Customize Themes: Improve and clarify help text

[celloexpressions]

The help text for the themes panel is currently somewhat misleading, as the filters are no longer in the sidebar. It could probably benefit from a more general reworking to briefly explain what themes are, why they need to be "installed," and maybe that plugins are available that offer themes from other sources (if the user can install themes and it's not multisite).

Current text:

Once themes are installed, you can live-preview them on your site, customize them, and publish your new design. Browse available themes via the filters in this menu.

[westonruter]

See also https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/37661#comment:215

[melchoyce]

Copy courtesy of @michelleweber:

Looking for a theme? You can search or browse the WordPress.org theme directory, install and preview themes, then activate them right here.

Once you activate a new theme, use the Customizer to tailor things like widgets and menus and to explore any theme-specific options.

[celloexpressions]

Once you activate a new theme, use the Customizer to tailor things like widgets and menus and to explore any theme-specific options.

Since the context stays in the customizer (and we don't frequently use the noun form within core), the "use the customizer" part should probably be eliminated. This text is also misleading, implying that you have to activate a theme before customizing it. That is not the case with this experience anymore.

[WhirledPress]

Replying to celloexpressions:

The help text for the themes panel is currently somewhat misleading,

This is my first attempt to help, so I apologize if I am out of the loop. Do you have a url for this "themes panel" help text so I can get context and not duplicate the help text already present?

[melchoyce]

@celloexpressions How do you feel about:

Looking for a theme? You can search or browse the WordPress.org theme directory, install and preview themes, then activate them right here.

While previewing a new theme, you can continue to tailor things like widgets and menus, and explore theme-specific options.

@WhirledPress You can find this now by going to the Customizer and clicking the "Change" button next to your active theme :)

[celloexpressions]

The text in 11 looks good to me.

[WhirledPress]

Replying to melchoyce:

@WhirledPress You can find this now by going to the Customizer and clicking the "Change" button next to your active theme :)

When I click the Change button in the Customizer, I don't see any help text. Clicking the ? help button gives me the following text:

The Customizer allows you to preview changes to your site before publishing them. You can navigate to different pages on your site within the preview. Edit shortcuts are shown for some editable elements.

Maybe something like:

The Customizer allows you to preview changes to your site's appearance before committing. While previewing a theme you can change your site's appearance and tailor things like widgets, menus, and theme-specific options. Edit shortcuts are shown for some of the editable elements. If you want to add additional themes, you can do so from the Appearance Menu > Themes submenu. Once a new theme is installed, you can preview and fine-tune it here before applying changes to your site.

[melchoyce]

Replying to WhirledPress:

When I click the Change button in the Customizer, I don't see any help text. Clicking the ? help button gives me the following text:

The Customizer allows you to preview changes to your site before publishing them. You can navigate to different pages on your site within the preview. Edit shortcuts are shown for some editable elements.

Maybe something like:

The Customizer allows you to preview changes to your site's appearance before committing. While previewing a theme you can change your site's appearance and tailor things like widgets, menus, and theme-specific options. Edit shortcuts are shown for some of the editable elements. If you want to add additional themes, you can do so from the Appearance Menu > Themes submenu. Once a new theme is installed, you can preview and fine-tune it here before applying changes to your site.

Thanks for checking it out. We're going to hopefully still add theme installation to this feature, in a point release if not 4.9, so we're going to stick with 11 for the help text.

[westonruter]

In 41815:

Customize: Improve and clarify help text for Themes panel.

Props michelleweber, melchoyce, celloexpressions.
See #37661.
Fixes #42047.