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November 12, 2019
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2 min Read
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Domantas G.
How to Install WordPress Plugins
Plugins allow users to add more features to their websites. Tons of free and premium ones are available out there, waiting to be discovered. In this tutorial, we’re going to show you the three methods of installing WordPress plugins. Keep reading!
Installing WordPress Plugins From the Official Plugins Directory
The easiest way to install WordPress plugins is by going to the official plugins directory. Here’s how:
- Login to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins -> Add New.
- Search for the plugin that you want to install. For instance, we searched for the WP Super Cache plugin:
- Click Install Now. Wait for the process to finish and press the Activate button.
To check and configure the settings of your installed plugins, head to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
Installing WordPress Plugins Manually
The official WordPress directory is not the only place to download plugins. There are plenty of third-party directories offering a vast selection of paid premium plugins like CodeCanyon and Codester.
However, paid plugins need to be installed manually:
- Download the .zip file of the plugin.
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins -> Add New.
- Press the Upload Plugin button at the top of the page.
- Click Choose File and select the plugin file from your computer. Press Install Now.
- Once the installation is finished, press Activate Plugin.
Using an FTP Client to Install WordPress Plugins
The last method to install WordPress plugins is by using an FTP client. The process is slightly more complicated because you need to know how to configure an FTP client.
Nevertheless, it’s not rocket science and you definitely can follow this simple tutorial. Here’s what you need to do:
- Unzip the plugin file and save the content to a folder.
- Establish an FTP connection to your hosting account and navigate to the Remote Site panel.
- Scroll down and locate wp-content -> Plugins.
- In the Local Site panel, open the folder where you store the plugin’s files.
- Upload the extracted files to your site’s plugins directory.
- Wait for the transfer to complete, and that’s it! The plugin should now be installed on your site.
As you can’t use FileZilla to activate the installed plugin, log in to your WordPress dashboard and activate the plugin from there.
Conclusion
By finishing this tutorial, you’ve learned the three different ways to install WordPress plugins. Knowing how to do so will undoubtedly be beneficial for your site as there’s no limit to what you can do with these tools.
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and add new features to your site!
The Author
Domantas G. / @domantas
Domantas leads the content and SEO teams forward with fresh ideas and out of the box approaches. Armed with extensive SEO and marketing knowledge, he aims to spread the word of Hostinger to every corner of the world. During his free time, Domantas likes to hone his web development skills and travel to exotic places.
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