Are you unable to see the “Add New Plugin” option in your WordPress dashboard? This is a common issue that prevents users from installing new plugins to manage and enhance their websites. In this guide, we’ll walk you through a simple step-by-step process to resolve this issue using your cPanel and WordPress configuration file.
🔐 Step 1: Log in to Your cPanel Account
First, log in to the cPanel account associated with your WordPress website. Your hosting provider usually gives you these credentials when you sign up.
📁 Step 2: Access File Manager
Once inside the cPanel dashboard, look for the “File Manager” option and click on it.
Tip: You’ll typically find File Manager under the “Files” section.
🌐 Step 3: Navigate to the WordPress Directory
In File Manager, go to the directory where WordPress is installed. This is usually the public_html folder or a subdirectory if you installed WordPress on a subdomain or in a folder.
📝 Step 4: Edit the wp-config.php File
Inside your WordPress root directory, find the file named wp-config.php. Right-click on it and select “Edit” to open it in the built-in code editor.
🔍 Step 5: Locate and Modify the Code
Once the editor opens, scroll down and look for the following lines of code:
define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true);
define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', true);
These lines are responsible for disabling plugin and theme modifications from the WordPress dashboard.
🔧 Change value, like this:
define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true);
define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', false);
This allows you to edit files and install plugins from within the WordPress admin panel.
💾 Step 6: Save the File
After making the changes, save the file and exit the editor. You can now go back to your WordPress dashboard.
✅ Issue Resolved!
You should now be able to see the “Add New Plugin” option under the Plugins menu in your WordPress dashboard. You can start installing new plugins as needed.
🧠 Additional Tips
- If you’re using a WordPress Multisite, the “Add New Plugin” option is only visible to the Super Admin.
- Some security plugins or custom themes might auto-set these constants to
true, so make sure to check those as well if the issue comes back.
🔚 Conclusion
The “Add Plugin” menu missing issue in WordPress can be quickly resolved by tweaking the wp-config.php file. Follow the steps carefully and you’ll regain full control over plugin installations.