How To Install World of Warcraft Addons

  1. 1. Make sure World of Warcraft is closed and not loaded

  2. 2. Download the addon .zip file you want to install

      • Save the .zip files to your download folder
      • If, when you try to download the file, it automatically “opens”, you need to RIGHT click on the link and “save as…” or “Save Target As”.

  3. 3. Extract the file

      • Windows
        • Windows has a built in ZIP extractor. Double click on the file to open it, inside should be the file or folders needed. You can drag and drop the folder from inside the zip file to your download folder.
        • WinRAR: Right click the file, select “Extract Here”
        • WinZip: You MUST make sure the option to “Use Folder Names” is CHECKED or it will just extract the files and not make the proper folders how the Authors designed.
      • Mac Users
        • StuffitExpander: Double click the archive to extract it to a folder in the current directory.

  4. 4. Verify your WoW Installation Path

      • That is where you are running WoW from and THAT is where you need to install your addons.
      • You can find the install path by loading your Battle net launcher and click on the Bnet icon on the top left corner
      • Select Settings
      • then click Game Install/Update
      • You will find the install path under Folder Used for Gameplay

  5. 5. Move to the Addon folder

      • Open your World of Warcraft folder. (default is C:\Program Files\World of Warcraft\_retail_\) and/or _classic_ , _classic_era_
      • Go into the “Interface” folder.
      • Go into the “AddOns” folder.
      • Drag and drop the folder extracted from the zip file into the "AddOns" folder.

  6. 6. Check the Folder Structure is correct

      • Correct: \World of Warcraft\_retail_\Interface\AddOns\<addon name>\<files> 
      • Correct: \World of Warcraft\_classic_\Interface\AddOns\<addon name>\<files> 
      • Correct: \World of Warcraft\_classic_era_\Interface\AddOns\<addon name>\<files> 
      • Incorrect: \World of Warcraft\<addon name>\<files>

  7. 7. Start World of Warcraft

  8. 8. Make sure AddOns are installed

      • Log in.
      • At the Character Select screen, look in lower left corner for the “addons” button.
      • If button is there: make sure all the addons you installed are listed and make sure “load out of date addons” is checked.
      • If the button is NOT there: means you did not install the addons properly.