Whether an addon is not available on your favorite manager, recently updated by the author, or hosted on a different website, sometimes you need to install it manually. The process is simple, but the correct folder path depends on your version of World of Warcraft Classic.

This guide will walk you through downloading, extracting, installing, and enabling addons across all Classic editions: Vanilla, Season of Discovery, TBC, Wrath, and Cata Classic.

Step 1 – Download the Addon

Most addons come in a .zip file. Download it from a trusted source (CurseForge, GitHub, WoWClassicUI, author’s website).

Step 2 – Extract the Addon Folder

Once downloaded, right-click the .zip file and select:

• Extract All… (Windows)
• Extract Here (WinRAR/7-Zip)
• Archive Utility (macOS)

You should now see one or more addon folders (e.g., Leatrix_Plus, AtlasLootClassic, WeakAuras, etc.).

Step 3 – Place the Addon in the Correct Folder

Move the addon folders into your Classic AddOns directory. The exact path depends on your version:

📌 WoW Classic (Era / SoD)

World of Warcraft\_classic_era\Interface\AddOns

📌 TBC / Wrath / Cata Classic

World of Warcraft\_classic_\Interface\AddOns

📌 Windows Default Install Location

C:\Program Files (x86)\World of Warcraft\_classic_\Interface\AddOns

📌 Windows (Battle.net Custom Location)

D:\Games\World of Warcraft\_classic_\Interface\AddOns

📌 macOS

/Applications/World of Warcraft/\_classic_\Interface/AddOns

Step 4 – Enable Addons In-Game

Launch World of Warcraft and on the Character Select Screen, click:

• AddOns (bottom-left corner)
• Make sure the addon is listed and checked
• Check “Load out of date AddOns” if necessary

Step 5 – Updating Addons Manually

To update the addon later, simply:

• Download the new version
• Extract it
• Replace the old folder in AddOns

You can safely overwrite the files — no need to delete the old version first.

Common Problems & Fixes

• The addon doesn’t show in-game: Wrong folder path or extra nested folder.
• “Out of date” warning: Check Load out of date AddOns.
• Multiple folders included: Some addons include libraries; install all of them.
• Downloaded source code instead of release: On GitHub, always download the Releases section.

Extra

Here’s a ready-to-use PowerShell script that helps you find automatically find (and open) your WoW Classic AddOns folder.

It:

• Detects Classic Era (_classic_era) and TBC/Wrath/Cata Classic (_classic_)
• Lets the user choose if multiple installs are found
• Creates the Interface\AddOns folder if missing
• Opens the folder in File Explorer at the end

<#
.SYNOPSIS
  Detects the World of Warcraft Classic installation folder on Windows
  and opens the correct AddOns folder in Explorer.

.NOTES
  Works with:
    - WoW Classic Era  ( _classic_era )
    - TBC / Wrath / Cata Classic ( _classic_ )

  Usage:
    - Right-click PowerShell -> "Run as administrator" (optional but recommended)
    - Run the script:
        .\Find-WoWClassicAddons.ps1
#>

[Console]::OutputEncoding = [System.Text.UTF8Encoding]::UTF8

Write-Host "=== WoW Classic AddOns Folder Finder ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host ""

# Common base paths where WoW is usually installed
$possibleBasePaths = @(
    "$env:ProgramFiles(x86)\World of Warcraft",
    "$env:ProgramFiles\World of Warcraft",
    "$env:SystemDrive\Games\World of Warcraft",
    "$env:SystemDrive\World of Warcraft"
) | Where-Object { Test-Path $_ }

if (-not $possibleBasePaths) {
    Write-Warning "No default World of Warcraft install paths found."
    Write-Host "If you installed WoW in a custom location, please enter it manually."
    $manualBase = Read-Host "Enter your World of Warcraft folder path (e.g. D:\Games\World of Warcraft)"
    if (-not (Test-Path $manualBase)) {
        Write-Error "The path you entered does not exist. Exiting."
        return
    }
    $possibleBasePaths = @($manualBase)
}

# Find Classic install folders inside each base path
$candidates = @()

foreach ($base in $possibleBasePaths) {
    # Classic Era
    $classicEraPath = Join-Path $base "_classic_era"
    if (Test-Path $classicEraPath) {
        $candidates += [PSCustomObject]@{
            Type = "Classic Era"
            Path = $classicEraPath
        }
    }

    # TBC / Wrath / Cata Classic
    $classicPath = Join-Path $base "_classic_"
    if (Test-Path $classicPath) {
        $candidates += [PSCustomObject]@{
            Type = "Classic"
            Path = $classicPath
        }
    }
}

if (-not $candidates) {
    Write-Error "No WoW Classic installation found under:"
    $possibleBasePaths | ForEach-Object { Write-Host "  - $_" }
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Make sure you pointed to the correct 'World of Warcraft' folder."
    return
}

# If multiple Classic installs are found, let the user pick one
$selectedInstall = $null

if ($candidates.Count -eq 1) {
    $selectedInstall = $candidates[0]
    Write-Host "Detected WoW $($selectedInstall.Type) at:" -ForegroundColor Green
    Write-Host "  $($selectedInstall.Path)"
} else {
    Write-Host "Multiple WoW Classic installations found:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    for ($i = 0; $i -lt $candidates.Count; $i++) {
        $idx = $i + 1
        Write-Host "[$idx] $($candidates[$i].Type) -> $($candidates[$i].Path)"
    }

    do {
        $choice = Read-Host "Select the installation to use (1-$($candidates.Count))"
        [bool]$ok = [int]::TryParse($choice, [ref]$null) -and
                    ($choice -ge 1) -and ($choice -le $candidates.Count)
        if (-not $ok) {
            Write-Host "Invalid choice. Please enter a number between 1 and $($candidates.Count)." -ForegroundColor Red
        }
    } while (-not $ok)

    $selectedInstall = $candidates[[int]$choice - 1]
    Write-Host "Selected WoW $($selectedInstall.Type) at:" -ForegroundColor Green
    Write-Host "  $($selectedInstall.Path)"
}

# Build AddOns path: <WoWClassic>\Interface\AddOns
$interfacePath = Join-Path $selectedInstall.Path "Interface"
$addonsPath    = Join-Path $interfacePath "AddOns"

# Ensure folders exist
if (-not (Test-Path $interfacePath)) {
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Creating Interface folder:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    Write-Host "  $interfacePath"
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $interfacePath | Out-Null
}

if (-not (Test-Path $addonsPath)) {
    Write-Host ""
    Write-Host "Creating AddOns folder:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    Write-Host "  $addonsPath"
    New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $addonsPath | Out-Null
}

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Your WoW Classic AddOns folder is:" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "  $addonsPath"
Write-Host ""

# Ask to open Explorer
$open = Read-Host "Open this folder in Explorer? (Y/N)"
if ($open -match '^(y|yes)$') {
    Start-Process explorer.exe $addonsPath
}
else {
    Write-Host "You can navigate to this folder manually if you prefer." -ForegroundColor DarkGray
}

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Done. You can now copy your addon folders into the AddOns directory above." -ForegroundColor Green

You’re Ready to Customize Your UI!

With your addons installed, you can now fine-tune your interface depending on your playstyle. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out our curated selections:

• Best Addons for WoW Classic
• Complete UI Packs
• Macros for Every Class

If you’d like us to create a guide for your favorite addon, feel free to ask!