Installing extensions

Both system extensions and third-party extensions are managed using Composer. Composer handles the installation of the extension and also installs any dependencies that may be required. Composer is also used to uninstall extensions.

Find the Composer package name for an extension

Visit the Extension Repository, and search for the extension.

On the extension page , under "Composer support", will be the Composer command required to install that extension.

For example, the extension EXT:news has the package name georgringer/news .

Typically the package name will be vendor + slash + extension key. However, if the extension key contains an underscore, it is replaced with a dash in the package name. For example: EXT:extension_builder:

extension key
extension_builder
vendor
friendsoftypo3
Composer package name
friendsoftypo3/extension-builder

Use composer require to install the extension

/var/www/site/$ 
composer require <packagename>
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To install the news extension:

/var/www/site/$ 
composer require georgringer/news
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This will add the extension requirement to the installations composer.json and install the extension.

Whilst the extension is installed and activated automatically, it still needs to be set up before it can be used:

Setup the extension

/var/www/site/$ 
./vendor/bin/typo3 extension:setup
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The extension setup command takes care of executing additional installation procedures, such as database migrations and clearing caches if necessary. The extension setup command is not specific to a single extension but instead looks at the overall state and executes all necessary steps.

Uninstalling extensions

The composer command remove uninstalls an extension.

/var/www/site/$ 
composer remove georgringer/news
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The updated composer.lock file needs to be committed to the version control system.

Installing local extensions

Local extensions including sitepackages and custom extensions also need to be installed using Composer.

Custom extensions should be placed in a dedicated, local directory: documentroot/packages.

Once this directory exists, update the installations composer.json and add this directory as a new repository:

/var/www/site/composer.json 
{
    "repositories": [
        {
            "type": "path",
            "url": "./packages/*/"
        },
    ],
}
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Then run composer require to the install the local extension my-local-extension with vendor vendor:

/var/www/site/$ 
composer require vendor/my-local-extension:@dev
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By executing this command, Composer locates vendor/my-local-extension and then symlinks it to typo3conf/ext/my-local-extension once composer install is executed. The setup from above defines that the extension is to be placed by composer into the folder :file:packages/my-local-extension if it has not been already there.

Additional information

Find out the extension key for an extension

The extension key of an extension can be found in its composer.json.

EXT:blog_example/composer.json 
{
    "name": "t3docs/blog-example",
    "type": "typo3-cms-extension",
    "..": "...",
    "extra": {
        "typo3/cms": {
            "extension-key": "blog_example",
        }
    }
}
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Before installing an extension, the extension key can be found on its page in the TYPO3 Extension Repository (TER).

The extension key is listed on the top. For the extension EXT:news, the extension key is news.