To install a WordPress plugin, go to Plugins > Add Plugin in your dashboard, search for the plugin, click Install Now, then click Activate. That works for any free plugin in the WordPress.org plugin directory. Paid plugins come as a .zip file that you upload from the same screen, and you can also install plugins over SFTP or with WP-CLI.
This guide walks through all four methods with screenshots from WordPress 7.1, then covers finding a new plugin’s settings, turning on auto-updates and fixing the errors people run into most.
- In WordPress 7.1 the menu item is Plugins > Add Plugin. Older versions called it “Add New”, which is what most tutorials still show.
- You need an administrator account. On multisite only a super admin can install plugins, and on WordPress.com installing plugins needs a paid plan.
- Paid plugins arrive as a .zip file you upload from the same screen. Uploading a newer .zip is also how you update them by hand.
- Since WordPress 6.5, a plugin can require other plugins, and WordPress will not install or activate it until those are in place.
- After activation, look for the plugin’s settings under Settings, in its own menu item, or as a Settings link on the Plugins screen.
- If an automatic plugin update crashes your site, WordPress now tries to roll it back to the previous version.
Before you install a plugin
Three things decide whether you can install plugins at all:
- Your role. Installing plugins needs the Administrator role. If you log in and do not see an Add Plugin option under Plugins, ask whoever set up the site.
- Your setup. On a multisite network, only super admins can install plugins, from Network Admin. Some managed hosts also switch plugin installs off with the
DISALLOW_FILE_MODSsetting, which hides the menu for everyone. - Your plan, if you use WordPress.com. According to WordPress.com’s own guide, installing plugins is available on its Personal, Premium, Business and Commerce plans, but not on free sites.
Before you click Install Now, glance at the plugin’s card. It shows when the plugin was last updated, how many sites run it, its rating, and whether it is compatible with your version of WordPress. A plugin that has not been updated in years is a risk, and our guide to spotting abandoned plugins covers what to look for. Only install plugins from the WordPress.org directory or directly from the developer, and never “nulled” copies of paid plugins, which are a common way malware gets onto sites.
Method 1: Install a plugin from the WordPress dashboard
This is the method to use for any free plugin listed on WordPress.org.
- In your dashboard, go to Plugins > Add Plugin.
- Type the plugin’s name into the Search Plugins box at the top right.
- Click Install Now on the plugin’s card.
- When the button changes to Activate, click it.
Installing only copies the plugin’s files onto your site. Nothing runs until you activate it, which is why the Install Now button turns into an Activate button once the download finishes:
Clicking Activate takes you to the Installed Plugins screen with a “Plugin activated.” notice. From here you can deactivate the plugin, open its settings, or turn on automatic updates:
Prefer video? This walkthrough shows the same steps. It was recorded on an older version of WordPress, where Add Plugin was still called Add New.
Method 2: Upload a plugin .zip file
Premium plugins are not in the WordPress.org directory, so you download them as a .zip file from the developer’s website and upload them yourself.
- Download the plugin’s .zip file from your account on the developer’s site. Do not unzip it.
- Go to Plugins > Add Plugin and click the Upload Plugin button at the top.
- Click Choose File, select the .zip, then click Install Now.
- When the upload finishes, click Activate Plugin.
Notice the wording on that panel: you can “install or update” a plugin by uploading it. If you upload a .zip for a plugin that is already installed, WordPress compares the two versions and offers a Replace current with uploaded button. That is the manual way to update a premium plugin when its license-based auto-updates are not working.
If the upload fails with a file size error, your server’s upload limit is too low for that plugin. You can raise the upload limit or use one of the next two methods, which skip it.
Method 3: Install a plugin over SFTP
Uploading the plugin folder straight to your server is useful when the dashboard upload fails, or when a broken plugin has locked you out and you need to swap in a fixed version. You will need your SFTP (or FTP) login from your web host.
- Download the plugin’s .zip, from its WordPress.org page or the developer, and unzip it so you have a folder.
- Connect to your server with an SFTP client like Cyberduck (free for Windows and Mac).
- Open the
wp-content/pluginsfolder inside your WordPress installation. - Upload the unzipped plugin folder into it, usually by dragging it into the client.
- Log in to WordPress, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins, and click Activate under the new plugin.
If the plugin does not appear on the Installed Plugins screen, check that you uploaded the folder itself rather than its contents, and that it landed directly inside wp-content/plugins. A plugin buried one folder too deep will not be detected. If it still does not show, the files may have the wrong file permissions.
Method 4: Install a plugin with WP-CLI
If you have SSH access to your server, WP-CLI is the fastest way to install plugins, especially across several sites. One command handles the download, the install and the activation:
# Install and activate a plugin from WordPress.org by its slug
wp plugin install classic-editor --activate
# Install a specific version
wp plugin install classic-editor --version=1.6.7
# Install from a zip file or URL, replacing any installed copy
wp plugin install https://example.com/plugin.zip --force --activate
# See what is installed, then update everything
wp plugin list
wp plugin update --allThe slug is the last part of the plugin’s WordPress.org address, so wordpress.org/plugins/classic-editor/ has the slug classic-editor. On multisite, --activate-network activates the plugin across the whole network.
Plugins that need other plugins
Since WordPress 6.5, a plugin can list other plugins it depends on, such as an add-on that only works with WooCommerce. WordPress then enforces the order for you. The plugin’s card shows an “Additional plugins are required” notice, and its Install Now button stays greyed out until the required plugins are installed:
The same button is disabled when a plugin needs a newer version of WordPress or PHP than your site runs, which is worth checking your PHP version for. On the Installed Plugins screen, each plugin lists what it requires and what requires it, and WordPress will not let you deactivate a plugin that another active plugin depends on.
How to use a plugin after you install it
Most plugins start working as soon as you activate them. To change how one behaves, you need to find its settings, and plugins put them in one of three places:
- A Settings link under the plugin’s name on the Installed Plugins screen, like the one next to Classic Editor in the screenshot above. This is the quickest way in.
- A page under the Settings menu. Classic Editor, for example, adds its options to Settings > Writing.
- A menu item of its own in the dashboard sidebar. Larger plugins such as WooCommerce and most SEO plugins work this way.
Some plugins have no settings at all. Block plugins add new blocks to the editor’s block inserter instead, and others simply change something on your site the moment they are active.
To remove a plugin, deactivate it first, then click Delete, which only appears once a plugin is inactive. Deactivating keeps the plugin and its settings in place so you can switch it back on later. Deleting removes its files, and a well-built plugin may also clear out its saved settings when it is deleted.
Turn on automatic updates
WordPress has supported automatic plugin updates since version 5.5. On the Installed Plugins screen, click Enable auto-updates in the Automatic Updates column next to any plugin, and WordPress will install new versions for you as they are released.
Auto-updates are a good default for small utilities and security plugins. For large plugins that change how your site works, such as page builders and ecommerce plugins, you may prefer to update by hand after testing on a staging site. Either way, WordPress now checks your site after an automatic plugin update, and if the update caused a fatal error it tries to roll the plugin back to the previous version. If the update emails get noisy, you can turn off the auto-update emails without turning off the updates.
Fixes for common plugin install problems
| What you see | Why it happens | How to fix it |
|---|---|---|
| No Add Plugin option under Plugins | You are not an administrator, you are on multisite without super admin access, your host has disabled plugin installs, or you are on a free WordPress.com site. | Ask the site owner or host, or upgrade the WordPress.com plan. |
| “The package could not be installed. No valid plugins were found.” | The .zip is not a plugin: often a theme, or a download bundle with the real plugin .zip inside it alongside documentation. | Unzip the download on your computer and upload the plugin .zip from inside it. |
| “The uploaded file exceeds the upload_max_filesize directive in php.ini.” | The plugin is bigger than your server’s upload limit. | Raise the upload limit, or install over SFTP or WP-CLI instead. |
| Install Now is greyed out | The plugin needs other plugins you have not installed, or a newer WordPress or PHP version. | Install the required plugins first, or update WordPress or PHP. |
| The site breaks after activating a plugin | The plugin conflicts with your theme, another plugin, or your PHP version. | Follow our fix for the critical error message, or rename the plugin’s folder over SFTP to deactivate it. |
Frequently asked questions
Why can’t I see the Add Plugin option in WordPress?
Usually because your account is not an administrator. It is also hidden on multisite unless you are a super admin, on free WordPress.com sites, and on hosts that disable plugin installs with the DISALLOW_FILE_MODS setting.
How do I install a plugin on WordPress.com?
WordPress.com allows plugin installs on its paid plans: Personal, Premium, Business and Commerce. Free sites need to upgrade first. After that, the steps are the same: Plugins, then search, install and activate.
Where are WordPress plugins stored?
In the wp-content/plugins folder inside your WordPress installation. Each plugin has its own folder there, named after its slug.
Do I need to activate a plugin after installing it?
Yes. Installing only copies the plugin’s files to your site. The plugin does nothing until you click Activate, either on its card right after installing or on the Installed Plugins screen.
How do I update a premium plugin?
Most premium plugins update through the normal Updates screen once you enter your license key in the plugin’s settings. If that is not available, download the new .zip from the developer and upload it under Plugins, Add Plugin, Upload Plugin, then choose Replace current with uploaded.
Is it safe to install WordPress plugins?
Plugins from the WordPress.org directory are reviewed when they are first submitted, and most are well maintained, but check the last update date, the number of active installs and the compatibility note before installing. Avoid pirated “nulled” copies of paid plugins, which often carry malware.
Not sure which plugins to install first? Start with our list of the best WordPress plugins, and if you run into problems later, our guide to backing up WordPress means a bad plugin never costs you your site.
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