Every platform guide
Where does the zip go? One table for MyBB, phpBB, WordPress, XenForo and vBulletin
3 minute read · last checked 25 October 2026
Every platform stores add-ons somewhere different, and none of them tell you clearly when you drop a file in the wrong place — the add-on simply never appears in the list. Here is the whole map.
The table
| Platform | Where the files go | How you switch it on |
|---|---|---|
| MyBB | inc/plugins/ — a single .php file, or a folder if the plugin has one. Language files go to inc/languages/english/…, admin modules to admin/modules/…. |
Admin CP → Configuration → Plugins → Install & Activate |
| phpBB | ext/vendor/extension/ — three levels deep, always. A zip that unpacks to ext/myext/ is one level short and phpBB will reject it. |
ACP → Customise → Manage extensions → Enable |
| WordPress | Nothing, if you use the uploader — it wants the .zip itself, not an unpacked folder. By FTP the target is wp-content/plugins/. |
Plugins → Installed Plugins → Activate |
| XenForo 2 | The contents of the zip's upload/ folder, copied over the forum root so src/addons/Vendor/Addon/ and js/ land in the right places. |
ACP → Add-ons → Install/upgrade from archive |
| vBulletin 5 | Product XML goes in core/packages/; any extra files go in core/ as the readme says. On vBulletin 4 the XML lives in includes/xml/. |
AdminCP → Products → Add/Import Product |
Three rules that save an evening
- Look inside the zip before you upload. If the top level is a single folder, your host's file manager usually has an "extract here" and a "extract into" — pick the one that lands files where the table above says.
- Keep the original zip. It is your rollback. Never install straight from a temp folder and then delete it.
- Never edit core files to make an add-on fit. If it needs a core edit to work, it is the wrong add-on, not the wrong folder.
If nothing appears in the admin list
In this order: check the folder depth (phpBB and XenForo are strict), check file permissions (644 for files, 755 for folders), then check the platform version the add-on was built for. A plugin written for an older major version will usually not even load, and it will not explain itself.
Once it appears and is switched on, verify the file you installed is the file we shipped — comparing the SHA-256 takes ten seconds.