---
title: Using Download Plugins and Themes on a WordPress Multisite Network
description: "Download links missing on a WordPress multisite network? They live in each site's admin, not in Network Admin."
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/plugin-not-working-on-wordpress-multisite-network/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: Troubleshooting
tags:
  - Download Plugins and Themes from Dashboard
---

# Using Download Plugins and Themes on a WordPress Multisite Network

On a WordPress multisite network, Download Plugins and Themes in ZIP from Dashboard adds its Download ZIP links to each individual site's Plugins > Installed Plugins and Appearance > Themes screens, not to Network Admin. Open the site's own dashboard from My Sites to see them, and make sure your role has the activate_plugins and switch_themes capabilities.

### The key point: links live on each site, not Network Admin

Download Plugins and Themes adds the per-item **Download ZIP** links to the standard **Plugins > Installed Plugins** and **Appearance > Themes** screens of an individual site. It does not add a separate download UI to **Network Admin > Plugins** or **Network Admin > Themes**. If you are looking in Network Admin and see no links, switch to a single site's own admin dashboard.

### 1. Open the individual site admin

From the network, go to **My Sites** and open the dashboard of the site you want, then visit its **Plugins > Installed Plugins** or **Appearance > Themes** screen. The **Download ZIP** links appear there.

### 2. Activation mode does not change where links appear

You can network activate the plugin or activate it on a single site. Either way, the per-item links are added to the per-site Plugins and Themes screens. Network activating simply makes it available across all sites without activating it on each one.

### 3. Confirm your capabilities

The links are capability gated:

- The plugin download link needs the `activate_plugins` capability.
- The theme download link needs the `switch_themes` capability.

A Super Admin has both. A regular site administrator on multisite may have plugin and theme management restricted at the network level, in which case the links are hidden until those capabilities are granted.

### 4. Rule out an admin UI or security plugin

As on single sites, an admin theme or security plugin that alters the list tables can strip the action links. Test with those deactivated to confirm.

### Settings on multisite

The settings page and the **Download all** tools are reached at **WPFactory > Download plugins and Themes** inside a site's admin. Settings are saved per site, so configure the version, directory and Advanced Settings options on each site that needs them.

### Still stuck?

Note whether the plugin is network activated, which admin screen you are on, your role, and your WordPress and plugin versions, then open a ticket on the [Download Plugins and Themes support forum](https://wpfactory.com/support/item/download-plugins-and-themes-from-dashboard-wordpress-plugin/).

Related articles

- [Download ZIP Link Not Showing on the Plugins or Themes Screen](https://wpfactory.com/docs/download-zip-button-not-showing/)
- [Settings Reference: Every Option in Download Plugins and Themes](https://wpfactory.com/docs/download-plugins-themes-settings-reference/)
- [Download Plugins and Themes: Developer Hooks and Filters Reference](https://wpfactory.com/docs/download-plugins-from-dashboard-developer-hooks-filters/)
- [Getting Started: Download WordPress Plugins and Themes From Your Dashboard](https://wpfactory.com/docs/start/)
- [Download Plugins and Themes: Free vs Pro Versions Compared](https://wpfactory.com/docs/pro-vs-free-comparisons/)

 

[![Download Plugins and Themes from WordPress Dashboard](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/Download-Plugins-and-Themes-from-Dashboard.webp)](https://wpfactory.com/item/download-plugins-and-themes-from-dashboard-wordpress-plugin/)