So, you've been playing World of Warcraft and want to take it to the next level with addons. If it is your first time using addons, it may seem a little daunting. In this article, we'll break down how to install WoW addons in 2021. These steps will work whether you are playing classic or retail.
If you choose to install manually, you can start by finding the folder where World of Warcraft is installed on your computer. Within that folder, you can navigate to the folder specified for addons. It will be located in the interface folder within your World of Warcraft files. Apart from that, it provides easy customization options for the user to tweak the display and other functions. Since it is regularly updated, it is one of the most downloaded add-ons on WOW. It is available to install manually for free and can be used by any WOW player. Select the best WoW addons and add it to your game. Method 1: Using Dugi Manual Addon Installer This is a simple installer that we created to help you quickly install the addon files manually Download the installer, click on the link above Download the addon zip file from curse.com, keep it intact as one zip file.
Let's jump in…
How to install WoW AddOns
How To Manually Install Wow Addons From Curse
You can install WoW addons by using an addon manager or by installing them yourself. Addon managers are easy to use and will install addons into the correct folder on your computer. They also help keep your addons up-to-date by allowing you to click to update. If you install yourself, you will download the files for the addon and place them into the correct folder. You will have to repeat this process every time you want to update addons as well.
In this article, we will walk over how to use both approaches. Since installing and maintaining addons is much easier with a manager, we will start there.
How to install WoW AddOns with an Addon Manager
Download an Addon Manager
To use an addon manager you will need to download one to your computer. All of the managers I will mention support retail and classic WoW addons.
Overall, there is one major commercial addon manager and several open-source options.
The major commercial option is provided by Overwolf (https://curseforge.overwolf.com/). Currently, Overwolf is free and does not require an account. In the future, it will likely require an account and have premium/pro plan options which a monthly subscription. The good news is that Overwolf has announced that 70% of their revenue will go towards supporting addon authors when that time arrives.
In the meantime, there are many great open-source addon managers. Being open-source means that they are not developed by a company but rather by generous members of the community. All open source managers are free and do not require an account.
- Ajour (https://www.getajour.com/)
- Cursebreaker (https://github.com/AcidWeb/CurseBreaker)
- Instawow (https://github.com/layday/instawow)
- WowUp (https://wowup.io)
Each of these open source options varies in terms of user-friendliness in setup. Instawow and Cursebreaker have a slightly less intuitive setup but are easy to use once installed. Once you have downloaded and installed Overwolf or an open-source option, they are all pretty easy to use. For this article, we will take a look at the Overwolf addon manager and WowUp.
Using Overwolf to Install Addons
Addon installation in Overwolf is handled by the CurseForge app. These apps are currently only supported on Windows and Mac — with a Linux version coming sometime in the future.
To get started, you can download Overwolf and CurseForge from their website.
After downloading the appropriate version, you will be guided through a standard program installation. It will take a moment to obtain the latest update and then launch. After opening, you will see a list of the games for which CurseForge supports mods for.
If you installed World of Warcraft in the recommended location, CurseForge should find your version of WoW automatically. If it doesn't, you can click on the picture for WoW and click 'Locate Game' to point it towards the folder where it is installed.
If you are installing addons on retail WoW, you should locate the 'DriveLetter:World of Warcraft_retail_' folder.
For classic WoW, you would set it to 'DriveLetter:World of Warcraft_classic_'.
Once you have set up your folders, you can now begin installing addons. To do so, simply click on 'Get More Addons.' From there, you can use the search box to find a specific addon or browse through popular or new addons. Once you find the one you want, you can click on it and then select 'Install.'
Congratulations, you have now installed an addon!
Using WowUp to Install Addons
If you need an addon manager which works on Linux or just want to try an open-source solution I would recommend WowUp. It is just as easy to set up as Overwolf/CurseForge but installs a lot less software.
One of the biggest selling points is that it also supports installing and updating ElvUI and TukUI, some of the most popular full user interface replacements. If you are interested in learning more about ElvUI you can read our article on Improving your WoW User Interface.
To get started, you can download WowUp from their website. After downloading, and upon trying to run the .exe file, you may see a warning. Fortunately, Wowup is safe so you can install it anyway.
Like CurseForge, WowUp will automatically find your World of Warcraft install folder. If it doesn't, you can set the path using the 'Options' tab at the top. You can then install new addons by navigating to 'Get Addons' at the top.
From there, you can scroll through the list of addons or search for a specific one to install.
How to install WoW AddOns Yourself
Find your World of Warcraft folder
If you choose to install manually, you can start by finding the folder where World of Warcraft is installed on your computer.
Within that folder, you can navigate to the folder specified for addons. It will be located in the interface folder within your World of Warcraft files. As an example, if you are using Windows, it will be located at C:Program Files (x86)World of Warcraft_retail_InterfaceAddOns by default. If you changed the location when you installed WoW, you will have to find that location.
Notice that this location is for installing AddOns in the retail version (currently Shadowlands) and not WoW Classic. If you want to install WoW Classic AddOns you will find the same folder but navigate to _classic_InterfaceAddOns instead.
Download the AddOns you would like to use
Now that you found your folder, you need to download the addons you want. There are two major websites that host World of Warcraft AddOns: WoWInterface and CurseForge. Both sites have ways to filter by the functionality you are looking to add to your game. When you find the ones you want, you simply download them. For many addons, you will receive a zip folder.
Unzip downloaded AddOn folder (if required) and place in WoW Folder
The final step is to unzip the folder you just downloaded if it needs it. You will then take the resulting folder and place it into the folder we found in the first step. Here is an example of what my AddOns folder looks like.
TLDR
- There are 2 ways to install WoW addons: an addon manager or manual installation.
- Addon managers make installing and updating addons super easy but require you to install an app on your computer.
- Manual installation requires you to download the addon files and place them in the proper folder. You will need to repeat the process to update an addon.
Related Articles
Addons have always been a part of the World of Warcraft experience. So much so, in fact, that you may be surprised by how many addons were actually available in vanilla and now compatible with WoW Classic.
If you've installed addons in modern WoW, this whole process really isn't all that much different.
Looking around, a lot of the tutorials I've found seem to assume people don't know how to unzip things to folders or use a computer much past clicking on shiny icons. I'm not going to do that since the process is incredibly simple in any case.
How to Install Addons in WoW Classic
So you've got some addons you want to slap onto your client, you've got the download pages up or have outright downloaded their .zips. Now it's time to..
1. Locate Your World of Warcraft Classic Folder
Chances are your World of Warcraft folder is in the default directory. On a 64-bit Windows PC, it should be:
- C:Program Files (x86)World of Warcraft_classic_
You can copy the above and paste it into your file browser if you like, or manually seek it out. It's easy to find.
You can install WoW addons by using an addon manager or by installing them yourself. Addon managers are easy to use and will install addons into the correct folder on your computer. They also help keep your addons up-to-date by allowing you to click to update. If you install yourself, you will download the files for the addon and place them into the correct folder. You will have to repeat this process every time you want to update addons as well.
In this article, we will walk over how to use both approaches. Since installing and maintaining addons is much easier with a manager, we will start there.
How to install WoW AddOns with an Addon Manager
Download an Addon Manager
To use an addon manager you will need to download one to your computer. All of the managers I will mention support retail and classic WoW addons.
Overall, there is one major commercial addon manager and several open-source options.
The major commercial option is provided by Overwolf (https://curseforge.overwolf.com/). Currently, Overwolf is free and does not require an account. In the future, it will likely require an account and have premium/pro plan options which a monthly subscription. The good news is that Overwolf has announced that 70% of their revenue will go towards supporting addon authors when that time arrives.
In the meantime, there are many great open-source addon managers. Being open-source means that they are not developed by a company but rather by generous members of the community. All open source managers are free and do not require an account.
- Ajour (https://www.getajour.com/)
- Cursebreaker (https://github.com/AcidWeb/CurseBreaker)
- Instawow (https://github.com/layday/instawow)
- WowUp (https://wowup.io)
Each of these open source options varies in terms of user-friendliness in setup. Instawow and Cursebreaker have a slightly less intuitive setup but are easy to use once installed. Once you have downloaded and installed Overwolf or an open-source option, they are all pretty easy to use. For this article, we will take a look at the Overwolf addon manager and WowUp.
Using Overwolf to Install Addons
Addon installation in Overwolf is handled by the CurseForge app. These apps are currently only supported on Windows and Mac — with a Linux version coming sometime in the future.
To get started, you can download Overwolf and CurseForge from their website.
After downloading the appropriate version, you will be guided through a standard program installation. It will take a moment to obtain the latest update and then launch. After opening, you will see a list of the games for which CurseForge supports mods for.
If you installed World of Warcraft in the recommended location, CurseForge should find your version of WoW automatically. If it doesn't, you can click on the picture for WoW and click 'Locate Game' to point it towards the folder where it is installed.
If you are installing addons on retail WoW, you should locate the 'DriveLetter:World of Warcraft_retail_' folder.
For classic WoW, you would set it to 'DriveLetter:World of Warcraft_classic_'.
Once you have set up your folders, you can now begin installing addons. To do so, simply click on 'Get More Addons.' From there, you can use the search box to find a specific addon or browse through popular or new addons. Once you find the one you want, you can click on it and then select 'Install.'
Congratulations, you have now installed an addon!
Using WowUp to Install Addons
If you need an addon manager which works on Linux or just want to try an open-source solution I would recommend WowUp. It is just as easy to set up as Overwolf/CurseForge but installs a lot less software.
One of the biggest selling points is that it also supports installing and updating ElvUI and TukUI, some of the most popular full user interface replacements. If you are interested in learning more about ElvUI you can read our article on Improving your WoW User Interface.
To get started, you can download WowUp from their website. After downloading, and upon trying to run the .exe file, you may see a warning. Fortunately, Wowup is safe so you can install it anyway.
Like CurseForge, WowUp will automatically find your World of Warcraft install folder. If it doesn't, you can set the path using the 'Options' tab at the top. You can then install new addons by navigating to 'Get Addons' at the top.
From there, you can scroll through the list of addons or search for a specific one to install.
How to install WoW AddOns Yourself
Find your World of Warcraft folder
If you choose to install manually, you can start by finding the folder where World of Warcraft is installed on your computer.
Within that folder, you can navigate to the folder specified for addons. It will be located in the interface folder within your World of Warcraft files. As an example, if you are using Windows, it will be located at C:Program Files (x86)World of Warcraft_retail_InterfaceAddOns by default. If you changed the location when you installed WoW, you will have to find that location.
Notice that this location is for installing AddOns in the retail version (currently Shadowlands) and not WoW Classic. If you want to install WoW Classic AddOns you will find the same folder but navigate to _classic_InterfaceAddOns instead.
Download the AddOns you would like to use
Now that you found your folder, you need to download the addons you want. There are two major websites that host World of Warcraft AddOns: WoWInterface and CurseForge. Both sites have ways to filter by the functionality you are looking to add to your game. When you find the ones you want, you simply download them. For many addons, you will receive a zip folder.
Unzip downloaded AddOn folder (if required) and place in WoW Folder
The final step is to unzip the folder you just downloaded if it needs it. You will then take the resulting folder and place it into the folder we found in the first step. Here is an example of what my AddOns folder looks like.
TLDR
- There are 2 ways to install WoW addons: an addon manager or manual installation.
- Addon managers make installing and updating addons super easy but require you to install an app on your computer.
- Manual installation requires you to download the addon files and place them in the proper folder. You will need to repeat the process to update an addon.
Related Articles
Addons have always been a part of the World of Warcraft experience. So much so, in fact, that you may be surprised by how many addons were actually available in vanilla and now compatible with WoW Classic.
If you've installed addons in modern WoW, this whole process really isn't all that much different.
Looking around, a lot of the tutorials I've found seem to assume people don't know how to unzip things to folders or use a computer much past clicking on shiny icons. I'm not going to do that since the process is incredibly simple in any case.
How to Install Addons in WoW Classic
So you've got some addons you want to slap onto your client, you've got the download pages up or have outright downloaded their .zips. Now it's time to..
1. Locate Your World of Warcraft Classic Folder
Chances are your World of Warcraft folder is in the default directory. On a 64-bit Windows PC, it should be:
- C:Program Files (x86)World of Warcraft_classic_
You can copy the above and paste it into your file browser if you like, or manually seek it out. It's easy to find.
Those using 32-bit Windows may find the game simply in C:Program FilesWorld of Warcraft_classic_, but I'm not 100 sure on that.
2. Locate Your AddOns Folder
Just like retail WoW (Isn't WoWC also retail? Whatever.), you should have an Interface folder within the game directory, and an AddOns folder inside it.
If for some reason there is no AddOns folder (there should be), just create an AddOns folder within Interface and keep going.
3. Exit WoWC
Here's a little tip for you perpetually-idle queue-avoiders:
There is a five-minute grace period after you get disconnected to reconnect to the game without a queue.
With that in mind, you can hop out, stack your addons into the folders above, and get back in with no trouble. Just don't take too long.
Exit the game with the addons you plan to use ready to go.
4. Place the Addons' Folders into InterfaceAddOns
In this step, you don't want to extract the contents of your addon folders, you simply want to put the entire addons' folders into the InterfaceAddOns folder. About usexam genie.
That's a weird sentence.
Keep your folder nice and clean. You can have a ton of addons — just make sure they're in their respective folders.
Here's a very simple example (Gatherer_HUD does not work with WoWC):
5. Get to Character Select and Enable AddOns
Log back in, choose which character you want to play as, then look at the bottom left of the screen for the AddOns button.
Click the button and enable all the addons you want to use on that character.
If an addon is in red, it may not work and may cause some issues in-game — though sometimes they work just fine. Test it out after getting in-game and just log out (not exit the game) to disable any that may not be working.
That's it! That's really all you have to do. It's really that easy.
To put this in a fast and loose list:
- Find C:Program Files (x86)World of Warcraft_classic_InterfaceAddons
- Put your addons in there with their own respective folders
- Relaunch game (steps two and three are interchangeable really)
- Enable them at character select via the AddOns button
How Do I Install Wow Addons On Mac
Yep, it's really that easy. Configuring some of them is another story, though.
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Check out our other World of Warcraft Classic guides, such as our weapon master locations guide and our racial abilities guide. There's more to come, too, as long as I can pry myself out of Azeroth here and there. The road to 60 is long and paved in ganks.
