How to install plugins on Notepad++ on Windows 10

Notepad++ is the text editor you wish Windows 10 came bundled with but it isn’t. It’s free though so installing it isn’t a big deal. If you’re a fan of the app, and want to help support its development, you can also buy the Notepad++ UWP app. What makes Notepad++ even better is its plugin support. If you’ve never used plugins with the app, you may not know how to install them.

Install plugins on Notepad++

Notepad++ has a plugin manager though in the newest version of the app, it’s called Plugins Admin. It’s the exact same thing, just a different label. You can install plugins from the Plugins Admin but it only has a handful of them. You will find lots of other plugins that are not listed in the Plugins Admin.

If you do not see the Plugins Admin, you can install it. Download it from here, and then skip to the section about installing plugins without the Plugins Admin.

With Plugins Admin

Open Notepad++ and go to Plugins>Plugins Admin to open the Plugins Admin. Go through the list of available plugins, select the one you want to install, and click the Install button at the top right.

Without Plugins Admin

Installing a plugin without the Plugins Admin is pretty easy. The first thing you need to do is download it. It will normally download as a zipped file that you have to extract.

If a plugin has both an 86x and a 64x version, make sure that you download the same one that matches your app and system installation. Once you’ve downloaded and extracted the plugin, you need to paste the extracted file to the following location;

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Notepad++\plugins

If the above location does not exist on your system, you should paste the plugin files to the following location instead;

C:\Program Files\Notepad++\plugins

or if you have a 32-bit installation, paste it to;

C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++\plugins

Close Notepad++ if you have it open, and then open it again. The plugin should appear in the Plugins menu in the app.

What this essentially means is that you can install any plugin for Notepad++ that you find. The app doesn’t restrict users to installing only those available in the Plugins Admin. While the flexibility is great, it comes with risks so if you’re installing plugins from outside the Plugins Admin, make sure that it is safe. Use only those that are trusted by the community or those that are open-source.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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