How to Change Wix Template: What Works and What Doesn't

By Umair Ali Sadaqat · Updated November 6, 2026 · Editorial policy

Wix won't let you swap templates on a live site. Here's what you can change, the new-site workaround, and a checklist for moving your plan and domain.

Short answer: You can't swap the template on an existing Wix site. Wix's Help Center says a site you've already created can't be switched to a different template. Your options are to restyle the current site (colors, fonts, layout of individual pages), or to build a new site from the template you want and then move your Premium plan and domain over to it (checked November 2026).

What you can and can't do

Most people searching this want a new look, not a new site. That distinction decides how much work you're signing up for.

Goal	Possible on the same site?	What to do
Change colors, fonts, text styles	Yes	Use the Site Design panel in the editor
Rearrange or redesign a page	Yes	Edit the page's sections and elements directly
Apply a different template's full layout	No	Start a new site from that template
Keep all content, media and SEO settings in the new template	No	Wix says it can't transfer all of these automatically
Move your paid plan and domain to the new site	Yes, same account	Assign the plan and domain to the new site
Move between Wix Editor and Wix Studio	No	Rebuild in the other product

Wix's own wording is that you can restyle with the Site Design panel without a new template, but a full template change means a new site (checked November 2026).

Option 1: Restyle your current site (least risky)

If you like your pages and only dislike the look, don't start over. A restyle keeps your URLs, your SEO settings, and your existing plan and domain untouched.

Open the editor for your site.
Open the Site Design panel and change colors, text styles, and transitions.
Edit the sections on your main pages: reorder them, swap layouts, replace images.
Preview on desktop and mobile, then publish.

This is usually the right call for a site that already gets traffic.

Option 2: Build a new site and move everything across

This is the real "change template" workflow. Budget a weekend for a small site, more if you have a store, bookings, or a blog.

Step 1: Create the new site from the template you want

Pick the template in Wix, and let it create a separate site in your account. Leave your old site live while you work. Wix confirms you can create as many sites as you want in one account.

Step 2: Move your content over

Pages and elements: copy them from the old site into the new one, then fix the formatting that the new template changes.
Images and video: your files stay in the Media Manager and can be reused.
Text and structure: the quickest route is often to keep the old site open in another tab and rebuild page by page.
Apps and SEO settings: Wix notes that site-specific features such as apps, SEO settings, and marketing integrations don't transfer. Reinstall and reconfigure them.
Stores, contacts, orders: if you run a store, check Wix's store-transfer help before you start. Duplicating a site keeps your product list, but payment methods, shipping rules, and tax settings are not carried over, and store orders, contacts, and email campaigns are left behind.

Step 3: Match your old URLs

Write down every live page URL on the old site before you touch anything. Give the matching pages on the new site the same URL slugs where you can. Where a page has to change, plan a 301 redirect from the old address.

Step 4: Publish the new site

Wix recommends publishing the new site before you reassign the domain. Check every page, form, and link on a phone and a laptop.

Step 5: Assign the Premium plan to the new site

Go to Premium Subscriptions in your Wix account.
Click More Actions next to the plan.
Choose Assign to a Different Site and pick the new site.

The old site loses its premium features, such as a connected domain and ad removal. So do this only when the new site is ready.

Step 6: Reassign the domain

Go to Domains in your account.
Click Domain Actions next to the domain.
Choose Assign to a Different Site.
If the new site already has a primary domain, Wix asks whether to redirect the domain to it or replace the current primary domain. Choose based on which address you want people to see.

Your domain has to be assigned to a site with a paid plan for the live site to appear. Plans and domains move only between sites in the same account. If you have a store or booking app on a premium plan, check the support article on moving premium apps first. Wix says premium apps can't be reassigned between sites in an account.

Step 7: Set up redirects and re-check SEO

Wix warns that moving to a new template can affect SEO. Republish, re-enter your titles and descriptions, and add 301 redirects for any URLs that changed. Then watch Search Console for a few weeks for new crawl errors.

Checklist before you hit Assign

Copy this into your notes:

`` [ ] Old site stays live until the new one is finished [ ] List of all live URLs saved (with titles and meta descriptions) [ ] Pages, images, and copy moved or rebuilt [ ] Forms tested (submit one and confirm it arrives) [ ] Apps reinstalled (booking, store, chat, analytics) [ ] Store: payment, shipping, and tax settings re-entered [ ] Tracking code and analytics re-added [ ] New site published and checked on mobile [ ] 301 redirects planned for any changed URLs [ ] Premium plan assigned to the new site [ ] Domain assigned to the new site [ ] Search Console checked a week later ``

A few mistakes that cost people

Reassigning the plan first. The old site drops to the free tier the moment the plan leaves, so your live site loses its domain before the new one is ready.
Using the wrong editor. Wix Editor and Wix Studio sites and plans don't convert into each other. Pick the product before you pick the template.
Ignoring URLs. A new template often changes page slugs. Without redirects, old links and rankings go to a 404.
Forgetting the first-party data. Contacts, orders, and email campaign stats don't ride along in a plain duplicate.

When a new template isn't enough

If you're rebuilding everything anyway, that's a good time to ask whether Wix is still the right base. Switching templates costs the same effort as switching platforms for many small sites. See Wix alternatives for options, how much Wix costs to check what you're paying for the plan you're about to move, and Wix vs Squarespace if template flexibility is what's bugging you.

If you do want to test a different builder alongside your Wix site, We.Inc's free plan lets you publish up to three sites from ready-made templates; the AI builder that drafts a site from a prompt starts on the Starter plan at $20 a month. You can sign up here and compare before you cancel anything.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my Wix template after publishing?

Not on the same site. Wix's Help Center says a site you've already created can't be switched to a different template. You can create as many sites as you want in your account and start over with a new template, then move your plan and domain across. (Checked November 2026.)

Will I lose my content if I switch templates?

You won't lose the old site as long as you keep it until the new one is done. Wix says it isn't currently possible to transfer all of your site's content, media, and SEO settings to a new template, so plan to rebuild some pages by hand. Files in your Media Manager can be reused on the new site, and you can copy elements and pages across. (Checked November 2026.)

Can I move my Premium plan and domain to the new site?

Yes, within the same Wix account. In your account's Premium Subscriptions, open the plan's More Actions menu and choose Assign to a Different Site. For the domain, open Domains, use Domain Actions, and choose Assign to a Different Site. Wix recommends publishing the new site first. Wix Editor and Wix Studio plans can't be swapped between the two products. (Checked November 2026.)

Does changing templates hurt my Google rankings?

It can. Wix warns that moving to a new template can affect SEO, so you should republish and re-enter your SEO settings. If you reassign a domain to a new site, Wix recommends 301 redirects from the old URLs so rankings carry over where possible. Keeping the same page URLs on the new site also helps. (Checked November 2026.)

Can I move a site between Wix Editor and Wix Studio?

No. Wix's Help Center states that Wix Editor and Wix Studio sites can't be transferred to each other, and their plans don't swap either. Choosing a template in the other product means building a new site there. (Checked November 2026.)

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