How to Upload Custom Fonts to WordPress (When Google Fonts Aren’t Enough)

You’re building a new website for a client, everything’s coming together nicely—until you hear:
“I want to use the same font we have in our brand presentation… I can’t find it on Google Fonts.”

And of course, it’s not there. The usual suspects like Roboto, Lato, or Montserrat just don’t cut it.
Time to go font hunting.

Where to Find Custom Fonts

If the font isn’t available on Google Fonts, try these trusted sources:

• Adobe Fonts (included with Creative Cloud)
• DaFont (free fonts – check licensing)
• FontSquirrel (free for commercial use)
• MyFonts (premium fonts – great selection)

Understanding Web Font Formats

When downloading a custom font, you’ll likely get several file types. Here’s what they mean:

• WOFF (Web Open Font Format): Optimized for web use with great browser support.
• WOFF2: A newer, even smaller version. Best performance. Widely supported.
• TTF (TrueType Font): Older format, heavier and not ideal for web use.
• OTF (OpenType Font): Like TTF but with more advanced features. Still not ideal for web.

Tip: Use .woff2 whenever possible, with .woff as a backup.

Uploading Fonts to WordPress Manually

a) Use a Child Theme

Always use a child theme to preserve changes during theme updates:

/*
Theme Name: My Child Theme
Template: your-parent-theme
*/

b) Upload the Fonts

Via FTP or your hosting file manager, create a /fonts/ folder inside your child theme and upload your .woff and .woff2 files.

c) Declare the Font in CSS

@font-face {
  font-family: 'MyCustomFont';
  src: url('fonts/myfont.woff2') format('woff2'),
       url('fonts/myfont.woff') format('woff');
  font-weight: normal;
  font-style: normal;
}

d) Apply It to Your Site

body {
  font-family: 'MyCustomFont', sans-serif;
}

Save, clear cache, and reload the page. Your custom font should now be live.

Don’t Like Code? Use a Plugin

If coding isn’t your thing, try one of these plugins:

• Use Any Font
• Custom Fonts
• Fontsy

They let you upload fonts directly from the WordPress dashboard and apply them without touching code.

Using Elementor or Divi?

 Elementor (Pro version)

1. Go to Elementor → Custom Fonts.
2. Click Add New and name your font.
3. Upload all formats you have (.woff2, .woff, .ttf, etc.).
4. Save. Your font will now appear in Elementor’s font selector.

 Divi

1. Go to Divi → Theme Options.
2. Under General Settings, look for Upload Fonts.
3. Upload your custom font.
4. It will be available in the dropdown inside any text module.

Reminder: Always upload at least a .woff or .woff2 version for proper web compatibility.

6. Managing Multiple Sites? Save Time

If you handle multiple WordPress sites —whether for clients or your own projects— repeating this process can be a huge time sink.

That’s where a tool like Modular DS comes in. It lets you:

• Upload and reuse custom fonts across all your sites
• Deploy code snippets globally in one click
• Monitor uptime and vulnerabilities
• Automate backups and plugin updates
• Generate reports and manage everything from one dashboard

If you’re also working on SEO, check out our guide on the 5 Best SEO Plugins for WordPress.

Modular DS offers a free trial, so you can test all features risk-free:
👉 Try Modular DS for free here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)