HubSpot CMS Themes: How to Choose and Set Up a Theme for Your Website

A HubSpot CMS theme is the foundation your entire website is built on. It controls the visual design: the default layout structure and the modules every editor can use to build pages. Typography settings and colour variables are managed through it. Global spacing is also configured there. Choosing and configuring a theme correctly at the start saves significant rework later, because changing a theme after you have built dozens of pages means adjusting every page individually.

What Is a HubSpot CMS Theme?

In HubSpot Content Hub (formerly HubSpot CMS), a theme is a packaged set of design files that defines how your website looks and behaves. It includes a stylesheet, a set of configurable fields (called theme settings), and a library of modules that editors can drag onto pages.

When you apply a theme to your website, every page built in HubSpot inherits the same base styles unless you override them at the page level. This consistency makes global updates straightforward: change the primary button colour in the theme settings and it updates across every page that uses it.

HubSpot themes are distinct from WordPress themes in one key way: they are tightly integrated with the HubSpot editor. Editors work in a visual drag-and-drop interface, and theme modules appear as building blocks inside that editor.

Where Do You Find HubSpot CMS Themes?

There are three main sources for HubSpot themes:

HubSpot Asset Marketplace. The official marketplace at marketplace.hubspot.com lists both free and paid themes. You can filter by industry or price, and many well-regarded themes are available at no cost.
HubSpot’s default themes. HubSpot provides a set of starter themes built and maintained by their own team. These include Growth (a general-purpose theme) as well as Sprocket Rocket. Default themes are a reliable starting point because they stay updated with platform changes.
Custom-built themes. If your brand requirements are specific, a developer can build a theme from scratch using HubSpot’s theme framework. This gives you full control but requires development time and ongoing maintenance.

For most marketing teams, the marketplace or a default theme is the right starting point. Custom builds make sense when your brand has constraints that off-the-shelf options cannot accommodate.

How Do You Install a Theme in HubSpot?

Go to the HubSpot Asset Marketplace. In your HubSpot portal, navigate to Marketing > Files and Templates > Marketplace. Use the search bar or browse by category to find themes.

Preview the theme. Click on any theme to see a live preview and read the feature list. Check whether the theme includes the module types you need: feature sections, testimonial blocks, call-to-action areas, blog listing pages, pricing tables, content hub compatibility. Image-heavy gallery modules are worth checking separately.

Install the theme. Click the Install button. Free themes install immediately. Paid themes go through a checkout process first. After installation, the theme appears in Design Tools under Themes.

Set the theme as active. Open Design Tools, locate your installed theme, then click Set as default. This makes the theme available when creating new pages and applies its global styles to your site.

Configure theme settings. Open the theme settings panel to adjust your brand colours, typography, button styles, spacing values, section background options. Font sizes and other visual properties are also available in most themes. Most themes expose these as editable fields so you do not need to touch any code.

What Should You Look for When Choosing a Theme?

The right theme depends on your use case, but these criteria apply across most situations:

Module variety. Check that the theme includes the section types you need. A theme with limited modules will constrain your page designs later.
Mobile responsiveness. Preview the theme on mobile inside the marketplace viewer. Every section should restack and reflow cleanly on smaller screens without manual adjustment.
Configurable brand settings. The theme should let you set your primary colour and font choices through a settings panel rather than requiring code edits. This makes it practical for non-developers to maintain.
Active maintenance. Check the last update date on the marketplace listing. Themes that receive regular updates stay compatible with HubSpot platform changes. An unmaintained theme can break when HubSpot releases new editor features.
Performance. Some themes load excessive CSS or JavaScript. Ask the theme vendor whether the theme passes Core Web Vitals benchmarks, or test a demo page using Google PageSpeed Insights before purchasing.
Compatibility with Content Hub features. If you plan to use smart content, A/B testing, or personalisation, verify the theme supports those features in its templates.

Can You Customise a Theme Without a Developer?

Yes, within limits. Most HubSpot themes expose a set of configurable options through the theme settings panel. A marketer with no coding experience can adjust brand colours and font choices through that interface, along with button styles and spacing. No code edits are required.

What requires a developer: changes to underlying module structure or adding new module types require Design Manager access and familiarity with HubL (HubSpot’s templating language). Direct edits to theme CSS and JavaScript files also require developer involvement.

A practical approach for most teams: pick a theme with generous configuration options and discuss module requirements with your developer before committing. Handle brand colours and fonts through the settings panel after installation.

How Does a Theme Affect Your Landing Pages and Blog?

A theme in HubSpot applies to website pages by default. Landing pages and blog posts inherit the same theme unless you configure them separately or use a different template.

For landing pages, this means the typography and button styles defined in the theme settings carry over automatically. This is convenient for brand consistency. The practical consideration is that landing pages often need fewer navigation elements and a more focused layout than standard website pages. Many themes include a dedicated landing page template that removes the header and footer by default.

For the blog, the theme controls the look of the blog listing page (where all posts are displayed) and the individual post template. Reading experience details such as the sidebar layout and the related posts section are typically theme-controlled settings.

If you are building out your HubSpot website, these guides cover the specific tools in detail:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I switch themes after my website is already built?

You can switch themes, but it is not a one-click change. When you change the active theme, pages that were built with the previous theme’s modules may lose their layouts or display incorrectly. In practice, switching themes on an existing site requires reviewing every page and rebuilding sections that relied on the old theme’s modules. For most teams, it is faster to update theme settings within the current theme than to switch entirely.

What is the difference between a theme and a template in HubSpot?

A theme is the design system that sets the colour scheme and global spacing defaults for every page. It ships with a library of modules. A template is a specific page layout built using those modules. One theme typically ships with multiple templates. When you create a new page, you pick a template and it inherits the styling from the active theme automatically.

Do HubSpot themes work on all Content Hub tiers?

Theme support varies by tier. The Design Manager and full theme customisation are available on Content Hub Professional and Enterprise. On lower tiers, you may have access to the default themes but limited ability to modify them. Check your current subscription level in HubSpot Settings to confirm what is available to you.

How many themes can I install in HubSpot?

You can install multiple themes in your portal, but only one theme can be set as the default at a time. Having additional themes installed does not affect your live website unless you explicitly set them as active or apply them to individual pages. Some teams install a secondary theme for testing before migrating their live site.

This is an independent informational resource produced by a HubSpot Platinum Partner. HubSpot is a trademark of HubSpot, Inc.