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How to Install Wordpress Plugins
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If you manage your own website of if you are thinking about starting up your own website from scratch, you have probably heard of Wordpress. It is the most commonly used content management program currently in use today and is perfect for those folks who aren’t familiar with computer programming languages. One of the things that make Wordpress so popular is the availability of plugins. Since Wordpress is a free, open source software package, anyone with basic programming knowledge can create add ons that help Wordpresss do more things. Here is a quick guide for those looking to learn where to find and how to install Wordpress plugins.
It is important to note here that the biggest knock against Wordpress is the fact that it is vulnerable to attacks from hackers. The use of plugins, especially unauthorized plugins that aren’t created by the Wordpress team, can increase the number of exploits Wordpress has. Make sure you research security vulnerabilities in the plugins you want to use before you install them.
Learning how to install Wordpress plugins is easy. Start at the administration panel screen in your Wordpress main page. You’ll see a tab marked PlugIns. Click that tab and you should be given a complete list of all of the plugins you are currently using. You can find additional plugins via the Wordpress home page or via web search. Since Wordpress is open source software, there are literally thousands of different plugins available all over the Internet. If the plug in you want to use isn’t showing up on your plug in list, it is because you haven’t copied it into your Wordpress 'plugins' directory which is located at 'wp-content/plugins'. To get the plugin into the directory, you can use your web host's FTP feature from within their control panel or you can use separate FTP software. You may have to create a folder within the 'plugins' folder in which to copy the plugin's file. Make sure you read the plugin's 'readme' file or ducumentation that comes with it to determine the proper file structure for the particular plugin. Once the plugin folder has been copied to the plugins directory, it should show up on the plug in list.
Simply click to install any plugins that you see listed in front of you, and assuming the plug in was created properly, it should become functional right away. A small number of plugins require you to either restart Wordpress or, in rare instances, for you to restart your computer altogether for the plugin to take effect.
Now that you know the nuts and bolts of how to install Wordpress plugins, there are a few things you need to keep in mind before going this far. Every plugin that you download should come with a kind of document file, often called a readme file, that explains not only how the plugin works but any special care that it needs or any security vulnerabilities it might have. Make sure you read this documentation as you may not know how to either install your Wordpress plug in correctly or know how to use it correctly.
It is also a smart idea to back up all of the work you have in Wordpress before installing any plug in that you’ve downloaded, even one from the Wordpress staff. Sometimes, plugins can have an unintended effect and you don’t want to lose all of your hard work because you didn’t spare ten seconds to back up your work. Now that you know how to install Wordpress plugins, you can truly unlock all of the amazing features associated with Wordpress.
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