Installation & requirements
Download Uncoder, upload and activate it in WordPress, check the requirements, and open the editor for the first time.
On this page
Uncoder is a regular WordPress plugin. You download it as a zip file from uncoderbuilder.com (opens in a new tab), install it once, and it works with the theme you already use. New versions then arrive in Dashboard → Updates like any other plugin.
Requirements
| Requirement | Minimum |
|---|---|
| WordPress | 6.6 or newer |
| PHP | 8.0 or newer |
| Browser for editing | A current version of Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari, in a window at least 1024 px wide |
| User role | Administrator to install; see Roles & access for other roles |
Uncoder works with any theme. Its pages use the theme's header and footer until you build your own in the Theme Builder. If you have not chosen a theme yet, the download page (opens in a new tab) also offers Uncoder, a free companion theme. It is optional.
If your server runs a PHP version older than 8.0, WordPress shows the message Uncoder requires PHP 8.0 or newer and the plugin stays inactive. Ask your host to update PHP, then reload the page.
To connect an AI assistant such as Claude or ChatGPT, your site must also be reachable from the internet over HTTPS. A site on your own computer can still connect to desktop AI apps with an API key. See AI & MCP.
Install the plugin
Uncoder is not listed in the WordPress plugin directory, so searching for it under Plugins → Add Plugin does not find it. Install it from the zip file:
Download the zip
Go to uncoderbuilder.com/download (opens in a new tab) and download the Uncoder plugin, or take uncoder.zip from the newest release on GitHub (opens in a new tab). Keep the file zipped.
Upload it to WordPress
In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins → Add Plugin (Add New Plugin in older WordPress versions) and click Upload Plugin at the top of the screen. Choose the zip file and click Install Now.
Activate it
When the installation finishes, click Activate Plugin. Uncoder appears in the plugin list with two quick links: Dashboard and Connect AI.
Uncoder in the Plugins list after activation.
If WordPress says the file is larger than the maximum upload size, ask your host to raise the upload limit. Or unzip the file on your computer, upload the uncoder folder to wp-content/plugins/ with FTP or your host's file manager, and activate Uncoder under Plugins.
Uncoder adds an Uncoder menu to the WordPress sidebar. It holds every Uncoder screen:
| Menu item | What you do there |
|---|---|
| Home | Create pages, import a starter site, see recent pages and your setup progress. |
| Theme Builder | Build headers, footers, page layouts, popups, mega menus and reusable sections. |
| Design System | Review your colors, fonts and buttons, and upload custom fonts and icons. |
| Submissions | Read the messages people send through your forms. |
| AI & MCP | Connect AI assistants, manage API keys and review AI activity. |
| Settings | Site-wide options such as roles, cookie consent, custom code and tools. |
Some items only show for administrators. Editors, for example, see Home, Theme Builder and Submissions.
Open the editor for the first time
You can start the editor from three places.
From the Uncoder home screen
- Go to Uncoder → Home.
- Click New page.
- Type a Page title and click Create and open editor.
From the Pages list
- Go to Pages in the WordPress sidebar.
- Hover over a page and click Edit with Uncoder.
From the site itself
- Open any page of your site while you are logged in.
- Click Edit with Uncoder in the black WordPress toolbar at the top.
Hover over Edit with Uncoder to open a menu of everything on the page that is built with Uncoder: the page itself, its header and footer, theme templates, popups, loop items and mega menus, each with its type at the right. Hovering an item outlines that part of the page; click it to edit it. Below them are shortcuts to the Theme Builder and the Design System, and Clear Cache (administrators), which rebuilds Uncoder's CSS and empties the page caches of common caching plugins.
The editor opens in a full-screen window. Your page appears in the middle, exactly as visitors will see it. To go back to WordPress, open the menu with the Uncoder logo in the top-left corner and choose Exit to WordPress.
Want a head start? A starter site adds a color palette, fonts, a header, a footer and five pages in one step. Everything arrives as a draft, so nothing changes on your live site until you publish.
Choose which content types use Uncoder
By default you can build Pages and Posts with Uncoder. To add or remove content types, go to Uncoder → Settings → General and change Post types under Builder. See General settings.
Update Uncoder
Uncoder is published on GitHub (opens in a new tab) and updates like any other plugin: when a new version is out, WordPress shows it under Dashboard → Updates and on the Plugins screen, with an Update now link. View details shows what changed; the changelog has the full list. Automatic updates work too, if you turn them on for Uncoder under Plugins. Your version is shown next to the Uncoder name at the top of every Uncoder screen.
WordPress checks for new versions twice a day. To check right away, click Check again under Dashboard → Updates.
Your pages, templates and settings are kept. Make a backup before you update, as with any plugin.
A copy of Uncoder that is a linked folder or a git checkout (a development setup) is never offered updates, so your working files are never replaced.
If an update causes a problem, you can install the earlier version again the same way. See Version rollback.
Remove Uncoder
Deactivating Uncoder keeps all your data. While the plugin is inactive, pages built with Uncoder show a plain version of their text and images, without the design. The design comes back as soon as you activate Uncoder again.
When you delete the plugin, your designs, templates and settings are kept unless you turn on Remove all data on uninstall in Uncoder → Settings → Advanced first. Your pages themselves are never deleted. See Advanced settings.