Once you get your blog installed and ready to go, you may want to install a plugin or two. Installing a plugin to your blog is a great way to enhance the functionality of your blog. It’s easy to do it.
Step by step guide
1 Login to your WordPress blog dashboard
2 Navigate to the Plugins section on the left and click on Add New.
Add New Plugin lets you add a new plugin to your blog
The next screen presents you with options to install a plugin.
The various options to install a new plugin to your new blog.
You can upload a plugin if you have it in your computer (1). You can install a plugin by using one of the filters shown like Featured, Popular, Recommended and Favorites (2). And the last option is to Search Plugins (3).
3a Install a Plugin From Search
Use the search box to find the plugin you want to install. You will be shown the available plugins that match your search.
Find the plugin that you want to install and look for the Install Now button next to it.
Install now button is on the top left of each plugin available.
If all goes well, you’ll see a new screen that shows that the plugins has been installed. You can then read step 4 to activate the plugin.
3b Installing a Plugin From File
If you have purchased a plugin, like Optinmonster or Gravity Forms, you will have a file downloaded to your desktop or to your computer. It should be a zip file.
Find the Upload Plugin button (shown in the screenshot above), and click on that.
You’ll be presented with your computer’s dialogue to find the zip file and select it. The Install Now button will become active.
Select the plugin file from your computer, then install it.
4. Activating the Plugin
Once you install the plugin (via search, or upload), you will be presented with the option to return to the plugins dashboard or to activate the plugin. Most likely you want to activate the plugin.
After installation, activate the plugin on this link.
How to configure the settings of the plugin
After you activate the plugin, depending on its specific function and how it was designed you probably need to adjust settings for it. Each plugin is different so the settings may be in different areas.
Sometimes the settings may be listed under the Tools section in your WordPress Dashboard. Sometimes you’ll find the settings for the plugin under the Settings section in your WordPress dashboard.
Sometimes the plugin ads its own menu to the WordPress dashboard so if you don’t see it under Tools or Settings, you may find that it has its own menu.
The SEO Plugin has its own configuration menu.
And sometimes a plugin doesn’t have any settings that you can find, in that case, it just starts working after you activate it. In some other cases, when you install a plugin you will not see any settings or configuration options but instead you will find it under the Widgets section.
For specific details about a plugin, visit its page in the WordPress repository.
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