Developer resources
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This page is for campus developers and technical site owners who run WordPress outside of the WiscWeb WordPress Service for official UW–Madison sites. It provides access information for UW Theme 2.0 and related plugins, details on migrating from UW Theme Classic, and resources for developers to stay updated.
Want to try the new theme in a sandbox first?
Explore the theme in your browser with the UW Theme 2.0 Playground before you download — no setup needed.
Access UW Theme 2.0
UW Theme 2.0 is available to download, but before installing it on your own WordPress site, consider whether using WiscWeb may be an easier option. With the block editor, many layouts and features that once required custom work can now be created directly using blocks and patterns.
Use UW Theme 2.0 in WiscWeb
The Office of Strategic Communication recommends the WiscWeb WordPress Service, UW–Madison’s free WordPress platform, for building sites with UW Theme 2.0. New sites run on UW Theme 2.0, which delivers built-in branding, accessibility, the latest patterns and blocks, plus automatic updates and support.
Download UW Theme 2.0 and plugins
If you manage your site outside of WiscWeb and wish to continue doing so, you can fill out the UW Theme 2.0 download form to access the theme and plugin files. Submissions help us track usage and connect with campus developers.
Do not edit the theme files
Do not edit the parent theme files themselves or use the Theme File Editor Screen to make customizations. You will lose those changes when upgrading the theme in the future. Visit WordPress documentation for Child Themes.
Trying to download UW Theme Classic?
Visit the UW Theme Classic download page if you’re still using the old theme. The theme is no longer receiving new features, but occasionally there may be accessibility or security fixes as needed. We strongly recommend switching over to UW Theme 2.0.
Non-WiscWeb Migrations
Updated March 12, 2026
Migration timeline
WiscWeb will no longer support using UW Theme Classic after the end of calendar year 2026. Beyond 2026, UW Theme Classic will still be available to non-WiscWeb sites, but it will receive only bare minimum updates (e.g. new versions of ACF Pro; security updates). UW Theme Classic will officially be discontinued altogether at the close of 2027.
For now and through at least the end of 2026, WiscWeb is only supporting migrating existing WiscWeb sites to the new theme and hosting environment. WiscWeb will not support importing non-WiscWeb sites into the new environment at this time.
Recommendations
We strongly recommend all non-WiscWeb websites using UW Theme Classic rebuild their sites from scratch in WiscWeb and UW Theme 2.0. We especially recommend this for groups who do not have dedicated web development resources. The WiscWeb service handles all WordPress updates, security, and theme/plugin maintenance, which allows you to focus solely on your content.
For sites where rebuilding from scratch is not feasible, we recommend using the migration tooling to migrate your site from UW Theme Classic to UW Theme 2.0 using your existing web hosting provider. (See below for more information.) We also recommend trying to get rid of child themes and third party plugins if at all possible. When WiscWeb is able to support importing sites (at some point in 2027 or beyond), this will leave you better positioned to migrate to WiscWeb.
Migration tooling
Migration tooling is currently only available for WiscWeb sites. It is not yet available for sites hosted outside of WiscWeb. The UW Theme team plans to share the WiscWeb migration tools more broadly in the future. We will also be working with DoIT Web Hosting on how to use the migration tooling for sites in that environment.
Questions
If you have questions about the migration timeline or tooling or if you’ve built something custom in a child theme of UW Theme Classic and aren’t sure how to migrate it to the new block-based theme, please email the Digital Strategy team in the Office of Strategic Communication to schedule a conversation. We’re happy to share what we’ve learned from migrating sites from the classic UW Theme to Gutenberg.
Developer info sessions
Check back here for announcements about upcoming sessions.
3/18/2026 Distributed Developer Meeting
The Office of Strategic Communication and WiscWeb teams will be hosting our quarterly meeting March 18th from 11am to 12pm.
We’ll be chatting about:
- the new core WP 7.0 release coming soon, highlighting some new features
- checking out the AI inclusions
- new training videos for migrations
- If there’s time, we’d love to have an open chat about local development environments and if we have time local block development.
Is there anything that you’d like to talk about? Let us know!
Check out the invite and Zoom link in Teams.
Previous info sessions
10/1/2025 Session
The Office of Strategic Communication and WiscWeb teams hosted a virtual UW Theme 2.0 info-gathering session on October 1, 2025. This session focused on gathering input from non-WiscWeb WordPress developers about their experiences with WordPress, the UW Theme, and the block editor.
You can watch the recording to learn more about the discussion and how this feedback will shape future updates to UW Theme 2.0.
Stay connected
There are a few ways you can follow our progress and updates on UW Theme 2.0. If you’re interested in updates or want to be part of the conversation, we recommend the following options.
Check this page often for updates and general info about the UW Theme 2.0 for campus developers outside of WiscWeb.
Join WiscWeb’s monthly Lunch and Learn sessions to see demos, hear updates, and ask questions about UW Theme 2.0. Subscribe to the WiscWeb mailing list to receive updates and information about upcoming lunch and learns.
Sessions are recorded and shared on the WiscWeb YouTube channel.
Join the UW–Madison WordPress Users Group in Microsoft Teams to connect with other WordPress site owners, managers, and developers across campus. Share tips, learn best practices, and stay updated on UW Theme 2.0.
Campus WordPress developers can also request to join the Distributed WP Devs sub-channel by emailing the Digital Team in Strategic Communication. It’s a dedicated space to ask technical questions and collaborate on the theme.
We’ve heard from developers who are interested in contributing to UW Theme 2.0. While we don’t have a process for contributions yet, we appreciate the interest and will explore options in the future after the initial launch.