How to install a plugin in WordPress

Being one of the most popular, WordPress offers great flexibility and numerous customization options. Installing plugins in WordPress allows you to improve the functions of your website.

WordPress has its own that includes free and premium plugins. These are used to add various features, from and personalized newsletters to caching and enhancement in the .

Some plugins can also modify your WordPress site to turn it into a functional or eLearning platform.

In this tutorial, we will show the process of installing WordPress plugins step by step using three different methods. At the end of this article, we will also include some tips for finding new WordPress plugins to improve your site.

How to install WordPress plugins from the official plugin directory

The easiest way to install a WordPress plugin is through the official plugin directory, like this:

1. Enter the administrator of your page, go to the area of plugins -> Add new
2. Find the plugin you want to install by typing in the search engine keywords. For example, we look for the plugin:
3. click on Install Now:
4. Wait for the process to finish and click Activate.

To review and configure the settings for installed plugins, go to plugins -> Installed plugins.

How to install plugins in WordPress manually

The official WordPress directory is not the only place to find plugins. There are many external directories that offer a wide selection of free and paid plugins like and .

However, you need to install these plugins manually. Here we explain how:

1. Download the file .zip of the plugin.
2. Login to your WordPress dashboard and go to plugins -> Add New.
   
3. Click the button upload plugin at the top of the page.
4. click on Review and select the plugin file from your computer.
5. press Install Now.
6. Once the installation is complete, click Activate plugin.

Use an FTP client to install plugins in WordPress

The last method to install WordPress plugins is by using a . The process is a bit more complicated because you need to know how to set up an FTP client. But don’t worry, the following guide will show you the process step by step.

1. Unzip the file ZIP of the plugin and save it to a folder on your computer. Note that the extracted plugin file folder will be the one you will need to upload via the FTP client.
2. to your hosting account. To do this, look for the FTP data of your hosting provider. If you have , just go to the section Records from the hPanel and click FTP accounts.
3. Once connected, access your FTP client. For this example, we use . There, enter your access credentials and press the button Fast connection. Then navigate to the panel remote site and look for the folder wp-content -> plugin.
   
4. on the dashboard local siteopen the folder where you save the plugin files and upload the extracted files to the directory plugin of your site.
5. Once the transfer is complete, the plugin should be installed on your site.

To activate the plugin, log in to your WordPress dashboard. go to plugins -> Installed plugins and click Activate.

Activation of pre-installed plugins in hPanel

provides one-click WordPress installation by When you install WordPress through this auto-installer, you get several pre-installed plugins, including and .

If you want to activate these plugins, access your WordPress control panel and go to the menu plugins. Choose the plugin you want to activate and click the button Activate.

Things to remember when choosing a plugin

There are many plugins in the WordPress plugin directory and even more available on third party websites. This number of options can be overwhelming, especially for beginners looking for the right fit for their site.

In the following sections, we will show you some essential aspects that you should take into account when selecting a plugin for your website.

regular updates

WordPress releases regular updates to keep your system up to date. This is how it improves its performance, maintains security, fixes bugs, and adds new features.

So before installing a plugin, keep these points in mind:

• Last update. Choosing a WordPress plugin that is updated frequently can prevent you from security flaws. This also shows that the developers are still actively managing and improving the plugin.
• Number of installations. This number shows the popularity of said WordPress plugin. In general, the higher the number of active installations of a plugin, the higher its quality.
• Ratings. User reviews and comments can help you evaluate the pros and cons of a specific plugin. This gives you an idea of ​​how the plugin works in specific situations.
• Compatibility. A plugin that receives regular updates from its developers is usually compatible with the latest version of WordPress. Always check the description tab to see what is required to run the plugin.

That is suitable for the task

Before downloading and installing a plugin on your WordPress website, review the information provided by the developers. Read the plugin documentation, check their support forums, and read reviews.

Researching through blog posts is also a good practice, as many websites offer plugin reviews. At , we also review and test WordPress plugins with various features, such as , , and .

Install one at a time

When testing a plugin in WordPress, remember to install and test each plugin separately. This way you’ll quickly see if it’s causing any issues on your site and if you can fix it.

If you decide to try several different WordPress plugins, remember to disable the old plugin before trying a new one.

Also, if you have several inactive plugins, it is better to remove them, as too many downloads and installations can overload your WordPress website and affect its performance.

Use only one plugin for each function

Although WordPress plugins add new features and improve the functionality of your website, installing too many can slow down your site.

This is because every time you install plugins in WordPress, new code is added to your website. If used excessively, plugins will send too many HTTP requests to load their resources, such as CSS style sheets, JavaScript files, and images, slowing down the loading speed of your website.

Also, installing WordPress plugins that perform similar functions can cause conflicts, with the risk of one or both plugins breaking. Therefore, the best practice is to install a WordPress plugin for each functionality.

For example, both have similar feature sets. Choose one to avoid plugin conflict.

conclusion

We hope this tutorial has helped you learn how to install WordPress plugins on your blog or website. Now you have the option to improve the functionality of your site even if you have no technical knowledge or skills.

If you’re not sure which plugin to start with, consider what your current website is missing. Then, look at the available plugins and compare important factors like compatibility, reviews, and latest update.

Here are some of the essential WordPress plugins we recommend to get you started:

If you think there are more essential plugins a website might need, let us know in the comments below.

Betania is a copywriter with a passion for digital marketing and website creation. She writes tutorials and performs SEO analysis on ‘s Content team. In her free time, she enjoys dancing, singing or watching a good classic movie.