# Trouble installing custom themes: "Unable to write in the "/app/themes" directory."

**URL:** https://forum.mautic.org/t/trouble-installing-custom-themes-unable-to-write-in-the-app-themes-directory/30973
**Category:** Product Support
**Created:** [February 20, 2024, 11:40am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/trouble-installing-custom-themes-unable-to-write-in-the-app-themes-directory/30973 "2024-02-20T11:40:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![markusvjh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@markusvjh](https://forum.mautic.org/u/markusvjh)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2024, 11:40am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/trouble-installing-custom-themes-unable-to-write-in-the-app-themes-directory/30973/1 "2024-02-20T11:40:03Z")

</div>

Mautic version is: 5.1.23  
PHP version is: 8.1.27  
Database type and version is: 10.6.16-MariaDB-0ubuntu0.22.04.1

My problem is:

I cannot install new themes in [mautic.domain.com/s/themes](https://mautic.domain.com/s/themes). No matter what .zip theme file I try to install (new, from online, following any tutorial…), I get the same error “Unable to write in the “/app/themes” directory.”. Same happened to my co-workers who I asked to try on their accounts. We all have administrator roles, which should be ‘full system access’.

![Screenshot 2024-02-20 at 9.46.40](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/mautic/original/2X/3/3dca601c629c739400cc414783af5faed2a47710.png)

Steps I have tried to fix the problem:

I have tried uploading various different .zip theme files, but the result is always the same. I have tried searching through the internet including these forums for an answer.

I was simply given an account to our Mautic project with the task of creating a custom theme for our emails, and I am stuck with this installation blocker. I figured while I continue to try and fix it I could also post here in case someone already knows what the issue could be, and is willing to help

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mzagmajster](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forum.mautic.org/mzagmajster/32/687_2.png) [@mzagmajster](https://forum.mautic.org/u/mzagmajster)
#### Post date: [February 20, 2024, 1:15pm UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/trouble-installing-custom-themes-unable-to-write-in-the-app-themes-directory/30973/2 "2024-02-20T13:15:15Z")

</div>

themes directory needs to be writable by webserver user (usually www-data):

```auto
chown -R www-data:root themes

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![markusvjh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@markusvjh](https://forum.mautic.org/u/markusvjh)
#### Post date: [February 21, 2024, 8:56am UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/trouble-installing-custom-themes-unable-to-write-in-the-app-themes-directory/30973/3 "2024-02-21T08:56:59Z")

</div>

Thank you a lot for the reply [mzagmajster](https://forum.mautic.org/u/mzagmajster)! We are now happily theming.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/uploads/mautic/original/1X/43c63600fe51440378769136903f1fa2a9a34102.png) [@system](https://forum.mautic.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2024, 8:57pm UTC](https://forum.mautic.org/t/trouble-installing-custom-themes-unable-to-write-in-the-app-themes-directory/30973/4 "2024-02-22T20:57:27Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 36 hours after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.