# Chapter 1 — Installation

This chapter walks you through installing the Free plugin and, if you have it, the Pro add-on. You only need to do this once.

## Installing the Free Plugin

The Free plugin must always be installed and active. The Pro add-on cannot work without it.

### Step 1 — Upload the plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard (usually `yoursite.com/wp-admin`).
2. In the left-hand menu, go to Plugins → Add New Plugin.
3. Click the Upload Plugin button near the top of the page.
4. Click Choose File and select the file called `chiseiko-essential-swatches.zip` that you downloaded.
5. Click Install Now.

WordPress will upload and unpack the plugin. When it is done, you will see a success message.

### Step 2 — Activate the plugin

After installation, click Activate Plugin.

You should now see "Chiseiko Essential Swatches" listed in your Plugins screen with a green "Active" badge.

> Tip: If you see a red notice saying WooCommerce is missing or needs to be updated, make sure WooCommerce is installed and active first, then refresh the page.

## Installing the Pro Add-On

> You must install and activate the Free plugin first. The Pro add-on will not load if the Free plugin is missing.

### Step 1 — Upload the Pro plugin

1. Go to Plugins → Add New Plugin.
2. Click Upload Plugin.
3. Upload the file called `chiseiko-essential-swatches-pro.zip`.
4. Click Install Now.

### Step 2 — Activate the Pro plugin

Click Activate Plugin.

You should now see both plugins listed and active in your Plugins screen:

- Chiseiko Essential Swatches
- Chiseiko Essential Swatches Pro

### Step 3 — Confirm the Pro menu appears

In the WordPress left-hand menu, go to WooCommerce. You should see a new item called Chiseiko Essential Swatches Pro in the submenu.

If you do not see it, try refreshing the page or deactivating and reactivating both plugins.

## What Gets Installed

When you activate the Free plugin, no new top-level menu is added — most configuration happens directly on your product attribute pages (covered in the next chapter). The Free plugin does add an Chiseiko Essential Swatches Settings tab under WooCommerce → Settings, where you can adjust swatch layout and turn on the optional interactive archive swatches (see Chapter 7).

When you activate the Pro add-on, a new settings page appears at WooCommerce → Chiseiko Essential Swatches Pro. This is where you manage your license and enable/disable the Pro modules. Until you enter a key, the License tab shows No license — enter and activate your key to unlock the Pro modules (see Chapter 5).

## Updating the Plugins

When a new version is available:

1. Go to Dashboard → Updates in your admin panel.
2. Check the box next to Chiseiko Essential Swatches (and/or the Pro add-on).
3. Click Update Plugins.

Your settings and swatch configurations are never deleted during an update.

## Uninstalling

If you ever need to remove the plugins:

1. Go to Plugins.
2. Click Deactivate under the plugin name.
3. After deactivating, click Delete.

> Note: Deleting the plugin removes the plugin files but will not delete the swatch data you have already configured on your attributes — that data is stored in your database and will remain for if you ever reinstall.