Installing Plugins and Themes for WordPress

13 March 31, 2021

To build a WordPress site, you first need to know how to install plugins and themes. These are the building blocks of a WordPress site. The theme provides the graphical template for your site, defining the overall style while plugins provide features and functionality beyond basic text entries.

There are multiple ways to add themes and plugins to your WordPress site. This article will guide you through installing a theme or plugin both directly from the WordPress directory and using FTP.

Installing Plugins from WordPress Admin
  1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel. This is usually located at ‘http://yourdomain.com/wp-admin’; unless you have changed the WordPress admin URL.
  2. In the left-hand navigation bar, hover over “Plugins” (the plug icon) and select “Add New”.
  3. Search for the desired plugin in the search bar.
  4. Then click “Install Now”.
  5. If prompted, enter your FTP credentials.
  6. Once installed, click “Activate” to make the plugin active.
Installing Themes from WordPress Admin
  1. Log in to your WordPress admin area.
  2. In the left-hand navigation bar, hover over “Appearance” (the paintbrush icon) and select “Themes”.
  3. Select “Add New”.
  4. Search for the theme you wish to use. Then, hover over the theme and select “Install”.
  5. If prompted, enter your FTP credentials.
  6. Once installed, click “Activate” to make it your active Theme.
Installing a Plugin or Theme from FTP
  1. Download the theme or plugin as a .zip file from the WordPress directory or other source.
  2. Unzip the file on your computer. The result should be a folder with the same name as the zip file.
  3. Connect to your server with your FTP credentials. For instructions on how to connect to FTP, see our support guide here.
  4. Copy the unzipped folder over to the plugins or themes directory.
  5. If you installed WordPress at the root of your domain, then your plugins directory will be ‘/yourdomain.com/public_html/wp-content/plugins’.
  6. If you installed WordPress in a subdirectory, then the path to your plugins directory will be ‘/yourdomain.com/public_html/subdirectory_path/wp-content/plugins’.
  7. The themes directory will be at the same path, ending in ‘/wp-content/themes’.
  8. Once uploaded, you will need to sign into your WordPress admin panel to activate the plugin or theme.
  9. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins or Appearance > Themes. Then click “Activate” on the plugin or theme to activate it.