What is a WordPress Plugin and How Do You Install It?

What is a WordPress Plugin and How to Install a New One?

Introduction

Plugins are components that add specific functionalities to an existing software product. In the context of the WordPress platform, it is no different. Like most CMS (Content Management Systems), WordPress features various core functions that provide all the necessary options to create a simple website. However, in most cases, you will reach a point where you want to integrate more complex functionalities or features into your website. This is exactly where plugins come into play. They allow you to expand the functionality of your website by implementing specific features.

Thanks to the huge WordPress community, you have over 56,500 free and commercial plugins to choose from, allowing you to integrate exactly the functionalities you are looking for. In this tutorial, we will guide you step-by-step through the process of installing a new plugin on your WordPress-based website.

Accessing the Plugin Installation Page

First, log in to your WordPress admin dashboard. You do this by entering your domain followed by "/wp-admin" into your browser's address bar – for example, "yourdomain.ch/wp-admin", where "yourdomain.ch" stands for your actual domain name. Once you are logged in, please navigate through the menu on the left side to "Plugins" > "Add New".

When you click on the "Add New" option, you will be redirected to a new page where you can start the installation process for plugins.

Installing Plugins

There are generally two methods for installing WordPress plugins. We will introduce both so you can decide for yourself which one seems more convenient. Both methods are extremely straightforward and easy to follow. We are therefore firmly convinced that you will be able to handle both without any problems.

The first method is to search for the desired plugin directly through the WordPress admin dashboard and perform the automatic installation. Note that this method is typically intended for free WordPress plugins. The second method is to download the plugin's installation archive either from the official WordPress plugin directory or from another third-party source and then upload it via your WordPress admin dashboard.

Installing Plugins via the Automatic Installer

To install a plugin directly via the "Add Plugins" page, you must first locate the desired plugin. You can do this by browsing the available plugins using the categories located at the top of the page: "Featured", "Popular", "Recommended", or "Favorites".

Alternatively, you can use the search function located in the top right corner of the page. There you will find a dropdown menu that allows you to narrow down your search as follows:

• "Keyword" – Searches the names and descriptions of plugins for the specified keyword.
• "Author" – Searches for plugins created by a specific author.
• "Tag" – Searches for plugins that are marked with a corresponding tag.

Once you have entered the keyword in the search field, WordPress will display all plugins that match your search criteria. Once you have found the plugin you are looking for, simply click on the "Install Now" button.

This will start the installation process. Please give the system a few moments so that the installation can be successfully completed. Once this has happened, the label of the button changes from "Install Now" to "Activate". As a final step, click this button to activate the plugin and make it ready for use.

Once the plugin has been activated, you will be redirected to the "Installed Plugins" area and can use the plugin from then on.

Installing Plugins from a Downloaded Archive

As we previously mentioned, this method is intended for installing plugins that have been downloaded either from the official WordPress plugin directory or from a third-party source. At this point, we assume that you have already downloaded the required installation archive. If you haven't done so yet, please do it now.

Once the archive file is on your local computer, please click on the "Upload Plugin" button located in the top area of the plugin installation page.

A new field will then open where you must upload the required archive. To do this, please click on the "Choose File" button, browse the files on your local computer, and select the archive. Once the upload process is complete, please click on the "Install Now" button to start the installation.

Once the installation is complete, the "Activate Plugin" button will appear. Similar to the previous example, you must click it to fully activate the plugin.

Conclusion & Support

Congratulations! You now know what a plugin is and how to install one. As promised, the process is very simple. We hope you were able to successfully install and activate the desired plugin using our guide.