A plugin is an optional software component that adds specific functionality to Unreal Engine. Plugins can add entirely new features and modify built-in functionality without modifying the Unreal Engine code directly. For example, a plugin might add new menu items and toolbar commands to the editor, or even add entirely new features and editor sub-modes.
You can enable or disable plugins independently for each project, depending on your needs.
There are two types of plugins available in Unreal Engine:
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Unreal Engine plugins.
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Third-party plugins.
Enabling a Plugin
To enable an Unreal Engine plugin, follow these steps:
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From the main menu, go to Edit > Plugins. This opens the Plugins window.
Plugins window in Unreal Engine 5.
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Find the plugin you want to enable using the list on the left of the screen. Alternatively, enter a term in the Search box to search for all plugin names and descriptions that contain this term.
This example shows all search results for the term "xr". Note that the search term is highlighted everywhere it appears.
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To enable a plugin, click the checkbox next to it.
Enabling a plugin
For plugins that are not production-ready, such as beta plugins, you might see a warning asking you to confirm that you want to enable that plugin.
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Save your work, then restart Unreal Engine.
Third-party plugins might require additional steps before you can enable them. For more information, refer to the documentation for the third-party plugin you want to install. Note that Epic Games is not responsible for the contents of third-party plugins.
Disabling a Plugin
To disable a plugin, follow these steps:
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From the main menu, go to Edit > Plugins. This opens the Plugins window.
Plugins window in Unreal Engine 5.
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Find the plugin you want to disable using the list on the left of the screen. Alternatively, enter a term in the Search box to search for all plugin names and descriptions that contain this term.
This example shows all search results for the term "xr". Note that the search term is highlighted everywhere it appears.
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To disable a plugin, clear the checkbox next to it.
Disabling a plugin
If the plugin you want to disable is a dependency for other plugins (that is, other plugins require it to function), you will see a notification asking you if you want to disable those plugins as well. Note that this might break existing functionality in your project if you used any of those plugins to implement it.
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Save your work, then restart Unreal Engine.
Installing Plugins from Fab
While Unreal Engine contains plugins that offer many different kinds of functionality, you can also install additional plugins from Fab, using the methods described below. The examples shown here use the free glTF Exporter plugin by Epic Games.
Downloading Plugins from the Fab Website
You can browse and download plugins for Unreal Engine directly from the Fab site. You can also access Fab directly through a link in the Epic Games Launcher.
To download plugins from the site, follow these steps:
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In the Epic Games Launcher, navigate to the Unreal Engine tab, select Fab and click Start exploring.
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You are redirected to the Fab site.
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Search for the plugin you want to install and click the thumbnail to open the listing
The next step depends on whether you selected a free plugin or a paid plugin.
The following information is adapted from the Acquiring Products section of the Purchasing and Downloading Products page in the Fab documentation. Refer to that page for more information.
Free Plugin
To download a free plugin, follow these steps:
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On the plugin's listing click Add to My Library.
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Accept the Fab EULA.
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Your free plugin is now available in your Fab library on the Fab site and in the Epic Games launcher.
Paid Plugin
To download a plugin for sale, follow these steps:
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Click the Select a License dropdown to view the available licenses. Select a license type if applicable. This can vary depending on the size of your organization.
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Select either Buy now or Add to cart.
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If you select Buy now, you are shown the checkout screen where you can pay for your selected plugin directly. Go to step 4.
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If you select Add to cart, your plugin is added to your cart. Continue to step 3.
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Click View in cart, then click the Checkout button to pay for your selections once you have all the plugins (and any other Fab products) you want to buy.
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Complete the checkout process, and you will see the same notification as for free plugins.
Install your Plugin
After you have added your new plugin to your Fab library, you need to install it to Unreal Engine.
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Go to the Library tab in the launcher, then scroll down to the Fab Library section. Search for your new plugin, then click Install to Engine.
If you can't find your new plugin, refresh the Fab Library.
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Select the engine version for the plugin installation, then click Install.
When installing a plugin or other asset, only supported versions of Unreal Engine are available, even if you have other Unreal Engine versions installed.
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After the installation completes, open the version of Unreal Engine you installed the plugin for, and enable the plugin following the instructions in the Enabling a Plugin section on this page.
Downloading Plugins From Fab Inside Unreal Engine
You can download plugins (and other content) using the Fab plugin while you are working inside Unreal Engine. Before you can install additional plugins from Fab, you must first enable the Fab plugin.
After you install the plugin, you can access it from the following options in Unreal Engine:
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In the Windows menu, scroll down to the Get Content section and click Fab.
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In the Content Drawer, click the Fab button right next to the +Add button.
In the Fab window, you can search for and acquire plugins (both free or paid) in the same way as on the Fab site.
Only plugins usable with Unreal Engine appear in the Fab window inside Unreal Engine. Content for other platforms is not available.
After you add a plugin to your library, you must download and install it to use it. To install your new plugin, quit out of Unreal Engine, and find the plugin in your Fab Library. Click Install to Engine, and proceed as previously described above.
Plugin Installation Locations
Unreal Engine stores all plugins at the following locations:
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C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_[version]\Engine\Pluginson Windows -
/Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_[version]/Engine/Pluginson macOS