Site:stackoverflow how does wordpress plugins install work

When you install a WordPress plugin, it’s actually pretty simple – the plugin is downloaded to your server, unzipped, and then installed into the plugins folder. But if you’ve ever been confused about how WordPress plugins work or why they’re installed in a specific place, read on for a closer look!

What are plugins?

WordPress plugins are pieces of code that help WordPress do its job. They let you add features to your blog, customize the look and feel of your site, or extend WordPress’s functionality. When you install a plugin, WordPress copies the plugin’s files to a special folder calledwp-content/plugins. There, it installs the plugin’s files into a hidden directory called wp-content/plugins/{plugin_name}/.
You can access the plugin’s files by visiting your site’s administration area and clicking on Plugins in the left column. Then, click on the Plugin Manager link in the right column and select the plugin you want to use.
When you install a new plugin, WordPress copies the plugin’s files to a temporary folder and then deletes them after it has been downloaded and installed. This prevents your site from becoming cluttered with unused plugins.
If you want to disable a plugin, simply delete its files from your site’s wp-content/plugins directory.
Plugin installations usually complete without incident but there are some things you can do if something goes wrong. For example, if you get an error message when trying

How do WordPress plugins work?

In WordPress, plugins are a way to add extra features to your site. When you activate a plugin, WordPress looks for a folder called “plugins” on your server. If it finds the folder, it activates the plugin and installs it into the WordPress configuration directory.

WordPress then looks for a file called “activate.php” in this directory. This file contains instructions on how to activate the plugin. If it finds the file, it activates the plugin and runs the instructions in it.

WordPress also creates a “plugin_activation_log” file in this directory, which records when and how each plugin was activated.

Installing a Plugin

WordPress has a plugin installation system that makes it easy to install new plugins. To install a plugin, first go to the Plugins page on your WordPress site, and click on the Add New Plugin button. This will take you to the Add New Plugin screen.

To find a plugin, enter the word “plugin” in the Search field at the top of the screen and hit Enter. The results will show you all of the plugins that have been installed on your WordPress site. If you want to install a plugin from a URL, enter the URL for the plugin into the field next to the Search field and hit Enter.

After you’ve found the plugin you want to install, click on it to open its details page. On this page, you’ll see information about the plugin, such as its name, description, and ratings. You can also see a list of files that are included with the plugin. If you’re not sure which file to choose, click on an image of a file to open its details page in a new window.

Next, click on Install Now to begin installing the plugin. WordPress will check for updates for

Updating a Plugin

When you update a plugin on your WordPress site, how does WordPress know to update it? WordPress uses a Plugin Directory to find and install plugins. When you add or update a plugin in the Plugin Directory, WordPress notifies all sites using that plugin of the update. This happens automatically when you make changes to the plugin files (in the code repository), or when you push the new version of the plugin to the WordPress.org Plugin Repository.

Uninstalling a Plugin

When you uninstall a plugin on your WordPress site, it can leave behind files and folders. If you’re using a plugin that you no longer need, it’s best to remove it completely. Here’s how to uninstall a plugin:

1. Log in to your WordPress site.
2. Click the Plugins link on the left side of the screen.
3. locate the plugin you want to uninstall, and click its name.
4. On the Plugin Information screen, look for the Install button. (If there isn’t an Install button, the plugin is installed.)
5. Click the Install button to install or update the plugin. (If there’s an Update button, WordPress will check for new updates and install them.)
6. When the installation is finished, click the Activate Plugin button to activate the plugin.
7. On the activation screen, enter your site’s administrative password if necessary, and click Activate Plugin to finish installing and activating the plugin. If there are any errors during installation or activation, click Show Log to see more information about them.
8. If you want to delete any of the files or folders created by the plugin, now is a good time to do it: click Browse

Conclusion

With so many WordPress plugins available, it can be hard to know how they work and where to find them. In this article, I will explain how wordpress plugins install and point you in the direction of some of the best WordPress plugin sites. If you’re having trouble finding a specific plugin, or if you just want to make sure that your site is running as smoothly as possible, using these resources should help.