Installing and managing Blender add-ons and extensions

Based on: the official Blender 5.2 LTS manual (English UI)

Blender can do modeling, animation, and rendering straight after you install it. Add an add-on (an extra feature) and you get tools you did not have, or you can cut a job that took several clicks down to one button. But since Blender 4.2, the way you get add-ons has changed to a new system called Extensions.

By the end of this guide you will be able to:

1. Tell add-ons and extensions apart.
2. Know the difference between getting them from the official extensions platform (extensions.blender.org) and installing a .zip file the old way.
3. Turn installed extensions on and off, and update them.
4. Check the source and permissions so you can use them safely.

What add-ons and extensions are

An add-on is a small program that expands what Blender can do, in other words a helper script. A script here is a short set of commands written in a programming language called Python.

In everyday terms, it is like a smartphone app. You can make calls and send messages as soon as you buy a phone, but installing the apps you need adds features such as maps, budgeting, or translation. Blender works fine with just its built-in features, and you pick and add the add-ons you need.

Extension is a new, broader name that came in with Blender 4.2. An extension is an add-on or a theme that expands Blender's core features. So right now there are two kinds.

The biggest difference from the old way is that extensions are shared on an online platform and can be installed and updated right inside Blender.

What changed: before and after 4.2

Blender 4.2 LTS came out on July 16, 2024. This version changed the following.

• Most of the add-ons that used to come installed with Blender moved to the extensions platform. You can browse, install, and update them online from inside Blender.
• Add-ons that have not been converted to extensions yet can still be used as legacy add-ons. You install them from disk, the old way.
• To help with the move, the bundle of add-ons that came with 4.1 was also made available as a separate download.

So if you look in version 4.2 or later for an add-on that an older video course says "turns on with a tick in Preferences", it may not be in the list. In that case, the feature has most likely not disappeared; it is something you now need to get separately from the extensions platform.

One term to cover: LTS stands for Long Term Support, a stable release that receives bug fixes for a long time.

The official extensions platform: extensions.blender.org

The Blender project's official extensions platform is extensions.blender.org. It is an online list of free and open-source extensions for Blender.

Some useful things to know:

• Only free and open-source extensions are listed. Add-ons on the official platform must be licensed under GNU GPL v3.0 or later, and assets inside an add-on must be in the public domain (CC0).
• Uploads are not published right away. When a developer uploads with a Blender ID, the moderation team checks it before it is published.
• It is a system for Blender 4.2 LTS and later.

The official platform is a bit like the free shelf at a local library. Anyone can take things, and the librarian checks each book before putting it on the shelf. But passing moderation does not guarantee that every add-on suits your work or has no problems, so it is a good habit to read the description and reviews before you choose.

Three ways to install

There are three ways to install an extension. All of them lead to the Get Extensions screen in Preferences (Edit ‣ Preferences ‣ Get Extensions).

1. Install inside Blender: on the Get Extensions screen, search for the name and click Install.
2. Install from the website: on extensions.blender.org, drag the Get button of the extension you want onto the Blender window. When a window asks about installing and enabling it, confirm.
3. Install from disk: use Install from Disk in the drop-down menu at the top right, or drag the extension's .zip file onto the Blender window.

The first time: allowing online access

The first time you open the Get Extensions screen, a notice asks you to "Allow Online Access". You have to allow it to see the platform's list inside Blender. You can also turn this setting on and off later in Preferences ‣ System ‣ Network.

The biggest difference between methods 1 and 2 and method 3: updates

Extensions you got from an online repository can be updated inside Blender when a new version comes out. Extensions installed with Install from Disk, on the other hand, go into the Local Repository and receive no updates. This means that for something you added as a .zip, when a new version comes out you have to get the new file and install it again.

Installing old-style (legacy) add-ons

Some add-ons you get from the internet are not in the new extension format yet. These are called legacy add-ons. Here is how to install them.

1. Open Preferences ‣ Add-ons, the Add-ons tab in Preferences.
2. Click Install from Disk in the drop-down menu.
3. Choose the add-on file. If it is a single file, choose the .py file; if it has several files, choose the .zip file.
4. Installing alone does not turn it on. Click the add-on's checkbox in the list to turn it on.

You can tell the extension format from the legacy format by looking inside the .zip. An extension add-on contains at least a description file called blender_manifest.toml and an __init__.py file. The manifest is like a product label: a file that lists information such as the extension's name, version, author, license, and the minimum Blender version it needs.

For reference, if an add-on comes as a folder of several .py files and does not install with the method above, there is another way: make a subfolder named addons, register it under Script Directories in Preferences ‣ File Paths, then save and restart. This is rare at first, so it is enough to know the method exists.

Installing paid add-ons

Many add-ons are sold for money. The official platform lists only free and open-source extensions, so for paid add-ons you usually get the file from the store. File formats, install steps, license terms, and how you get updates differ from store to store, so following the install instructions from the place you bought it is safest. This guide does not recommend any particular product.

Turning on and off, updating, and removing

If you also know how to manage add-ons after installing them, you will not panic when something goes wrong.

• On and off: turn them on and off with the checkbox in the Add-ons tab. You can use the feature as soon as you turn it on. Some kinds of extensions do not support turning off and always show as on.
• See information: click the arrow to the left of an add-on's name to see the menu location, description, documentation link, and a bug report button. If you turned on a new add-on and cannot find where it is, check the location here first.
• The add-on's own settings: some add-ons have their own Preferences inside the information box. Sometimes all their features are off by default. If nothing changes after you turn one on, check these settings.
• Updates: extensions do not update automatically. Check for updates yourself from the drop-down at the top right, and install them if there are any. There is also a button that updates several at once. If you turn on 'Check for Updates on Startup' in the remote repository settings, Blender checks at startup and tells you in the Status Bar.
• Removing: removing is a change you cannot undo. If you just will not use it for a while, turning it off (Disable) is better than removing it.
• If it will not turn on: open the console window with Window ‣ Toggle System Console from the menu at the very top (shown on Windows only) and check the error messages.

A checklist for safe use

Add-ons are Python programs, so they can do many things on your computer. That is why the extensions system makes extensions state the permissions they use. An extension's manifest (the file that holds the extension's information) has fields where you write one sentence on why it uses permissions such as file access (files), the internet (network), the clipboard (clipboard), the camera (camera), and the microphone (microphone).

About internet access, the official manual says: "Add-ons that follow this setting (Allow Online Access) will only connect to the internet if enabled. However, Blender cannot prevent third-party add-ons from violating this rule." In other words, the setting is a promise, not a lock.

So it is a good idea to follow these points.

• Check the source. Get add-ons from the official platform or a store you trust. Do not install files when you do not know who uploaded them.
• Read the description and permissions. If a modeling tool says it uses the internet or the microphone, see whether a reason is given.
• Check the supported version. An extension states the minimum Blender version it supports in its manifest. Check that it matches your Blender version.
• Install one at a time. If you install several at once, it is hard to find the cause when something goes wrong.
• Back up important work files. When you try out a new add-on, it is safer to test it on a copy of the file.

Summary

• An add-on is a small program that adds features to Blender, and since 4.2, add-ons and themes together are called extensions.
• Search and install in Preferences ‣ Get Extensions, or drag the Get button from extensions.blender.org. Anything you get this way can be updated inside Blender.
• Things installed from disk as a .zip receive no updates. Install new versions again from a new file.
• Install old-style add-ons with Install from Disk in the Add-ons tab, then click the checkbox to turn them on.
• For paid add-ons, follow the store's instructions, and for any add-on, check the source and permissions.

If the Blender interface still feels unfamiliar before you use add-ons, read A guide to the Blender interface first. Handy features you can use without any add-on are collected in A guide to modifiers. Automating repetitive work with Python, the same language add-ons use, continues in Blender Python automation, and connecting AI so it can operate Blender for you continues in Connecting Blender and AI.

References

The manual links point to the latest edition, so when a new version comes out, the linked pages may differ from this guide.

• Blender Manual, Preferences › Get Extensions — https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/editors/preferences/extensions.html
• Blender Manual, Preferences › Add-ons — https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/editors/preferences/addons.html
• Blender Manual, Preferences › System (Network) — https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/editors/preferences/system.html
• Blender Manual, Creating Extensions — https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/advanced/extensions/index.html
• Blender Manual, How to Create Extensions (manifest) — https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/advanced/extensions/getting_started.html
• Blender Manual, Extension Add-ons (legacy vs extension) — https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/advanced/extensions/addons.html
• Blender Manual, Extension Licenses — https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/advanced/extensions/licenses.html
• Blender Extensions Platform, About — https://extensions.blender.org/about/
• Blender 4.2 LTS Release Notes — https://developer.blender.org/docs/release_notes/4.2/
• Blender 4.2 LTS Release Notes, Extensions — https://developer.blender.org/docs/release_notes/4.2/extensions/