# Installing the Free ACF Plugin

For instructions on how to install the ACF PRO plugin, please see [this guide](https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/resources/how-to-activate/).

The methods outlined below will work on *any* host. In addition, WordPress sites hosted on WP Engine or Flywheel can use the process outlined [here](#install-acf-wp-engine-flywheel-hosted-websites).

## Method 1: wp-admin upload

1. Download Advanced Custom Fields from <https://advancedcustomfields.com/latest/>.
2. Log in to your WP install.
3. From the [Administration Screen](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/administration-screens/), click on the [Plugin](https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/administration-screens/#plugins-add-functionality-to-your-blog) menu.
4. Under Plugins, click the **Add New Plugin** sub menu.
5. Click **Upload Plugin** at the top of the page.
6. Click **Choose File** and select the file you downloaded earlier.

   ![The "Add Plugins" screen in WordPress, showing an ACF zip file ready to install. ](https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Install-ACF-Upload-Plugin-Zip.png)
7. Click **Install Now**, and then **Activate Plugin**.

   ![The installation screen in the WordPress admin, showing that ACF is installed and ready to activate. ](https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Install-ACF-Activate-Plugin.png)
8. After installation, you will find a new menu item, “ACF”.

## Method 2: FTP

1. Download the [Advanced Custom Fields plugin](https://advancedcustomfields.com/latest).
2. Upload `advanced-custom-fields` to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory.
3. Activate the plugin through the “Plugins” menu in WordPress.
4. After installation, you will find a new menu item, “ACF”.

## Method 3: WP-CLI

1. Open a terminal.
2. Navigate to the root of your WordPress install.
3. Use the `wp plugin` command to install ACF.
4. Activate the plugin via WP-CLI or in the WordPress admin.

Make sure to use the commands to install from a local or remote zip file, rather than installing via the plugin’s slug. Installing via the plugin’s slug will *not* install ACF.

The command below will download the latest version of ACF from our servers and then activate it on your site. To install a local zip file, replace `https://advancedcustomfields.com/latest/` with the path to your file.

```
wp plugin install --activate https://advancedcustomfields.com/latest/
```

## Method 4: Composer

1. Add the ACF repository to your `composer.json` file.

   ```
   "repositories": [
       {
           "type":"composer",
           "url":"https://composer.advancedcustomfields.com"
       }
   ]
   ```
2. From the CLI, require ACF using the following command:

   ```
   composer require wpengine/advanced-custom-fields
   ```

The steps outlined above will install the free version of ACF with [Composer](https://getcomposer.org/). Please see [Installing ACF With Composer](https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/resources/installing-acf-with-composer/) for more information, including how to use version constraints, installing ACF as a must-use plugin, and customizing install locations.

ACF PRO can also be installed with Composer, as detailed in [Installing ACF PRO with Composer](https://www.advancedcustomfields.com/resources/installing-acf-pro-with-composer/).

## Installing on WP Engine and Flywheel Hosted Websites

The above methods will work for all WordPress sites. The following steps will also work for WordPress sites hosted on WP Engine and Flywheel.

1. Log in to your WP install.
2. From the Administration ScreenPanels, click on **the Plugins** Menu.
3. Under Plugins, click the **“Add New Plugin**” sub menu.
4. Search for “Advanced Custom Fields”.
5. Find the Advanced Custom Fields plugin by WP Engine in the search results, and click **Install**.
6. Activate the plugin through the “‘Plugins”’ menu in WordPress.
7. After installation, you will find a new menu item, “ACF”.