What’s happening: Neve announced 150+ starter site templates. Themeisle released multiple updates featuring template libraries, live preview, and one-click imports. The pattern: templates are no longer optional; they’re the primary onboarding mechanism. New users don’t want to start from a blank page—they want to pick a template that’s close to their vision and customize it.
Why it matters: If a theme doesn’t have templates, it’s at a competitive disadvantage. The expectation is now: buy theme → pick template → customize → launch. Themes without this workflow feel incomplete and require significantly more setup effort.
Confidence: HIGH — Multiple signals from major theme companies (Neve, Themeisle) positioning starter templates as a core feature rather than an optional add-on. For most users, templates have become the default way to begin a new WordPress site.
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