---
title: Install Demo Content
description: "## Before you start - Install and activate recommended plugins: **Cooked**, **Cooked Pro**, and **One Click Demo Import**. See [Install Default Plugins](install-default-plugins.md). - A **fresh WordPress installation** is recommended. The importer merges demo content with your existing content; it does…"
url: "https://docs.cooked.pro/docs/install-demo-content/"
updated: "2026-06-25"
category: Basil
---

# Install Demo Content

## Before you start

- Install and activate recommended plugins: **Cooked**, **Cooked Pro**, and **One Click Demo Import**. See [Install Default Plugins](install-default-plugins.md).
- A **fresh WordPress installation** is recommended. The importer merges demo content with your existing content; it does not replace everything.
- **Cooked Pro** will me automatically installed with the One Click Demo Importer.
- Demo images are downloaded from the live demo site during import and may take several minutes.
- Some demo images are copyrighted and may look different on your site after import.

Live demo preview: [goratech.dev/demos/basil](https://goratech.dev/demos/basil/)

## Import demo with One Click Demo Import

One Click Demo Import is the recommended way to load the Basil demo. It imports content, widgets, and customizer settings.

The importer will **not** wipe your existing content, but it **will merge** demo content with what you already have. For best results, use a fresh WordPress install with only the recommended plugins active.

During import, these steps run automatically:

1. Cooked Pro is automatically installed.
2. Media is imported to your server (fetched from the demo site).
3. Posts, pages, and recipes are imported.
4. Menus are imported.
5. Customizer settings are imported.
6. Widgets are imported.

## Import steps

1. Confirm **Cooked**, **Cooked Pro**, and **One Click Demo Import** are installed and active.
2. Go to **Appearance → Import Demo Data**.
3. Select **Basil Demo**.
4. If prompted, allow the importer to install any missing required plugins (Cooked / Cooked Pro).
5. Click **Import** and wait until the process completes. Do not navigate away — this can take several minutes depending on your host.
6. When finished, open **Appearance → Customize** and review settings. Basil uses the Customizer, not a separate theme options panel.

![Basil Demo import screen](assets/basil/import-demo-data.jpg)

### After a successful import

Basil configures several settings automatically:

- **Menus:** Main Menu and Mobile Menu are assigned to their theme locations.
- **Reading settings:** Homepage is set to **homepage**; blog page is set to **blog**.
- **Cooked pages:** Browse Recipes and Profile pages are linked in Cooked settings.
- **Branding:** Logo and site icon are set from imported media.
- **Recipe taxonomies:** Demo taxonomies are enabled in Cooked settings.

![Import complete](assets/basil/import-complete.jpg)

If your homepage does not display correctly, check **Settings → Reading** and confirm **A static page** is selected with **homepage** as the front page.

![Reading settings homepage](assets/basil/homepage.jpg)

## Fallback method: Manual import

If one-click import fails, use the files bundled in your Basil theme under **ocdi/**:

| File | Contents |
| --- | --- |
| `demo-content.xml` | Posts, pages, menus, media references |
| `widgets.wie` | Widget layout |
| `customizer.dat` | Customizer settings |

### Import XML content

1. Go to **Tools → Import**.
2. Click **WordPress** (install the WordPress Importer plugin if prompted).
3. Upload **demo-content.xml** from the theme **ocdi** folder.
4. After import, go to **Appearance → Menus → Manage Locations** and assign menus if needed.

### Import widgets

1. Install and activate [Widget Importer & Exporter](https://wordpress.org/plugins/widget-importer-exporter/).
2. Go to **Tools → Widget Importer & Exporter**.
3. Upload **widgets.wie** from the theme **ocdi** folder.

### Import customizer settings

Re-run the One Click Demo Import and select only customizer data, or configure **Appearance → Customize** manually to match the demo.

### Set homepage

1. Go to **Settings → Reading**.
2. Select **A static page** for **Your homepage displays**.
3. Choose **homepage** as the **Homepage**.

## Troubleshooting

Most import problems are caused by server limits.

### Import could not complete / Error 504 (Gateway Timeout)

PHP **max_execution_time** may be too low. Increase it to **120** seconds or higher (your host can help), then reload the import page and try again. If it still fails, use the manual import method above.

### Import stuck or very slow

- Increase **max_input_vars** if the import hangs near the end.
- Ensure **Cooked Pro** is installed from **plugins/cooked-pro.zip** in your Basil package and activated.
- Try the import again on a fresh install with only recommended plugins active.

### Other issues

If you still cannot import the demo, contact support with your host’s PHP settings (upload limits, max execution time, max input vars).

## Demo images

Demo images are fetched from the live demo during import. Some assets are copyrighted and are not redistributed in the theme package. Your site may look different from the online demo until you add your own images.