If you are running a WordPress website then plugins are the absolute basic necessity. While you will be able to run your website without installing any plugin, your website won’t have much functionality.
There are thousands of plugins available for the WordPress platform, both free and paid. Plus you have the WordPress plugins store through which you can find a free plugin for almost any feature that you want on your website.
If you want a specific functionality then there’s a 99% chance that a plugin has already been developed for it. A plugin can be installed on WordPress through many ways. We are going to share two of the most easy and popular ways to do it.
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Installing a plugin from the admin dashboard
You can install a plugin right from your admin dashboard. To do so follow the below steps.
- Visit Plugins -> Add New from your admin dashboard.
- In the search bar at the top you can search for the functionality you want on your website.
- You will now see a list of plugins. You can find the one that best fits your requirements. You can also check their reviews and active installations and finalize the plugin based on that.
- Once you have decided your plugin, click on the Install Now button next to the plugin name.
- The plugin will now be downloaded on your server and WordPress will then install it.
- Once done, click on the Activate button. Without activating the plugin it won’t work on your website.
You can now configure the settings depending on where the plugin has added the option in your admin menus.
Installing a plugin by uploading it
Many times you will find a plugin that is distributed through other stores instead of the WordPress plugin store. In those cases you will need to upload the plugin files to your WordPress website.
Steps to install a plugin by uploading them to your WordPress website
- First download the plugin files on your computer and zip the files.
- Now visit Plugins -> Add New from your admin dashboard.
- At the top you will see an Upload Plugin button. Click it.
- You will now see a file upload form. Click on the Choose File button and select the zip file that we created earlier.
- Click on the Install Now button.
- Once installed you will see a Plugin installed successfully message. Now you need to click on the Activate Plugin button.
The plugin is now installed on your WordPress website. You can configure the settings of the plugin by going to the appropriate menu from the admin dashboard.
Final Thoughts
Plugins are one of the most important parts of your WordPress website. It is important to have the knowledge of how to install and activate a plugin. Plugins allow you to add any functionality on your WordPress website without touching a line of code.