---
title: "Installation & Requirements"
description: HiveCRM Premium is a WordPress CRM plugin. Make sure your WordPress site meets the requirements below before installing it.
url: "https://hiveplugins.com/docs/installation-requirements-2/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: HiveCRM
---

# Installation & Requirements

HiveCRM Premium is a WordPress CRM plugin. Make sure your WordPress site meets the requirements below before installing it.

## Requirements

HiveCRM Premium requires:

- **WordPress:** 6.0 or later
- **PHP:** 7.4 or later
- **WooCommerce:** not required. HiveCRM works standalone; WooCommerce is only used optionally, to route Services & Packages checkout through an existing WooCommerce store.

## Install HiveCRM From a ZIP File

Because HiveCRM Premium is a commercially licensed plugin, it is not listed in the free WordPress.org plugin directory — install it from the ZIP file downloaded from your Hive Plugins account.

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to **Plugins → Add New**.
3. Click **Upload Plugin**.
4. Select the `hive-crm.zip` file you downloaded from [your Hive Plugins account](https://hiveplugins.com/my-account/).
5. Click **Install Now**.
6. Click **Activate Plugin** when installation finishes.

You can also install it manually through a hosting file manager or FTP by extracting the ZIP and uploading the `hive-crm` folder to `wp-content/plugins/`, then activating **Hive CRM Premium** from **Plugins**.

## After Activation

Once activated, a **Hive CRM** item appears in your WordPress admin sidebar. Opening it loads the HiveCRM dashboard.

Before creating any CRM data, activate your commercial license key — see [License Activation](license-activation.md). Until a valid license is activated, HiveCRM runs in **read-only mode**: existing data (if any) is visible, but creating, editing, or deleting records is disabled.

## First-Time Setup Checklist

After activating the plugin and your license, we recommend:

1. Open **Settings → General** and fill in your **Company & Business Profile** (name, email, phone, address). This information appears on client-facing estimates, invoices, and portal pages.
2. Review the **Feature & Module Matrix** on the same screen and disable any CRM modules you don't plan to use.
3. Open **Settings → Team & Staff** and add any additional staff members who need access.
4. Configure the modules relevant to your workflow — Lead Settings, Deal Pipelines, Estimates & Invoices, and Payment Gateways are the most common starting points.

## Troubleshooting

### HiveCRM cannot be activated

Check that WordPress is 6.0 or later and PHP is 7.4 or later.

### The Hive CRM menu does not appear after installation

Confirm that the plugin folder is located inside `wp-content/plugins/hive-crm` and that **Hive CRM Premium** is activated from **Plugins**. If you see a plugin folder named `HiveCRM` (capitalized, no hyphen) with no effect, remove it — it is not a valid installation.

### The CRM loads, but I can't create or save anything

This means your license is not active. Go to **Settings → Plugin License** and activate your commercial license key — see [License Activation](license-activation.md).

## Related Documentation

- [License Activation](license-activation.md)
- [HiveCRM Dashboard](hivecrm-dashboard.md)
- [HiveCRM Overview](hivecrm-overview.md)