Title: Activating plugins in multisite Last modified: August 20, 2016 --- # Activating plugins in multisite * Resolved [inge12](https://wordpress.org/support/users/inge12/) * (@inge12) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/) * I noticed that Andrea said in one post that it is best to avoid network activation of plugins unless really necessary. * Now I’d like to try out some plugins on the main site — or even on a test sub- site — but that seems impossible. When I go to the plugin interface on the main site, there’s no option to add a new plugin, unless I go into Network Admin mode. And in Network Admin mode, I can only network enable, not enable for main site only. * Sub-sites also have no option of adding new plugins — only the option of activating or deactivating plugins. Thus I can’t test them out there. Of course, I suppose I can test them on another domain that doesn’t have multiple blogs, but is that the only way? * Is that the way it’s supposed to be, or is there something in my setup that’s quirky? Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 22 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/page/2/?output_format=md) * [dgilmour](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dgilmour/) * (@dgilmour) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113468) * This is the way it’s supposed to be. * Plugins are installed by being copied into a shared plugin directory (/wp-content/ plugins), from where they’re activated across the network or for individual blogs. That installation can be done in two ways; either from the Network menus, via HTTP, or by uploading the plugin files via FTP. * If a plugin has been installed, but not activated, no blog runs the plugin code.( There’s an exception here for files uploaded to /mu-plugins, but we’ll ignore that for now.) This means you can test it on an individual blog, although there’s a possibility, of course, that your test may impact other sites in the network. * More on this here, probably worth a read: [http://codex.wordpress.org/Managing_Plugins#Installing_Plugins](http://codex.wordpress.org/Managing_Plugins#Installing_Plugins) * [Steve@BHQ](https://wordpress.org/support/users/stevebhq/) * (@stevebhq) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113526) * [@inge12](https://wordpress.org/support/users/inge12/) I just got my WPMS/BP site up and noticed the same thing,.. just figured that is how things worked. [@dgilmour](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dgilmour/) Ok, do you khow do we can have only certain plugins available or “activated” for certain sites? * [Andrea Rennick](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andrea_r/) * (@andrea_r) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113536) * Go to network admin. Install a plugin. Do not activate it. * Go to a sub site. See the newly installed plugin in the list. Activate it. * Yes, it’s a bit more of a run around if you just want to fiddle with a plugin or two on one site. * If you’re looking to block _access_ to certain plugins, see these: [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/plugins-enabler/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/plugins-enabler/) [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/exclude-plugins/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/exclude-plugins/) [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/restrict-multisite-plugins/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/restrict-multisite-plugins/) * or even this one: [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/plugin-premium-package-manager-for-wp-networks/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/plugin-premium-package-manager-for-wp-networks/) * Which is different than just turning plugins off and on for sub sites. 😉 * [Steve@BHQ](https://wordpress.org/support/users/stevebhq/) * (@stevebhq) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113597) * Andrea, All of those look like great resources. Thank you! * Thread Starter [inge12](https://wordpress.org/support/users/inge12/) * (@inge12) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113643) * Thanks much, Andrea! 🙂 * [Steve@BHQ](https://wordpress.org/support/users/stevebhq/) * (@stevebhq) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113647) * Andrea, ok, from the Network admin, I’ve installed BP, did not activate, but don’t see it in the plugin list in the Site Admin list to activate? * Thread Starter [inge12](https://wordpress.org/support/users/inge12/) * (@inge12) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113721) * Re Andrea’s suggestion: * > Go to network admin. Install a plugin. Do not activate it. > Go to a sub site. See the newly installed plugin in the list. Activate it. * That’s the way I thought it should work. But it doesn’t — at least not without a plugin to create this behavior. * On a plain-vanilla multi-site, plugins not network-activated will not show at all in the subsites, as Steve@BGQ discovered. * Besides the ones Andrea mentioned, another plugin to extend management capabilities for sub-sites appears to be this one: [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/yd-wpmu-sitewide-options/](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/yd-wpmu-sitewide-options/) * For more, search the plugin directory for “network plugins.” It seems there’s a plugin for almost any desired behavior. * [Steve@BHQ](https://wordpress.org/support/users/stevebhq/) * (@stevebhq) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113722) * Ok, cool. Thank you * [Andrea Rennick](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andrea_r/) * (@andrea_r) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113726) * > I’ve installed BP, did not activate, but don’t see it in the plugin list in > the Site Admin list to activate? * BuddyPress is specifically coded to be network activated. If you want its home to be on a blog other than the main one in a network, there’s a line to put in the config file. see the bp support docs. * [wputler](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wputler/) * (@wputler) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113760) * I’m having the same problem. I had a plugin (redirect-with-custom-field) installed and working. Now it shows in the Network plugins and is Network Activated, but doesn’t show in the Site Plugins. I’ve tried deactivating, uninstalling (which gave me an error that it was active on a site – which it wasn’t, or if it was, it wasn’t showing in the plugin list and it wasn’t doing what it was supposed to) * Then I deleted the whole folder. Went to network admin -> plugins and added it again. Network activated it. Went to the mainsite and it does not show. * Then I installed Multisite Plugin Manager and it doesn’t show there either. * I can’t upgrade to 3.1.2 because that breaks the TinyMCE Advanced plugin. * [Andrea Rennick](https://wordpress.org/support/users/andrea_r/) * (@andrea_r) * [14 years, 10 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113762) * > it shows in the Network plugins and is Network Activated, but doesn’t show > in the Site Plugins. * And it will not. You’ve already activated it network wide. It would be redundant to show it on a single site to be able to activate it *again*. * If it is not written specifically to be network activated – DON’T. * Go back to network admin. Deactivate it. Go to your site admin ->plugins. Do you see it? * [laptophobo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/laptophobo/) * (@laptophobo) * [14 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113879) * Hi Andrea, * I made the mistake of network activating a plugin. Now, of course, it does not show up in my sub sites. I deleted the plugin, then re-installed it (did not network activate it this time) but the plugin still won’t show up in sub site plugins. * Thread Starter [inge12](https://wordpress.org/support/users/inge12/) * (@inge12) * [14 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113880) * The issue is still the same as at the beginning of this thread, as far as I can tell: * Individual sites do not have the ability to install plugins. * Plugins installed on the network interface do not show up in the individual Dashboards unless network activated. * What I`ve found is this: Some plugins will show up in individual sites after network activation and will give site owners the option to activate for that site. * Other plugins will not show up on individual sites as plugins, but the options will show up under Tools or Settings — no telling which. 😉 * Some plugins will not show up at all on individual sites because they have no options that can be set on individual sites. These are in the minority. * I`ve not yet found a plugin in the repository that is current and will not work after network activation. * PS I use a lot of plugins. 😉 * Moderator [Ipstenu (Mika Epstein)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ipstenu/) * (@ipstenu) * 🏳️‍🌈 Advisor and Activist * [14 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113881) * This post is 8 months old, and how the plugins work have changed a little. * Please make a new topic for yourself. (But try network activating and then DE activating it, not deleting it) * [laptophobo](https://wordpress.org/support/users/laptophobo/) * (@laptophobo) * [14 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/#post-2113882) * Yep, you were right. (THANK YOU MUCH) This particular plugin shows up in Settings only (at the end of the list, not alpha order). And, I had to Network Activate the plugin. That said, upon download of a new plugin, does one Network activate it or not? Or, do I download, try to activate in the sub sites first, and then go with Network activation if not working? Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 22 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘Activating plugins in multisite’ is closed to new replies. ## Tags * [network activation](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/network-activation/) * In: [Networking WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/multisite/) * 22 replies * 8 participants * Last reply from: [neuromatto2012](https://wordpress.org/support/users/neuromatto2012/) * Last activity: [13 years, 11 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/activating-plugins-in-multisite/page/2/#post-2113894) * Status: resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics