# Install plugins from the command line

Install plugins by plugin ID from the [JetBrains Marketplace](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/) or a [custom plugin repository](managing-plugins.html#repos).

> **Note: Quit IntelliJ IDEA before running this command!**
> Installing plugins means putting them in the [plugins directory](directories-used-by-the-ide-to-store-settings-caches-plugins-and-logs.html#plugins-directory). If you run this command on a fresh IntelliJ IDEA installation, the IDE will not suggest importing the settings from the previous installation when you launch it for the first time, because the settings will no longer be empty.

Windows:

You can find the executable for running IntelliJ IDEA in the [installation directory](directories-used-by-the-ide-to-store-settings-caches-plugins-and-logs.html) under `bin`. To use this executable as the command-line launcher, add it to your system `PATH` as described in [Command-line interface](working-with-the-ide-features-from-command-line.html).

Syntax
: ```PLAINTEXT
: idea64.exe installPlugins <plugin-id ...> [repository-url ...]
: ```

Examples
: Install the [GitHub
: plugin](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/13115-github/) :
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea64.exe installPlugins org.jetbrains.plugins.github
: ```
:
:
:
:
:
: Install a plugin with the ID `com.example.myplugin` from a custom repository `http://plugins.example.com:8080/updatePlugins.xml`:
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea64.exe installPlugins com.example.myplugin http://plugins.example.com:8080/updatePlugins.xml
: ```

macOS:

By default, IntelliJ IDEA does not provide a command-line launcher. For more information about creating a launcher script for IntelliJ IDEA, refer to [Command-line interface](working-with-the-ide-features-from-command-line.html).

Syntax
: ```PLAINTEXT
: idea installPlugins <plugin-id ...> [repository-url ...]
: ```

Examples
: Install the [GitHub
: plugin](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/13115-github/) :
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea installPlugins org.jetbrains.plugins.github
: ```
:
:
:
:
:
: Install a plugin with the ID `com.example.myplugin` from a custom repository `http://plugins.example.com:8080/updatePlugins.xml`:
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea installPlugins com.example.myplugin http://plugins.example.com:8080/updatePlugins.xml
: ```

Linux:

You can find the script for running IntelliJ IDEA in the [installation directory](directories-used-by-the-ide-to-store-settings-caches-plugins-and-logs.html) under `bin`. To use this script as the command-line launcher, add it to your system `PATH` as described in [Command-line interface](working-with-the-ide-features-from-command-line.html).

Syntax
: ```PLAINTEXT
: idea.sh installPlugins <plugin-id ...> [repository-url ...]
: ```

Examples
: Install the [GitHub](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/13115-github/)   plugin:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea.sh installPlugins org.jetbrains.plugins.github
: ```
:
:
:
:
:
: Install a plugin with the ID `com.example.myplugin` from a custom repository `http://plugins.example.com:8080/updatePlugins.xml`:
:
:
:
:
:
:
: ```SHELL
: idea.sh installPlugins com.example.myplugin http://plugins.example.com:8080/updatePlugins.xml
: ```

If the plugin is distributed as a JAR archive, copy the JAR file to the [plugins directory](directories-used-by-the-ide-to-store-settings-caches-plugins-and-logs.html#plugins-directory) and restart the IDE:

Windows:

```GENERIC
copy plugin.jar %APPDATA%\JetBrains\Roaming\<Product><Version>\plugins\
```

macOS:

```GENERIC
cp plugin.jar ~/Library/Application Support/JetBrains/<Product><Version>/plugins/
```

Linux:

```GENERIC
cp plugin.jar ~/.local/share/JetBrains/<Product><Version>/plugins/
```

The developer of the plugin specifies a unique identifier for the plugin in `plugin.xml` – the [plugin configuration file](https://plugins.jetbrains.com/docs/intellij/plugin-configuration-file.html#idea-plugin__id). If it is a public plugin, you can find its ID on the page of the plugin in JetBrains Marketplace. Scroll down to the Additional Information section and copy the value from the Plugin ID parameter.

![Plugin ID](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/pluginID.png)