Direct quotes from WordPress's website

Plugin Installation

To install a plugin, the following are the general directions to follow. Be sure and follow the specific instructions provided by the Plugin author. Remember: BACKUP - just in case.

  1. Read through the "readme" file thoroughly that usually accompanies a plugin, or the website article from where you found the plugin. It is often helpful to print out the instructions so you can check off the installation steps as you complete them.
  2. Upload the plugin to the wp-content/plugins folder in your WordPress directory online.
  3. Make any changes to templates or files as required by the Plugin instructions including adding Plugin template tags.
  4. Activate the Plugin:
    • Access the Plugin Panel in your Admin Panel
    • Scroll down through the list of Plugins to find the newly installed Plugin (if not visible, start from the beginning to check to see if you followed the instructions properly and uploaded the file correctly).
    • Click on the Activate link to turn the Plugin on.
  5. Continue making any modifications necessary from the "readme" file instructions to make the plugin's actions meet your needs.

Hiding Plugins When Deactivated

Some plugins feature tags inside of the template files. If the plugin is not activated, it will "break" the Theme and it may report errors or fail to load. It is therefore imperative to prevent the plugin from being detected in case it is turned off.

To detect if a plugin is installed, you can use a simple function_exists() check. The if (function_exists()) checks for the plugin, and if it exists, it will use it. If it returns FALSE or "not found", it will ignore the plugin tag and continue loading the page.

PLAIN TEXT
PHP:
  1. <?php
  2. if (function_exists('FUNCTION NAME')) {
  3.   FUNCTION_NAME();
  4. }
  5. ?>

This example plugin uses a function called jal_get_shoutbox() to print out its contents.

PLAIN TEXT
PHP:
  1. <?php
  2. if (function_exists('jal_get_shoutbox')) {
  3.   jal_get_shoutbox();
  4. }
  5. ?>

Troubleshooting Plugins

If you are experiencing problems with a plugin you installed or one that stopped working after upgrading, the following are the steps you need to take to troubleshoot the plugin:

  1. Check that you have followed the plugin author's instructions to the letter.
  2. Check that any plugin tags or usage within your template files are correct, spelled right, and placed in the appropriate place, i.e., within the WordPress Loop or outside of it.
  3. Check that you uploaded the file to the plugins folder under wp-content. If you are uploading a new version to replace the old, delete the old version prior to uploading the new one.
  4. Check that the plugin has been activated in your Plugin Panel of your Administration Panels.
  5. Deactivate and re-activate the plugin to see if this makes it work.
  6. Visit the plugin author's website, typically linked from the Plugin Panel, and look to see if someone else is having the same trouble and an answer has been posted, or a new version released.
  7. Contact the plugin author directly via their website or email requesting assistance.
  8. Search the Internet for the name of the plugin and the trouble you are having as someone else might have had the same problem and found a fix and posted it on their site.
  9. Visit the WordPress Support Forum (http://www.wordpress.org/support) and post a clear question about the plugin and the problem you are having and you may get an answer from someone familiar with the plugin.
  10. If the problem persists and you cannot seem to solve it, check to see if there are any similar plugins that you can try instead.
Bookmark this article