How Do You Install WordPress Plugins?
So the other day I was talking to a friend online, he’s pretty tech savvy but he’s never run a website so I set him up with WordPress. As soon as the site’s live, I’ll be sure to post a link to it but the funny thing was that after a few days of him doing tweaks to the content I showed him the plug-in directory and he was shocked. He’d always used Joomla before, so the idea of true ‘drag and drop’ plug-ins blew him away.
This got me thinking however, maybe there’s a lot of people out there who want to run their own website, maybe they even want to do it for only a $100 (or less) but are terrified of the technology so I’ve decided over the next few weeks to post some fairly entry level tutorials for WordPress, my more regular readers might roll their eyes but bear with us while we delve into some of the less technical aspects of WordPress and help new users learn the system.
Today, I’d like to look at installing a plug-in. I think this is one of the most terrifying endeavours for a new WordPress blog owner but honestly, it’s one of the easiest especially with the new WordPress 2.7 installer.
- First, log into your administration area and click the Plugins link on the left hand side.
- Next, follow the link Plugin Browser/Installer at the bottom of your page.
- Honestly, you’re almost done.
- Find a plugin that you like. I recommend searching for the WordPress.com Stats plugin — it’s amazingly cool, easy to use and free.
- Once you search, you can read about the plugin and click the Install button to the right.
- Yep, that’s all there is to it.
With the new version 2.7 of WordPress, things are getting so easy that just about anybody can setup and operate a WordPress website without needing a web developer at all. 🙁
Last Reviewed
This article was last reviewed on May 2, 2026 for accuracy and relevance.
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