How to Install WOW AddOns

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Updated December 22, 2019

Hooked on World of Warcraft? You can make the thrilling gaming experience even better by downloading and installing addons for the game, enriching your time spent in Azeroth all the more. Here's everything you need to know about how to add addons to WoW, and some suggestions on where to get them.

These instructions work for both World of Warcraft and World of Warcraft Classic.

Why Use Addons in World of Warcraft?

Simply put, World of Warcraft addons add a lot of content to the game. They can include things like an auctioneering tool that makes it easier to see where the best prices are, highlight on the map where the best resources are, or they can be a little quirkier and add mini-games to your general experience.

It's worth checking out what's out there and experimenting.

How to Download WoW Addons

It's quite simple to find new WoW Addons but you need to know where to look. Here's how to get addons for WoW.

Go to either Curseforge or WoWInterface via your browser.

These are two of the best World of Warcraft add-on sites but it is possible to Google for other websites out there.
On the site, choose the add-on you want to download.

Experiment with the add-ons you choose and where you browse. There are lots of different options out there.
Select Download and wait for the download to complete.
The folder is now on your PC or Mac ready to install.

How to Install Addons in World of Warcraft

To install the add-on, you need to find where you've installed World of Warcraft. By default, this will be C:/Program Files/World of Warcraft/ on a PC or Applications/World of Warcraft on a Mac. Here's how to install a World of Warcraft add-on through these folders.

Navigate to the World of Warcraft folder.
Select either _classic_ or _retail_ depending on if you play regular World of Warcraft or World of Warcraft Classic.
Select Interface.
Select AddOns.
Drag the add-on folder you've just downloaded into the Interface > AddOns folder.

You may have to unzip the contents of the add-on if you haven't already done so.
Congrats! You've successfully installed the add-on!

How to Use Addons in WoW

Once installed, you need to enable addons within World of Warcraft. Here's what to do.

Open World of Warcraft and select Play.
Once you've logged in, select AddOns.
Make sure the addons you want to use have been selected.

You can also check Enable All if you have many addons to activate. Checking Load Out of Date AddOns is a good idea too, as often the addons will work even after updates.
Select Okay.
Select Enter World to join the game with the addons activated.

Some addons have extra interface options that must be adjusted from within the game. Go to Options > AddOns to tweak these. Not all addons require extra settings though.