This guide covers three installation methods for installing the free core Popup Maker plugin available on WordPress.org.
Installing Pro or Pro+? After installing the free core plugin, see our Pro Installation & Activation Guide for downloading Pro and Pro+ from your account and activating your license.
Let’s dive in.
First up, the recommended method: installing directly from the WordPress Plugin Directory.
1. Installing Directly From the WordPress Plugin Directory
Why install directly from the WordPress Plugin Directory?
Installing directly from WordPress is the easiest option for beginners—one click, and you’re done. Not to mention:
- WordPress handles updates automatically (you’ll get notifications when we release new versions).
- No downloading ZIP files or FTP uploads.
- Works for 95% of WordPress sites.
Installation Steps
Watch the 1-minute video or skip to the step-by-step instructions.
Step 1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Plugins, then click Add Plugin.
Step 2. In the search box, type “Popup Maker” and look for “Popup Maker – Boost Sales, Conversions, Optins, Subscribers with the Ultimate WP Popups Builder” by Daniel Iser.
Step 3. Click Install Now. WordPress will automatically download and install the plugin.
Step 4. Once installed, click Activate. You’ll then be redirected to your Plugins page.
Next, let’s look at Method 2: Manual Upload via WordPress Admin, useful if you have a ZIP file already downloaded.
2. Manually Uploading Through WordPress Admin
When should you manually upload a plugin?
- You already downloaded the plugin ZIP file (e.g., you need a specific older version instead of the latest).
- You need to prepare an offline installation.
- Your hosting provider only allows manual plugin uploads.
Installation Steps
Step 1. Visit the Popup Maker plugin page on WordPress.org, click Download, and save the popup-maker.zip file to your computer.
Step 2. In your WordPress admin panel, go to Plugins > Add Plugin, and click Upload Plugin.
Step 3. Click Choose File or Browse, select the popup-maker.zip file you downloaded, and then click Install Now.
Step 4. Once the upload finishes, click Activate Plugin.
Finally, for server restrictions or multiple plugins, Method 3: FTP Installation.
3. Using FTP
Why should we ever use FTP to install a plugin?
- The first 2 methods are not available to you.
- The first 2 methods are blocked by server upload restrictions.
- You need to install several plugins at once (bulk upload).
- Maybe you prefer FTP!
Most people skip FTP installation—it’s old-school. But when WordPress won’t cooperate, or you’re installing offline, FTP is an excellent fallback plan.
Installation Steps
Step 1. Follow Step 1 from method 2 to get the ZIP file, then extract the file on your computer to get the popup-maker folder.
Step 2. Connect to your site via FTP or SFTP, navigate to /wp-content/plugins/, and upload the entire popup-maker folder.
Step 3. Log in to your WordPress backend, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins, find Popup Maker in the list, and click Activate.
Now, let’s verify that everything is installed correctly.
Verifying Your Installation
Follow these steps to find Popup Maker in your dashboard and check the Popup Maker installation.
Step 1. Find Popup Maker in the side menu on your WP admin dashboard. If you see it, the installation succeeded!
Step 2. Check the version number. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins, then find Popup Maker, and read the version number. Confirm that number with the latest version on the Popup Maker plugin page on WordPress.org.
Step 3. Test the Settings page. Back on the side menu, click Popup Maker > Settings. If the settings page loads, Popup Maker’s back end is working.
