How to Install Blender Add-ons

Basic tutorial

Published May 28, 2026

Overview

This guide explains the correct installation flow for legacy add-ons and Blender Extensions, plus what to check when an add-on does not appear.

Inspect the archive

Most installable extensions should not be extracted. Open the outer archive only when the author clearly packaged multiple ZIP files inside it.

Installation

Open Blender Preferences.
Go to Extensions or Add-ons.
Choose Install from Disk and select the ZIP.

Common issues

Check the Blender version, whether the extension is enabled, and whether the ZIP has the correct archive root.