activated first. Go to Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Custom Widgets and check the widgets you want to use.

Contact form is not sending emails

Make sure you have set the Contact Form Email Address in Appearance → Customize → Theme Options → Contact Page. Also check your spam folder.

Support & Licensing

All our WordPress themes, including MaxWP PRO, are released under the 100% GPL (General Public License). You can use the theme on unlimited websites and modify the code to suit your needs.

What's included in free support:

Help with theme installation and setup
Bug fixes and troubleshooting related to the theme
Guidance on using built-in theme features

What's not included in free support (but available as paid tasks):

Theme customization or resolving third-party plugin conflicts
Custom coding or feature implementation requests
Performance tuning, SEO setup, or server configuration assistance

If you need help or would like to request a paid customization, please contact us. We typically respond within 24–48 hours on working days.

Contact Support

Changelog & Versioning

The following is a log of all updates and changes made to MaxWP PRO. We recommend always using the latest version.

= Version 1.0.5 =

Fixed coding issues.

= Version 1.0.4 =

Fixed coding issues.
Theme Customizer updated.
Many improvements.

= Version 1.0.3 =

Fixed coding issues.
Theme Customizer updated.
Many improvements.

= Version 1.0.2 =

Fixed coding issues.
Theme Customizer updated.
Many improvements.

= Version 1.0.1 =

Fixed coding issues.
Theme Customizer updated.
Many improvements.

= Version 1.0.0 =

Initial Release.

Date Formats

You can use the following date format values to control how dates appear in various places such as custom widgets, post metadata, news tickers, and more. These formats follow the standard PHP date formatting rules used by WordPress.

Format Key	Example Output
H:i	00:50
g:i a	12:50 am
g:i A	12:50 AM
g:i:s a	12:50:48 am
g:i:s A	12:50:48 AM
d.m.y	27.11.10
Y.m.d	2010.11.27
Y-m-d	2010-11-27
Y/m/d	2010/11/27
m.d.Y	11.27.2010
m-d-Y	11-27-2010
m/d/Y	11/27/2010
d.m.Y	27.11.2010
d-m-Y	27-11-2010
d/m/Y	27/11/2010
m/d/Y g:i:s a	11/27/2010 12:50:48 am
m/d/Y g:i:s A	11/27/2010 12:50:48 AM
Y/m/d \a\t g:i a	2010/11/27 at 12:50 am
Y/m/d \a\t g:i A	2010/11/27 at 12:50 AM
d F	27 November
F, Y	November, 2010
F j, Y	November 27, 2010
d M Y	27 Nov 2010
M j, Y	Nov 27, 2010
M j, Y @ H:i	Nov 27, 2010 @ 0:50
l, F j, Y	Saturday, November 27, 2010
l, F jS, Y	Saturday, November 27th, 2010

Introduction

Theme Installation

Upgrading from the Free MaxWP Theme?

Method 1: Install Using the WordPress Dashboard (Easiest and Fastest)

Method 2: Install using cPanel File Manager

Method 3: Install using FTP

Troubleshooting Tips

Import Demo Content

Manual Demo Import

Step 1: Import Main Site Content

Step 2: Import Widgets

Step 3: Import Customizer Settings

Regenerate Thumbnails

Header Image

Quick Start Guide

How to Add a Header Image?

Navigation Menus

News Ticker

How to Configure

Tips

Slider

How to Enable

Tips

Custom Widgets

Quick Start Guide

How to Activate Custom Widgets

Featured Posts Widgets (1–17)

Key Features (Common to All)

MaxWP Social Widget

Key Features

MaxWP About Widget

MaxWP Tabbed Widget

Key Features

Widget Areas

Header Banner

Sidebar 1

Top Full Width Widgets (Home Page Only)

Top Full Width Widgets (Posts Only)

Top Full Width Widgets (Posts/Pages Only)

Top Full Width Widgets (Every Page)

Top Widgets (Home Page Only)

Top Widgets (Posts Only)

Top Widgets (Posts/Pages Only)

Top Widgets (Every Page)

Bottom Widgets (Home Page Only)

Bottom Widgets (Posts Only)

Bottom Widgets (Posts/Pages Only)

Bottom Widgets (Every Page)

Post Bottom Widgets

Footer 1

Footer 2

Footer 3

Footer 4

How to Control Widget Visibility by Location

Custom Page Templates

Layout Templates

Special Function Templates

How to Assign a Custom Template

How to Create a Contact Page

Step 1: Create the Page

Step 2: Configure Email

How to Create a Sitemap Page

How to Create a Site Authors Page

Step 1: Create the Page

Step 2: Customize (Optional)

Customizer Theme Options

Site Identity Options

Colors Options

Font Options

Custom Widgets Options

Layout Options

Header Options

News Ticker Options

Slider Options

Post Options

Social Links Options

Footer Options

404 Page Options

Search Page Options

Contact Page Options