J3.x:Switching templates

To change the default Template for the Site (Frontend) or Administrator (Backend), follow these steps:

Access the Template Manager

• Log in to the Administrator (backend). If you are not sure how to do this see: To log in to the Administrator (backend)

• Click on: Extensions → Templates

You will now see the Template Manager screen.

Note: If you do not see Templates listed as an option on the Extensions menu, then it is most likely because you are not logged in as a Super Administrator. Only Super Administrators will see this menu item.

Managing Default Template

From here you manage your templates for Frontend and Backend. The default view shows your installed Frontend templates styles. The default style for the Frontend is marked with a star; in the image below it is 'protostar - Default'.

To change the default style to 'beez3':

• click the checkbox left from the style name to select it;
• click "Default" on the toolbar;

the star changes from 'protostar' to 'beez3' and you are done. Alternatively, you can click on the shadow of a template's default star to quickly set the template as default.

You can use the filter drop-downs on the top or the filter search to limit the number of templates shown in the list of templates. Other options are:

• edit - edit the options and Menu Assignment a template is shown on (see below)
• duplicate - duplicate the style of the template
• delete - delete a template style (must not be default template style)

Assigning More Than One Template Style for the Frontend

Joomla gives you the option of switching between two or more styles on the Frontend. This is done with "Menu Assignment", so you can set different styles for each menu or only a menu item. This allows specific "pages" that are defined by menu links to set for a "specific" style. Styles can be of different templates.

Template Manager Method

Click on Extensions → Template Manager

• You will see your installed template styles, now choose a style which is not set as your default one. Yellow star indicates the style is a default.

• Click on the style name or hit the checkbox to the left of the style name, and click "Edit" on the toolbar.
• You now see the page "Template: [Edit style]", and go to the section "Menu Assignment" block and choose the menu items on which the style should be shown.

• Click "Save" on the toolbar and you´re done. The menu item will now show the selected template.
• Go to the Frontend of your website and refresh the page to view the modifications.

Menu Manager Method

• Access menu item Menus → [Menu Name]
• Choose a menu item by checking the box to the left of its name and then click on the Edit toolbar button. Alternatively, simply click the name of the menu item to edit it.
• On the Edit Menu Item screen, in Template Style, choose the desired template style and click on the Save button.

• Go to the Frontend of your website and refresh the page to view the modifications.

See Also

Template style