Plugins: Install, Settings & GitHub Installs

Go to Plugins → Add New, search for a plugin by name or feature, click Install Now, then Activate. Most plugins add a new settings page under Settings, or their own top-level menu item in the sidebar.

Installing plugins from the dashboard

Real-life example: Installing a plugin is like plugging a new appliance into a wall socket — the socket (WordPress core) already supports it, you just need to switch it on (activate).

Install a plugin via WP-CLI (faster for developers)

wp plugin install wordfence --activate
wp plugin list
wp plugin deactivate hello-dolly
wp plugin delete hello-dolly

Installing a plugin from GitHub or a zip file

Not every plugin is listed on WordPress.org. Developers often share plugins as a GitHub repository. Download the repository as a .zip (Code → Download ZIP on GitHub), then go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin in wp-admin and select that file.

You can also upload the zip via FTP by extracting it directly into wp-content/plugins/ on your server, then activating it from the Plugins screen.

Tip: Only install plugins from GitHub repos you trust or have reviewed. Unlike the official WordPress.org repository, GitHub code has not been reviewed by the WordPress plugin team.

Manual upload via FTP/SSH instead of the dashboard

# After downloading and extracting a plugin folder named "my-plugin"
scp -r my-plugin user@yourserver:/var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/
# Then activate it from Plugins → Installed Plugins in wp-admin

Managing installed plugins

Keep the plugin count lean — every active plugin adds some load time and a potential security surface. Regularly review Plugins → Installed Plugins and remove anything unused (deactivate, then delete).

Check for update notices often. Outdated plugins are one of the most common ways WordPress sites get hacked.

Deactivate before delete — WordPress requires this two-step process
Check plugin ratings, last-updated date, and active installs before choosing one
Too many plugins doing similar jobs (e.g. two SEO plugins) can conflict