How to Manually Install a Plugin in WordPress (Full Walkthrough)

Updated: 28 September 2026 · Applies to: WordPress 7.1

Premium plugins or plugins from outside the WordPress directory come as a .zip file.

Upload in the dashboard

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard (https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin).
2. Open Plugins › Add Plugin and click Upload Plugin.
3. Click Choose File, select the .zip and click Install Now.
4. Click Activate Plugin and enter the licence key if the plugin asks for one.

Upload by FTP

Unzip the plugin and upload its folder to wp-content/plugins/. Then activate it under Plugins › Installed Plugins.

Note: If the upload is larger than your PHP upload limit, use FTP or raise the limit (see "PHP Values required for Wordpress installs").