Manage plugins and themes

Before changing extensions

Plugins add functionality; the active theme shapes the website’s presentation. Before changing either, create a backup and identify the feature you are trying to add or fix. If the website already has a form, cache, security, or page-builder tool, check it before introducing another tool for the same job.

Keep a note of the current active theme and the plugins involved in important visitor actions. For a managed website, agree on the change with its maintainer so you do not remove a dependency that another part of the site needs.

Manage plugins in the hosting panel

1. Open Hosting control panel from the website’s WordPress or Settings tab in Kiro, then select the intended website.
2. Open Plugins to review installed extensions and their versions or status.
3. Use the available action for the specific plugin: activate, deactivate, update, or remove. Prefer a single controlled change before applying a batch.
4. To add a plugin, choose Add New and search the available catalog. Review its description and requirements before installing.

A missing result or disabled activation can reflect a hosting restriction. Ask Kiro about a suitable alternative rather than trying to bypass that restriction with an uploaded archive.

Manage the theme

The full panel’s Advanced area can include Installed Themes, with actions to preview, activate, update, or remove a theme. Make a design change in staging first when available.

Theme updates replace theme files. Custom code should be reviewed by the developer; a child theme can keep appropriate customizations separate from its parent. After switching themes, inspect the header, navigation, page layouts, footer, and phone view rather than checking only the home page.

Verify and recover

• Test the feature you changed and the site’s other important forms or purchase flows.
• If a newly activated plugin causes a problem, deactivate that specific plugin if you can still access the controls, then retest.
• Do not delete an extension as a first troubleshooting step; removal can have consequences for its saved data.
• Leave hosting-managed must-use plugins in place. They support the connection between the website and hosting tools.

If the site is inaccessible or you do not know which extension is responsible, send Kiro the domain, extension name, attempted action, and visible error. Restore only after considering newer site activity.