Installing an Add-on in Thunderbird

Add-ons are little apps that add new functionality to Thunderbird (extensions) or modify its advent (themes). This commodity shows you how to install an improver to your Thunderbird.

Tabular array of Contents

  • 1 The ideal case
  • 2 A slightly less platonic case (Install from a downloaded XPI file)
    • two.i Download
    • 2.2 Drag-and-drop

The ideal case

In an ideal world, all the add-ons you lot would want are officially vetted, approved, and can be found on the official website, addons.thunderbird.net.

For add-ons that autumn into this category, you tin simply go to the Add-ons Manager tab in Thunderbird by clicking the bill of fare push New Fx Menu fx57menu followed by and click on the console on the left to brandish the search box in the pinnacle-right corner. Enter the add-on's name or enough of it to limit the search results returned to a manageable number and press Enter Return or click the magnifying glass icon.

Once you take done your first search, a new category appears in the panel on the left. Yous can go on refining your search until you discover what you want.

Here is a search for add-ons that mention "Contacts":

Addon tab

Once you locate an add-on you like, click on Install, await for it to be downloaded, then click on Restart now if prompted.

A slightly less platonic instance (Install from a downloaded XPI file)

You may have been given an URL for the add together-on, or the add-on you want isn't on the "official" page. Searching for it, as shown above, doesn't locate the add-on.

Visit the webpage in your browser, right-click the download link with your mouse, select and save the XPI file to a location on your estimator that is easy to remember. As the download is temporary, it is suggested you use either your Downloads folder or your desktop.

If you are using older versions of Firefox, a left-click on the download link will cause the browser to effort and install the add together-on into Firefox itself. This invariably results in an error about compatibility, as the add-on is designed for Thunderbird. If you lot're using another browser, a left-click might result in your browser attempting to download and "open" the XPI file. This is basically a small program, so it is non meant to be opened. It has to be saved to disk.

To install a downloaded XPI file into Thunderbird, yous accept two options.

Download

Right-click the link and select or as described earlier.

You will be invited to download and save the file. Near browsers have a default download location. Brand a note of where it downloads to, and what it's called. Some addition files may have silly names like "latest-234.xpi", which is not very helpful when you lot're trying to find information technology after on.

Open up the Add-ons Manager tab in Thunderbird. There's a button to the left of the search box. CogWheel CogWheelLinux Click this and select from the subsequent card.

MenuUnderCogWheel

You will demand to navigate to where you saved the XPI file using the file picker and select it to consummate the install.

Elevate-and-drop

If you are using Windows, you can even skip the desktop chip. Open your browser and Thunderbird adjacent, with Thunderbird'due south Add together-ons Director tab displayed. Drag the link directly from the browser onto Thunderbird'southward Add-ons Managing director tab. The main advantage of this method is that you don't need to actually save a copy of the add together-on to your hard disk before it is installed.

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