Applied is a premium WordPress theme designed specifically for bloggers, content creators, and digital publishers who demand both aesthetic appeal and high performance. This versatile theme combines minimalist design with powerful customization options, making it ideal for lifestyle, fashion, travel, food, and personal blogs.
Advanced Review System for 2025
The latest version introduces a sophisticated ratings plugin that transforms how you showcase product reviews, travel destinations, or restaurant critiques. Choose from multiple display formats:
- Star ratings – Classic 5-star system with customizable colors
- Bar ratings – Percentage-based visual indicators
- Circle ratings – Modern circular progress displays
- Sash badges – Eye-catching ribbon-style ratings
Each format includes light and dark mode variants that automatically adapt to user preferences. The system supports custom rating scales (out of 5, 10, or 100) and detailed review criteria breakdowns.
Unparalleled Customization Controls
Applied’s live customizer gives you granular control over every design element:
- Element toggles – Show/hide author bios, dates, categories per post
- Layout presets – 30+ blog layouts including masonry, grid, and list views
- Mobile-specific settings – Create separate layouts optimized for smartphones
The theme remembers your preferences across devices, ensuring visitors always see the optimal version of your content.
Dark Mode Done Right
Applied’s color system goes beyond basic dark/light toggles:
- Automatic detection of OS-level dark mode preferences
- Manual override option in the theme customizer
- Separate color palettes for light and dark schemes
- Custom accent colors that adapt to both modes
Pre-configured schemes help you launch quickly while maintaining flexibility for brand customization.
Performance Optimized Architecture
Built from the ground up for speed, Applied delivers:
- 99/100 Google PageSpeed scores out of the box
- Core Web Vitals compliance for better SEO rankings
- Optimized asset loading with critical CSS techniques
- Lazy-loaded images with smart placeholders
The included performance guide provides step-by-step instructions for achieving maximum speed.
Monetization Made Simple
Applied includes strategic ad placements that blend seamlessly with content:
Header Leaderboard
728×90 display above navigation
Content Inlays
Responsive ads between paragraphs
Sticky Sidebar
300×600 units that remain visible
Seven widget areas and dedicated ad slots support all major networks including AdSense, Mediavine, and AdThrive.
Smart Media Handling
Applied’s image system eliminates common frustrations:
- Automatic aspect ratio conversion (no recropping needed)
- Smart thumbnail selection for different layouts
- Hero image options for featured posts
- Lazy loading with graceful degradation
The theme works with your existing media library while ensuring perfect presentation across devices.
Essential Content Tools
The optional theme plugin (under 1MB) adds powerful features:
- Featured Posts Carousel – Highlight evergreen content
- Contextual Related Posts – Increase engagement metrics
- Social Proof Widgets – Display follower counts
- About Author Boxes – Build personal connections
All components are designed to work without JavaScript when possible for better performance.
Complete Publishing Ecosystem
Applied supports all modern WordPress features:
- Full Gutenberg block editor compatibility
- Custom post formats for different content types
- Video and audio embedding presets
- Gallery display options
The theme includes specialized styling for popular plugins like Yoast SEO and Contact Form 7.
Professional Support Resources
Every Applied license includes:
- Detailed documentation with video tutorials
- One-click demo content importer
- Included child theme for safe customization
- Responsive developer support
The theme is translation-ready with .pot files included for multilingual sites.
Technical Specifications
- PHP: 7.4+ compatible (optimized for PHP 8)
- Database: MySQL 5.6+
- Framework: Lightweight custom framework
- CDN: Ready with built-in support
Regular updates ensure compatibility with the latest WordPress versions and web standards.
