One of the main draws of WordPress—that much of its flexibility and functionality comes from—is its array of themes and plugins. These let you add functionality or a unique design to your site, and you’ll likely have a big turnover of them over the course of a project. Given WordPress’ flexibility, you can find a few ways to install WordPress themes and plugins, and knowing them all can help in different ways.
It’s a topic that seems simple, but snakes through several paths. I’ll show you all of the ways you can install WordPress themes and plugin in this post. I will also run run through the uninstallation process too, and give you some tips to do this in the ‘cleanest’ way. Let’s start with looking at what happens behind the scenes during an installation.
Understanding the Installation Process: What Happens Under the Hood
The typical WordPress theme and plugin installation process automates much of the manual steps you would usually take. I’ll show you how to do this later, but there are also some technical aspects WordPress carries out for you:
- File transfer. This step assumes you download your plugin or theme from the dedicated interface within the WordPress dashboard. It will transfer a ZIP file of your theme or plugin to your server.
- Extraction. WordPress then unzips and extracts the contents of the download. It will move those files to the appropriate location within your wp-content directory (more on this in a minute).
- Updating the database. Next, WordPress will create new tables, options, or other required aspects to your database. This lets your theme or plugin work correctly from the beginning, without any further configuration.
- Activation. At this point, WordPress will activate the theme or plugin. If you choose to install a theme, you’ll see your new design apply to the front-end, and any new screens appear in the WordPress dashboard. For plugins, you’ll likely see new dashboard, Block Editor, and settings additions.
- Cleanup. Finally, WordPress removes the temporary ZIP file along with any other files it no longer needs relating to the install.
This is an oversimplification of the technical installation process, but it’s clear WordPress looks to simplify such an integral part of your experience. This stretches beyond simple automation though.
How to Install WordPress Themes and Plugins
To install WordPress themes and plugins, you have to consider a few different factors. For example, there are not only multiple pricing models to consider, but the methodology and the reasoning behind why you want to add to your site.
I’m going to show you all of the methods split into both free and premium solutions. This is arguably the best way, but I’m going to lead with different pricing models for themes and plugins. You’ll understand why this is throughout the rest of the post.
Installing Free WordPress Plugins
The exact quote is out of my reach because it’s a few years old. However, I recall Matt Mullenweg (the founder of WordPress) discussing pricing models for ‘add-ons’. In that discussion, he noted that—and I’m paraphrasing heavily here—themes should be premium, and plugins should be free.
In the current climate, the ecosystem is different as most WordPress add-ons have some kind of premium upgrade path. However, I still believe most users will find that free plugins can offer almost every element of functionality you need to run a site at the highest level.
As such, learning how to install free WordPress plugins can set you up to install themes too. There are a few approaches you can take, but most of us will head to the Plugins > Add New Plugin screen within WordPress:
This brings you to a version of the WordPress Plugin Directory within your dashboard. It offers much of the same functionality and scope as the ‘hosted’ directory, so it’s a convenient way to add new plugins to WordPress.
From here, you can scroll the list of plugins, switch to other filtering, use the search functionality, and more until you find the plugin you want to install:
You can click the card for a plugin and view further information about it, but the Install Now button begins the process I want to focus on. There will be a delay while WordPress carries out all of the technical steps it needs to install a plugin. Once it completes, the Install Now button will change to a blue, Activate button:
As an aside, the reason we have to activate a plugin after installation is because we can disable them without deletion. This is important for troubleshooting and general maintenance tasks.
Once WordPress completes the activation process, the page will reload and display a list of your plugins:
From here, you can head to settings pages, disable and delete the plugin, and work with it in full on your site.
Installing Premium WordPress Themes
Choosing to install a premium WordPress theme is arguably a better decision than a free option—although there are still many excellent solutions available. This is because a theme can transform your whole site, and come with functionality to enhance the experience.
Plus, you get greater support and more frequent updates. Plugins can offer this too, but these will often have a narrow focus, so can be faster to produce.
Regardless, installing a premium WordPress theme will begin after purchase. In most cases, you should receive access to your ZIP file from the developer. This could be through email for example, which could instead give you access to your dashboard:
If you choose to purchase from a marketplace such as CodeCanyon, you’ll need to log into your dashboard to access your ZIP file:
Once you have your ZIP file, head to the Appearance > Themes screen within WordPress:
This is a list of the themes already available to you on site. The Add New Theme button at the top will be your next step:
This brings you to a version of the WordPress Theme Directory—we’ll come back here in soon:
Instead, click the Upload Theme button at the top, which will open up an uploader:
Now, find your ZIP file using the interface, then click the Install Now button. WordPress will do its thing and show you a completion screen:
Now, you can check out a live preview of the theme, activate it for your site, or head back to the main Themes screen within WordPress.
Installing Free WordPress Themes and Premium Plugins
When it comes to free themes and premium plugins, you can extrapolate from the processes I already outline. For instance, head to the Appearance > Themes screen, then choose Add New Theme. This brings you back to the WordPress Theme Directory dashboard interface.
Here, search for your theme as you would a plugin, then click the Install button. WordPress will do the necessary, at which point you can activate the theme if you wish:
For premium plugins, you head to the Plugins > Add New Plugin screen, then click the Upload Plugin button at the top of the page:
As with your premium theme, choose the plugin ZIP file using the uploader, then click the Install Now button. You’ll see a similar success screen too, at which point you can activate the plugin and begin to use it.
Other Methods to Install WordPress Themes and Plugins
There are a few other ways to install WordPress add-ons, but most of them will be infrequent and/or inherent to a specific app.
For instance, you could go through a process where you download a ZIP file from one of the WordPress directories, and install it with the same approach as premium add-ons. This might be useful if you need to install an older version than the current one:
If you can connect to your site using Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP), this is also another way to install themes and plugins. Achieving this is beyond the scope of what I want to show you in this post, but sometimes it’s the method that will get you out of a jam.
In other cases, you could use a third-party dashboard to manage your themes and plugins, such as ManageWP:
There are other ways you can install your themes and plugins, although sometimes you will need to uninstall them too.
Uninstalling Themes and Plugins
Removing themes and plugins is just as important as installing them, especially for security and troubleshooting. The idea is that you don’t want too many inactive add-ons cluttering your site, as each one represents an entry point for malicious users.
The good news is it takes seconds to get rid of any of these superfluous themes and plugins. For themes, head to the Appearances > Themes screen within WordPress, hover over the one you want to delete, and click it to open the Theme Details panel:
Next, look towards the bottom of the dialog for the Delete button. Once you confirm the action, WordPress will remove the theme from your installation:
For plugins, head to the Plugins > Installed Plugins screen. From the list, you can select the Delete link for any inactive plugin, which will remove it once you confirm:
You can also bulk select plugins using the checkboxes, then select Delete from the Bulk Actions drop-down menu:
After you click Apply, WordPress will remove the plugins from your system.
Some Tips for Installing and Managing Your Themes and Plugins
While the installation process should go smoothly every time, there are myriad elements that can falter. It’s not a good idea to ‘set and forget’ about your themes and plugins either. Instead, it’s worthwhile to implement a management strategy of some kind for new additions and removals for your site.
Here are my tips to help you decide what to prioritize for your strategy:
- Backup (or stage) your site. It may be a good idea to make a full backup before you install or uninstall any add-on. A staging site that you can push to live is more complex, but the ultimate in safety.
- Check compatibility. Ensure the theme or plugin is compatible with your version of WordPress and any other plugins you’re using.
- Carry out your due diligence on any add-on. This will include checking compatibility with your version of WordPress, reading user reviews and ratings, and verifying you are downloading a theme or plugin from a reputable source.
- Maintain your themes and plugins. I like to turn off automatic updates and carry out manual updates a few days after a new version release. This way, my site won’t run afoul of release bugs.
On this last point, I’ll also make a decision there and then about whether I need to delete a theme or plugin, rather than deactivate and forget about them. This keeps my site cleaner, and cuts down on any potential troubleshooting time in the future.
One more aspect I want to mention is the WordPress uninstall process. If a theme or plugin doesn’t have a good codebase, it can leave behind old files or tables in the database. This is where your due diligence will benefit you. Other users could note some of these technical issues—and you should pay heed to them!
It’s Simple to Install WordPress Themes and Plugins
Installing and managing themes and plugins is a fundamental skill, and having a good workflow for your add-ons makes sense. Fortunately, the UI within the dashboard is familiar and intuitive. It means you can install WordPress themes and plugins with ease, without much thought.
What’s more, there’s a process behind the scenes that WordPress obfuscates for the benefit to your experience. However, sometimes, it’s good to know what that process is so you can resolve errors. This is why understanding different ways to install WordPress themes and plugins makes you a more ‘cultured’ site owner and benefits both you and your users.
Do you have any questions about how to install WordPress themes and plugins? I’d love to hear them in the comments section below!
