Unzip this file first : Cottonwood-master-file.zip
1. Installing the theme
On your WordPress Dashboard, go to Appearance >> Themes >> Click Add New >> Click Upload Theme >> Click Choose File and choose genesis.zip from your computer path. Repeat the same step and upload the second theme, which is the Cottonwood-genesis.zip.
2. Activating the theme
So you have uploaded two themes, but you will only activate the child theme, which is the Cottonwood theme. Click Activate Cottonwood theme.
3. Installing the plugins
Go to APPEARANCE >> INSTALL PLUGINS. Check all plugins. Click “Bulk Actions”, select INSTALL from the drop down menu and click APPLY.
Go back to APPEARANCE >> INSTALL PLUGINS. Check all plugins. Click “Bulk Actions”, select ACTIVATE and click APPLY.
4. Importing demo content
Go to TOOLS >> ADVANCED IMPORT (refresh your page if you can’t see the link on your dashboard menu).
Click the “Choose File” button, and select this file from your computer: Cottonwood-demo.zip. Click “Upload Demo Zip”. Wait until it has finished uploading (it may take a while).
5. Adjusting existing thumbnails
You can skip this step if you don’t have any posts other than the demo ones.
Go to TOOLS >> REGEN. THUMBNAILS. Click Regenerate All Thumbnails.
6. Activating the Instagram feed
Make sure you are currently logged in to your Instagram account on your computer.
Scroll down to the WordPress Admin menu where it says INSTAGRAM FEED.
Click the blue button (Connect an Instagram Account) and complete the rest of the steps. Save.
7. Managing and customizing the overall style and look of your theme
Go to APPEARANCE >> CUSTOMIZE. Here you can upload your logo, alternating colors, managing widgets, managing menus, managing homepage slider, and control the rest of the look of your website.
Click the pencil icon on your customizer live preview to take you to the section where you can edit the particular part.
7. Setting up the homepage
You can either have a static homepage look or you can have your blog as your homepage.
Go to APPEARANCE >> CUSTOMIZE >> HOMEPAGE SETTINGS. To have a static homepage look, choose “A Static Page”. Then, for the Homepage, choose “Homepage”. For Posts Page, choose “Blog”.
To have your blog as your homepage, under “Your Homepage Displays” choose “Your Latest Posts“.
7. Editing any of your static page or post
You can go to the front end of any of the pages you want to edit. You will find a button that says “Edit this Page” at the bottom of the page. Click it and it will take you to its page editor.