You’ve created a WordPress site, and now you’re ready to take advantage of the automation and interactivity that WordPress plugins can provide. Because WordPress is an open-source platform, it’s offered software developers the freedom and encouragement to create plugins that take boring sites and transform them into exciting, interactive destinations that people want to visit.
Step 0. Before you get started, make sure you back up 1) your original WordPress files and 2) your WordPress database before performing the upgrade. Backing up your old WordPress files means simply copying them from the server that your WordPress site is on to a directory on your own computer. You’ll need to be familiar with FTPing (File Transfer Protocol - a fancy term that means accessing your files and directories on the server that hosts them) and you’ll need FTP software to access your WordPress site. Backing up your database can be done simply by downloading and activating the WP-DB-Backup plugin or manually via a few methods. I always opt for the easy plugin method.
Step 1. Select the plugin you want to install. You can find a great selection of plugins from the official WordPress site or the WordPress Plugin Database. Download and unzip the plugin.
Step 2. Read the “readme.txt” or other “readme” file included with the plugin. This will give you valuable information on what’s needed to install the plugin. Print the “readme” file so that you can easily follow along through the steps of the installation.
Step 3. Using your FTP software, upload the plugin to the “wp-content/plugins” folder. If you’re unfamiliar with FTPing or don’t know whether you have FTP software (it’s free!), please see our tutorial on Filezilla FTP software.
Step4. Make changes to templates or files as outlined in the “readme” file. Sometimes, not always, it’s necessary to add code to a WordPress file or a theme.
Step 5. Activate the the plugin by accessing the “Plugin” tab of your WordPress control panel, scrolling to the relevant plugin, and pressing the “Activate” button. Once the plugin is activated, its background will turn green.
Step 6. Return to the “readme” file and make additional changes to the plugin if needed. In some cases after the plugin has been activated, you will be directed to the “Options” or “Manage” tabs to further configure the plugin.
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