Install plugins using UPIA tool

Last updated on Sep 2, 2025

Learn how to download and install plugins using the Unified Plugin Installer Agent command-line tool.

Before you begin:

Ensure you have acquired the license for the plugin that you want to download and install.

Go to Adobe Exchange and select Creative Cloud extensions.

In the Creative Cloud extensions tab, select the name of the extension that you want to install, and then select Installation Help.

The plugin page on Adobe Exchange shows the list of compatible apps, plugin information, and options to manage the plugin and get installation help. — Selecting Installation Help opens a new window.

Download the plugin using the provided download button.

The Installation Help page for the plugin shows the steps to download and install the plugin, and a download button to directly download the plugin file. — The plugin file starts downloading.

Note

If you can't find the download button, contact the plugin vendor. You'll find their contact information on their partner profile page on Adobe Exchange.

Once the download is complete, enter Command Prompt in the Windows search bar.

In the Command Prompt window, type this command and press Enter:

C:\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Adobe Desktop Common\RemoteComponents\UPI\UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent

Type this command and press Enter to install your plugin:

UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent.exe /install c:\[filename].[extension]

Tip

If the plugin or extension file is myfile.ccx, the command line will be:

UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent.exe /install c:\myfile.ccx

After installing, test the plugin to ensure it works correctly.

Go to Adobe Exchange and select Creative Cloud extensions.

In the Creative Cloud extensions tab, select the extension that you want to install, and then select Installation Help.

Download the plugin using the provided download button.

Note

If you can't find the plugin file, contact the plugin vendor. You'll find their contact information on their partner profile page on Adobe Exchange.

Once the download is complete, press command + spacebar to open the Spotlight Search window.

In the Spotlight Search window, enter Terminal and press return.

In the Terminal window, type this command and press return:

cd "/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Desktop Common/RemoteComponents/UPI/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent/UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent.app/Contents/macOS"

In the Terminal window, type this command and press return:

./UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent --install /[file path]/[filename].[extension]

Tip

If the plugin or extension file is myfile.ccx and it is located at users/[username]/downloads, the command line will be:

./UnifiedPluginInstallerAgent --install /users/[username]/downloads/myfile.ccx.

After installing, test the plugin to ensure it works correctly.

If you encounter problems installing plugins, learn how to fix plugin installation issues with Creative Cloud app extensions or plugins.