How to Install a WordPress Plugin — Complete Beginner’s Guide

Are you wondering how to install a WordPress plugin on your website?

You can create nearly any type of website using WordPress — personal blogs, company websites, eCommerce stores — you name it.

However, out of the box, WordPress is a simple content management system (CMS). If you want to add features that aren’t available on WordPress by default to your website, you’ll need to add custom code or use a plugin.

In this beginner-friendly guide, we’ll show you 3 ways to install free and premium WordPress plugins to your website and answer frequently asked questions about plugin installation.

This guide covers:

1. What is a WordPress plugin?
2. Where do I find WordPress plugins?
3. How to install a plugin on WordPress
4. Method 1: How to install a WordPress plugin that’s free
5. Method 2: How to install a WordPress plugin from zip files
6. Method 3: How to install a plugin via FTP and cPanel
7. WordPress plugin installation FAQs
8. Conclusion

Ready? Let’s start with the basics.

What is a WordPress plugin?

A WordPress plugin is a piece of software code that you can “plug into” a WordPress website to add new features or improve existing features of the site.

There are plugins to add nearly any feature to a website — from adding a simple form to collect email addresses to transforming a barebones WordPress website into a full-blown eCommerce store like Amazon.

Think of WordPress plugins like applications on a smartphone. By itself, a smartphone can perform essential functions, such as making phone calls, storing contacts, or displaying the time. However, to use it for more advanced tasks, such as browsing the internet, taking photos, or shopping online, you need to install relevant apps.

Where do I find WordPress plugins?

It depends on where the plugin creator lists them. WordPress plugins are created by plugin developers, software agencies, and software companies. Here’s where they usually list plugins:

• The WordPress plugin directory: This is a section of the official WordPress.org website that lists over 60,000 plugins. If you created your site on WordPress.org, you can access the plugin directory from within your WordPress dashboard.
• Developer websites: Many plugin developers list their plugins on their websites. If you’re familiar with the plugin developer, you can likely download the plugins directly from their site.
• 3rd-party software vendors: There are many popular 3rd-party software vendors and marketplaces, such as MojoMarketPlace, Appsumo, Code Canyon, and more, that sell premium WordPress plugins.

How to install a plugin on WordPress 

There are three ways to install plugins to your WordPress website: directly from the WordPress plugin directory, by installing the plugin’s zip files to your WordPress dashboard, and via file transfer protocol (FTP) and cPanel.

All three methods work equally well to install plugins. However, the one you choose depends on whether you’re installing a free or premium plugin and the technical limitations of your web hosting provider.

Let’s look at each method, beginning with the simplest.

Method 1: How to install a WordPress plugin that’s free

The WordPress plugin directory lists over 60,000 free and freemium plugins.

Note: Free plugins are 100% free to download and use all their features. Freemium plugins are free to download and use their basic features, however, you need to pay to unlock the plugin’s advanced features.

In this tutorial, we’ll install the WooCommerce plugin created by the folks at Automattic, WordPress’ parent company.

If you prefer a video tutorial, here’s one showing you the steps to install a free WordPress plugin. Otherwise, read on.

Steps to install a free WordPress plugin.

Step 1: Head to your WordPress dashboard. Select “Plugins” > “Add New“.

Step 2: Enter the plugin name into the search bar in the top right corner and select “Search plugins“.

Step 3: Select the plugin you want to install from the search results and click “Install Now“.

Note: Installing a plugin uploads it to your site. However, you’ll need to activate it for it to work.

Step 4: When the plugin is installed, select “Activate“.

After the plugin has been activated, the page automatically redirects to the “Installed Plugins” page. You’ll see all the plugins that are installed on your website here.

Method 2: How to install a WordPress plugin from zip files

Not all plugins are listed in the WordPress plugin directory. So, if you want to install a plugin from a third-party website, this method is for you. This method involves downloading the WordPress plugin zip file and uploading it via your WordPress dashboard.

Note: Be careful when installing plugins from third-party websites. Make sure that the plugin developer and third-party website are trustworthy.

For this tutorial, we’ll install the WooCommerce plugin created by the folks at Automattic, WordPress’ parent company.

If you prefer a video tutorial, here’s one showing you the steps to install a downloaded plugin in WordPress [start at 03:57]. Otherwise, read on.

Steps to install a WordPress plugin from zip files

Step 1: Download the plugin zip file from the developer or third-party website.

Step 2: Head to your WordPress dashboard. Select “Plugins” > “Add New“.

Step 3: Select “Upload Plugin“.

Step 4: Select “Choose File” and choose the plugin .zip file from the folder you’ve saved it in. Then, select “Install Now“.

Note: Installing a plugin uploads it to your site. However, you’ll need to activate it for it to work.

Step 5: After the plugin has been installed, select “Activate Plugin“.

After the plugin has been activated, the page automatically redirects to the “Installed Plugins” page. You’ll see all the plugins that are installed on your website here.

Method 3: How to install a plugin via FTP and cPanel

You need to use this method when the plugin file size is too large or your web hosting provider’s technical limitations prevent you from using one of the earlier methods. This method involves downloading the WordPress plugin zip file and uploading it via your site’s cPanel.

For this tutorial, we’ll install the WooCommerce plugin created by the folks at Automattic, WordPress’ parent company.

If you prefer a video tutorial, here’s one showing you how to install a downloaded plugin in WordPress via FTP and cPanel. Otherwise, read on.

Steps to install a plugin via FTP and cPanel

Step 1: Download the plugin zip file from the third-party website.

Note: Be careful when installing plugins from third-party websites. Make sure that the plugin developer and third-party website are trustworthy.

Step 2: Unzip the plugin file to your computer. The unzipped plugin file will be extracted to a new folder with the same name as the plugin zip file.

Step 3: Install an FTP client and complete the setup on your computer. For this tutorial, we used FileZilla.

Step 4: Contact your WordPress hosting provider to get the FTP login credentials for your website, i.e Username, Password, Host/Server name, and Port Number. Then, enter the login credentials into the FTP client to connect it to your website’s cPanel.

Step 5: Log in to your WordPress file directory, and navigate to the “wp-content” > “plugins” folder. Upload the unzipped plugin folder you extracted to the “wp-content > plugins” folder on your WordPress file directory.

Note: Depending on your internet speed, this may take a while.

Step 6: Head over to your WordPress dashboard. Then select “Plugins” > “Installed Plugins.” You should be able to see the plugin that you just installed.

Note: Installing a plugin uploads it to your site. However, you’ll need to activate it for it to work.

Step 7: Select “Activate“.

WordPress Plugin Installation FAQs

Let’s review some frequently asked questions regarding installing plugins on your website.

Can you install plugins on a WordPress.com site?

You can’t install plugins if you’re on a “free”, “personal”, or “premium” WordPress.com plan. To install plugins on a WordPress.com site, you need to upgrade to their “business” or “eCommerce” plans. Head to WordPress.coms’ pricing page for more details.

How many WordPress plugins should I install?

There’s no known limit to the number of plugins you can install on your website, so you can install as many as you need. However, before you go overboard with installing plugins, it’s essential to consider that:

• Each plugin you install adds more code to your website: This can potentially affect your site’s speed, leading to slower load times, a poor experience for your site’s visitors, and an impact on your SEO rankings, especially if you install a heavy plugin file.
• The plugin’s code quality matters: Because anyone can build a WordPress plugi­n, plugins will differ in quality. Plugins that are coded poorly can break your website. Make sure you conduct thorough research and only install plugins from trustworthy sources.
• You shouldn’t install more than one plugin to add the same feature: Downloading multiple plugins simultaneously to perform the same function can break your website, as their scripts can interrupt each other.

Which plugins should I install on my WordPress website?

There’s no magic number or list of plugins that you should install on your WordPress site. It all depends on your specific requirements.

For example, if you own a local three-star restaurant, you may add plugins to showcase your restaurant’s menu, enable online orders, and add a map to direct people to your restaurant. Whereas, if you’re a freelance UX designer, you may choose to add plugins to display your portfolio and a contact form so that clients can easily connect with you.

To give you a head start, here are some plugins recommendations for personal, business, and eCommerce websites.

How do I uninstall a WordPress plugin?

When you uninstall a plugin, it’ll no longer be active on your website. However, its code will remain on your site. Deleting the plugin will remove its code from your website.

As a rule of thumb, you should always uninstall and delete plugins you don’t need. If you need them in the future, you can reinstall them.

Here are the steps to uninstall a WordPress plugin

Step 1: Go to your WordPress dashboard. Select “Plugins” > “Installed Plugins“.

Step 2: Tick the checkbox next to the plugin’s name and select “Deactivate”. 

Step 3: After the plugin has been deactivated. Tick the same checkbox and select “Delete“.

How do I fix WordPress plugin issues?

Most of the time, you wouldn’t face issues while downloading WordPress plugins. However, if you’re facing issues with a plugin, the first thing to do is uninstall it (see the above steps), and then reinstall it.

If you’re still facing issues with it, check out this article on plugin troubleshooting.

Conclusion

Plugins are essential to enhance your WordPress website. Follow the steps in this guide to install a plugin to your WordPress website.

Check out the rest of our blog for more content to help you make the most of WordPress.