How to Install an Elementor Template Kit: 5 Steps and the Usual Errors
By Manob Editorial ·
To install an Elementor template kit, activate Elementor, plus Elementor Pro if the kit needs it. Add the free Template Kit Import plugin, open Tools → Template Kit and upload the kit ZIP without unzipping it. Install the plugins it lists, import Global Kit Styles first, then each template. Insert them on new pages and set the home page under Settings → Reading.
A kit is a ZIP of Elementor templates (pages, a header, a footer and Global Kit Styles for fonts and colors) that works inside your current theme. Compare kits in our Elementor template kits roundup.
What do you need before you start?
- An Administrator account, because the importer installs plugins.
- Elementor (free), plus Elementor Pro if the kit's listing says it's required. The importer can't install Pro.
- The free Hello Elementor theme. Three of the four kits below say they were optimized for it.
- A capable server. As of October 2026, the importer lists PHP 8.3 or higher and needs PHP's Zip extension. Elementor asks for at least 256 MB of WordPress memory and recommends 512 MB.
- Post name permalinks, as Cleanfa's notes ask.
- A backup or a staging copy of the site.
Which importer does a template kit need?
The kits in this guide are packaged for a kit importer, which expects manifest.json and .json templates in the ZIP. Cleanfa's and Organto's notes say to upload under Elements → Installed Kits, a menu from a plugin that WordPress.org lists as closed as of October 2026. The free Template Kit Import plugin reads the same ZIPs under Tools → Template Kit. WordPress.org flags it as untested with the last three major WordPress releases, so try it on staging first.
Elementor's own importer (Elementor → Editor → Tools → Website Templates) is for ZIPs exported from Elementor, and Elementor's help center says kits made for a companion importer show an invalid template error there.
How do you install an Elementor template kit, step by step?
Step 1: Prepare WordPress and Elementor
- In Settings → Permalinks, choose Post name and save.
- In Appearance → Themes → Add Theme, install and activate Hello Elementor. It prompts you to install Elementor; if you skip that, add Elementor from Plugins → Add Plugin.
- If the kit needs Pro, upload Elementor Pro from your Elementor account under Plugins → Add Plugin → Upload Plugin, activate it and connect your license under Elementor → Editor → System.
Step 2: Upload the kit ZIP
- Install and activate Template Kit Import from Plugins → Add Plugin.
- Open Tools → Template Kit and upload the kit ZIP as downloaded. On a Mac, turn off Safari's "Open 'safe' files after downloading" setting first, or Safari unzips it.
- Install the plugins it lists, such as ElementsKit Lite or MetForm. "Please purchase Elementor Pro from here first" means the kit needs Pro, which you install yourself in Step 1.
Step 3: Import Global Kit Styles, then the templates
Import Global Kit Styles first. The importer makes it your site's global colors and fonts, the ones Elementor's Site Settings edit. Then import the other templates one at a time, in the order shown. They land in saved templates (Elementor → Editor → Templates), and no pages exist yet.
Step 4: Build each page from its template
- In Pages → Add Page, name the page and click Edit with Elementor.
- In Page Settings (the gear icon), set Page Layout to Elementor Full Width and turn on Hide Title.
- Click the folder icon, open My Templates and click Insert on the matching template, then swap in your content and publish.
Step 5: Add the header, footer and home page
With Pro, build the header and footer in Elementor → Editor → Templates → Theme builder with the display condition Entire Site. Without Pro, use the add-on your kit names, as Rufix below does with Jeg Elementor Kit. Last, in Settings → Reading, choose A static page, pick your page under Homepage and save.
What do the common template kit errors mean?
| What you see | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The package could not be installed, plus "The theme is missing the style.css stylesheet." or "No valid plugins were found." | The kit ZIP went into Appearance → Themes or Plugins → Upload Plugin. | Upload it in Tools → Template Kit. |
| Please upload a valid Template Kit zip file | No manifest.json at the top of the ZIP: it was re-zipped, or it's an outer package. | Upload the original kit ZIP, or the inner one. |
| Failed to process ZIP file, please ensure the selected file is the correct Template Kit format. | The upload failed, often because the ZIP is bigger than PHP's upload limit. | Raise the limit or ask your host. |
| PHP Zip extension not loaded | PHP's Zip extension is off. | Ask your host to enable it. |
| This plugin does not work with your version of PHP. | The server runs PHP older than 8.3. | Switch PHP versions in your hosting panel. |
| Elementor Pro is required for this Template. | The template uses Pro features. | Activate Elementor Pro, then import again. |
| A blank screen or a stuck import | Server limits, such as memory under 256 MB. | Raise the limit and import one template at a time. |
| No header or footer | The page isn't Elementor Full Width, or the header has no condition. | Fix both. |
| Placeholder images | A kit image link no longer loads, so the importer used a placeholder. | Upload your own photos. |
Tools → Site Health → Info → Server shows your limits. Our guide to installing a WordPress theme manually shows how to raise upload limits. For memory, add define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' ); to wp-config.php above "That's all, stop editing!", or ask your host if PHP's own limit is lower. Elementor's blank page fixes cover the rest.
Four kits and what each one needs
Cleanfa: best for a first install on free Elementor
Cleanfa uses free Elementor plugins and was optimized for Hello Elementor. It installs ElementsKit Lite, MetForm and RomethemeKit For Elementor and holds 14+ templates, including Appointment and Pricing pages. Its notes follow the same order as this guide.
Cleanfa - Cleaning Services Elementor Template Kit is an Elementor template kit for cleaning businesses such as home cleaning, maid services, laundry, commercial and office clea…
Rufix: best for building a header without Elementor Pro
Rufix runs on free Elementor with Jeg Elementor Kit, MetForm and Qi Addons for Elementor. Its notes build the header under Jeg Elementor Kit's Header Template with the condition All Site, and point Elementor Pro owners to Theme Builder.
Rufix - Roofing Services Elementor Template Kit is an Elementor template kit for roofers and roofing companies that offer roof installation, repair, maintenance and renovation,…
MediAlfa: best for a clinic site, if you own Elementor Pro
MediAlfa's name has no "Pro", yet its description says Elementor Pro is required for templates and features in this kit (not included). It installs ElementsKit Lite and covers Doctors, Pricing and Service Details pages. Check a kit's plugin list as well as its title.
MediAlfa - Health & Medical Elementor Template Kit is an Elementor template kit for hospitals, medical clinics, healthcare professionals and wellness centers, with Services, Doc…
Organto: best for an organic food store with a shop
Organto has 12 templates, including two homepages and a WooCommerce-compatible shop page. It requires Qi Addons For Elementor, Contact Form 7, WooCommerce and a header and footer plugin, and its notes say to import one template at a time.
Organto is a fresh and modern Elementor Template Kit that ideal to create a website for all kinds of Farming, Agriculture, Organic Food environment-friendly, and whatever you wa…
Every item on Manob can be previewed before purchase and is manually reviewed before approval. Purchases include 6 months of seller support through the built-in ticket system, and you can extend it. A Regular license covers one end product whose end users aren't charged; see Regular vs Extended license, or browse all products.
When to look elsewhere
- You want the whole site in one import. A theme with a demo importer sets up pages, menus and settings together; see Elementor WordPress themes.
- Your host can't run PHP 8.3. Import the .json templates by hand, or pick a theme.
- You don't use Elementor. A kit is Elementor content only, and WordPress.org's free themes include block themes.
- You'd rather not set it up. Read how to hire a WordPress developer.
Frequently asked questions
Do Elementor template kits work with any theme?
Most themes that allow full-width Elementor pages work. A kit optimized for Hello Elementor may look different under another theme's header or spacing.
Do I need Elementor Pro to install a template kit?
Only if the kit says so. Cleanfa and Rufix run on free Elementor, while MediAlfa says Pro is required and not included.
Should I unzip a template kit before uploading it?
No. The importer looks for manifest.json at the top of the ZIP, so upload it as downloaded.
Can I install a template kit without the importer plugin?
Yes, one template at a time. Unzip a copy, install the listed plugins, then in the editor open the folder icon, My Templates and the upload icon, and choose a .json file. You'll set global colors and fonts yourself.
Will importing a kit change my existing pages?
Templates go into your library and leave pages alone. Global Kit Styles change site-wide colors and fonts, so back up first.