Choosing the right Astro theme can make your entire project run more smoothly, whether you're building for a client, a startup, or a content-focused site. Astro is fast and flexible, but the wrong theme can create extra work, hidden limits, and design headaches.
Most mistakes happen early, often because you pick a theme just because it looks good. By knowing what to check upfront, you can avoid rework and start with a theme that truly fits your goals.
This guide walks you through the biggest mistakes developers and founders make when choosing an Astro theme and how to avoid them with confidence.
1. Ignoring the Purpose of Your Site and the Functionality You Actually Need
Many users choose a theme based purely on aesthetics without clearly defining the purpose of the website or the functionality required to support it.
This often leads to selecting a theme that either overdelivers with unnecessary complexity or underdelivers by missing critical features. Clarifying your site’s goals early helps you choose a theme that truly fits your needs.
Questions to ask before choosing a theme:
- What is the primary purpose (blog, SaaS, landing page, directory, documentation)?
- What components do you need (pricing, testimonials, features, tables)?
- Will you need dynamic functionality like search or filtering later?
- Do you need a minimal theme or a full-featured business theme?
- How much content will your site have?
Common problems caused by this mistake:
- Rewriting half the theme later
- Missing key components
- Overpaying for unused features
- Choosing a theme misaligned with your business goals
- Wasted time and resources
Takeaway:
The right theme must serve your website’s purpose, not just your design preference.
2. Focusing Only on Design and Ignoring Performance
A theme may look modern and visually appealing, but that doesn’t guarantee good performance. If the theme loads heavy images, unnecessary scripts, or too much JavaScript, it can slow your site down and negate Astro’s performance advantages.
Evaluating performance from the start ensures a fast, smooth user experience across all devices.
Questions to ask before choosing a theme:
- How does the demo score on Lighthouse for mobile and desktop?
- Are images and fonts optimized properly?
- Does the theme ship minimal JavaScript to the client?
- Are unnecessary libraries or scripts included?
- Is performance consistent across different pages?
Common problems caused by this mistake:
- Slow loading speeds
- Poor Core Web Vitals
- Lower SEO rankings
- Extra debugging and optimization work
- Defeating the purpose of using Astro
Takeaway:
A theme should look great, but it must also be fast and efficient.
3. Not Checking Whether the Theme Is Easily Customizable
Some themes look appealing but are extremely rigid or built with hard-coded styles, making customization difficult. A theme should allow you to update branding, layouts, and sections without breaking the design. Choosing a flexible theme saves significant development time.
Questions to ask before choosing a theme:
- Does it use Tailwind or clear utility classes?
- Can you easily change colors, fonts, and spacing?
- Are components modular and well-organized?
- Can sections be replaced or rearranged cleanly?
- Is styling explained in the documentation?
Common problems caused by this mistake:
- Slow and painful customization
- Layouts breaking from small edits
- Branding inconsistencies
- Rewriting entire components
- Wasting time on simple adjustments
Takeaway:
A customizable theme is essential, especially for client or long-term projects.
4. Overlooking Mobile Responsiveness and Real Device Testing
Many Astro themes look perfect on desktop but fail on mobile devices, where most users actually browse.
Even small issues in spacing, navigation, or layout can create a poor mobile experience. Testing on a real phone helps you spot issues that DevTools simulations might miss.
Questions to ask before choosing a theme:
- Does the layout adapt correctly on small screens?
- Is the mobile menu easy to use?
- Are text sizes readable?
- Do images scale without breaking?
- Does the site feel smooth on an actual device?
Common problems caused by this mistake:
- Broken layouts on mobile
- High bounce rate
- Poor usability for most visitors
- Extra redesign or fixing time
- Reduced conversions and credibility
Takeaway:
Always test the demo on a real phone, not just your browser.
5. Choosing a Theme That Doesn’t Fit Your Content Structure
A theme must support the type of content you plan to publish. Otherwise, you’ll spend time rewriting large parts of it.
If the structure doesn’t match your blogs, products, case studies, or documentation, the theme becomes more work than a solution. Good themes align with your content model from day one.
Questions to ask before choosing a theme:
- Does it support categories, tags, or authors?
- Are blog, case study, or product layouts included?
- Are reusable components available?
- Is the content structure easy to scale?
- Can you add new content types without breaking the theme?
Common problems caused by this mistake:
- Rewriting core components
- Missing essential layouts
- Structure breaking as content grows
- Slower development due to missing features
- More manual work for editors and teams
Takeaway:
Choose a theme that matches the content you’re planning for now and for the future.
6. Not Reviewing Documentation, Code Quality, or Folder Structure
A theme can look polished externally but still come with messy code, poor structure, or confusing naming.
Clean code and clear documentation are crucial for smooth customization and long-term maintenance. A well-structured theme saves time for both current and future developers.
Questions to ask before choosing a theme:
- Is there a clear setup guide?
- Are components arranged logically?
- Are naming conventions consistent?
- Does it follow Astro best practices?
- Are the tricky parts explained with comments?
Common problems caused by this mistake:
- Hard-to-modify code
- Slow onboarding for new developers
- Difficulty adding new features
- Extra debugging and refactoring
- Higher long-term maintenance cost
Takeaway:
Clean code and documentation make a theme easier to work with over time.
7. Ignoring SEO Best Practices
Even the best-looking theme won’t perform well if it lacks SEO essentials. Themes that ignore metadata, heading structure, accessibility, or image optimization make it harder to rank.
A solid SEO foundation is crucial for websites that rely on organic traffic.
Questions to ask before choosing a theme:
- Does it use semantic HTML?
- Are titles and meta descriptions handled properly?
- Are images optimized with alt text and lazy-loading?
- Is the heading structure logical?
- Does it support schema markup?
Common problems caused by this mistake:
- Low search visibility
- Wrong previews on social media
- Duplicate or missing meta tags
- More SEO fixes later
- Poor organic traffic performance
Takeaway:
A good Astro theme should support SEO right out of the box.
8. Forgetting About Long-Term Updates and Support
Astro evolves quickly, and themes that don't receive updates become outdated or incompatible.
Choosing a theme backed by an active developer ensures it will stay stable, secure, and compatible with future versions of Astro.
Questions to ask before choosing a theme:
- How often is it updated?
- Does the developer have a good reputation?
- Are issues resolved promptly?
- Is support available if needed?
- Is there a visible changelog?
Common problems caused by this mistake:
- Breaking changes after Astro updates
- Bugs that never get fixed
- Needing to replace the theme later
- Extra maintenance time
- Reduced stability and reliability
Takeaway:
Choose a theme that’s actively maintained and backed by a trustworthy team.
9. Ignoring Reputation, Reviews, or Developer Credibility
A theme is only as reliable as the people behind it. Themes from unknown or inactive developers often come with poor support, outdated code, or no long-term maintenance.
Checking credibility protects you from buying a theme that may be abandoned.
Questions to ask before choosing a theme:
- Who created the theme?
- Do they have other reputable products?
- Are reviews or ratings available?
- Is their GitHub or website active?
- Do they respond to support requests?
Common problems caused by this mistake:
- Themes abandoned quickly
- Lack of updates
- Poor support experience
- Missing documentation
- Wasted money on unreliable products
Takeaway:
Developer credibility matters just as much as theme quality.
Conclusion
Choosing an Astro theme is more than a design choice; it impacts performance, workflow, scalability, SEO, and how easily your site grows over time. When you pick a theme with a clear focus on structure, customization, responsiveness, and long-term support, you avoid unexpected limits and extra development work.
By sidestepping these common mistakes, your Astro site stays fast, flexible, and easy to maintain — whether you’re launching a startup page, building a content site, or managing client projects.
For Astro themes that are fast, well-coded, and designed for reliability, explore the Astro collection at Themefisher. These are built to help you launch and maintain projects with confidence.
