Want to surprise your visitors with a festive look for a single holiday, a significant sale event, or a product launch? Now you can switch WordPress themes easily, and you do not need a full-time developer standing by to flip the switch back.

ThemeSwitcher Pro isn’t just for massive site migrations. It’s your go-to tool for hyper-specific, scheduled theme changes. With a tiny snippet of code, you can tell your website to run a special theme for one day only, then automatically revert to your main theme when the clock strikes midnight. By switching your WordPress theme this way, you ensure seamless operations. 

The Secret: Conditional WordPress Theme Switching

Thanks to our developer-friendly architecture, ThemeSwitcher Pro lets you use a simple PHP function to define the exact condition for when WordPress theme switching should occur.

To prove how easy it is, let’s build the ultimate seasonal example: switching to a Halloween theme only on October 31st.

🎃 Code Snippet: Halloween Theme Switch

Drop this code into a custom plugin file:

<?php
/*
Plugin Name: Halloween Theme Switch Code
Description: Switches the theme to a special Halloween theme only on October 31st.
Author: Brad Williams
Version: 1.0
Author URI: https://webdevstudios.com
*/

/**
 * Checks if the current PHP date is October 31.
 *
 * @return boolean true if the current day is October 31, otherwise false.
 */
function isHalloween() {
    $today = new DateTime();
    return $today->format('m') == '10' && $today->format('d') == '31';
}

function tsp_custom_date_switching() {
	if ( ! class_exists( 'TSP_Manager' ) ) {
		return;
	}

	/**
	 * The theme slug of the theme you want to use on Halloween.
	 */
	$theme_slug = 'st-halloween';

	/** 
     * Registers a custom theme switching condition, 
     * using the TSP_Manager::register method. 
     */
    TSP_Manager::register(
	    $theme_slug,
	    function () {
		    return isHalloween();
	    },
	    1
    );
}
add_action( 'plugins_loaded', 'tsp_custom_date_switching', 100 );

How It Works (The Magic Behind the Code)

1. The Time Check (isHalloween()): This function uses PHP’s built-in DateTime object to check the current month (10) and day (31). It returns true only on Halloween.
2. The ThemeSwitcher Pro Command (TSP_Manager::register): This is the core ThemeSwitcher Pro function. It takes three parameters:
   • $theme_slug: The theme that will be active (your spooky theme).
   • function() { return isHalloween(); }: The condition that must be met. Since isHalloween() is only true on October 31st, the switch only happens then.
   • 1: The priority level. We give it a high priority to ensure it overrides any other general theme rules for that day.

As soon as October 31st hits, the WordPress theme automatically switches to your chosen design. On November 1st, the condition is no longer met, and your site will automatically revert to your default theme!

Switch your WordPress Theme on Halloween

The Best Part About WordPress Theme Switching?

You can reuse this structure for any day, scheduling your WordPress theme changes months in advance with zero ongoing manual maintenance.

Just copy the snippet and change the $theme_slug, the month/day parameters in the isHalloween() function, and the function name (e.g., change it to isChristmas() and check for 12 and 25) to achieve a smooth switch WordPress theme approach.

This is how ThemeSwitcher Pro gives you maximum power and flexibility over your entire WordPress website. If you’ve considered WordPress Multisite but are looking for alternatives, give ThemeSwitcher Pro a try! 

Happy Coding & Happy Halloween! 👻

Link to code snippet to copy & paste.