Directorist themes are designed to give your directory website a professional look right from the start. Whether you are building a business directory, a real estate listing site, or a classified marketplace, our themes work seamlessly with the Directorist plugin to provide complete design flexibility and fast setup.

Each theme includes:

• Modern, mobile-friendly layouts built for Elementor
• Pre-built directory templates for listing, category, and search pages
• One-click demo import for easy setup
• Compatibility with Directorist extensions for booking, monetization, maps, and more

Before you begin, make sure you have installed and activated the Directorist plugin. All themes rely on it for core directory functionality.

System Requirements

To ensure a smooth installation experience, verify the following:

If you face timeout or upload issues during demo import, increase:

memory_limit = 512M
max_execution_time = 300
upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M

What You’ll Need

Before installation, prepare:

1. Your theme ZIP file (e.g., onelisting-pro.zip). Downloadable from your Directorist dashboard.
2. Access to your WordPress admin area.
3. Optional: FTP/SFTP access for manual installation.

Next Steps

Once ready, proceed to install the theme using the instructions in Importing and Installing Your Theme (next page).

You can then customize your directory using:

• Appearance → Customize for branding and colors
• Directory Listings → Directory Builder to adjust forms and layouts
• Directorist Extensions for advanced features like payments or booking

Option A — Install via WordPress Dashboard

• You need to login to the dashboard first then Download the theme installation file from the download section of the dashboard page

• Log in to your WordPress admin panel.
• Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload Theme.
• Choose your downloaded ZIP file (e.g., onelisting-pro.zip).
• Click Install Now, then Activate.

Option B — Install via FTP/SFTP

1. Extract the ZIP file on your computer.
2. Upload the folder (e.g., /onelisting-pro/) to:
   /wp-content/themes/
3. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and activate the theme under Appearance → Themes.

Step 2: Install Required and Recommended Plugins

After activating the theme, you will see a notice at the top of your Themes page like this:

“This theme recommends the following plugins: Elementor Page Builder, OneListing Toolkit and WpWax Demo Importer.”

To proceed:

1. Click Begin installing plugins.
2. The plugin installer will open, showing all required and recommended plugins.
3. Select all items and choose Install → Apply.
4. Once installation is complete, click Activate for each plugin.

Optional Directorist Extensions: Please navigate to Directory listings > Themes & Extensions > Required Extensions and install/activate Business Hours, Listings with Map, Social Login, Pricing Plans, Booking, Claim Listing, PayPal Gateway, Stripe Gateway and other required extensions.

Step 3: Import Demo Content (One-Click Import)

The demo import will instantly recreate the look of our live demo. Ensure all required/recommended plugins are active.

• Go to Tools → Demo Content Install
  (or Plugins → WpWax Demo Importer → Install Demo Contents)
• Click Install Demo and wait until the process completes.

• Go to Settings → Permalinks → Post name → Save Changes to refresh URLs.

Note: Importing demo content will overwrite your existing pages and settings. Perform it on a new or staging site.

Step 4: Final Setup

• Assign menus under Appearance → Menus → Manage Locations
• Add footer widgets under Appearance → Widgets
• Revisit Directory Listings → Directory Builder to confirm your directory layout (Add Listing, All Listings, Single Listing, Search Form)

Troubleshooting Import Issues

If the import stops or fails:

• Increase PHP limits (memory_limit, max_execution_time, etc.)
• Clear your browser/server cache and retry
• Use a fresh WordPress installation
• Try manual import using the One Click Demo Import plugin (import .xml, .wie, and .dat files manually)

If you still face issues, contact support: support@sovware.com

Quickstart (10 minutes)

1. Install Theme: Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload and upload onelisting-pro.zip. Activate.
   
2. Install Required Plugins: Appearance → Install Plugins → install/activate: Directorist and Elementor (required).
   
3. Install Recommended Extensions (optional): Business Hours, Listings with Map, Social Login, Pricing Plans, Booking, Claim Listing, PayPal, Stripe, Contact Form 7, Mailchimp for WP.
   
4. Import Demo: Tools → Demo Content Install (or Plugins → WpWax Demo Importer → Install Demo Contents).
   
5. Flush Permalinks: Settings → Permalinks → Save (no change needed).
   
6. Set Menus & Widgets: Appearance → Menus (assign Primary), Appearance → Widgets (Footer widgets).
   
7. Tweak Directory Builder: Directory Listings → Directory Builder (configure Add Listing, Single, All Listings, Search Forms).
   
8. Launch.
   

Getting Started with Themes

onelisting-pro is a general‑purpose directory theme for Directorist. It ships with a modern design, Elementor compatibility, and pre‑built directory layouts. The theme relies on the Directorist plugin and optionally on several official extensions for monetization, booking, maps, etc.

Overview of Our Themes

Directorist offers multiple themes (e.g., OneListing (free), onelisting-pro, dList, dPlace, dCar, dRealEstate, etc.). onelisting-pro is the flexible, all‑rounder choice suitable for business directories, services, real estate, classifieds, and events.

Requirements

WordPress: 5.0+ (latest stable recommended)
PHP: 7.2+ (7.4+ recommended for performance)
Database: MySQL 5.6+ or MariaDB 10.0+
Memory: WordPress memory limit 512MB+
Web server: Apache/Nginx with pretty‑permalinks enabled
SSL: Strongly recommended for payments and logins

Tip: Ask your host to increase memory_limit, max_execution_time (300s), upload_max_filesize (64M+), and post_max_size (64M+) if demo import times out.

Theme Installation Guide

A) Through WordPress

• Download the theme installation file from the download section of the dashboard page of the Directorist website. You need to login to the dashboard first.

• Go to the admin panel of your website now, then navigate to Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload Theme.
  
• Select onelisting-pro.zip → Install Now → Activate.

B) Through FTP/SFTP

1. Extract onelisting-pro.zip locally.
   
2. Upload the theme folder to /wp-content/themes/
   (e.g., /wp-content/themes/onelisting-pro/).
   
3. Go to Appearance → Themes and Activate.
   

Install Prepackaged Plugins — Full list

Go to Appearance → Install Plugins and install/activate:

• Required: Directorist, Elementor
  
• Demo: WpWax Demo Importer (deactivate after import)
  
• Utilities: Contact Form 7 (contact forms), MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress (newsletter)
  

• Optional Directorist Extensions: Please navigate to Directory listings > Themes & Extensions > Required Extensions and install/activate Business Hours, Listings with Map, Social Login, Pricing Plans, Booking, Claim Listing, PayPal Gateway, Stripe Gateway and other required extensions.

Note: Install all of the above to mirror the demo exactly.

Demo Content Import Guide

A) One‑Click Import (Recommended)

1. Ensure all required/recommended plugins are active.
   
2. Go to Tools → Demo Content Install (or Plugins → WpWax Demo Importer → Install Demo Contents).
   
3. Click Install and wait for completion.

1. Flush Permalinks: Settings → Permalinks → Select “Post name” → Save.

B) If Installation Fails

• This is usually hosting‑level timeouts/limits. Try:
  
  • Increase PHP limits (memory_limit, max_execution_time, upload_max_filesize, post_max_size).
    
  • Clear browser/server caches and retry.
    
  • Use a fresh site (import overwrites existing data).
    
• Fallback (Manual Import): Use the One Click Demo Import plugin to import content.xml, widgets.wie, customize.dat; then paste the additional settings via Directorist → Settings → Import/Export → Import.
  
• Still stuck? Open a ticket with hosting or contact theme support (see Contact).
  

Warning: Demo import replaces content/settings. Use only on new sites.

Listing Setup

1. Run Directorist Setup: Directorist → Setup Wizard to create essential pages and defaults. [Directorist Core Doc link]
   
2. General Pages: Verify Directory Listings → Settings → Pages, Links & Views are mapped (Add Listing, All Listings, Dashboard, Search, etc.). All Pages should be mapped perfectly. [Directorist Core Doc link]
   
3. Monetization: Install Pricing Plans (WooCommerce or built‑in), configure plans and checkout pages. [Directorist Core Doc link]
   
4. Maps: Install Listings with Map, add API keys (Google Maps/Mapbox) under Directorist → Settings. [Directorist Core Doc link]
   
5. Booking/Appointment: Install Booking and configure availability calendars and slots. [Directorist Core Doc link]
   
6. CSV Import (Migration): Directory Listings → Settings → Tools → Listings Import to bulk import listings from CSV. [Directorist Core Doc link]
   
7. Email & Auth: Configure Social Login and email templates for submissions, approvals, expirations. [Directorist Core Doc link]
   

Appearance Settings

Customization

• Colors: Appearance → Theme Options → Colors. Choose preset or primary color and component colors.

• Logo & Site Identity: Appearance → Customize → Site Identity. Upload logo, set Site Icon (favicon).

• Preloader: Theme Options → General. Enable/disable; upload transparent GIF if custom.

• Typography: Theme Options → Typography. Set body and heading fonts/sizes.

Menu

• Create menus at Appearance → Menus. Assign Primary location.
  
• Multi‑Column Menu: Please select the Menu Parent and Menu Order to manage the multi column menu properly.

Widgets

• Footer widget areas are available under Appearance → Widgets. Drag widgets to the desired footer columns.

Theme Options (explain all major tabs)

• General: Preloader toggle and you can upload a custom preloader gif image.
  
• Header: Choose header layout; toggle Header Search, Account, “Add Listing” button; configure global Banner (can be overridden per page).
  
• Layout Defaults: Set container width, sidebar positions, banner visibility, page/blog/post defaults.
  
• Blog Settings: Configure archives (layout, meta, excerpt, read‑more).
  
• Post Settings: Configure single posts (featured image, meta visibility, next/prev).
  
• Error Page Settings: Customize the 404 page (title, message, button).

Builder Settings (Directory Builder)

Configure under Directory Listings → Directory Builder.

Add Listing (Form Builder)

• Drag & drop default and Custom Fields into the Active Fields area.
  
• Mark fields Required, set visibility, placeholders, validation, and conditional logic (where applicable).
  
• Tip: To display a custom field on the single listing page, also add that field to Single Page Layout → Content (see below).
  

All Listings (Archive / Card Layout)

• Customize All Listing Grid and List card designs under All Listing Layout.
  
• Add/remove card elements (thumbnail, title, rating, price, categories, location, favorite, badges).
  
• Configure the order and visibility per view for consistent UX.
  

Single Listing (Detail Page)

• In Settings → Personalization, you may choose the Directorist Custom template for Single Listings.
  
• In Single Page Layout, arrange Header, Content (sections like Description, Gallery, Video, Amenities, Map, Reviews, Author, Contact), and Sidebar blocks.
  
• Surface any Custom Fields needed in the Content section.
  

Search Form

• Build Basic and Advanced search forms under Search Forms.
  
• The Basic bar can include multiple fields (not just Text/Category/Location).
  
• Add field groups (price range, tags, custom meta) and ordering.
  
• Keep Basic minimal and push refinements into Advanced for speed.
  

Explain Child Theme

Using a child theme preserves your customizations during parent theme updates.

Option 1 — Use the packaged child (if provided)

1. Upload onelisting-pro-child.zip via Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload.
   
2. Activate onelisting-pro Child.
   
3. Keep the parent onelisting-pro installed (not active). Your edits go into the child theme.
   

Option 2 — Create a child theme manually

/wp-content/themes/onelisting-pro-child/style.css

/*

 Theme Name: onelisting-pro Child

 Template: onelisting-pro

 Text Domain: onelisting-pro-child

*/

/wp-content/themes/onelisting-pro-child/functions.php

<?php

add_action(‘wp_enqueue_scripts’, function () {

    // Load parent and then child style

    wp_enqueue_style(‘parent-style’, get_template_directory_uri() . ‘/style.css’);

    wp_enqueue_style(‘child-style’, get_stylesheet_uri(), [‘parent-style’], wp_get_theme()->get(‘Version’));

});

Zip the onelisting-pro-child folder and upload via Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload.

Option 3 — WP‑CLI

wp scaffold child-theme onelisting-pro-child –parent_theme=onelisting-pro

Where to customize? Add templates, CSS/JS, and snippets to the child theme. Avoid editing the parent theme directly. Follow Directorist Customization Guide.

Translating Theme

Use Loco Translate to localize:

1. Install & activate Loco Translate.
   
2. Loco Translate → Themes → onelisting-pro → New language → choose language and location (System).
   
3. Click Sync once, then translate strings.
   
4. Repeat for Plugins (Directorist + installed extensions) to translate interface strings across the site.
   

Updating Theme

1. Backup first (theme, plugins, database).
   
2. Update via Upload (easiest): Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload → select new zip → Install → Replace current with uploaded.
   
3. Or via FTP: delete /wp-content/themes/onelisting-pro/ and upload the new folder.
   
4. After update: update bundled plugins/extensions.
   
5. Best practice: test updates on a staging copy before production.
   

Permalink Setup (fix 404)

If you see 404 on listings or archives:

1. Go to Settings → Permalinks and click Save (no changes needed).
   
2. Ensure Directory Listings → Settings → Pages, Links & Views pages are properly assigned.
   
3. If using multilingual or custom slugs, re‑save those settings and flush caches.
   

Contact

• Product support: https://directorist.com/contact/
  
• Email (demo import issues): support@wpwax.com
  
• Docs hub: https://directorist.com/documentation/
  

Appendix — Troubleshooting & Tips

• Demo Import stalls: increase PHP limits; temporarily disable security/WAF rules; try manual import.
  
• Maps not showing: add API keys and enable correct map provider and billing; check console errors.
  
• Images look soft: use properly sized thumbnails; regenerate thumbnails after changing sizes.
  
• Slow directory: paginate archives; limit heavy widgets on the homepage; cache pages and enable object caching.
  
• Search UX: keep Basic search lean (3–5 fields); move filters to Advanced; use icons sparingly on cards.
  
• GDPR/Privacy: enable consent checkboxes on forms; update Privacy Policy.
  
• Child theme strategy: all template overrides and CSS belong in the child theme to survive updates.