WordPress is a great CMS and continuously getting more and more attraction and popularity due to its compatibility with the third-party services. 

What makes plugins so useful and so popular is that they live alongside WordPress and you can add, activate, deactivate, or even can remove them from your website at any time without disturbing the other functionality of the site.

In this chapter, We will have closer look at the plugins in detail, like

1. How To Install WordPress Plugins
   1. Install WordPress Plugins Manually
   2. Install WordPress Plugins using FTP
2. How To Update WordPress plugins
   1. How To Deactivate or Detele it properly

But first, let’s we look, what is WordPress plugins and how it works?

What Is WordPress Plugin?

A plugin is a small program or extensions that quite literally plug into WordPress to add new features and new functionality.

Like, Take a backup of the WordPress with just one click, Add security layer on site, Turning WordPress into an e-commerce platform or a social network or Membership site etc

In other words, You can add plugin to WordPress, according to the functionality that you need for your site and even also can delete it any time without affecting the core functionality of the site.

WordPress plugin always comes in the zip file.

To install this plugin on your site, you have to upload a plugin to WordPress means on your WordPress site.

How To Install WordPress Plugins 1-10k

There is a lot of ways to add plugin to WordPress, Like through Cpanel or Using FTP account Or even can directly install it from the WordPress directory, if it is available in it.

Today, we will explore the most used method to add plugin to WordPress site are;

1. How To Install Plugin From WordPress Directory
2. How To Install WordPress Plugin Manually
3. How To Install WordPress Plugin Via FTP Connection

So, let’s get started,

How To Install Plugin From WordPress Directory

This is the most used method to install WordPress plugins, but sometimes we also need other methods to add plugin to WordPress.

To do this, you have to login your WordPress site as an admin. After that

• Click on Plugins>>Add_New.

Here, you will see some options are;

• Feature:  A Plugin has a lot of function.
• Popular: Many people are already using it.
• Recommended:  Depend On your website environment
• Favorite:  Depend Upon your already installed Plugin.

You also have an option to search a plugin in the Top Right Corner.

Enter the name of the plugin you want to add on your site. For example: “Backup WordPress” and you will see a lot of plugins related to backup.

• Select any one and click on “install_Now” Option.

After that, you have to click on “Activate” option to conform to activate the plugin.

Note:  Note it is a security protocol, you must have to click on “activate“ option to activate the plugin. If you do not click on activate the plugin, then plugin still remains on your site in a deactivated mode.

Maximum plugins are available in the WordPress plugin directory but some premium plugins are not hosted on the WordPress directory. but in some case, like a plugin which is not hosted in the WordPress directory.

For that kind of plugins (usually, they are paid plugins) you have to first download the plugin in Zip file, where from it is hosted and after that have to upload a plugin to WordPress. 

So, let’s move to our next method.

How To Install WordPress Plugin Manually?

First, download the Zip file of the plugin from the website where it is hosted and after that;

• Clicks Plugin>>Add_New and click on “Upload_Plugin” and you will see an option to choose a file.

Select the file and hit the Install Button to upload a plugin to WordPress.

Note: It will take few seconds depends upon the size of the file.

After installing the plugin you must have to click on Activate option to activate the plugin.

So, this is the way to upload a plugin to WordPress manually.

How To Install WordPress Plugin Via FTP Connection

To add plugin in WordPress via FTP, you need only one thing called FTP Login Credentials.

You can get this information by contacting your hosting provider or you can Set up FTP Account for Domain in Cpanel.

• Get the FTP login and download FTP for a client and Install it on your Computer.
• Open your File Zilla and enter a username, server name, and password and Port 21.
• Now, Hit the “Quick_Connect” Button.

Left side is your Computer Desktop and Right side is your Cpanel folder that you created.

Drag and Drop to upload the file to your site.

Note: You have to upload your Zip file in the wp_content>>Plugin folder, not in the root directory of the WordPress site. Otherwise, it will not show in the plugin directory.

Go back to your WordPress Plugin and refresh the page and activate the plugin.

How To Update WordPress Plugins

WordPress plugin is like any other software installed on your computer. Periodically developers release the new updates which provide new features or sometimes fix the bugs.

So, Update WordPress Plugins time to time is important.

You can update WordPress plugins from two different location. One form WordPress Dashboard Area and another from “Installed_Plugin” Tab.

To update WordPress plugins, Login your WordPress as an admin and after that,

• Click on Dashboard>>Update.

Select the plugin you want to update and click on Updated Plugins button.

The Second option is, from Installed Plugin Tab.

• Click on Plugin>>Installed_Plugins and
• Click on “update now”

It will take few seconds to update WordPress plugins.

Note:  Some plugin needs a license key to update because it is not hosted in the WordPress directory. They are using API system to update their plugin.

So, add the API ( license key ) in the plugin setting and after that hit the “update_now” option.

You can also see, what does the new feature come in the update.

Some update is normal and some update is complicated and changes the functionality of the plugin.

So, before updating the plugin, take the backup of your site.

Note:  author always provides the documentation if it necessary.

How To Deactivate And Delete Wordpress Plugins

After installing the WordPress plugins, If you want to delete WordPress plugin or don’t like the plugin then you can delete or deactivate the plugin from the same Tab.

Note: You can’t delete the Plugin directly. First, you have to Deactivate the plugin and after that, you will see an option to delete WordPress plugin, just click on delete.

If you want to deactivate or delete more than one plugin at the same time then you can use “Bulk_Action” Mode to do this.

Just select the plugin that you want to delete and after that select the bulk mode and hit the Apply button.

Few Important Tips

• Use a fewer number of plugins as much as you can, because it slows down your website
• Always install plugin form the premium site or use wordpress.org directory.
• Install the Trusted plugin, do not install null or cracked, it can harm your website.
• Take a backup of the website before updating the plugin.
• Delete the unnecessary or plugin in a deactivated mode.

Follow Sharry’s Rule of Plugins,

use as few as possible and only the ones that help you meet your goals in the simplest, cleanest and most effective way. And always, always, always check your sources.

Conclusion

There is no hard and fast rule, you must have to install the certain number of plugin or any particular plugin to use WordPress. Just install the plugin that you want or meet your need and test, test and test it,

If it cases any error or breaks the functionality of your website, then simply delete the plugin and try another one.

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