Four Ways To Fix “The package could not be installed. The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet” Error on WordPress

Is your WordPress site showing an error that reads the package could not be installed and ‘The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet.’?

Dealing with WordPress errors can be frustrating and time-consuming, especially if you’re unfamiliar with why they’re happening in the first place.

Thankfully, this error is quite common on WordPress; there are many ways to fix it immediately. I’ll share four easy ways to resolve this CSS stylesheet error in this article. Let’s get your site back up and running in no time!

Check out this blog post, if you’re looking to resolve another common WordPress site error known as ‘400 bad request: request header or cookie too large’.

What Does The ‘Missing The Style.CSS Stylesheet’ Error Mean?

Before diving into the solutions, let’s quickly understand this error message.

The error is generated when WordPress tries to install a theme or plugin but can’t locate the style.css file in the package.

The style.css file (also known as the CSS stylesheet) is a critical aspect of WordPress themes as it contains key data such as the theme’s name, author, version, and styles. WordPress cannot recognize the theme or plugin you’re trying to install without this file. This is why the error message will show up.

Where’s The ‘Style.CSS Stylesheet’ Supposed to Be?

Before you try to fix the error, you must first locate the ‘style.css’ file. Typically, the CSS stylesheet is found in the root folder of the WordPress theme or plugin package.

If you install a commercial theme or plugin from a marketplace such as ThemeForest, the file will likely be zipped with other files. You must extract the package to access the style.css file from the WordPress Theme.

How Do I Fix “The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet” Error?

Check Whether The Style.CSS File Is Missing:

Sometimes, the error message may be triggered not because the file is missing but due to an incomplete or corrupt package. To verify whether the style.css file is really missing, you can:

• Open the package: look for the style.css file in the root folder
• Check the file path: ensure that the path to the file is accurate and names correctly.
• Verify the file’s integrity: the style.css file should match the package contents and file structure.
• The CSS stylesheet could be there but have a different name, so make sure to double-check the theme folder.

  

If you cannot find the missing stylesheet, you’ll have to contact the Theme developer (or the marketplace from which you purchased this theme) and let them know the CSS stylesheet is missing. If you’ve downloaded a paid theme, theme developers usually offer quick technical support on most issues.

Place The Style.CSS File In The Root Folder

If you’ve verified that the style.css file is missing, you can fix the error by adding the file to the theme’s root folder. Here’s how to add the file:

Open the package. You might need to extract the zip file using an app or a tool. I’m on a MacBook, so the default app for extracting zipped folders is called ‘Archive Utility’. See the screenshot below for a visual aid for extracting a theme from a zip file.

• Click on the WordPress theme or plugin folder. This is your root folder.
• Create a new folder named “CSS” within the theme or plugin folder
• Place/Move the style.css file into the newly created “CSS” folder.
• Reload your site, and now that the file is in the theme’s root directory, check if the error message persists.

Make Sure The File Is For A Theme And Not A Plugin:

The error message can also appear if you’re trying to install a plugin using the themes directory (or even vice versa). You’d be surprised at how often people upload plugins instead of themes by mistake!

Note: To double-check that you’re trying to install a WordPress theme and not a plugin, open the downloaded zip file and check the folder’s contents.

Make Sure The Theme Is Compatible With WordPress:

Not all themes are created equal. Some themes are not optimized for WordPress or may be built for other platforms such as Joomla, Magento, and Drupal.

Before purchasing a new theme, I strongly advise checking its compatibility with WordPress, especially if it is a premium paid product.

Sometimes, the theme you’re trying to install isn’t compatible with the latest version of WordPress (It can be an old theme that hasn’t been updated in a while).

Before purchasing, you can find this information on the theme’s documentation or the marketplace page of a site such as ThemeForest. Scroll down to product information and read about the theme’s compatibility with WordPress to ensure you have a compatible theme.

Check out this blog post, which shares our top three property management WordPress themes.

Conclusion: To Wrap Up

Dealing with this ‘missing the style.css stylesheet’ error message doesn’t really have to be complicated. With the quick tips shared in this post, you can easily troubleshoot this error and install your WordPress theme.

Remember to check if the style.css file is missing and the stylesheet is in the correct folder. Also, check that the theme you’re trying to install is compatible with WordPress’s latest version.

If you still see the error message after trying all the above solutions, contact your hosting provider for support. If you’re working with a reliable WordPress hosting provider, they can immediately fix this for you.

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Lastly, don’t forget that WordPress themes require a hosting provider.

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