Guides
Install it, back it up, verify it.
8 guides. No fluff, no "simply install the plugin" — the actual clicks, in order, for every platform we ship on.
Verify a SHA-256 checksum on Windows, macOS or Linux
Ten seconds of command line that proves the file you are about to install is the file that was published — on all three operating systems.
Read the guideWhere does the zip go? One table for MyBB, phpBB, WordPress, XenForo and vBulletin
Five platforms, five different folders. Find your platform in this table before you upload anything — the wrong folder is the most common install mistake there is.
Read the guideBack up a forum before you install anything (10 minutes, once)
A database dump, a copy of the files, and one test restore. The three things that turn a bad install into a ten-minute inconvenience.
Read the guideHow to install a MyBB plugin (and how to undo it cleanly)
Upload to inc/plugins, activate in the Admin CP, set your options — and know exactly how to back out if you do not like it.
Read the guideHow to install a phpBB extension (folder depth is everything)
phpBB extensions must sit exactly three folders deep under /ext. Here is the upload, the enable step, and the safe way to remove one.
Read the guideHow to install a WordPress plugin from a zip (and roll it back)
The uploader takes the zip, not the folder. Two minutes to install, and a rollback that does not need a backup restore.
Read the guideHow to install a XenForo 2 add-on from an archive
Copy upload/ over the forum root, then install from archive in the ACP. Plus the CLI version and how to remove an add-on without losing data by accident.
Read the guideHow to install a vBulletin product (vB4 and vB5)
Products are imported as XML from the admin panel. Where the files go, how to import without overwriting, and how to uninstall one safely.
Read the guideNeed the one-page version?
The documentation page has the short install steps and the checksum commands without the explanation.
Open documentation