# Error : Could not find plugin descriptor while Installing plugin manually by downloading .zip file **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [March 15, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485 "2016-03-15T19:39:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![prashant\_zed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/35a633/32.png) [@prashant\_zed](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/prashant_zed)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 7:39pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/1 "2016-03-15T19:39:54Z")
What should be the location of file - 'plugin-descriptor.properties'? /bin/plugin install file:/downloads/elasticsearch-csv-master.zip -\> Installing from file:/downloads/elasticsearch-csv-master.zip... Trying file:/downloads/elasticsearch-csv-master.zip ... Downloading .DONE Verifying file:/downloads/elasticsearch-csv-master.zip checksums if available ... NOTE: Unable to verify checksum for downloaded plugin (unable to find .sha1 or .md5 file to verify) ERROR: Could not find plugin descriptor 'plugin-descriptor.properties' in plugin zip ---
**Author:** ![tomhines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c6cbf5/32.png) [@tomhines](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/tomhines)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 10:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/2 "2016-03-15T22:28:58Z")
I have run into this recently, too, while upgrading from ES 1.3.9 to 2.2. The properties file needs to be in the root folder of the plugin. [plugin descriptor file]([https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/plugins/2.2/plugin-authors.html#\_plugin\_descriptor\_file](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/plugins/2.2/plugin-authors.html#_plugin_descriptor_file) plugin\_descriptor\_file) ---
**Author:** ![prashant\_zed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/35a633/32.png) [@prashant\_zed](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/prashant_zed)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 4:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/3 "2016-03-23T16:11:31Z")
Looks like the problem I am facing is very common when - deploying a plugin from local destination - when server cannot access github / outside servers (due to security) - new users (like myself) The plugin owner / ElasticSearch should have a standard solution for such an issue, as I see so many people asking same question again and again. Especially new users like me. At present I don't have solution to issue that I have posted. ---
**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 5:12pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/4 "2016-03-23T17:12:58Z")
Or may be the plugins you are trying to install are incompatible with elasticsearch version you are using? ---
**Author:** ![prashant\_zed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/35a633/32.png) [@prashant\_zed](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/prashant_zed)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/5 "2016-03-25T17:02:34Z")
I checked the version of plugin - cvs-master. This version development is specifically started for version ElasticSearch 2.x. > **[AgileWorksOrg/elasticsearch-csv](https://github.com/AgileWorksOrg/elasticsearch-csv)** > > Contribute to elasticsearch-csv development by creating an account on GitHub. elasticsearch-csv-master.zip ---
**Author:** ![prashant\_zed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/35a633/32.png) [@prashant\_zed](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/prashant_zed)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/6 "2016-03-25T17:35:54Z")
there must be something in my setup. ---
**Author:** ![jprante](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/jprante/32/44941_2.png) [@jprante](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/jprante)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/7 "2016-03-25T17:40:23Z")
> [@prashant\_zed](#): > > [GitHub - AgileWorksOrg/elasticsearch-csv](https://github.com/AgileWorksOrg/elasticsearch-csv) This source code is not an Elasticsearch plugin at all. ---
**Author:** ![prashant\_zed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/35a633/32.png) [@prashant\_zed](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/prashant_zed)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/8 "2016-03-25T19:38:52Z")
oh... Do you have any suggestion on loading csv data into ElasticSearch. The google search and search within github is showing too many options. ---
**Author:** ![dadoonet](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/dadoonet/32/137187_2.png) [@dadoonet](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/dadoonet)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2016, 7:52pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/9 "2016-03-25T19:52:22Z")
This could help: [http://david.pilato.fr/blog/2015/04/28/exploring-capitaine-train-dataset/](http://david.pilato.fr/blog/2015/04/28/exploring-capitaine-train-dataset/) But you have many other alternatives... ---
**Author:** ![lkjangir](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/lkjangir/32/18288_2.png) [@lkjangir](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/lkjangir)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 4:53am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/10 "2017-05-17T04:53:05Z")
I was also facing the same issue but spending an entire day what I found that the plugin which i am trying to install is not compatible with the version of Elasticsearch. Elasticsearch(2.4.5) was installed from repository and plugin was downloaded directly from site, it was 5.4. I extracted plugin.zip and opened plugin-descriptor.properties to check what version of elasticsearch is mentioned and compiled against, I found 5.4 So, removed ES and installed using the Deb package downloaded from site . It works (y) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2017, 10:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/error-could-not-find-plugin-descriptor-while-installing-plugin-manually-by-downloading-zip-file/44485/11 "2017-07-05T22:00:20Z")