How to Install Plugins Manually ON WordPress
Installing plugins from the WordPress Dashboard is so easy that you probably never need to know how to manually install a plugin via FTP. But this method is still useful to know if the WordPress plugin directory is defective or not available.
Steps to install a plugin
- Go to the Plugins page on the WordPress Plugin Directory website.
- Click the red download button to transfer the plugin zip file to your computer
- Unzip the downloaded plugin files.
All plugins that have been downloaded from the plugins directory are usually in .zip format. Most operating systems (eg Mac, Microsoft Windows, Ubuntu, etc.) have installed software that helps to open zip files. After unzipping the file, extract the folder and place it in a convenient and easily accessible location on your computer. - Connect to your site using FTP.
If you have problems with the FTP server, then you can contact us. We provide assistance and help with your FTP connection. - From the root directory, navigate to the wp-content folder.
The location of your WordPress installation may differ from each hosting provider. Make sure you know the location before continuing. - Go to the /wp-content/plugins directory.
First access wp-content. In this folder there are directories of plugins and themes for your site. Access the plugins folder. This folder contains all the plugins. - Upload the plugins folder to the /wp-content/plugins directory on your web server.
Your plugin folder that you want to upload must be named as well as the name of the plugin (for example, if you upload the Gallery plugin, the folder will be /gallery) and contain all the files for that plugin.
Go to the Dashboard Plugins page and you will see the new plugin installed. If an error occurs, delete all recently uploaded files and start over.