Installing Plugins

Add a supported TruCMS extension from its ZIP package, then review its dependencies before activation.

TruCMS Plugin Manager used to install plugin packages

Plugin installation starts from the Plugin Manager; upload only official packages intended for TruCMS.

What installing a plugin does

Installation adds the plugin package to TruCMS so it appears in the Plugin Manager. A newly uploaded plugin is installed inactive; installation by itself does not turn on its menus or customer-facing features.

Before you start

Use a plugin package intended for TruCMS, not an arbitrary ZIP archive.
Check whether the plugin requires another plugin and whether a required version is already installed.
Back up the site before adding third-party functionality to a production installation.
If the plugin will handle payments, finish the installation and activation first, then configure its credentials from the relevant module settings.

Install a plugin

Open Appearance → Plugins.
Choose Add New to open Upload Plugin.
Under Plugin ZIP file, select the plugin package. The upload panel displays a maximum size of 20 MB.
Choose Install Now.
After a successful installation, find the plugin in Installed Plugins. Its status remains inactive until you activate it.

What TruCMS checks

The upload flow checks that the file is a valid TruCMS plugin package, that the package metadata is usable, and that declared plugin dependencies can be satisfied. If a required plugin is missing or incompatible, installation is stopped and the dependency problem is shown instead of installing a partly usable extension.

Plugin updates use a different process

The ZIP upload flow does not overwrite a plugin that is already installed. If you upload the same plugin again, TruCMS reports that it is already installed rather than treating the upload as an update.

What to do next

Review the plugin’s description, version, dependencies, and any dependency issues shown in the Plugin Manager. When everything is ready, continue to Activating Plugins. Activation is the point at which TruCMS starts loading the plugin.