godot-docs/tutorials/plugins/editor/installing_plugins.rst

.. _doc_installing_plugins:

Installing plugins
==================

Godot features an editor plugin system with numerous plugins developed by the
community. Plugins can extend the editor's functionality with new nodes,
additional docks, convenience features, and more.

Finding plugins
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The preferred way to find Godot plugins is to use the
`Asset Library <https://godotengine.org/asset-library/>`_. While it can be
browsed online, it's more convenient to use it directly from the editor.
To do so, click the **AssetLib** tab at the top of the editor:

.. image:: img/installing_plugins_assetlib_tab.webp

You can also find assets on code hosting websites such as GitHub.

.. note::

    Some repositories describe themselves as "plugins" but may not actually be
    *editor* plugins. This is especially the case for scripts that are intended
    to be used in a running project. You don't need to enable such plugins to
    use them. Download them and extract the files in your project folder.

    One way to distinguish editor plugins from non-editor plugins is to look for
    a ``plugin.cfg`` file in the repository that hosts the plugin. If the
    repository contains a ``plugin.cfg`` file in a folder placed in the
    ``addons/`` folder, then it is an editor plugin.

Installing a plugin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To install a plugin, download it as a ZIP archive. On the Asset Library, this
can be done using the **Download** button, either from the editor or using the
Web interface.

On GitHub, if a plugin has *tags* (versions) declared, go to the **Releases**
tab to download a stable release. This ensures you download a version that was
declared to be stable by its author.

On GitHub, if the plugin doesn't have any *tags* declared, use the **Download ZIP**
button to download a ZIP of the latest revision:

.. image:: img/installing_plugins_github_download_zip.png

Extract the ZIP archive and move the ``addons/`` folder it contains into your
project folder. If your project already contains an ``addons/`` folder, move the
plugin's ``addons/`` folder into your project folder to merge the new folder
contents with the existing one. Your file manager may ask you whether to write
into the folder; answer **Yes**. No files will be overwritten in the process.

Enabling a plugin
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To enable the freshly installed plugin, open **Project > Project Settings** at
the top of the editor then go the **Plugins** tab. If the plugin was packaged
correctly, you should see it in the list of plugins. Click on the
**Enable** checkbox to enable the plugin.

.. image:: img/installing_plugins_project_settings.webp


You can use the plugin immediately after enabling it; there's no need to restart
the editor. Likewise, disabling a plugin can be done without having to restart
the editor.