WordPress Theme Screenshot – Recommended Size, Format, Name

Learn everything about WordPress theme screenshot in this guide. Continue learning about other beginner topics in our WordPress guide.

If you are into WordPress theme development, I am sure you had to look up this recommended name, format, and size of WordPress theme screenshot a few times.

I often find myself searching for the theme screenshot size, sometimes just to make sure I get it correct.

So, this is just for my own reference, but feel free to bookmark and use this page if it's useful for your needs.

Here’re all the quick details that you need to know about the WordPress theme screenshot.

Recommended WordPress Theme Screenshot Size

According to the WordPress Codex for theme development, the recommended theme screenshot size is 1200px wide by 900px tall.

Please note some websites still mention the old low resolution recommended size of 880 x 660 pixels. This has been recently updated in the WordPress codex to reflect the new recommended size of 1200 x 900 Pixels.

The codex also mentions that the screenshot is usually shown in a smaller size but the higher resolution of the image allows for viewing on HiDPI displays.

Also, please note as the screenshot is shown on responsive Manage Themes screen, the top and bottom part of the screenshot may not be fully visible. It is therefore recommended to keep your main graphics centred in the image.

Theme Screenshot Name: screenshot

WordPress theme screenshot is probably the easiest to remember. Just name it as ‘screenshot’.

I know it's easy to get confused but always remember it as a screenshot rather than associating it with other alternatives such as an “image”.

Theme Screenshot Format: .PNG

Another thing to care about the screenshot is the format you will need to save your WordPress theme screenshot.

The recommended theme screenshot is in .png format.

While other formats .jpg, .jpeg, and .gif can be valid extensions and file formats for the theme screenshot, they are not officially recommended by the WordPress Codex.

Upload Screenshot to Theme Folder

For beginners who want to change the screenshot of your theme (as displayed in Manage Themes screen in your WordPress dashboard), you can create a screenshot file as recommended above and upload it to the theme directory.

You will need an FTP program like Filezilla or Atom, and your FTP login details.

After you have logged in using the FTP program, navigate to the active Theme directory and upload the screenshot.png file.

You might need to replace the existing screenshot file if one exists already.

Theme Screenshot Size Summary

To sum it up, the recommended WordPress theme screenshot size should be 1200 x 900 pixels saved in your theme directory as screenshot.png.