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Plugins and Themes

The Plugins & Themes panel lets you manage every plugin on your site and your active theme — install, update, activate, and deactivate without going into WordPress admin.

Plugins & Themes panel with active and inactive plugins and the current theme

What you see​

  • + Install — Install a new plugin.
  • Active Plugins — Plugins currently running on your site. Each row shows the version and either Up to date or an Update v[version] button.
  • Inactive Plugins — Installed but not running. Each row has an Activate button.
  • Theme — The active theme, its version, and an Active badge.

Update a plugin​

Click Update v[new version] on the plugin's row. The update completes in a few seconds and the badge changes to Up to date.

Activate or deactivate a plugin​

  • To activate, click Activate on an inactive plugin's row.
  • To deactivate, open the plugin's actions in WordPress Admin.

Install a new plugin​

  1. Click + Install at the top of the panel.
  2. Search or browse for the plugin you want.
  3. Click Install on the plugin's card.

The plugin appears under Inactive Plugins. Click Activate when you're ready.

tip

Create a backup before installing or updating a plugin. Test major updates on staging first.

Keep plugins healthy​

  • Update regularly. Plugin updates often include security fixes.
  • Remove what you don't use. Inactive plugins left unmaintained become a security risk.
  • Stick to well-supported plugins. A plugin that hasn't been updated in years is more likely to break with a WordPress core update.