How To Install Wordpress Plugins Foe Better Blogging

 In this article I will be discussing exactly how to add Wordpress plugins.

All right, so just to clarify, a plugin is a modular piece of code that can be installed and then turned on or off at the site owners whim, and provide extra functionality such as tweeting your posts or backing up your database.

In order to add a new plugin to Wordpress, log into your Dashboard, and click plugins on the left hand menu. Then click Add New. You will now be faced with the Install Plugins screen.

There are six options here (it sounds a lot but really its just two types of options):

Search - as it says search for a plugin. you can do this by plugin name or by tag, i.e. analytics. Also at the bottom of the screen is a large tag cloud by which you can browse for plugins.

Upload - this option is if you already have the plugin downloaded to your computer, you can simply upload it from there. Useful if the plugin isn't in the Wordpress directory.

Featured - when clicked, this shows you a list of plugins that have been featured by Wordpress


Popular - shows a list of plugins based on the number of downloads.

Newest - shows you the plugins that have just been recently added to the Wordpress directory.

Recently Updated - as Wordpress continually evolves so do the plugins, so this list shows you which ones have just had an update released.

So as you can see, most of these options are just different ways to search, so its really just search or upload.

Let us search for a plugin and install it. Type in the name of a plugin or type of plugin you want and hit Search Plugins.

When the list comes up browse until you find the right plugin for you. Clicking the details link below the plugin name brings up a pop box filled with all the details that are available on the Wordpress directory so everything you need to make an informed decision.

when your ready click the Install Now link below the plugin name and Wordpress will do its thing. Once its done (shouldn't take long at all) click the Activate Plugin link and the plugin will become live. Then its best to find the settings for the plugin. Normally these have their own heading in the navigation menu on the left but sometimes they end up under the general settings, so you may need to hunt a bit.

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