How To Install & Uninstall Wordpress Plugins
Wordpress is more and more popular, many people use it to build their websites in the world. Although wordpress is very good, if we add some powerful plugins(Plugins are composed of php scripts that add additional functionality to your blog. They offer new additions to your blog that either enhance features that were already available or add otherwise unavailable new features to your site. ), it'll be even more powerful, and your work will be a lot easier. Now let's take a look at how to install plugins, how to uninstall the plugins we don't need.
This guide will show you how to install a WordPress plugin. While this is a relatively simple task it is one of fundamental importance to WordPress and is often overlooked. As such it is a potential cause of problems to beginners, and not being able to successfully install plugins will prevent you from accessing the very large world of WordPress plugins.
Things to Know Before You Install
There are a few things you need to know before you begin to install WordPress Plugins.
Know before you install.
Read through the readme.txt files and web pages, as well as any comments regarding the Plugin on an author's website, before you install. The more you know before you install, the easier the process should be.
Plugins require downloading and uploading to install.
You must be familiar with how to download and upload files and how to use FTP, if required.
Plugins may require modifying WordPress files and templates.
Familiarity with PHP, HTML, CSS, and CHMOD may be necessary.
Record modifications.
If you make any changes to the WordPress files or templates, make a note of it in the code by using comments before and after the changes, and in a text file saved to your site and on your desktop to remind you of any additions or modifications to your default files or templates. This will help you repeat these in the future if there are any problems with your site.
Make frequent backups!
Some Plugins work independently of your blog's content and files, just adding a little something special to the page. Others require modification of content and files, including changes to your database. Before installing any plugin that will make dramatic changes, backup your database and files.
There are several versions of WordPress currently available, and different Plugins available for the different versions. Be sure and read through the information thoroughly to determine if the Plugin will work with your version, or check Plugins/Plugin_Compatibility. If not, consider upgrading.
There are three ways of installing a WordPress plugin:
Automatically Installing a Plugin
This is by far the easiest method but it does require that your server is setup in such a way as to allow modifications to the plugin directory. This is beyond the scope of this guide, but it involves giving group/other write permissions to the wp-content/plugins directory. Once setup you will be able to press on the Add New plugin menu option.
On the Install Plugin screen you can then simply enter the name of the plugin into the search field and perform the search.
The search results should then show the plugin. Clicking on install will automatically download and install the plugin onto your blog.
When finished you can then activate the plugin - everything is done and dusted!
Manually Installing a Plugin
Downloading a Plugin
WordPress plugins are usually distributed as zip files. Downloading a plugin consists of clicking the download link from the appropriate website and allowing the browser to store the file somewhere on your computer.
Installing a downloaded plugin via WordPress
From the WordPress plugin menu click on Add New.
Instead of searching for a plugin you can directly upload your plugin zip file by clicking on Upload.
Use the browse button to select the plugin zip file that was downloaded, then click on Install Now. The plugin will be uploaded to your blog and installed. It can then be activated.
Manual Plugin Installation
To install a plugin that is not in the plugin browser, the following are the general directions to follow. Be sure and follow the specific instructions provided by the Plugin author. Remember: BACKUP - just in case.
Upgrading WordPress May Break Plugins
Some plugins may become outdated and no longer work with the newer version of WordPress. If you have issues after activating a plugin, deactivate it and visit the Plugin's website to see if a newer version is available.
Many plugin authors will upgrade their plugins to accommodate the newer version, but some either won't, or their plugin becomes obsolete with the improvements in WordPress.
Activating & Deactivating Plugins
When a plugin is installed it can be activated and deactivated quickly from the Installed Plugins menu.
You will be presented with a list of plugins. Locate your plugin and press activate or deactive. Simple!
Uninstalling Plugins
While Plugins are very useful, some Plugins just don't meet your needs, or you've stopped using them for some reason, or they just don't work. After deactivating the Plugin stops the Plugin's behavior, they tend to pile up in your Plugins panel, making your plugin list long and cumbersome to scroll through. If left there long enough, they might become obsolete with the new WordPress versions and cause problems if you decide to use them in the future.
Plugin Admin Screen
Begin your Plugins housekeeping by visiting the plugin author's site to see if there are instructions on how to uninstall the plugin via the Plugins panel on the left side of the screen. Some plugins require adding tags and code to your Template files while others require modification of the WordPress administration files. Be sure and read through the plugin's uninstall instructions to remove each of these modifications so your site will not have errors when the plugin is turned off.
If no specific instructions for uninstalling exist, then read through the installation instructions to check for modifications, if applicable, and reverse their changes, if implemented. If it has been a long time since you used this plugin, you still might have left its modifications in your template files and forgotten them. Carefully remove them.
To remove a plugin, make sure the plugin is deactivated from the Plugins panel. Go to your website's wp-content/plugins folder (usually with an FTP program) and look for the file name of the plugin you want to remove. Select the file name and delete it.
If have your WordPress site on your hard drive, open the wp-content/plugins folder on your site and find the file name of the plugin you want to delete, select it and delete it. This way, if you have to restore or copy your Plugin folder to your website, you won't restore the unwanted plugin on your site.
Conclusion:
In this article, we describe how to install, use and uninstall the plugins, hoping useful to you. In my subsequent articles, I'll introduce some very useful plugins to you, pay attention to it.
Good Luck and God Bless.
This guide will show you how to install a WordPress plugin. While this is a relatively simple task it is one of fundamental importance to WordPress and is often overlooked. As such it is a potential cause of problems to beginners, and not being able to successfully install plugins will prevent you from accessing the very large world of WordPress plugins.
Things to Know Before You Install
There are a few things you need to know before you begin to install WordPress Plugins.
Know before you install.
Read through the readme.txt files and web pages, as well as any comments regarding the Plugin on an author's website, before you install. The more you know before you install, the easier the process should be.
Plugins require downloading and uploading to install.
You must be familiar with how to download and upload files and how to use FTP, if required.
Plugins may require modifying WordPress files and templates.
Familiarity with PHP, HTML, CSS, and CHMOD may be necessary.
Record modifications.
If you make any changes to the WordPress files or templates, make a note of it in the code by using comments before and after the changes, and in a text file saved to your site and on your desktop to remind you of any additions or modifications to your default files or templates. This will help you repeat these in the future if there are any problems with your site.
Make frequent backups!
Some Plugins work independently of your blog's content and files, just adding a little something special to the page. Others require modification of content and files, including changes to your database. Before installing any plugin that will make dramatic changes, backup your database and files.
There are several versions of WordPress currently available, and different Plugins available for the different versions. Be sure and read through the information thoroughly to determine if the Plugin will work with your version, or check Plugins/Plugin_Compatibility. If not, consider upgrading.
There are three ways of installing a WordPress plugin:
- Automatically through WordPressSearch, install and activate completely in the Add New menu.
- Manually uploading a plugin through WordPress
- Manual Plugin InstallationGet and extract zip archive, upload to your server, and activate.
Automatically Installing a Plugin
This is by far the easiest method but it does require that your server is setup in such a way as to allow modifications to the plugin directory. This is beyond the scope of this guide, but it involves giving group/other write permissions to the wp-content/plugins directory. Once setup you will be able to press on the Add New plugin menu option.
On the Install Plugin screen you can then simply enter the name of the plugin into the search field and perform the search.
The search results should then show the plugin. Clicking on install will automatically download and install the plugin onto your blog.
When finished you can then activate the plugin - everything is done and dusted!
Manually Installing a Plugin
Downloading a Plugin
WordPress plugins are usually distributed as zip files. Downloading a plugin consists of clicking the download link from the appropriate website and allowing the browser to store the file somewhere on your computer.
Installing a downloaded plugin via WordPress
From the WordPress plugin menu click on Add New.
Instead of searching for a plugin you can directly upload your plugin zip file by clicking on Upload.
Use the browse button to select the plugin zip file that was downloaded, then click on Install Now. The plugin will be uploaded to your blog and installed. It can then be activated.
Manual Plugin Installation
To install a plugin that is not in the plugin browser, the following are the general directions to follow. Be sure and follow the specific instructions provided by the Plugin author. Remember: BACKUP - just in case.
- Read through the "readme" file thoroughly that usually accompanies a plugin, or the website article from where you found the plugin. It is often helpful to print out the instructions so you can check off the installation steps as you complete them.
- Upload the plugin to the wp-content/plugins folder in your WordPress directory online.
- Make any changes to templates or files as required by the Plugin instructions including adding Plugin template tags.
- Activate the Plugin:
- Access the Plugin Panel in your Administration Panels
- Scroll down through the list of Plugins to find the newly installed Plugin (if not visible, start from the beginning to check to see if you followed the instructions properly and uploaded the file correctly).
- Click on the Activate link to turn the Plugin on.
- Continue making any modifications necessary from the "readme" file instructions to make the plugin's actions meret your needs.
Upgrading WordPress May Break Plugins
Some plugins may become outdated and no longer work with the newer version of WordPress. If you have issues after activating a plugin, deactivate it and visit the Plugin's website to see if a newer version is available.
Many plugin authors will upgrade their plugins to accommodate the newer version, but some either won't, or their plugin becomes obsolete with the improvements in WordPress.
Activating & Deactivating Plugins
When a plugin is installed it can be activated and deactivated quickly from the Installed Plugins menu.
You will be presented with a list of plugins. Locate your plugin and press activate or deactive. Simple!
Uninstalling Plugins
While Plugins are very useful, some Plugins just don't meet your needs, or you've stopped using them for some reason, or they just don't work. After deactivating the Plugin stops the Plugin's behavior, they tend to pile up in your Plugins panel, making your plugin list long and cumbersome to scroll through. If left there long enough, they might become obsolete with the new WordPress versions and cause problems if you decide to use them in the future.
Plugin Admin Screen
Begin your Plugins housekeeping by visiting the plugin author's site to see if there are instructions on how to uninstall the plugin via the Plugins panel on the left side of the screen. Some plugins require adding tags and code to your Template files while others require modification of the WordPress administration files. Be sure and read through the plugin's uninstall instructions to remove each of these modifications so your site will not have errors when the plugin is turned off.
If no specific instructions for uninstalling exist, then read through the installation instructions to check for modifications, if applicable, and reverse their changes, if implemented. If it has been a long time since you used this plugin, you still might have left its modifications in your template files and forgotten them. Carefully remove them.
To remove a plugin, make sure the plugin is deactivated from the Plugins panel. Go to your website's wp-content/plugins folder (usually with an FTP program) and look for the file name of the plugin you want to remove. Select the file name and delete it.
If have your WordPress site on your hard drive, open the wp-content/plugins folder on your site and find the file name of the plugin you want to delete, select it and delete it. This way, if you have to restore or copy your Plugin folder to your website, you won't restore the unwanted plugin on your site.
Conclusion:
In this article, we describe how to install, use and uninstall the plugins, hoping useful to you. In my subsequent articles, I'll introduce some very useful plugins to you, pay attention to it.
Good Luck and God Bless.
