WordPress is the most popular blogging platform and designed to be lean and lightweight, to maximize flexibility and minimize code bloat. So, what are the plugins? Plugins are ways to extend and add to the functionality that already exists in WordPress. Plugins then offer custom functions and features so that each user can tailor their site to their specific needs.
Every self-hosted WordPress blogger should know how to install WordPress plugin and how to maintain it. In this post I’m going to show you step by step guide to install WordPress plugin. WordPress plugin Installation can be done in three ways;
- Using WordPress Admin Panel Search Option
- Using Upload Method in WordPress Admin Panel
- Using FTP Manager like FileZilla
Install WordPress Plugin using Admin Panel Search Option
There are more than 32k plugins in WordPress plugin directory. Only free plugins that follow GPL and all WordPress guidelines are in this directory.
First go to your WordPress Admin Panel and click on Plugins » Add New. You will see a screen like this.
So, in this case I searched for plugin Floating Social Bar and I got following results:
You can pick the plugin that is best for you. Since in my search, I was looking for Floating Social Bar which is the first plugin, I will click the “Install Now” link. A popup would appear on screen, asking if you are sure you really want to install the plugin:
Click on the OK button and WordPress will download, install the plugin for you. After this you will see a screen like this:
Then click “Activate Plugin”, now you have installed the WordPress plugin. You would have to configure the settings to fit your needs.
Install WordPress Plugin using Upload Method in Admin Panel
Sometimes, the plugin you want may be a paid plugin, so it is not in plugin directory. Then this option is the choice for beginners.
You should download the plugin from the source (which will be a zip file) and go to your WordPress admin panel. Click on Plugin » Add New. Then click on the Upload Tab. You will see a screen like this:
Browse the file and upload it (zip files only). You will be taken to the activate a plugin page just like this one:
Then click “Activate Plugin”, now you have installed the WordPress plugin. You would have to configure the settings to fit your needs.
Install WordPress Plugin Using FileZilla
This is another method which is very useful when you couldn’t install WordPress plugin using WordPress dashboard. You simply download the WordPress plugin from WordPress plugin library, unzip it and upload it to your WordPress plugin library using FTP software or cPanel. Access the path (/wp-content/plugins/) and upload files there.
The above screenshot is of FTP software known as FileZilla. Once you have uploaded, then you would need to click on the Plugins tag in your WordPress admin panel. You will see the plugin you just uploaded. Click on the Activate button and you are done.
We hope that this guide was helpful. This was created using the screenshots of version WordPress 3.9. If you have any concern or question regarding WordPress plugins, do let me know via comments. Do share this useful guide with your blogger friends on Facebook and Google plus.
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