Easy Guide on How to Install a WordPress Plugin (2022)

There are countless websites present on the internet today, and do you know more than 40% of the website has been built with WordPress? Yes, you read it right. WordPress is an open-source CMS and allows developers to build and design a website smoothly.

The most significant benefit is that this CMS offers plugins to help you be a coding expert. By using plugins, you can develop any site. After installing WordPress, the next step is to install a plugin, say plugins.

There are countless ways of installing a WordPress plugin. But here, we will see easy and less time-consuming ways to make your work smoother.

So, let’s learn everything about How to Install a WordPress Plugin and easy ways to install it.

What are WordPress plugins?

Plugins are one of the essential terms in WordPress. You can consider it as software that enables some functionality in the websites.

There are plenty of Plugins available depending on their functionality and the feature developer wants in their website. With these Plugins, you can make attractive contact forms and add social buttons to your website. In addition, specific plugins enhance the functionality at the back-end—for example, website backup plugins and many more.

Due to the partition of the plugins into the front and back end, it becomes easier for you to manage the load. For example, some plugins are categorized as the back-end WordPress plugins, such as a plugin that puts your website in maintenance mode. It was the general overview of the WordPress plugins, and let’s dive deep to unfold some other information.

Let’s dive deep into detail in the upcoming segments.

How to Use a Plugin in WordPress?

If you are stuck on the question as to how to add plugins to WordPress and to use them, keep reading. Well, there are many WordPress plugins available. We can install them from your dashboard or with their official plugin directory.

If some plugins are not available in your directory, you can download the plugin in a ZIP file. To download these plugins, you can search them on the official websites. You can use plugins after installing, configuring, and deploying them.

Which plugin should WordPress users consider?

Well, there is no solid answer to answer this query. However, it is quite dependent on the developer’s need and the kind of functionality you want to add. For example, if you want to add an eCommerce section to your site, you can install an e-commerce plugin. Yoast SEO, WP Rocket, WP forms are the plugins every WordPress user should consider.

WordPress offers mainly two types of plugins, free and premium. So, let’s discuss the difference and the steps to install the WordPress plugins!

Free Plugins

You can find a list of plugins on your dashboard or the plugin directory. These free plugins are free to install and deploy as per their customization feature.

You can follow the steps shown below to upload plugins to your website.

How to add plugins on the website that are free?

• Go to your WordPress dashboard and click on the “Plugin” menu.
• After, click on the “Add New’ to upload the plugin.
• Type the plugin name in the search bar to select the plugin.
• Once you get your desired plugin, click on “Install.”
• After plugin installation, click on the “Activate,” and now your free plugin is ready to use.

Free plugin installation is an easy step, and at last, you can customize the plugin setting as per your need.

Premium Plugins

The paid WordPress upload plugin process is far different from free plugin installation, and to know how to add a premium plugin in WordPress, you should follow the given steps.

How to upload a plugin in WordPress that is premium/ paid?

• To get premium plugins, you should research several marketplaces. After purchasing the plugin copy, the plugin zip file will be downloaded into your system.
• Once you have your plugin zip file, go to your WordPress dashboard and click on “Plugin” in the sidebar menu.
• After, click on “Add New” and then “Upload Plugin.”
• Select the plugin zip file from your system and let it upload.
• After premium plugin installation, the plugin will be installed on your website.
• Click on the “Activate” to activate your premium plugin.

What to Remember When Selecting a Plugin?

There are plugins from the directory and the third-party website, and it becomes more difficult for anyone to manage and figure out suitable plugins for their use. So, let’s see what to remember when selecting the plugin.

Regular Updates

If you have ever used WordPress CMS, you must have noticed the regular updates of the plugins. These regular updates are essential to maintain security and improve performance. Moreover, updates help the plugin with new functions.

So, if you are uploading any plugins, consider the following points.

• Check whether plugins revise frequently or not. It helps you understand the plugin developer working on the plugin regularly.
• Keep an eye on the number of plugins installed, and it will give you an idea about the favor of the plugin in the community.
• Also, check the reviews and the feedback of the plugin for a better understanding.
• Also, check the updated plugins are compatible or not.

Making Sure It Is Good for Job

Before installing any plugins, check whether it is suitable for the website or not. Then, you can check the plugin-related documents for more details.

Install One Plugin at a Time

Don’t install too many plugins at a time to avoid conflict. Also, remove all the inactive plugins to improve the site’s performance. Finally, if you are testing any plugin in the website, try one by one, as this way, you can fix the error.

Use Only One Plugin for Each Function

You must avoid installing too many plugins for the same functions in the websites. Always try to put one plugin as per a single service. Having too many plugins on a website lowers the site loading time. For example, if you are running any plugin for SEO, don’t install the other for the same.

Methods to install WordPress plugins

How can I install the plugin in WordPress?

This is the same question you are asking? Well, you are not alone. So many people search for the same query and end up being frustrated.

So, the answer is that you can follow several methods. Are you reading the article from the starting? So, till now, you might have understood the overview of the plugin and plugin installation process.

Now let’s discuss different methods about how to upload plugins in WordPress. Mainly four methods are popular in the community so, let’s see more about them.

Install a Plugin Using the WordPress Admin Panel

The admin panel is the first to upload the plugin to the website. This method is super easy, and you can use it when some plugins are not available in the WordPress dashboard.

To install the plugin, click on the plugin on the left side menu. After, you have to click on “Upload” and then “Add New.”

You can also upload the plugin, which you might have downloaded in the form of a zip file from the official website or any other source. To upload the plugin, select the plugin zip file via the WordPress admin panel let your plugin install for the website. Once you are done with the plugin installation, click on Activate Plugin button. Your plugin is now ready to use.

Install a Plugin using WordPress Plugin Search

The easiest and most traditional way to install your favorite plugin is by using the search bar. Next, tap on the “Plugin” option in your WordPress area to install the plugin. There you will find the option for “Add New” click on that.

Once you complete the step, type the plugin name in the search bar. For example, you want to know how to install an elementor, and you can search in the search bar by “Elementor.” Read the instructions once you get your plugin and wait for the automatic plugin installation.

After installation, click on the “Activate Button.” Now your plugin is installed and activated successfully.

Manually Install a WordPress Plugin using FTP

The above two methods were a little easy. Now, let’s see how to install a WordPress plugin manually via FTP. Sometimes, a hosting provider might prohibit you from downloading specific WordPress plugin files.

 

In that case, you use this method to fulfill your need. This method may find advanced as a beginner. Yet, if you follow step by step, you can install your favorite plugin easily.

• First, download the required source file of the plugin. This plugin file will be in zip format. Then, you can search it on the official website or anywhere in the marketplace.
• Extract the plugin zip file, and you will get the plugin folder. This folder is necessary to upload the plugin via FTP.
• You have to access your host through the FTP manager in this method. If you have forgotten your FTP username and password, contact WordPress hosting provider.

• Now, open the FTP client in your system and sign in with the credentials. Once you connect, go to the /wp-content/plugins/folder through the website.
• Next, you have to upload your extracted plugin file to the /wp-content/plugins/folder.

• Now, go to the dashboard area of the plugin in your WordPress, there you will find the plugin installed.
• Click on the Activate button to get started with it. Also, don’t forget the configure plugin set as per need.

How to Install WordPress Plugins via WP-CLI?

The fourth and final method is to Install WordPress Plugins via WP-CLI. The WordPress command-line interface lets you manage, update, and configure the plugins.

To upload the plugin via WP-CLI, you have to launch the command-line interface to your website. To understand it in simple language, with an example. “how to install the WooCommerce plugin in WordPress.”

First, enter the wp plugin install WooCommerce in the command line. Then, run it to activate the plugin, and that’s all. Plugin installation is pretty fast via WP-CLI, and now you can manage and update all your plugins effortlessly.

How many WordPress plugins Can You install?

Well, there is no set limit to upload plugins to the website. You can install the WordPress plugins as many as you want. However, you should set some limits for yourself. Because the more plugins you install on the site, the more it will directly impact the site’s performance.

You can focus more on the quality of the plugins rather than the quantity. Don’t install more than one plugin for the same functions on the website. However, it doesn’t mean that having more plugins installed is inversely proportional to speed, and for this reason, you should limit the number of plugins installed.

Conclusion

These methods were the popular ones. However, there are some more methods to install WordPress plugins. Plugins are the core part of CMS WordPress, and if you are having trouble while the plugin installation, follow the given steps. In this article, we have discussed the following things.

• Everything about plugins and several types of plugins.
• Free and premium plugins installation.
• The most common methods to install plugins are the search bar, Admin panel, FTP, and WP_CLI.
• At last, how plugins installations impact the performance of the site.

As mentioned in the article, more plugins installed mean lowering the site speed. It is because plugins are nothing but small code. Plugins are like assets for your website, and these plugins take time to load.

We have been trying our best to upload content about WordPress and its different aspects, and we hope this article will be beneficial for your website.

FAQ

How do I find the best WordPress plugins to install on my website?

Choosing the best plugins for the website is based on the functionality you want. Every plugin is different and holds the capability to deliver the best. However, you can search on the internet as per your need.

One of the ways to find out the best plugin is by WordPress suggestions. In addition, there are some popular plugins in the market that you can consider.

Such as Yoast SEO for SEO-related suggestions, Elementor to create or edit the pages, and WP forms. Moreover, it depends on the kind of website you have blog or service related.

What is the difference between installed and active plugins?

There is a difference between installed plugins and active plugins. You can perform two operations on any plugin either activate or deactivate it. First, after the plugin installation, you must activate it. If some plugins are not crucial for a while, you can deactivate them.

You can manage your plugins via the dashboard or several other methods. We have already discussed them in our article, and you can follow them for more. However, to check it quickly, go to the plugin area of WordPress and manage as per need.

Should I delete inactive plugins?

Having inactive plugins on the website will not harm the site. However, it is better to delete them than to reactivate them. Inactive plugins do not affect the performance or speed of the site.

Still, you should delete these plugins for security purposes. As you know, plugins are executable files, whether active or inactive.

During a hacking attempt, a virus or some problematic file may download via these inactive plugins, and many times, plugin developer sends regular updates for inactive plugins. So, it is better to delete them and reinstall them whenever necessary.