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How to Install and Activate a WordPress Plugin?

WordPress plugins are the main feature that makes the platform so flexible and versatile.  By using the right set of plugins, you can greatly enhance the functionality of your website and ease many technical processes.

Since we already discussed what a plugin is, it is time to see how you can install and use one within your site.

You can also check out how to update WordPress plugins and how to delete them.

 

How to Install a WordPress Plugin?

Step 1: Enter your WordPress admin dashboard and go to Plugins->Add New:

WordPress Add New Plugin

 

A new page with all available plugins will appear. Here you can browse and sort the plugins by name, popularity, rating, price.

WordPress Add New Plugin Tab

 

For the purpose of this guide, we will search for a quite popular and useful SEO tool – Yoast SEO. This is a handy instrument that will help you create SEO-friendly blog content.

WordPress Plugin ICon

 

Step 2: Click on the Install Now button, located at the top right of the Plugin’s presentation image:

WordPress Plugin Icon

 

Step 3: Once the tool is installed, a new button will appear – Activate. Once you see it, click it – this will incorporate the tool into your WordPress system and you will be able to use it.

WordPress Activate Button Plugin

 

Once the activation process is completed, you will be automatically redirected to the Installed Plugins page of the WordPress Dashboard:

WordPress Installed Plugins List

 

This page contains a full list of installed plugins on your system. Also, this is the place from which you can manage all your plugins – activate or deactivate them, update them, or simply delete them. As you will notice, there are some already installed tools by default.  This page also showcases different messages concerning the proper functionality of your installed plugins.

You will see the Yoast SEO one at the bottom of the page:

WordPress New Plugin

 

Since Yoast SEO is focused on your Blog section, the plugin’s interface will be visible when you open a blog post.

To access its functions, you should open a blog piece, or add new to see the interface of the newly installed software. To do so, from your WordPress Dashboard hover your mouse cursor over the Posts button, and from the drop-down menu click on Add New. This will redirect you to the New Post creation page:

WordPress Add New Page

 

This is the place where you will write down, edit, delete and publish new blog pots. Also, have a look at the newly added box:

WordPress Plugin Interface

 

This is indeed the freshly installed Yoast SEO interface. Without this plugin being installed and activated in your system, the page looks like this:

WordPress Missing Plugin Inteface

 

How to Deactivate a Plugin?

Deactivating plugins means that you disable their functionality without deleting them.

To access the Activation and Deactivation functionalities, enter your Installed Plugins page and again take a look at the small menu section below the name of each individual plugin:

WordPress Plugin Activation Options

Along with the red Delete button, you will notice that there’s an Activate button for your installed and deactivated plugins and Deactivate button for your installed and activated ones. You can click these buttons to either Activate or Deactivate your installed plugins. WordPress will automatically do the rest for you.

As a rule of thumb, it is highly beneficial to experiment and activate and deactivate different sets of plugins, so you get more insight into how the tools affect your system and how big their impact is on your website and your site-building and maintenance experience.

 

Conclusion

Installing and activating plugins is quite an easy process. Whenever you feel that something is missing, or you need something more for your system, it is always a good idea to browse the vast library of plugins and try out the ones that you find suitable for your needs.

What makes WordPress so popular is the enhanced flexibility it offers, along with the unmatched personalization options. When it comes to adding and using the tools that you need, the WordPress plugins are the way to go!

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