No “Add New” button for themes and plugins in WordPress

The missing “Add New” button for themes or plugins is a common problem you might encounter while using WordPress. It can be confusing and frustrating when this option disappears from your dashboard, especially when you want to add new features or customize your site. This usually happens because of user roles, settings, or hosting restrictions. Once you understand what’s causing the issue, fixing it becomes simple. You can restore the missing button and continue enhancing your WordPress site without any trouble by making a few adjustments.

In this article, we’ll discuss the common reasons and respective solutions for the no Add New button for themes and plugins in WordPress.

Common Reasons for Missing “Add New” Button

Here are some common reasons why the “Add New” button for themes or plugins might be missing from your WordPress dashboard:

• Your WordPress account might not have the necessary permissions to add themes or plugins.
• In multisite installations, only super admins can install themes or plugins.
• The wp-config.php file could have settings that block plugin and theme modifications.
• Some managed WordPress hosting providers sometimes block direct installations of themes and plugins.
• Certain security or optimization plugins might hide the “Add New” button.
• Damaged or missing WordPress core files can cause features like the “Add New” button to disappear.

How to Fix WordPress Hide Add New Theme Plugin Button

To resolve the WordPress disable add new theme plugin button, you can try one of the following quick fixes:

Adjust User Permissions

If you’re not logged in as an administrator, you won’t see the “Add New” button, as demonstrated below:

In that case, you’ll need to contact the site administrator. They can check your role and, if necessary, upgrade it to Administrator. Once your role is upgraded to Administrator, you can access the “Add New” button for themes, plugins, and other features, as shown below:

Verify Multisite Settings

In a multisite setup, only super admins can add plugins or themes. You can check for a My Sites menu in your dashboard. If you don’t see the My Sites menu, it means you’re not a super admin. In that case, you’ll need to ask the network admin to check your permissions and, if necessary, grant you super admin access.

Disable Conflicting Plugins

If the “Add New” button is missing, a conflicting plugin might be the cause. To check this navigate to the Plugins and then Installed Plugins section:

Now deactivate plugins one by one and check if the button reappears after each deactivation.

Reinstall WordPress Core Files

Sometimes refreshing your core WordPress files can help resolve issues like a missing “Add New” button. To do this, go to Dashboard, Updates, and click the Reinstall button:

This will refresh the WordPress core files without affecting your content or settings, which can help fix issues caused by corrupted or missing files.

Update wp-config.php File

Another reason you might be unable to add plugins or themes is due to restrictions in the wp-config.php file or insufficient PHP memory. When WordPress runs out of memory, you may see a “Fatal error: Allowed memory size of 67108864 bytes exhausted” error message.

To fix this error, you can increase your PHP memory limit. For this purpose, access your website files using FTP or through your hosting control panel, and open the wp-config.php file. Add this line to the file to increase the memory limit:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M');

If you’re still unable to install or modify plugins and themes, also find the following line in the wp-config.php file:

define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', true);

Replace the above line with the following code:

define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', false);

These changes will allow you to manage your plugins and themes appropriately.

If you’re still facing the issue of a missing ‘Add New’ button, read our dedicated guide to fixing common WordPress errors that may help you find a solution.

Best Practices to Prevent the No “Add New” Button Issue

Here are some best practices to prevent the no “Add New” button for themes and plugins error in WordPress:

• Assign administrator roles only to trusted users and regularly review and update user roles.
• Avoid installing plugins that are known to interfere with dashboard functionality, and keep your plugins updated to prevent conflicts.
• Maintain regular backups of your site files and database using reliable plugins like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy.
• Choose a hosting provider that fully supports WordPress functionality, and consider managed hosting with easy-to-use controls.
• Use the WordPress interface for making changes whenever possible. If you need to edit files manually, always take a backup first.

Conclusion

A missing “Add New” button can disrupt your workflow, but you can easily fix it by following the methods discussed in this article. Understanding the root cause allows you to apply quick fixes, like adjusting user roles, disabling plugins, or updating core files. In this article, we covered common reasons for the issue, provided quick solutions, and demonstrated best practices to prevent it from happening again.

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