If you can’t figure out how to install a WordPress plugin, you have come to the right place. We will give you detailed instructions on three methods you can use to install and finally activate your plugin.
Once you get the first one right, installing subsequent plugins will be a smooth process.
Plugins are essential for adding the functionality of your website without any expertise needed. You can improve your site’s SEO, increase speed, add payment methods, add contact forms, and much more.
There are over 55,000 free and paid WordPress plugins available. Although there is no limit to the number of plugins you can install, it’s important that you only install only what you need to avoid slowing down the website.
You need to also pay attention to the reliability of the plugin you choose. It should be secure and not affect the user-friendliness or responsiveness of your site.
How to Install a WordPress Plugin
If you want to install a free WordPress plugin, install the plugin by using the WordPress plugin search box. It is the easiest of the three methods.
You have to follow the WordPress plugin upload method if you want to install a paid or premium plugin, because you won’t find premium plugins in the WordPress plugin directory.
It is rare that you might have problems installing a plugin by WordPress plugin search or using the plugin upload method. Nevertheless, if it happens, you have to install your plugin using FTP.
How to Install a WordPress Plugin via WordPress Plugin Search Box
First, head over to your WordPress dashboard and go to Plugins >> Add New.
You will see an interface like the image above. Type the plugin name in the search box that you want to add. For our tutorial, type Elementor.
Next, click on the “Install Now” button. WordPress will automatically download and install the plugin for you.
You can see that the “Install Now” button has changed into an “Activate” button. The plugin won’t work on your site if you don’t activate it.
Go ahead and click on the Activate button. Now you can start using this plugin.
That’s all. You have successfully installed the Elementor page builder plugin on your website.
How to Install a WordPress Plugin by WordPress Plugin Upload Method
This procedure is usually used for installing premium plugins. As the WordPress plugin directory is limited to only free plugins, paid plugins cannot be installed using the first method, because they are not listed in the WordPress plugin directory.
For this reason, WordPress comes with an upload method.
In this section, we will show you how to install a WordPress plugin using the plugin upload system.
- First, download the Elementor plugin from elemntor.com. It will be a zip file (You have to download your chosen plugin from the desired source).
- Log in to your WordPress admin area.
- Go to Plugins > Add New.
- Next, click on the ‘Upload Plugin’ button at the top of the page.
This will open the plugin upload section. From here you have to choose the zip file that you have downloaded previously.
- Click on “Choose File”.
- You will be redirected to your own computer files. Choose the zip file from your computer.
After that, click the “Install Now” button.
Now WordPress will automatically upload the plugin from your computer and install it for you.
When you complete this process, you will see a success message on the WordPress dashboard.
After installing successfully, you need to click on “Activate Plugin”. It should now be activated on your website. Lastly, you have to configure the plugin settings.
Every plugin has a different settings configuration procedure. Therefore, we will not show you this in our tutorial.
How to Install a WordPress Plugin Using FTP Clients
In some cases, you may face restrictions from your WordPress hosting provider when trying to install a plugin on your website.
In this situation, the best way to upload a plugin is using FTP clients, which is a manual process.
This method is a little bit harder for beginners. We’ll walk you through how to install a WordPress plugin using an FTP client.
There are a few FTP clients available on the market. FileZilla is a free FTP service provider and the most popular one. In our tutorial, we will be using FileZilla.
- First, download the plugin’s zip file.
- Extract the zip file. You will find a folder with the same name as the zip file. This folder will be uploaded to your website.
- Download FileZilla and install it on your computer.
- Open the FileZilla application.
Connect FileZilla with your web server:
After opening FileZilla you will see this. Go to File > Site Manager.
This will bring up a popup window from which you need to access your host through this FTP manager.
Click on the New Site button on the bottom of the left column. Next, select a name that you like.
In the right column, you will be asked to enter some information:
- Protocol: Select the FTP -File Transfer Protocol. You should select SFTP if your hosting provider supports it.
- Host: Type your domain name here.
- Encryption: “Use explicit FTP over TLS if available”
- Logon Type: Normal
- User & Password: Enter your FTP username and password here. You can find your FTP account information from the FTP Accounts section of your Cpanel dashboard or by contacting your hosting provider.
If everything is correct, click on the Connect button to continue. FTP will save your login information for future use.
If this is your first time using FileZilla from this computer, it will show you a certificate popup.
Check the box next to “Always trust certificate for future sessions” on the bottom of the certificate popup. After that, click on the ok button to continue.
FileZilla will connect your computer with your website to upload files.
After completing the connection process, you will see two columns on the computer. One is a Local site and another is the Remote site.
You can browse your computer files through the local site. Find the folder which you have extracted from the zip file.
From the remote site, you can browse your website files and folders. Go to the wp-content/plugins location.
Next, select the plugin folder that you want to upload. Right-click on it and select the upload option.
After a few moments, the folder will be successfully transferred from your computer to your website.
You will see a message with a green bar at the bottom to show you when the process is finished.
After completing the transfer process, head over to your WordPress dashboard. You can see the Elementor plugin in the plugin archive.
Click on activate to activate the plugin on your website.
Using a similar process, you can upload other themes and plugins.
Conclusion: How to Install a WordPress Plugin
You now know how to install a WordPress plugin without any coding skills. All that is left is to use it to improve on your website’s functionality and make it more user-friendly.
Installing a free WordPress plugin is the easiest. If you want to install a premium version, only a few extra steps are needed.
If for any reason either of the methods fail, there is no need to hire a developer. Follow our easy guidelines for using FTP. And if you get stuck, you can contact us.
Ensure that the WordPress plugin you install is secure and does not tamper with the high-speed of your website.
If WPCITY‘s this post helped you, kindly share it on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Read Other Tutorials:
- How to Get Started With Elementor
- How to Use the Elementor Theme Builder
- How to Create a 404 Web Page With Elementor
- How to Install a WordPress Theme
- How to Create a Mega Menu WIth Elementor
- How to Add Custom CSS to WordPress
- How to Speed Up WordPress Site
- Ultimate WordPress Security Guide
- Install WordPress on Windows: Ultimate Step by Step Guide
- How to Create the Best WordPress Staging Site
- How to Add Custom Fonts to WordPress
- Can’t Login to WordPress Admin Dashboard?
Leave a Reply