Installing plugins is one of the most important tasks for any WordPress site owner. Plugins allow you to add new features and functionality to your WordPress site without having to code them yourself.
With over 55,000 free plugins in the WordPress plugin directory alone, the possibilities are endless. You can use plugins to add contact forms, social sharing buttons, sliders, galleries, ecommerce stores, forums, membership sites, and much more.
However, if you’re new to WordPress, you may be wondering: how do I install a WordPress plugin?
The good news is that installing plugins in WordPress is really easy, even if you‘re a complete beginner. In this detailed guide, we‘ll show you step-by-step how to install and activate WordPress plugins.
Contents
Why Use Plugins in WordPress?
Before we get into the specifics of how to install a plugin, let‘s go over some of the benefits of using plugins in WordPress:
-
Add new features instantly – As mentioned above, plugins allow you to add all kinds of new functionality without having to code it yourself. Want a contact form? Just install a contact form plugin. Want an online store? Install WooCommerce.
-
Save time – Installing a plugin takes just a few minutes but can save you hours or even days of development time.
-
Easy to use – Most quality WordPress plugins are designed to be very intuitive and easy to use. The configuration is done through the WordPress dashboard so no coding is required.
-
Regular updates – Plugins are constantly updated by their developers to fix bugs, add new features, and remain compatible with new versions of WordPress.
-
Improve security – There are many security plugins like Wordfence that help secure your WordPress site.
-
Customize your site‘s appearance – Plugins like Slider Revolution allow you to create beautiful slideshows. Other plugins let you customize fonts, colors, layouts, and more.
-
Enhance performance – Plugins like caching and minification plugins can dramatically improve your site‘s loading speed.
-
Stay within the WordPress ecosystem – Using plugins keeps you within WordPress so you can continue to use the backend dashboard that you‘re familiar with.
Simply put, plugins help you enhance your WordPress site without having to worry about custom development.
3 Ways to Install WordPress Plugins
There are three main ways you can install plugins on WordPress:
1. Install Plugins via Dashboard Search
The easiest way to install plugins is directly through your WordPress dashboard. Here‘s how:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
- In the left menu, hover over Plugins and click "Add New".
- At the top of the page, type in the name of the plugin you want to install. For example, if you want to install an SEO plugin, you can search for "SEO".
- Click "Search Plugins". This will display plugins matching your search query.
- Find the plugin you want and click the "Install Now" button.
- After installation, click "Activate". This will enable the plugin.
Installing plugins via dashboard search works seamlessly, but it‘s limited to plugins available in the WordPress Plugin Directory. These are all free plugins.
If you want to install a premium plugin that‘s not available, you‘ll need to use one of the other two install methods covered next.
2. Install Plugins via Upload
If you‘ve purchased a premium WordPress plugin or have a plugin in a .zip format, you can install it by uploading the plugin .zip file directly:
- Download the plugin .zip file to your computer.
- Go to Plugins » Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
- Click on the "Upload Plugin" button at the top.
- Choose the plugin .zip file you downloaded to your computer.
- Click "Install Now".
- After installation, click "Activate".
Installing via upload gives you the flexibility to install any plugin, premium or not. The downside is that it requires downloading the .zip file first.
Still, this is the go-to installation method if you have purchased a premium plugin from a site like CodeCanyon.
3. Install Plugins Manually via FTP
The most technical way to install plugins is manually via FTP. Here are the steps:
- Download the plugin .zip file to your computer.
- Unzip the file. This will create a folder containing the plugin files.
- Connect to your web host via FTP.
- Upload the plugin folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ folder on your server.
- Go to Plugins in your WordPress dashboard.
- Find the new plugin and click "Activate".
Manual FTP installation is useful when your web host has strict file restrictions that prevent you from installing plugins directly from the dashboard.
However, it‘s more complex and requires FTP knowledge. If possible, I recommend sticking to the first two install methods for an easier experience.
Activating Plugins
Keep in mind that installing a plugin in WordPress does not activate it. You have to activate the plugin for it start working.
After installing a plugin via any of the methods above, you‘ll see an "Activate" link. Click on it to activate the plugin.
Activated plugins show up under "Active Plugins" on the main plugins screen in WordPress.
Where to Find Quality Plugins
Now that you know how to install plugins, let‘s discuss where to find premium plugins for WordPress.
While the WordPress Plugin Directory has over 55,000 free plugins, most serious WordPress sites need at least a few premium plugins. Here are some places to find paid quality plugins:
-
Envato Elements – Envato Elements offers unlimited access to hundreds of premium WordPress plugins for a monthly subscription. This can save you money compared to buying plugins individually.
-
Codecanyon – Codecanyon is home to thousands of premium WordPress plugins sold individually. Many advanced plugins are only available here.
-
Plugin companies – Companies like WPMU DEV, Elegant Themes, and WooCommerce sell bundles of premium WordPress plugins.
-
Theme companies – Many theme companies like StudioPress and ThemeIsle include premium plugins with their themes.
-
Direct from developers – Plugin developers like Gravity Forms, Slider Revolution, and others sell plugins directly from their own sites.
When searching for plugins, make sure to read the user reviews and check that the plugin is updated regularly. An out-of-date plugin with a lot of negative reviews is something to avoid.
Most Popular Plugin Categories
According to WPBeginner‘s State of WordPress survey, here are the most popular types of plugins among real WordPress users:
| Plugin Category | Percentage of Sites Using |
|---|---|
| Page builders | 64% |
| SEO | 61% |
| Security | 49% |
| Backups | 48% |
| Caching | 46% |
| Contact Forms | 45% |
| Social Media | 41% |
| Sliders | 37% |
| Analytics | 36% |
| Memberships | 26% |
Page builders like Elementor are the most used as they make building WordPress sites much easier. SEO and security plugins are also very common.
Here are some examples of the most installed plugins in each category:
- Page Builders – Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, Brizy
- SEO – Yoast SEO, RankMath, The SEO Framework
- Security – Wordfence, iThemes Security, Sucuri
- Backups – UpdraftPlus, VaultPress, BackWPup
- Caching – WP Rocket, WP Fastest Cache, LiteSpeed Cache
- Contact Forms – WPForms, Contact Form 7, Ninja Forms
- Social Media – Social Pug, Social Share Buttons, Socializer
- Sliders – Slider Revolution, MetaSlider, Soliloquy
- Analytics – MonsterInsights, Google Analytics Dashboard, Analytify
- Memberships – MemberPress, Paid Memberships Pro, Memberful
These plugins show up frequently in the WordPress repositories which indicates they are high quality options.
Getting Started With New Plugins
Once you activate a new plugin, there are a couple things you‘ll want to do:
-
Check Settings – Most plugins come with settings that allow you to customize their functionality. You can access plugin settings in your WordPress dashboard by going to Plugins and clicking on the "Settings" link below the plugin name.
-
Read Documentation – Quality plugins include detailed documentation on usage, customization, and more. You can usually find the documentation on the plugin developer‘s website. Reading it will help you get the most out of the plugin.
-
Watch Tutorials – Many plugin developers offer video tutorials walking you through plugin setup and how to use the different features. YouTube is also filled with WordPress plugin tutorials.
It may take some trial and error when first using a new plugin, but taking the time to configure settings, read docs, and watch tutorials will get you up to speed quickly.
As a WordPress expert with over 15 years of experience, I highly recommend being thorough with the initial setup of new plugins to avoid issues down the road.
Troubleshooting Plugin Conflicts
With so many plugins available, sometimes they can conflict with each other causing issues on your site. Common problems include:
- Sudden errors appearing
- Specific functions breaking
- pages not loading correctly
- changes reverting unexpectedly
Plugin conflicts are annoying but fixable. Here is my proven step-by-step process for diagnosing and resolving plugin conflicts:
-
Disable all plugins – Temporarily disable all plugins and see if your site works properly again. If the issues disappear, then a plugin is likely causing it.
-
Re-enable plugins one by one – Slowly re-enable plugins while checking your site after each one. When the issue reappears, you‘ve found the conflicting plugin.
-
Try an alternate plugin – If another plugin exists that offers similar functionality, give that a try. Using an alternate may resolve the conflict.
-
Contact support – Many developers offer stellar support for their plugins. Reach out explaining the conflict to see if they have a recommended fix.
-
Check for updates – Make sure all plugins are updated to the latest versions. Old plugin versions that are out-of-date often cause conflicts.
-
Disable unused plugins – Remove any plugins that you aren‘t actively using. Less plugins means less potential for conflicts.
Following this process should help you isolate and resolve any plugin conflicts that may arise. Just take it slow and methodical.
Optimizing Plugin Performance
While plugins provide powerful functionality, they can impact your site‘s performance if not optimized. Here are 7 tips for optimizing plugins for speed:
-
Limit the number of plugins – Too many plugins can slow down your site, aim for 10-15 well-chosen plugins.
-
Look for lightweight options – When available, choose lightweight plugins over bloated ones for better performance.
-
Configure caching plugins – Caching plugins like WP Rocket speed up sites by caching pages. Proper configuration is key.
-
Enable lazy loading – Lazy load plugins delay loading of non-critical elements. This reduces page weight and speeds up load time.
-
Minimize conflicts – As mentioned previously, plugin conflicts drag down performance. Eliminate conflicts.
-
Review server requirements – Some resource-intensive plugins like WooCommerce have increased server requirements for optimal performance.
-
Monitor site speed – Use PageSpeed Insights and Pingdom Tools to measure how much each plugin affects speed.
Following these performance best practices will keep your site running smooth and fast. Just be diligent about monitoring speed and optimizing plugins.
Keeping Plugins Updated
One of the big advantages of plugins is that they receive regular updates from developers.
These updates typically include:
- Bug fixes
- New features
- Enhanced functionality
- Improved security
- Better compatibility
That‘s why it‘s crucial to keep your WordPress plugins updated. Out-of-date plugins are more vulnerable to security threats.
When an update is available, you‘ll see a notification in your WordPress dashboard.
Two Ways to Update Plugins
You can update plugins individually or update all plugins at once:
-
Individual updates – Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins, select the plugin, and choose "Update"
-
Bulk updates – Check all plugins you want to update, select "Bulk Actions", and choose "Update"
Monthly or weekly plugin updates are recommended to stay current. For higher security sites, I suggest even more frequent updates.
Updating Safely
Here are a few tips for safely updating WordPress plugins:
- Review the changelog first so you know what‘s changing.
- Create a backup in case something breaks.
- Stagger updates over a few days rather than all at once.
- If available, update plugins on a staging site first before production.
- Monitor your site for any issues after updating.
- Consider using an automated plugin update manager for convenience.
Following these safety tips will help ensure smooth plugin updates. Don‘t be afraid to reach out to the developer if anything breaks after an update.
Conclusion
Installing and managing plugins is critical for enhancing your WordPress site.
With this guide, you‘ve learned:
- How to install WordPress plugins via search, upload, and FTP.
- Where to find premium quality plugins.
- How to activate and get started with new plugins.
- Tips for troubleshooting plugin conflicts.
- Optimizing plugin performance best practices.
- The importance of keeping your plugins updated.
The plugin ecosystem allows you to add all kinds of functionality to your WordPress site without coding.
Take advantage of it! With over 55,000 free plugins and thousands of premium options, you‘re sure to find plugins to accomplish what you need.
I hope this detailed guide serves you well in managing plugins on your WordPress site. Let me know if you have any other questions!
