Topics

  • What are plugins?
    • How practise they chronicle to WordPress core?
    • What are some examples?
  • Finding and Installing Plugins
    • Finding Plugins
    • Plugin Compatibility
      • Compatibility of New Plugins
      • Compatibility of Installed Plugins
    • Installing Plugins
      • Automated Plugin Installation
      • Upload via WordPress Admin
      • Manual Plugin Installation
    • Plugin Favorites
      • Favorite a Plugin
      • View a User'south Favorite Plugins
    • Updating Plugins
      • Manual Plugin Update From The Dashboard
      • Manual Plugin Update From The Plugins Folio
      • Enable Automatic Plugin Update
      • Disable Automatic Plugin Update
      • Bulk Update WordPress Plugins
    • Uninstalling Plugins
      • Automatic Uninstallation
    • Troubleshooting
      • Resource To Help Diagnose The Effect
      • Possible Resolutions
        • Make certain that the plugin is activated later it is installed.
        • If you lot know which plugin is causing the issue:
        • If you don't know which plugin is causing the issue:
      • Plugin Management
        • Must-Use Plugins
      • Developing Plugins

What are plugins?

WordPress Plugins are PHP scripts that extend the functionality of WordPress. They enhance the features of WordPress or add entirely new features to your site. Plugins are oft developed by volunteers and are usually free to the public.

Plugins are bachelor via the WordPress Plugin Directory. Although plugins you detect here are thoroughly tested and considered rubber to use, they are of varying quality and are often works in progress.

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How practice they chronicle to WordPress cadre?

The WordPress content direction system software, or WordPress core, provides the primary functionality for publishing content and managing users. Each WordPress plugin is an additional piece of software that can be hands installed to extend the functionality of WordPress core.

This allows you to customize your WordPress site with your desired functionality. Since so much functionality is provided through plugins, WordPress core is full-featured and customizable, without having to include everything for everyone.

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What are some examples?

Some of the more popular plugins in the WordPress Plugin Directory fall into these categories:

  • Spam control
  • SEO
  • Information import and export
  • E-commerce
  • Security
  • Caching

This is merely a small sample. There are thousands of plugins available in the directory, so there'south a good take a chance you lot'll notice some that are useful to you lot.

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Finding and Installing Plugins

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Finding Plugins

Yous tin scan and search for plugins in the WordPress Plugin Directory. Each plugin listed there is available for download as a cipher file you can upload to your WordPress site.

An alternative way to notice and install plugins is from within the WordPress admin screens. Navigate to Plugins > Add together New, and you tin can browse and search for plugins from inside your dashboard.

Each plugin listed there has an "Install Now" button then you tin can easily add it to your site.

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Plugin Compatibility

If a plugin hasn't been updated since the most recent update to WordPress core, it may be incompatible, or its compatibility may be unknown. Y'all can view compatibility information virtually plugins from the Add Plugins page, or from the Installed Plugins list.

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Compatibility of New Plugins

To larn about the compatibility of a plugin earlier yous install information technology, navigate to Plugins > Add New. Each plugin description on this page includes a note that reads "Compatible with your version of WordPress" or "Untested with your version of WordPress." You can click the "More Details" link to encounter information about this plugin's compatibility.

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Compatibility of Installed Plugins

To larn about the compatibility of plugins you've already installed, click the "Plugins" link in the left nav of your site's dashboard. Each item on this list should contain a "View details" link. Click this to see information about this plugin's compatibility with different versions of WordPress.

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Installing Plugins

There are 3 means to install WordPress plugins.

Automated Plugin Installation. Any plugin available in the WordPress Plugins Directory can exist installed via the congenital-in plugin installer.

Upload via WordPress Admin. You can hands add a new plugin past uploading a zip annal of the plugin from your local figurer.

Manual Plugin Installation. In some cases, y'all may need to manually upload a plugin directly using an SFTP client.

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Automatic Plugin Installation

This is the simplest method of installing a plugin. To add a plugin using the built-in plugin installer:

  1. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
  1. Use the search course in the superlative-right to search by keyword, author, or tag.
  1. On the search results that appear, click a plugin's title or the link 'More than Details' to read more than nigh it, including installation notes, plugin documentation, or other useful information.
  2. Click the Install Now button to install the plugin.
  3. Once the plugin installation is consummate, click Actuate to activate the plugin.

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Upload via WordPress Admin

If you lot accept a re-create of the plugin equally a zip file, you tin can manually upload information technology and install it through the Plugins admin screen.

  1. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
  2. Click the Upload Plugin push button at the summit of the screen.
  1. Select the zip file from your local filesystem.
  1. Click the Install Now button.
  1. When the installation is consummate, you'll meet "Plugin installed successfully." Click the Actuate Plugin push.

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Transmission Plugin Installation

In rare cases, you lot may need to install a plugin by manually transferring the files onto the server. This is recommended only when absolutely necessary, for example when your server is not configured to allow automatic installations.

This process requires you to be familiar with the process of transferring files using an SFTP customer. It is recommended for advanced users and developers.

Hither are the detailed instructions to manually install a WordPress plugin by transferring the files onto the webserver.

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Plugin Favorites

Y'all can add a plugin to your list of favorites, and you tin can view and easily install some other WordPress.org user's favorite plugins.

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Favorite a Plugin

  1. Log in to the WordPress Plugins Directory using your WordPress.org ID.
  2. Find the plugin you lot want to similar and get to the plugin's page.
  3. Click the heart icon next to the Download push button.
  1. Once you take favorited a plugin, it will show up in your WordPress.org public profile. If you have published a review of the plugin, your rating of the plugin will also appear here.

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View a User'due south Favorite Plugins

To see a WordPress.org user's favorite plugins (including your own):

  1. Browse to the Add together Plugins admin screen (Plugins > Add New).
  2. Click the Favorites tab.
  1. Type the user's proper name in the "Your WordPress.org username" field.
  1. Click Get Favorites.
  2. Each of the plugins listed here has an 'Install Now' button that you can use to add the plugin to your site.

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Updating Plugins

Plugin developers update their plugins occasionally by adding new features, improving lawmaking quality, and keeping them secure. To ensure that these changes are applied on your site immediately, you should go on your WordPress plugins up to date. This helps to better your site's WordPress security and performance.

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Manual Plugin Update From The Dashboard

Your WordPress Dashboard automatically notifies y'all when a plugin needs to be updated — you can view this notification under the Dashboard->Updates tab.

  1. Curlicue down to the Plugins section.
  1. Select the checkbox for the plugins yous desire to update and and then click  'Update Plugins' button.

Note: Ever make certain you lot have a electric current backup of your site before updating your plugins. Sometimes issues can happen during the update procedure.

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Manual Plugin Update From The Plugins Page

You can find the plugins that demand to be updated on your site's Plugins page.

To notice any plugins installed on your site that need to be updated:

  1. Click the "Plugins" link in the left nav of your site'southward dashboard.
  2. Look down the list of installed plugins for whatever that include a line reading "There is a new version…"
  3. Click the "View version…" link in that note to view details about the plugin's update.
  4. Click the "update now" link to update the plugin.

NOTE: Always make sure you have a current backup of your site before updating your plugins. Sometimes problems tin can happen during the update process.

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Enable Automatic Plugin Update

WordPress introduced automatic updates for WordPress plugins in WordPress v.5. This allows you to enable automatic updates for individual WordPress plugins straight from the Plugins Page in the WordPress dashboard.

  1. Become to Plugins -> Installed Plugins page inside WordPres Admin surface area. Here yous'll run into the listing of all your installed plugins.  Each plugin in the list has a link 'Enable auto-updates' in the right-most column (nether Automatic Updates).
  2. Select the checkbox for the plugins you want to enable auto-update and click the link  'Enable motorcar-updates' for the selected plugin. This will enable automatic updates for the selected plugin.

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Disable Automatic Plugin Update

  To stop your plugins from updating automatically, do the following:

  1. Go to Plugins -> Installed Plugins folio inside WordPres Admin area. Here y'all'll see the list of all your installed plugins.
  2. Each plugin in the list that has auto-update enabled volition have a link 'Disable auto-updates' in the right-most cavalcade (under Automatic Updates).
  3. Select the checkbox for the plugin you lot want to disable motorcar-update and click the link  Disable auto-updates' for the selected plugin. This will disable automatic updates for the selected plugin.

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Majority Update WordPress Plugins

If you take several plugins on your website that need an update, so you can bulk update those plugins.  It is e'er recommended to practice a quick review of all the plugins before updating.

  1. Go to the Plugins folio and click on the 'Update Bachelor' link. This will testify yous the list of all plugins that accept updates bachelor.
  1. Click the checkbox to select all the plugins yous desire to update.
  1. From the 'Bulk Actions' drop downward, select 'Update' and click 'Apply'.

If all goes well with the updates, yous will see a message saying that the updates were completed successfully.

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Uninstalling Plugins

Plugins have a safe and easy-to-use uninstaller. If that is not available, yous can also manually uninstall the plugins.

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Automatic Uninstallation

The safe and easy manner to uninstall a plugin is via the WordPress admin screen.

  1. Navigate to your Plugins admin screen and locate the plugin to exist uninstalled.
  2. Select the checkbox adjacent to the plugin name and click the "Deactivate" link.
  1. Once the plugin is successfully deactivated, click the plugin'due south "Delete" link.

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Troubleshooting

Occasionally, a WordPress Plugin may non work as expected. This department provides helpful resources and steps you can accept for troubleshooting plugin issues.

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Resources To Help Diagnose The Event

  • Review the plugin's documentation to confirm that you've followed the instructions. Y'all can find this information in the Plugins page under the name of each Plugin > View details.

NOTE: If y'all accept access to the plugin files, you can as well find this information in the Plugin's folder within readme.txt.

  • Search the WordPress Back up Forums for the name of the Plugin and keywords associated with the problem you are experiencing or the specific error bulletin that is displayed.
  • Search the WordPress Plugins Directory for the proper noun of the Plugin. On the Plugins page, select the Support tab to read well-nigh issues reported in the Support Forums for that plugin.
  • Go to the website of the plugin author and check their blog and Plugin page for known issues or communication.
  • Search the web with the name of the Plugin and keywords associated with the trouble you lot are experiencing or the specific error message that is displayed.
  • Post a question in the WordPress Support Forums with the name of the Plugin and keywords associated with the problem you are experiencing or the specific error message that is displayed. Make sure to include the problem in the championship of the question. For communication on how to amend your chances of getting assistance, run into Finding WordPress Help.

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Possible Resolutions

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Brand sure that the plugin is activated after it is installed.

  1. Go to the Plugins > Installed Plugins from the WordPress admin screen.
  2. Find the Plugin and click 'Activate'.

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If yous know which plugin is causing the result:

  1. Conciliate that plugin and actuate information technology again to see if this helps.
  1. In some cases, the plugin may be buggy or incompatible. Deactivate the plugin. Search for other similar plugins, install and actuate it and run into it this revolves the issue.

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If yous don't know which plugin is causing the issue:

Sometimes problems may be caused by a conflict with unlike WordPress plugins. There are a few different ways y'all tin tell which plugin is causing the result.

  • You installed a single plugin and experienced issues with your site shortly afterward that.
  • You updated a unmarried plugin and experienced issues with your site soon after that.
  • There'southward an mistake bulletin telling you exactly which plugin file is causing the issue.
  • Try deactivating plugins one at a time until you find the one that'due south causing the result.
  • In one case you find the plugin that is causing the effect, you can either deactivate and actuate it again to meet if this helps. Or you can detect other similar plugins from the WordPress Plugins Directory, install and activate it and see if this resolves the issue.

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Plugin Management

Plugins are managed from the Plugins admin screen of your WordPress site.

Here you will notice a list of all installed plugins, whether they are agile or inactive. From this screen, y'all can activate, deactivate and delete plugins.

Plugins listed in bold are currently active.

Each plugin on the listing also contains links to further information about the plugin.

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Must-Apply Plugins

Must-use plugins (a.1000.a. mu-plugins) are plugins installed in a special directory inside the content binder and which are automatically enabled.

Must-utilize plugins do not show in the default list of plugins on the Plugins page and cannot be disabled except by removing the plugin file from the must-use directory, which is plant in wp-content/mu-plugins by default.

For more details, please refer Must Use Plugins.

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Developing Plugins

The WordPress community relies on plugin developers to maintain a healthy and growing drove of plugins. A big role of what makes WordPress valuable is the extensive and freely available plugins.

Y'all can help WordPress users by creating your ain plugins for distribution through the WordPress plugin directory.

You can get started with the WordPress plugin development using the resources in the WordPress Plugin Developer Handbook.