Activate and deactivate add-ons

Before you can use an add-on, you must activate it in your website. If you are using multisite, you must activate the add-on for each site where you want to use it.

PREREQUISITES: Before you activate an add-on on a particular site, you have to make sure that all static modules that the add-on modifies are activated on the Sitefinity instance. For example, if the add-on adds a custom field for the News module, the News module has to be activated. For more information, see Activate and deactivate modules.

To do this, perform the following:

1. Select the site where you want to activate the add-on.
2. Navigate to Administration » Add-ons.
3. Click the add-on that you have installed.
   A summary page appears, listing the contents of the add-on.
4. Click Activate for this site.
5. A dialog appears where you choose whether you want to import content and pages.
   • If you leave Import sample content and pages checkbox deselected, only the add-on modules structures, configurations, and customizations will be activated for the current site.
   • If you select Import sample content and pages checkbox, all content items that are part of the add-on are imported to the default provider of the corresponding module for the site.
     Content includes News items, Blogs, Blog posts, Events, Lists, Dynamic content items, Pages, Taxonomies, Taxa, Libraries, Images, Videos, Documents.

     NOTE: Once the content is imported in one site of a multisite Sitefinity CMS instance, it cannot be imported to any other site of the multisite instance. If you want to use the content on another site of the instance, you must share the providers for the respective modules. For more information, see Share content providers of modules.

6. Click Activate.

RESULT: The add-on is active for the chosen site and you can use its functionalities. If you have chosen to import content, the content items are stored in their respective module. The add-on has performed the necessary database schema changes and has imported the required structures and configurations.

When you no longer need an add-on, you can deactivate it. This way, you cannot use the functionality of the add-on or see its content items or pages, but the add-on itself is not deleted and is still installed on your Sitefinity CMS. You can reactivate a deactivated add-on.

If you are using multisite, you must deactivate the add-on on each site where you do not need it.

To do this, perform the following:

1. Select the site where you want to deactivate the add-on.
2. Navigate to Administration » Add-ons.
3. Click the active add-on, which you want to deactivate.
   A summary page appears, listing the contents of the add-on.
4. Click Deactivate for this site.
   

   IMPORTANT: Deactivating the add-on makes it unusable. All content that was imported with the add-on is deleted. Any other changes made to the add-on are also deleted. For example, if you have created more content in a module that was part of the add-on, you cannot see it anymore.

5. Click Deactivate.
   The add-on is not active and its content is deleted. 

NOTE: You can reactive a deactivated add-on at any time. If you have made any changes to the original add-on or created any content in its modules, it will reappear upon reactivation. However, if you have made any changes to the content that was originally imported with the add-on, the changes will be lost upon deactivation and will not appear upon reactivation.