Hub Site Theme Does Not Apply to Child Sites: Root Cause and Fix

When you associate a child site with a SharePoint hub site, the hub site’s theme should automatically apply to the child site. In some cases, the child site keeps its original color scheme and branding instead. This issue occurs because the child site has a custom theme applied at the site level that overrides the hub site theme. This article explains why the hub site theme fails to apply and provides step-by-step instructions to force the hub theme onto child sites.

Why the Hub Site Theme Does Not Apply to Child Sites

SharePoint hub sites can propagate a theme to all associated child sites. This feature is designed to maintain consistent branding across a group of related sites. The hub theme is stored in the hub site’s theme settings and is pushed to child sites when they are associated with the hub.

The root cause of the theme not applying is a conflict between the hub theme and a custom theme that has been applied directly to the child site. When a child site has a custom theme set through the site’s own “Change the look” settings, that custom theme takes priority over the hub theme. SharePoint does not automatically overwrite a child site’s custom theme when it is associated with a hub site. The hub theme only applies if the child site is using the default theme or no custom theme.

How Hub Theme Inheritance Works

Hub theme inheritance is a one-time push at the moment of association. If the child site already has a custom theme, the hub theme is ignored. Changing the hub site’s theme later does not automatically update child sites that have custom themes. You must either remove the custom theme from the child site or manually reapply the hub theme.

Common Scenarios That Cause the Conflict

The following actions can create a custom theme on a child site that blocks the hub theme:

• A site owner changed the theme using the “Change the look” panel after the site was created.
• The child site was created from a template that included a custom theme.
• A site was migrated from another environment and brought its own theme.
• A site collection administrator applied a site-level theme using PowerShell or PnP.

Steps to Force the Hub Site Theme onto Child Sites

Follow these steps to remove the custom theme from a child site and apply the hub site theme. You need at least Site Owner permissions on the child site.

1. Verify the hub site has a theme set
   Go to the hub site. Click the gear icon and select Change the look. Under Theme, confirm that a theme is selected and saved. If no theme is set, choose one and click Save.
2. Navigate to the child site’s theme settings
   Open the child site that is not receiving the hub theme. Click the gear icon and select Change the look.
3. Remove the custom theme from the child site
   In the Change the look panel, scroll to the Theme section. Click Reset to default theme or select the default SharePoint theme. This action removes any custom theme that overrides the hub theme. Click Save.
4. Apply the hub theme manually
   After resetting the theme, go back to Change the look. Under Theme, look for an option labeled From hub or Hub site theme. Select it and click Save. The hub site theme now appears on the child site.
5. Reassociate the child site with the hub (if needed)
   If the theme still does not apply, remove the child site from the hub and add it again. Go to Site settings > Hub site settings. Under Associated hub site, click Remove from hub. Wait one minute, then search for the hub site and click Register to re-associate.

Using PowerShell to Apply the Hub Theme to Multiple Child Sites

If you have many child sites with custom themes, use SharePoint Online Management Shell to reset the theme in bulk. You need the SharePoint Online Management Shell module installed and global admin or SharePoint admin credentials.

1. Connect to SharePoint Online
   Open PowerShell and run Connect-SPOService -Url https://yourtenant-admin.sharepoint.com. Enter your admin credentials.
2. Get the hub site’s theme
   Run Get-SPOHubSite -Identity https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/HubSite. Note the SiteDesignId value. This ID identifies the theme associated with the hub.
3. Reset the child site’s theme
   For each child site, run Set-SPOSite -Identity https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/ChildSite -DenyAddAndCustomizePages 0 to allow theme changes. Then run Set-SPOSite -Identity https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/ChildSite -OverrideTheme to remove the custom theme.
4. Apply the hub theme to the child site
   Run Invoke-SPOSiteDesign -Identity -WebUrl https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/ChildSite. Replace with the ID you noted in step 2.

If the Hub Site Theme Still Does Not Apply

Child site shows “From hub” option but theme does not change

This issue can occur when the hub site itself does not have a theme applied, or the theme was changed after the child site was associated. Go to the hub site and confirm that a theme is saved in Change the look. Then manually select From hub on the child site again.

Child site theme resets after a few minutes

A custom script or a site design applied to the child site may be reapplying a custom theme. Check if the child site has a site script that runs on a timer. Go to Site settings > Site scripts and review any active scripts. Remove or modify scripts that set a theme.

Hub site theme does not apply to new child sites

If new sites created from the hub do not inherit the theme, the hub site’s theme may not be part of the site design. Verify that the hub site has a site design that includes a theme. Go to the SharePoint admin center, select Active sites, choose the hub site, and click Hub site. Check the Site design field. If it is empty, assign a site design that includes a theme.

Item	Hub Site Theme	Child Site Custom Theme
Source	Set in hub site’s Change the look settings	Set directly on the child site’s Change the look settings
Inheritance	Pushes to child sites at association time	Overrides hub theme when present
Removal	Cannot be removed from child sites without breaking hub association	Can be reset to default or hub theme manually
Bulk application	Requires PowerShell or site design	Must be removed individually or via PowerShell

You can now identify and fix the hub site theme conflict on child sites. Start by checking the child site’s theme settings and removing any custom theme. If you manage many sites, use the PowerShell method to reset themes in bulk. For persistent issues, review site scripts and site designs that may be reapplying custom themes. The key settings to remember are Change the look > Reset to default theme and the From hub option in the theme picker.