How to Install After Effects Plugins (Step by Step)

Installing an After Effects plugin is mostly about putting the right file in the right folder and restarting the app. Here is the whole process.

1. Know what you downloaded

Plugins usually arrive as one of three things: an installer (.exe or .pkg), a plugin file (.aex on Windows, .plugin on macOS), or a script (.jsx or .jsxbin). Each goes to a different place.

2. Close After Effects

After Effects only scans its plugin folders on launch. Installing while it is open is the single most common reason a plugin "does not work".

3. Copy the file to the right folder

On Windows, plugin files go to `C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe After Effects <version>\Support Files\Plug-ins`. On macOS, use `/Applications/Adobe After Effects <version>/Plug-ins`.

Scripts go to the `Scripts` folder next to `Plug-ins`. Panel scripts (the ones that dock inside the interface) go into `Scripts/ScriptUI Panels`.

4. Allow scripts to write files

For script panels, open Preferences, choose Scripting & Expressions, and enable "Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network". Many panels will not launch without it.

5. Restart and verify

Reopen After Effects. Effects appear under the Effects & Presets panel; scripts appear under the Window menu. If nothing shows up, check that the plugin matches your After Effects version and your CPU architecture (Apple Silicon vs Intel).

Still not showing?

Check three things in order: the file is not still zipped, the folder path matches the exact version you launched, and macOS Gatekeeper has not quarantined the file. Right-click the plugin, choose Open, and approve it once in System Settings if needed.