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 three methods of installing WordPress plugins.

How to Install 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:

1. Login to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins -> Add New
2. Search for the plugin that you want to install by typing in the Keyword box. For instance, we searched for the WP Super Cache plugin:
3. Click Install Now
   
   
4. Wait for the process to finish and press the Activate button

How to Install WordPress Plugins Manually

The official WordPress directory is not the only place to find plugins. There are plenty of third-party directories offering a vast selection of free and paid premium plugins like CodeCanyon and Codester.

However, with these plugins, you need to install them manually. Here’s how:

1. Download the .zip file of the plugin
2. Log in to your WordPress dashboard and navigate to Plugins -> Add New
   
3. Press the Upload Plugin button at the top of the page
4. Click Choose File and select the plugin file from your computer
5. Press Install Now
6. 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, here’s what you need to do to install a plugin:

1. Unzip the plugin file and save the content to a folder
2. Establish an FTP connection to your hosting account and navigate to the Remote Site panel
3. Scroll down and locate wp-content -> Plugins
4. In the Local Site panel, open the folder where you store the plugin’s files
5. Upload the extracted files to your site’s plugins directory
6. Wait for the transfer to complete
7. The plugin for WordPress should now be installed on your site

Things to remember when selecting a Plugin

With the vast number of plugins in the WordPress directory and even more available from third-party website’s, its best to remember a few things when dealing with a plugin.

Is it Supported?

When deciding if you want to download a specific plugin there are few things you should check first:

• Last updated – this shows if the plugin is still active and if it is being supported and currently worked on
• Installation numbers – this number shows how popular plugin is
• Ratings – reviews and feedback from people who have already used the plugin
• Compatiblity – checks the version of WordPress that you are currently running and if it will work with your website

Does it do what I want?

Before downloading and installing plugins in WordPress be sure to check if the plugin you are installing will do everything that you want it to do. Easily do this by reading the documentation or checking out a blog about it.

If you decide to test a number of different plugins on WordPress, remember to de-activate the previous plugin before trying another.

Install one at a time

When testing out your plugin in WordPress remember to install and test each plugin individually. This way you will be able to easily see if there are any problems to your blog and what the cause may be. Too many downloads and installations can overload your WordPress website as well.

Conclusion

By finishing this tutorial, you’ve learned three different ways to install WordPress plugins to your blog or website. 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.