Drop the unzipped addon folder into your WoW Classic Interface\AddOns directory, then restart the game and enable it on the character-select screen. Classic Era uses the classicera folder, the current Classic expansion uses classic, and each addon must sit as its own folder containing a .toc file — not a nested zip or a loose file.
Manual install in 6 steps
- Download the addon's .zip from its project page (CurseForge and WoWInterface are the two established hosts).
- Find your WoW install folder. Default on Windows: C:\Program Files (x86)\World of Warcraft\.
- Open the right version folder: classicera for Classic Era/Hardcore/Season of Discovery-style Era realms, classic for the current Classic progression expansion, retail for modern WoW.
- Go into Interface\AddOns. If AddOns doesn't exist, create it — spelling and capitalisation matter.
- Unzip the download and move the inner folder (the one holding AddonName.toc) into AddOns. Do not leave the zip in place.
- Fully close and reopen WoW. At character select, click AddOns bottom-left, tick the box, and log in.
Where the folder lives
| Game version | Path after your WoW folder |
| Classic Era / Hardcore | classicera\Interface\AddOns |
| Current Classic expansion | classic\Interface\AddOns |
| Modern WoW | retail_\Interface\AddOns |
On macOS the same structure sits inside /Applications/World of Warcraft/. Per-character settings write to WTF\Account\...\SavedVariables, so deleting the addon folder alone leaves your old config behind.
Should I use an addon manager instead?
For more than two or three addons, yes. The CurseForge app and open-source managers such as WowUp point at your WoW install, detect each game version separately, and update everything in one click after a patch. Manual installs are fine for a single addon but you'll be re-downloading by hand every time Blizzard bumps the interface version.
Why isn't my addon showing up in game?
Nine times out of ten the folder is nested one level too deep — you moved AddonName.zip-extracted\AddonName\ when the game needs AddonName\ with the .toc directly inside. Open the folder you copied: if you see a .toc file, it's right; if you see another folder with the same name, go one level in.
The other common cause is an outdated addon after a patch. Tick Load out of date AddOns on the AddOns list to test it, and use /reload in game after changing settings.
Which addons are actually worth installing for Classic?
Most players end up with a quest helper, a map coordinate/gathering addon, an auction house scanner, a boss-timer addon for raids, and a bag or unit-frame replacement. Start with two or three — every loaded addon costs memory and a stack of thirty is the usual reason Classic stutters in Orgrimmar.
Are addons allowed in WoW Classic?
Yes. Blizzard exposes an official Lua/XML interface and addons that use it are permitted, including on Hardcore realms. What is not allowed is anything automating gameplay for you — botting or input automation sits on the other side of the line and is bannable.
If the part you actually want help with is the content behind the addon rather than the UI itself, PewPewShop pairs you with vetted human players for coaching and progression help — Classic Dungeon Boost from EUR 10.5, Classic Raid Clear from EUR 15, or WoW Classic Character Leveling from EUR 2.99. Real players, no bots, no automation.