How to Install WordPress Plugins

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how to install WordPress plugins

Here in this article, I am going to show you how to install WordPress plugins. After you have installed WordPress, what do you need to do next? install a WordPress theme, then after you have installed your theme, what do you d next? you have to install WordPress plugins to enhance your website.

I will show you the process on how to install WordPress plugins right from your WordPress website backend.

In simple words, WordPress plugins are like apps for your WordPress website. They allow you to add new features to WordPress

There are thousands of free and paid WordPress plugins available.

Please NOTE.

WordPress.com is different from WordPress.org. wordpress.com is a hosted website where you just create an account and get access to website templates. you do not get access to the hosting of your website.

To be able to install WordPress plugins on wordpress.com you will need to upgrade to their business plan which is expensive to get.

I do not advise my users to create their website on wordpress.com because it doesn’t give you access to all WordPress tools to create a professional website.

Often beginners confuse WordPress.com and WordPress.org, which leads them to choose the wrong blogging platform for their needs. Even those who know that they are two different platforms are not aware of the differences between them. I made the same mistake too when starting out, and I won’t want you to make the same mistake.

WordPress.org is a different platform, it’s self-hosted. With WordPress.org, you have full control of your website. You are free to do anything you want and customize it as much as you need. See the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org

SO, If you are using WordPress.com – Now you know that to be able to install wordpress plugins you have to upgrade to their business plan to get access to the plugin page.

But, If you are using a self hosted wordpress.org you can start installing your wordpress plugins right away.

Let get started with the process of how to install WordPress plugins

I am going to show you step by step to install wordpress plugins on your website.

First thing you need to visit the Plugins » Add New page inside your WordPress admin area.

The easiest way of installing a WordPress plugin is to use the plugin search.

how to install WordPress plugins

Find the plugin by typing the plugin name or the functionality you are looking for. After that, you will see a bunch of listings like the example below:

You can pick the plugin that is best for you. Since in our search, we were looking for woocommerce to create an online store.

click the ‘Install Now’ button next to it.

WordPress will now download and install the plugin for you. After this, you’ll notice the ‘Install Now’ button will change into the ‘Activate’ button.

how to install WordPress plugins


A WordPress plugin can be installed on your site, but it will not work unless you activate it. So go ahead and click on the activate button to start using that plugin on your WordPress Website.

This is how you can install WordPress plugins.

The next step is to configure the plugin settings. These settings will vary for each plugin… So i won’t be covering that here. If you install a plugin and need a guide to setup the plugins, please contact our support. and we will help you do that.

Install a Plugin using the WordPress Admin Plugin Upload

Paid WordPress plugins are not listed in the WordPress plugin directory. These plugins cannot be installed using the first method.

That’s why WordPress comes with the upload method to install such plugins. We will show you how to install WordPress plugins using the upload option in the admin area.

First, you need to download the plugin from the source (which will be a zip file). Next, you need to go to WordPress admin area and visit Plugins » Add New page.

After that, click on the ‘Upload Plugin’ button on top of the page.

how to install WordPress plugins

The next step is to click on the ‘Choose File’ button and select the plugin file you downloaded to your computer.

After you have selected the file, you need to click on the ‘Install Now’ button.

WordPress will upload the plugin file from your computer and install it for you. You will see a success message like this after the installation is finished.

how to install WordPress plugins

Once installed, you need to click on the Activate Plugin link to start using the plugin.

This is all you need to know to easily install a WordPress plugin to your website