Can’t see plugin after uploading files to wp-content/plugins

It most likely has to do with read permissions on the file. Check the file permissions.

And just in case:

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/Changing_File_Permissions

Thanks guys, but I can’t work out how to “check the file permissions”. What should I be looking at please – ie: where do I find the file permissions to check them??

Needless to say, although I am not a beginner with software generally, when it comes to WP I am an incompetent klutz. PLs make your advice SIMPLE and assume no knowledge on my part.

Cheers
NB: I read the Codex link, but as usual, couldn’t understand it.

I am also having the same problem. I uploaded several, but they don’t show up. Deleted and tried again, with no luck.

I read through the page on the link provided above…and well, it’s kinda like reading a foreign language! I couldn’t figure it out.

Someone please help!

You need to be sure that WordPress is able to read the file that’s there. There are 3 basic settings for a file on a web server. Read, Write, and Execute. In your web control panel, see if there is a way to allow read access to the files.

P.S. I would recommend learning how to use FTP vs the web control panel. It’s a lot more simpler once you understand how it works. Here’s a ftp beginners guide, and here’s the client I would recommend. Once you get it setup, you will find file tasks MUCH easier, and the link that Kafkaesqui posted above will make much more sense. You can find your ftp settings for your host in your control panel, or ask them for help setting up ftp.

I am having the same problem with 2.3.3
I set up another WP with plugins with no problems.
I have added several plugins to my plugins folder but they do not show up in the plugin management page or the plugin editor page. When I look at the plugin file folder using my control panel, they are there. Apparently the plugin management folder does not update?
The permissions are the same as “Hello Dolly” and “Akismet” which do show up.
I am on a rented space sever with a full control panel.

I upload the compressed plugins using my File Manager with my website host Control Panel, then decompress them and can see the resulting folder in wp-content/plugins. I have checked to make sure there are actually plug-in files within that folder and there are.

If I’m reading this correctly; I would suggest decompressing any plugins you download off the web locally and reading the install instructions usually included in the archive, and then upload them to your server with your FTP client. Some plugins are specific about how they want to live in the plugins folder.

thelazygeisha, you raise an excellent point!!

There seems to be trend recently with ppl unpacking plugins after they uploaded. And beyond the nested directory issue, Im guessing a good deal of these same ppl arent even looking at, much less reading, any instructions that come with them.

whooami: One of the things which has always impressed me with the WordPress community is that there’s “generally” good documentation included with things like plugins, themes, install/upgrade, etc.

Beyond the unpacking issue — I would also guess that a lot of problems people encounter, not all, but certainly a very fair percentage, are because they failed to adhere to the cardinal tenets of RTFM. I think people could make their lives a lot easier if they simply read the instructions!

??

– nina

Here’s an interesting thing… I was unzipping some of the plugins before uploading using Windows XP and the “Extract all” feature in File Explorer. Every time I uploaded (via an FTP program) those files, I could see them on my server but not in the WordPress Plugins window.

I even followed the advice given above… checked the read/write permissions etc were correct… Logged in and out of my blog….

In the end, I decided to try unzipping them using a DIFFERENT PROGRAM TO Microsoft File Explorer. And guess what? Voila, there were my plugins in WordPress. So, want my advice, use a non-Microsoft program to unzip your plugins – maybe that is what is causing your plguins to not be visible! Don’t ask me what Microsoft are doing to the unzipped files, but they must be corrupted somehow.

there may be other reasons for people to have experience problems than not reading instructions? don’t assume that it works for you that it does for others.

I had the same problem described above (plugin not showing in the plugin panel). In my case, I had downloaded the plugins directly to linux and unzipped using linux unzip, and move to wp-content/plugins directory. file permissions were correct (same as akismet) but just did not work.
I deleted the directories and copied them (cp -R) instead of move (mv), this time it worked fine (same permissions/owner).
Why? no idea.

If you haven’t found a solution yet, this happened to me and I figured out what was happening. When I unzipped the plugin to my desktop, it created a sub-folder with the same name as the main folder. When you FTP the folder to your web server, be sure to upload the folder within the main folder because that contains all the files needed. Hope this makes sense. Basically check the folder on your web server, and if you find another folder inside that one with the same name, that’s the problem.

Video tutorial on the best way to upload plugins into the correct directory – by whooami.

If you haven’t found a solution yet, this happened to me and I figured out what was happening. When I unzipped the plugin to my desktop, it created a sub-folder with the same name as the main folder. When you FTP the folder to your web server, be sure to upload the folder within the main folder because that contains all the files needed. Hope this makes sense. Basically check the folder on your web server, and if you find another folder inside that one with the same name, that’s the problem.

for all the newbies this is the problem make sure you dont when you upload you dont have PLUGIN_NAME folder INSIDE PLUGIN_NAME folder
this cuz a problem thats it. if it’s not it than its permissions.
@thelazygeisha BTW it’s not in RTFM