In order to install the theme you need to have a WordPress copy already installed on your own server.

Installing Sway Theme from the WordPress admin dashboard:

1. Head to Appearance > Themes.
2. Click the Add New button at the top of the screen and click the Upload Theme button.
3. Upload the sway.zip file from your computer and click Install Now.
4. Once you activate Sway, you will see a notification message to install and activate the required & recommended plugins.
5. Install the following required plugins: WPBakery Page Builder, Slider Revolution, Redux Framework, KeyDesign Addon, Contact Form 7 and Breadcrumb NavXT. The WooCommerce plugin is recommended only if you are planning on building a website with eCommerce capabilities. Read more about it here.
6. Once you have installed the required plugins, proceed with the Demo Contents import.

Having trouble trying to install the theme? Please see Cannot upload the theme article.

FTP installation

1. In order to install the theme you need to have a WordPress copy already installed on your own server.
2. Log into your hosting account via your FTP software client (FileZilla, WinSCP, Transmit or your preferred FTP client).
3. Unzip the sway.zip file. Use only the extracted Sway theme folder.
4. Upload the extracted Sway theme folder into wp-content > themes folder and wait for the upload.
5. Activate the newly installed theme by navigating to Appearance > Themes and clicking the Activate button.
6. Once you activate Sway, you will see a notification message to install and activate the required & recommended plugins.
7. Install the following required plugins: WPBakery Page Builder, Slider Revolution, Redux Framework, KeyDesign Addon, Contact Form 7 and Breadcrumb NavXT. The WooCommerce plugin is recommended only if you are planning on building a website with eCommerce capabilities.
8. Once you have installed the required plugins, proceed with the Demo Contents import.

Video tutorial:

Installing Sway Theme from the FTP:

1. Log into your hosting account via your FTP software client (FileZilla, WinSCP, Transmit or your preferred FTP client).
2. Unzip the sway.zip file. Use only the extracted Sway theme folder.
3. Upload the extracted Sway theme folder into wp-content > themes folder and wait for the upload.
4. Activate the newly installed theme by navigating to Appearance > Themes and clicking the Activate button.
5. Once you activate Sway, you will see a notification message to install and activate the required & recommended plugins.
6. Install the following required plugins: WPBakery Page Builder, Slider Revolution, Redux Framework, KeyDesign Addon, Contact Form 7 and Breadcrumb NavXT. The WooCommerce plugin is recommended only if you are planning on building a website with eCommerce capabilities.
7. Once you have installed the required plugins, proceed with the Demo Contents import.

If all system requirements check out you are good to go and you can start to import the demo content.

If your server doesn’t meet some of the items listed in the panel, clear recommendations will be listed below it.

To use Sway WordPress Theme, we recommend your host supports WordPress 6 or greater, PHP 7.4 or greater version (WordPress is now recommending PHP 7.3, read more) and MySQL 5.7 or greater version.

Here’s a letter you can send to your host; copy and paste!

I'm interested in running WordPress web software and I was wondering if my account supported the following:

- PHP 7.4 or greater
- MySQL 5.7 or greater OR MariaDB 10.3 or greater
- Nginx or Apache with mod_rewrite module
- HTTPS support

Thanks!

PHP Configuration limits

Issues you may encounter, such as demo content fails when importing and similar issues, are generally related to excessively low PHP configuration limit settings. You can either increase these limits on your own, or contact your web host and ask to have the limits increased to the following minimums:

• memory_limit 256M 
• max_input_vars 3000 
• max_execution_time 240
• post_max_size 32M
• upload_max_filesize 32M
• allow_url_fopen ON
• asp_tags OFF
• cURL ON

Verify your PHP limits

You can check the full list of PHP limits by installing the WP Server Stats plugin. Navigate to Dashboard > WP Server Stats > PHP Information. The first column refers to your installation value, and the second column refers to the limits of your host. The latter values are often lower if you have selected a shared hosting package.

Sway requires three essentials plugins to operate: Redux Framework, WPBakery Page Builder and KeyDesign Addon. We also recommend several plugins that we use for various demos that only need to be installed prior to importing a demo: Revolution Slider, WooCommerce, Breadcrumbs NavXT and Contact Form 7.

After the theme is installed successfully you will get a notification message about installation of required and recommended plugins:

• Click on Begin installing plugins
• Check all plugins, select Install and click on Apply

Plugin license and activation: please read the license notes in the dedicated Plugin License page.

Plugin manual install

If you have an issue installing plugins this can be only related to server settings. Find below the instructions to manually install the plugins.

Installing the plugins from the WordPress admin dashboard:

1. Unzip the main theme folder sway.zip on your desktop
2. Navigate to sway/plugins/
3. Locate the js_composer.zip (WPBakery Page Builder) and the revslider.zip (Revolution Slider) archives
4. Go to your WordPress admin area and click on Plugins > Add New. Upload the two plugins
5. Activate the plugins

Please contact us if you’re experiencing any issues with this process.

Installing the plugins from the FTP:

1. Unzip the main theme folder sway.zip on your desktop
2. Navigate to sway/core/plugins/
3. Locate the js_composer.zip (WPBakery Page Builder) and the revslider.zip (Revolution Slider) archives
4. Upload the extracted js_composer and revslider folders into wp-content > plugins folder and wait for the upload
5. Activate the plugins

Please contact us if you’re experiencing any issues with this process.

Plugin update notification

When you update the theme, you will receive a WordPress notification message advising you to update the required and recommended plugins. Please update all your plugins with each new theme update.

IMPORTANT! Plugin updates can also be done under Sway > Plugins.

Plugin compatibility list

View full list of included & compatible plugins here.

Plugin activation & licensing

Bundled plugins do not require activation to function properly with the theme. The activation prompt you may see is intended for users who have purchased a standalone license directly from the plugin author. You should not attempt to use your LeadEngine purchase code to activate these plugins, as it will not work.

You are fully compliant with Envato’s licensing policy when using these plugins as part of the theme, but you won’t have access to some premium plugin features such as automatic updates or template imports unless you purchase a separate license.

How to get auto plugin updates

New versions of WPBakery Page Builder and Slider Revolution will be included in future LeadEngine theme updates. We thoroughly test each plugin version before releasing any theme update to ensure full compatibility and prevent potential conflicts.

Plugin limitations

Bundled versions offer the same core functionality as the standalone plugin, including the ability to create unlimited sliders or page layouts. However, certain advanced features – such as automatic updates, premium templates, and support from the plugin authors – are available only to those who purchase a standalone license.

How to get automatic plugin updates

If you want to unlock automatic updates and premium features:

• For WPBakery Page Builder, you can purchase a license directly from CodeCanyon.
• For Slider Revolution, the plugin is no longer available on CodeCanyon. You can now purchase it directly from the official website.

Purchasing the plugin separately will give you a valid license key and access to automatic updates and premium features directly from the plugin author.

Plugin compatibility list

View full list of included & compatible plugins here.

Important: To get access to the theme Demo Importer please register and activate the theme.

The fastest way to import our demo content is to use the Demo Content Importer. The Demo Content Importer provides you with all of Sway’s pages and posts, sample sliders, widgets, theme options, assigned pages, and more. Using this import feature is recommended for fresh installs.

If this is the first time using Sway theme, we recommend starting with one demo variation (elements from different demo variations can be reused). You will then have everything needed to begin, it makes it easier to understand how the theme works and you can avoid having to create everything from scratch. Here is what you have to do:

1. Check the System requirements to ensure your server meets the requirements for a successful import.
2. Make sure all theme required plugins are installed and activated.
3. Navigate to Sway > Import Demos
4. Select a demo variation and click the Import button.
5. Wait until the import routine is done. Please be patient and don’t navigate away, as this can take few minutes depending on your host’s performance.
6. You will be notified once the process is completed, at which time you can check the results.

Having trouble trying to import the theme demo content? Please see Demo import problems article.

Video tutorial:

Installing Sway Child Theme from the WordPress admin dashboard

1. Head to Appearance > Themes.
2. Click the Add New button at the top of the screen and click the Upload Theme button.
3. Upload the sway-child.zip file from your computer and click Install Now.
4. Activate the Sway Child theme.
5. Once you activate the child theme, you will see a notification message to install and activate the required & recommended plugins.
6. Install the following required plugins: WPBakery Page Builder, Slider Revolution, Redux Framework, KeyDesign Addon, Contact Form 7 and Breadcrumb NavXT. The WooCommerce plugin is recommended only if you are planning on building a website with eCommerce capabilities. Read more about it here.
7. Once you have installed the required plugins, proceed with the Demo Contents import.

Why use a Child Theme?

There are a few reasons why you would want to use a child theme:

• If you modify a theme directly and it is updated, then your modifications may be lost. By using a child theme you will ensure that your modifications are preserved.
• Using a child theme can speed up development time.
• Using a child theme is a great way to learn about WordPress theme development.

To learn more about child themes, follow the links below:

• WordPress Codex on Child Themes
• How To Create A WP Child Theme video by WPBeginner.com

Install and activate the Envato Market plugin

1. Download the Envato Market plugin from here. The plugin is available via Github and is completely free. All you need to do is to go to the Envato Market Github page and click on the Download .zip button.
2. To install the plugin navigate to Plugins > Add New and click on the Upload Plugin button at the top of the page.
3. Now that the plugin is installed and active you should see a new Envato Market menu item in your WordPress dashboard.

Envato Market Plugin Setup

You will need to sync the Envato Market plugin with your Envato account to have access to all of your marketplace purchases as well as item updates.

1. IMPORTANT: You must be logged into the ThemeForest account that was used to purchase the Sway theme.
2. Navigate to Envato Market menu item seen in your WordPress dashboard menu list.
3. Click on the Generate A Personal Token link provided to be directed to the Token Creation page.
4. Enter a name in the “Token Name” field. For example: Sway.
5. Under the “Permissions Needed” section, make sure the following checkboxes are checked:
   • View Your Envato Account Username
   • Download Your Purchased Items
   • List Purchases You’ve Made
   • Verify Purchases You’ve Made
6. Check the “Terms and Conditions” checkbox, then click “Create Token”. You’ll now see the “Success!” page with your Personal Token displayed.
7. Copy your token code (this is very important since Envato doesn’t store a copy of the token for you), check to confirm that you’ve copied it and click the white button that you got it.
8. Go back to your WordPress installation and paste in your Envato API token then click save.
9. Once your token is saved and validated your page will refresh to show your Envato Market landing page with added tabs for your items.

Manual update

Using Easy Theme Update plugin

1. Download the latest version of the theme from ThemeForest
2. Install and activate this plugin: Easy Theme Upgrades
3. Navigate to Appearance > Themes > Add New and then click Upload theme
4. Upload the sway.zip file from your computer and click Install Now.

Manual update via FTP

1. Download the latest version of the theme from ThemeForest
2. Log into your hosting account via your FTP software client (FileZilla, WinSCP, Transmit or your preferred FTP client).
3. Remove the wp-content/themes/sway folder via FTP and re-upload it as shown here.
4. When the theme is updated, update the required plugins if you see the Require Update notice next some plugins name.

• Sway Demos
• Template Blocks
• Professional support

How to register your purchase and activate the theme

1. Navigate to the Sway > Dashboard. You should see a notification message stating that the theme is not activated.
2. Before registering your purchase, you need to get your Purchase Code.
3. Once you’ve retrieved your Purchase Code please enter it in the activation input field.
4. Once finished, click “Activate”. You’ll see a success message when your registration is complete.

Important: if you can’t activate the theme, please register and open a private support ticket. Make sure to write your admin credentials and website URL so we can resolve this issue asap.

Buy another Sway license

Common questions

1. If I need to use Sway on a second site, do I need a second license?
   Yes. One purchase of Sway allows you to use the theme on one finished site. If you need to use it on a second site, it requires you to make a second license purchase.
2. Can I use Sway on a test site, then move it to a live site when finished?
   Yes, you can. You can keep the theme on a test site to build it, then move it to the live site once you’re finished.
3. Can I keep a test site and a live site with one Regular License purchase?
   According to the licensing rules set by Envato, this is not allowed. If it is installed in two places permanently, then it requires two licenses.
4. Do I need to buy a new license if I use the theme in a subdomain?
   If you are going to use the item on one domain or multiple subdomains, you only require one Regular Licence. However, if you are going to use the item on multiple domains, then you will need to purchase a Regular Licence for each domain.