Title: Plugins screen
Author: pixelateddwarf
Published: January 28, 2019
Last modified: June 8, 2024

---

# Plugins screen

## In this article

 * [Manage Plugins](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#manage-plugins)
    - [Table of Plugins](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#table-of-plugins)
    - [Filtering Options](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#filtering-options)
    - [Using Selection, Actions, and Apply](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#using-selection-actions-and-apply)

[ Back to top](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#wp--skip-link--target)

The **Plugins Screen** enables you to manage your Plugins. Management of Plugins
entails activating, deactivating, updating, editing, and deleting Plugins that are**
installed**.

Visit the [Plugins Add New Screen](https://wordpress.org/support/articles/plugins-add-new-screen?output_format=md)
to install new plugins by clicking Add New link at the top of this screen or Select**
Plugins > Add New** from left side menu. Once a plugin has been installed, you may
activate it here.

## 󠀁[Manage Plugins](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#manage-plugins)󠁿

Once a plugin is installed, you may activate it, deactivate it, edit the Plugin 
file, delete the Plugin, or Upgrade the Plugin. As a special note regarding the 
Plugin Upgrade process–when Plugins need to be updated, the left navigation menu
Plugin option will display a balloon, with a number inside the balloon. That number
represents the number of Plugins that need to be Updated.

On visiting the **Plugins Screen**, there may be a splash warning message, similar
to, _The plugin “some plugin name” has been **deactivated** due to an error: xxxxxxxxxxxx._
If such a message is displayed, investigation is required to find out why a particular
Plugin was deactivated. Possible causes for the deactivation are, (1) an incomplete
set of plugin files, (2) the plugin is coded incorrectly, or (3) the Plugin is dependent
on another Plugin, and that Plugin is missing, deactivated, or has problems.

### 󠀁[Table of Plugins](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#table-of-plugins)󠁿

A table lists all of your Plugins, by row. The plugins are listed in alphabetical
order.

[[

The table of Plugins contains the following columns:

 * **[ ]** – This checkbox, when clicked (checked), ‘selects’ that particular plugin
   to be processed by a Bulk Action.
 * **Plugin** – The name of the Plugin.
 * **Description** – information about its Plugin. Includes version number, Plugin
   author name and link to the plugin’s web site for more detail information or 
   support.

#### 󠀁[Page Navigation](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#page-navigation)󠁿

Above and below the Table, to the right, the number of Plugins displayed per page
is determined. If more then one page of Plugins is available, two double-arrow boxes
to move to the first and last page are provided. Also two single-arrow boxes are
displayed to move one page backward or forward. Finally, a box showing the current
page number can be used to enter a page to directly display.

#### 󠀁[Screen Options](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#screen-options)󠁿

**Screen Options**, displayed as a hanging tab under **the toolbar**, allow you 
to choose which columns are displayed, or not displayed, in the underlying Table.
Clicking on the Screen Options tab shows a list of the columns with a check-box 
next to each column. Check the box for each column you want displayed in the Table,
or uncheck the box to not display that column. Click the Screen Options tab again
to close the Screen Options. In addition, the number of Plugins per page can be 
set.

[[

screen options

#### 󠀁[Search](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#search)󠁿

Above the Table, to the right, is a search box where you can enter a word, or series
of words, and click the “Search Installed Plugins” button to search and display 
all the Posts meeting your search words.

### 󠀁[Filtering Options](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#filtering-options)󠁿

At the top of this Screen are links such as All, Active, Inactive, Recently Active,
Update Available, that when clicked, will cause just the Plugins of that type to
be displayed in the underlying Table.

**All**: lists all installed Plugins.

**Active**: lists currently active Plugins. Note that each Active Plugin is displayed
in a light green background.

**Inactive**: lists installed, but inactive Plugins.

**Recently Active**: lists recently deactivated Plugins. When a plugin has been 
inactive for more than 7 days it will be dropped off.

**Update Available**: lists upgrade available Plugins at the [WordPress Plugin Directory](https://wordpress.org/plugins/?output_format=md).

### 󠀁[Using Selection, Actions, and Apply](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#using-selection-actions-and-apply)󠁿

#### 󠀁[Selection](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#selection)󠁿

 The Screen allows Bulk Actions to be performed on one or more Plugins selected 
in the Table. For Bulk Actions to be performed on multiple Plugins at once, those
Plugins must be first **selected** via one of these methods:

The various Tables in this Screen allow Actions to be performed on one or more Plugins.
For Actions to be performed on multiple Plugins at once, those Plugins must be first**
selected** via one of these methods:

 * **Select one Plugin at a time** – To select a Plugin, the checkbox to the left
   of the Plugin entry must be checked (clicked). It is possible to keep selecting
   more Plugins by checking their respective checkbox.
 * **Select all Plugins in given Table** – All Plugins in a given table can be selected
   by checking the checkbox in the Table’s title, or footer bar. Of course, unchecking
   the header or footer title bar checkbox will cause all entries in that Table 
   to be unchecked (NOT selected).
 * **Reverse Selection** – A Reverse Selection means checked items become unchecked,
   and unchecked items become checked. A Reverse Selection is accomplished by holding
   the Shift key on the keyboard and clicking the header or footer title bar checkbox.

#### 󠀁[Actions](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#actions)󠁿

 Actions describe the process to be performed on particular Plugins. There are two
styles of Actions that will be referred to as _Bulk Actions_ and _Immediate Actions_.
The follow describes these Actions:

 * **Bulk Actions** – These Actions can be performed on one, or more Plugins, at
   one time, if those Plugins have been previously selected. Bulk Actions are available,
   when appropriate, as choices in the Actions **pull-down** box, above each Table.
   The Bulk Actions are Activate, Deactivate, Update and Delete.
 * **Immediate Actions** – Immediate Actions are performed immediately, on an individual
   Plugin, by clicking the Activate, Deactivate, Edit, or Delete links, displayed
   under the Action column in that Plugin row. The Upgrade Action is also an Immediate
   Action, but the Upgrade link is seen in the upgrade message below the Plugin 
   row, and the Upgrade **nag** message only appears if there is an upgrade available
   at the WordPress Plugins site.

 The list of Actions available are described below:

 * **Activate** – This Action enables a Plugin, or better yet, turns the Plugin 
   on. Activating a Plugin is necessary to use the features of a Plugin. Only Inactive
   Plugins can be activated. Activate can be either a Bulk Action, or an Immediate
   Action.

 Note: Successful activation will display a splash message at the top of the Screen(
e.g. _Plugin **activated**._ or _Selected plugins **activated**._) **Failure to 
activate** a Plugin results in the message _Plugin could not be activated because
it triggered a **fatal error**_ – this should be further investigated. Likely causes
of failure are (1) an incomplete set of plugin files, (2) the plugin is coded incorrectly,(
3) or the Plugin is dependent on another Plugin before it can be successfully activated.

 * **Deactivate** – This Action disables, or turns off, a Plugin. Only Active Plugins
   can be deactivated. Deactivate is either a Bulk Action, or an Immediate Action.

 Note: Successful deactivation will display a splash message at the top of the Screen(
e.g. _Plugin **deactivated**_. or _Selected plugins **deactivated**._)

 * **Delete** – This Action deletes the Plugins files. Only Inactive Plugins can
   be deleted. Delete is either a Bulk Action, or an Immediate Action.
 * **Upgrade** – This Action initiates the Plugin upgrade process.
 * **Edit** – This Immediate Action places the Plugin code in the Plugins Editor
   text box for editing. **Warning**: Making changes to active plugins is not recommended.
   If your changes cause a fatal error, the plugin will be automatically deactivated.

#### 󠀁[Apply](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#apply)󠁿

After one or more Plugins are _selected_, and after a _Bulk_ Action is specified,
the **Apply** button performs the given Action on the selected Plugins.

 * **Apply** – Click the Apply button to execute the Bulk Action, specified in the
   Actions pull-down, on the selected Plugins. Remember, prior to executing Actions,
   one or more Plugins must be **selected**, as described before.

Successful application of the Action is noted in a splash message at the top of 
the Screen. For instance, when the Activate Action is applied, the message _Selected
plugins activated._” is displayed.

#### 󠀁[Deleting Plugins](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#deleting-plugins)󠁿

When the Delete Action is Applied to selected Plugin(s), a Screen similar to the
follow is displayed:

_Deleting the selected plugins will remove the following plugin(s) and their files:_
_*
Plugin xyx by John Doe__* Plugin abc by Jane JoeAre you sure you wish to delete 
these files?_

 * **Yes Delete these Files** – This is the final chance, because clicking this 
   will delete the Plugin(s), and return to the **Plugins Screen** with the _The
   selected plugins have been deleted._ splash message displayed.

 Note: If deletion is unsuccessful The message _Plugin could not be deleted due 
to an error: xxxxxxxxx._ This should be further investigated.

 * **No, Return me to the plugin list** – Click this to be returned to the **Plugins
   Screen**
 * **Click to view entire list of files which will be deleted** – Clicking this 
   causes a listing of all the files that are part of the Plugins being deleted.

#### 󠀁[Upgrading Plugins](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/plugins-screen/?output_format=md#upgrading-plugins)󠁿

**Important note:** If a Plugin is hosted at the [WordPress Plugins Directory](https://wordpress.org/plugins/?output_format=md)
Upgrade notices will be displayed, when appropriate, for a given Plugin. If the 
Plugin is hosted elsewhere, such as the Plugin author’s site, it is important for
you to check for available updates for those Plugins.

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First published

January 28, 2019

Last updated

June 8, 2024