Title: Child theme plugins
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Child theme plugins

 *  [ssguy69](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ssguy69/)
 * (@ssguy69)
 * [14 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-plugins/)
 * How do I get a child theme to reference its plugins and not the plugins of the
   parent theme?
 * Looking in my FTP client’s directory structure, I have the default parent theme’s
   plugin folder and then i have my child theme’s plugin folder with specific plugins
   I was running prior to the upgrade.
 * Should I move the plugins out of the folder of the child theme into the plugin
   folder of the parent theme? Or what am I doing wrong?

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/)
 * (@chipbennett)
 * [14 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-plugins/#post-2511328)
 * Why are you trying to run Plugins from within a Theme folder – either parent 
   or child Theme?
 * Plugins belong in `\wp-content\plugins`, not inside of Theme folders.
 *  Thread Starter [ssguy69](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ssguy69/)
 * (@ssguy69)
 * [14 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-plugins/#post-2511355)
 * [@chip](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chip/)
 * You’re correct but the confusion comes from the following:
 * I was running certain plugins for my twentyten theme (WP 3.1) prior to upgrading(
   WP 3.3) and so to make sure I didn’t lose them, I went into my FTP client and
   placed the previous plugin folder inside the theme folder of my child theme.
 * Problem is that with the upgrade comes a new plugin folder. I’m trying to go 
   the child theme route and figured it’d be best to save my plugins that were being
   used prior to the upgrade. So I have two plugin folders (one for parent theme
   and one for child theme) and not sure where to place the plugins of the child
   theme.
 *  [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/)
 * (@chipbennett)
 * [14 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-plugins/#post-2511358)
 * > I was running certain plugins for my twentyten theme (WP 3.1) prior to upgrading(
   > WP 3.3) and so to make sure I didn’t lose them, I went into my FTP client and
   > placed the previous plugin folder inside the theme folder of my child theme.
 * Why did you do this? It is entirely unnecessary, pointless, and counter-intuitive.
   Upgrading WordPress does not even _touch_ `\wp-content`, ever. Just leave the
   Plugins where they are, and they’ll remain there, safely, before, during, and
   after your WordPress core update.
 * > Problem is that with the upgrade comes a new plugin folder.
 * Right. WordPress relies on those being where they are. (You can change the location
   for Plugins, Themes, and/or `wp-content`, but that’s outside the scope of this
   question.
 * > I’m trying to go the child theme route and figured it’d be best to save my 
   > plugins that were being used prior to the upgrade.
 * The purpose of a Child Theme is to preserve modifications to your _Theme_, and
   has nothing to do with Plugins. Twenty Ten doesn’t run Plugins from within its
   own Theme folder, and I’m assuming that your Child Theme doesn’t, either (again:
   advanced topic that is outside of this question).
 * > So I have two plugin folders (one for parent theme and one for child theme)
   > and not sure where to place the plugins of the child theme.
 * Put them back in `\wp-content\plugins`. To repeat what I said before: **Plugins
   belong in `\wp-content\plugins`, not inside of Theme folders**.
 *  Thread Starter [ssguy69](https://wordpress.org/support/users/ssguy69/)
 * (@ssguy69)
 * [14 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-plugins/#post-2511406)
 * [@chip](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chip/)
 * Thanks for the tough love. I’m going back into the files and will be applying
   what you’ve said.
 * Stay tuned and thank you.
 * Gary
 *  [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/)
 * (@chipbennett)
 * [14 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-plugins/#post-2511428)
 * Ha! Not trying for “tough love”; though I’m probably tired enough that I came
   across as impatient. 🙂

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘Child theme plugins’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [child theme](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/child-theme/)

 * 5 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/)
 * Last activity: [14 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/child-theme-plugins/#post-2511428)
 * Status: not resolved

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