WordPress Plugins

In this tutorial you will learn how to manage WordPress plugins. WordPress plugins are what makes your website run with zing! They empower your website to do even more. You can add plugins has the capability to do an image slideshow, manipulate menus, exclude pages, integrate with Paypal and much much more.

There are two ways you can install a WordPress plugin. One is by searching through the WordPress dashboard and the other is by uploading a plugin. Searching a plugin through the WordPress dashboard means that the plugin is usually free or that you have the option to donate and pay if you like it. And you generally upload a plugin when you bought it from a commercial website.

Install A Plugin By Searching

To search, install and activate a plugin just follow the steps below.

1. Login to your WordPress website
2. On the left hand side, click on the Plugins menu
3. The plugin menu expands and the Manage Plugins page is loaded
4. In the plugins menu, click Add New

5. The Install Plugins page is loaded
6. On the Install Plugins page, type the plugin name or, if you do not know the plugin name, just type the keyword. For exmple if I want a plugin that will help me to do some SEO (Search Engine Optimization) on my website I’ll type SEO. Then click the Search Plugins button.

7. This will give a list of plugins that are related to SEO.
8. The All in One SEO Pack plugin sounds familiar to me so I’ll click on the Install Now link.

9. You will be prompted with the message: “Are you sure you want to install this plugin?” so click Ok.
10. Once successful click on the Activate Plugin link

11. Some plugins will give instructions on what steps would be performed next while others will not have any message.
12. Next step would be to start configuring your plugin. Read our plugin reviews section on how and where to configure certain WordPress plugins.

Install A Plugin By Uploading

To search, install and activate a plugin just follow the steps below.

1. Login to your WordPress website
2. On the left hand side, click on the Plugins menu
3. The plugin menu expands and the Manage Plugins page is loaded
4. In the plugins menu, click Add New

5. The Install Plugins page is loaded
6. On the Install Plugins page click on the Upload link.
7. Then click on the Browse button. A file dialog box will appear so that you can locate the .zip file. Select the file.
8. Then click the Install Now button
9. The page will display that it is unpacking the file, then installing the plugin and once it is finished it will tell you whether it is succesful or not.
10. Click on the Activate Plugin link.

This site has a Plugin Review section where you can read of various WordPress plugins commonly used in most WordPress sites. Some of the reviews are also part tutorials on how to use the plugin.