How to add plugin to WordPress in 2021
Learn how to add plugin to WordPress.How to install a WordPress plugin directly in WordPress and how to upload a plugin in to WordPress.
What is a plugin?
A plugin is a piece of software that adds features and functionality to your website. There are around 60,000 free plugins on WordPress and many more paid plugins.
Think of a plugin like an app on a mobile phone, apps add additional features and functionality to your phone – plugins do the same to a website.
Two ways of how to add plugin to WordPress website;
- Directly add plugin to WordPress, I will show you how to install, activate, deactivate and delete a plugin directly in WordPress
- Downloading a plugin from wordpress.org/plugins and uploading in to WordPress
The plugin of choice for this video is Duplicate Page which helps you duplicate pages and posts instantly.
How to directly add plugin to WordPress
To add plugin to WordPress, do the following;
- Log in to the wordpress admin dashboard.
- Hover over Plugins on the sidebar and then click on Add New and it will open up the Add Plugins Page.

How to search for a plugin in WordPress
- Search for Duplicate Page in the search bar in the top right of the screen (circled yellow below) and click on the Duplicate Page Plugin and click on Install Now.
- Then choose Activate and the plugin will then be live on the website.

How to deactivate a plugin in WordPress
- When in the WordPress admin dashboard, hover over Plugins on the sidebar and then click on Installed Plugins (shown two screenshots above) and it will open up the Plugins Page.
- Find the plugin (Duplicate Page) and click Deactivate.

- The plugin will then be deactivated and no longer live on the website.

How to delete a plugin in WordPress
- Firstly make sure you have deactivated the plugin (as shown above) and then select the plugin by ticking the box next to the name of the of the Plugin (Shown above) and then click delete and the plugin will be deleted from the website.
How to upload a WordPress Plugin
To add plugin to WordPress from outside of WordPress, do the following;
- Navigate to https://wordpress.org/plugins/duplicate-page/
- Click Download (Shown below) and the theme will download ready to be uploaded in to WordPress.

- When in the WordPress admin dashboard, hover over Plugins on the sidebar and then click on Add New and it will open up the Add Plugins Page.

- Click Upload Plugin and then click Choose File to upload the plugin you had downloaded earlier.
- Then click Install Now and you will add plugin to WordPress.

How to activate an uploaded plugin?
After installing the plugin you will be met with the below message, click Activate and the plugin will be live on your website.
