Highlights · computed from our daily tracking data
- Formal News currently ranks #1980 in the WordPress.org popular themes list.
- Its best position in our tracking is #1876, first reached on Jul 25, 2026.
- The latest release, v1.0.3, shipped on Aug 5, 2026 (5 days ago) — release #4 since the theme joined the directory in 2025.
Ranking history
Active installs
Downloads per day
Details
| Author | Ascendoor |
|---|---|
| Current version | 1.0.3 |
| Versions released | 4 |
| Last updated | 2026-08-05 |
| Added to directory | 2025-01-12 |
| Requires WordPress | 5.0+ |
| Requires PHP | 8.0+ |
| Type | Classic theme |
| First tracked here | 2026-07-23 |
Description
Formal News is a WordPress theme tailored for news, portal, and magazine websites, offering a clean layout, minimalist design, and an intuitive user experience. Optimized for performance, this theme features a well-structured, flexible, and responsive design. Ideal for online magazines, newspapers, bloggers, journalists, and other information-based platforms, it supports various layout options and customization. Users can easily personalize the theme's appearance by adjusting colors and adding widgets. Its responsiveness and performance-focused design help improve search engine rankings, ensuring seamless access to news content across all devices and browsers. Explore the theme documentation at https://docs.ascendoor.com/docs/formal-news/ and view the demo at https://demos.ascendoor.com/formal-news/
Frequently asked questions
Is Formal News a free theme?
Yes — Formal News is a free, open-source (GPL) theme distributed through the official WordPress.org directory.
Is Formal News a block theme or a classic theme?
Formal News is a classic theme: it uses the traditional Customizer/widgets workflow rather than WordPress Full Site Editing.
How many websites use Formal News?
WordPress.org reports 100+ active installs.
How popular is Formal News?
As of August 10, 2026, Formal News ranks #1980 in the WordPress.org popular themes list. Its best position in our tracking is #1876.
When was Formal News last updated?
Formal News was last updated on August 5, 2026 (version 1.0.3). It has shipped 4 releases in total.
Who makes Formal News?
Formal News is developed by Ascendoor. It joined the WordPress.org theme directory in January 2025.
