---
title: "How to Install WooCommerce"
description: "WooCommerce is a top platform for building an eCommerce site, and this guide will walk you through how to set up WooCommerce so you can hit the ground running."
image: "https://images.ctfassets.net/lzny33ho1g45/how-to-install-woocommerce-p-img/d260bf817727678bced678f086732e8e/file.png"
---

# How to Install WooCommerce

WooCommerce is a top platform for building an eCommerce site, and this guide will walk you through how to set up WooCommerce so you can hit the ground running.

[WooCommerce](https://woo.com/) is a top platform for building an eCommerce site, and this guide will walk you through how to set up WooCommerce so you can hit the ground running.

## First, a Warning: WooCommerce is a WordPress Plugin

Although it competes with self-sufficient platforms like Shopify and Magento, WooCommerce is _not_ an eCommerce platform. Instead, it's a plugin for WordPress that adds everything an eCommerce store needs to your WordPress site. Product pages, checkout functionality, even [coupons](https://zapier.com/blog/create-woocommerce-coupon-code)—and that's not including the library of WooCommerce extensions that allow further customization.

The benefit is that WooCommerce allows you to design your site through the WordPress designer, which includes their library of tens of thousands of plugins, mostly third-party. Essentially, you can use design elements that weren't necessarily intended for eCommerce sites; anything usable on WordPress is usable for your eCommerce site.

## What Do You Need Before Installing WooCommerce?

Installing the WooCommerce plugin is the easy part. The hard part is setting up your WordPress site. Before you use WooCommerce, you need to accomplish these three steps:

1. Register a domain name.
2. Find WordPress hosting.
3. Install WordPress.

There are a lot of variations on how to accomplish these tasks, with no one right answer. Different hosting companies offer different features, so the right one for you depends on your priorities. You can register your domain name at different companies too.

There are plenty of [guides to help you](https://www.wpbeginner.com/guides/)—just be sure to hold off on designing the actual site until after you have WooCommerce installed.

## How to Install WooCommerce

Once you have WordPress installed and your account set up, installing WooCommerce is relatively straightforward. From your WordPress dashboard, on the left side menu, click _Plugins_ > _Add New_.

This brings you to the WordPress plugin library. You can return here later to install different design elements, like modal windows or social media share buttons. For now, though, we're only interested in WooCommerce. Type `WooCommerce` into the bar that says _Search plugins_.

The WooCommerce plugin will appear in the first spot at the top left. Don't worry about the other WooCommerce extensions for now—focus only on the one titled "WooCommerce."

You can install it right there. Click _Install Now_.

Give WordPress a few moments to install WooCommerce. When it's ready, the button will change to say _Activate_. But just because a plugin is installed, that doesn't mean it's active. WordPress stores all your installed plugins, but it allows you to activate and deactivate them at will to experiment with customization. Turn on WooCommerce now by clicking _Activate_.

Activating WooCommerce brings you to the plugin screen, where you'll see a confirmation message at the top that says _Plugin activated_.

And that's it. You'll notice there are new _WooCommerce_ and _Products_ options in your dashboard menu. You can now access all of WooCommerce's features and add eCommerce elements to your site.

To begin designing your site, go to _Appearance_ in the left-side menu of the dashboard. Alternatively, you could start by fine-tuning the eCommerce details of your site by going to _WooCommerce_ > _Settings_ in the dashboard menu. This lets you customize options and submit your personal data. If you want to jump straight to populating your site with product pages, navigate to _Products_ > _Add New_.