How to install a .zxp extension in After Effects and Premiere Pro

A .zxp file is a packed, signed extension for Adobe's CEP platform. Panels like aep motion ship this way. Adobe no longer bundles an installer with Creative Cloud, so you need one small free tool, and then the process is the same for After Effects and Premiere Pro.

Before you start

• Quit After Effects and Premiere Pro completely.
• Check your version under Help › About. Panels list which versions they support.
• Keep the file as .zxp. Some browsers rename it to .zip on download; rename it back and do not unzip it.

Method 1: ZXP Installer

The free ZXP Installer from aescripts + aeplugins is the standard choice on Windows and macOS.

1. Open ZXP Installer.
2. Drag the .zxp file onto its window, or use File › Open.
3. Wait for the green confirmation. It shows which apps the panel was installed for.
4. Start your Adobe app and open Window › Extensions.

The same window lists every extension you have installed, with a remove option next to each, so it doubles as an uninstaller.

Method 2: Anastasiy's Extension Manager

Extension Manager is another free installer. Its advantage is the overview: a list of installed extensions per app, with install and remove buttons. If you manage many panels, keep this one around.

Method 3: Install by hand

A .zxp is a zip archive with a signature. If no installer works on your machine, you can place the files yourself.

1. Rename Panel.zxp to Panel.zip and extract it. You get a folder with a CSXS subfolder inside.
2. Move that folder to the extensions directory:
   • Windows, all users: C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Adobe\CEP\extensions\
   • Windows, current user: %APPDATA%\Adobe\CEP\extensions\
   • macOS, all users: /Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/
   • macOS, current user: ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CEP/extensions/
3. Start the app. If the panel does not appear or shows a signature error, turn on PlayerDebugMode (next section). A hand-copied extension skips the installer's verification, so the host app treats it as unsigned.

Where the panel shows up

Every CEP panel lives under Window › Extensions. Open it once, then drag its tab into any panel group. Save the workspace (Window › Workspace › Save as New Workspace) and it is there every time you launch.

Fix: the panel is missing from Window › Extensions

1. Quit and reopen the app. Closing the project is not enough; the menu is built at launch.
2. Check the install target. Open ZXP Installer or Extension Manager and confirm the panel is listed for the app and version you are running.
3. Check the version range. Older panels declare a maximum version in their manifest and simply do not load in newer releases. Ask the developer for an update.
4. Look for duplicates. A copy in both the all-users and the current-user folder can block each other. Keep one.

Fix: "not properly signed" or a blank panel

CEP refuses extensions whose signature it cannot verify. The switch that allows them is called PlayerDebugMode.

Windows. Press Win+R, type regedit and go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Adobe\CSXS.11. Right-click the empty area, choose New › String Value, name it PlayerDebugMode and set the value to 1. Repeat for the CSXS.12 key if it exists.

macOS. Open Terminal and paste:

defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.11 PlayerDebugMode 1
    defaults write com.adobe.CSXS.12 PlayerDebugMode 1
    killall cfprefsd

CSXS.11 covers the 2022 to 2024 releases; CSXS.12 covers 2025 and newer. Setting both is harmless. Restart the Adobe app afterwards.

If the panel opens but stays white, clear the CEP cache and relaunch: on Windows delete the cep_cache folder inside %LOCALAPPDATA%\Temp, on macOS delete ~/Library/Caches/CSXS/cep_cache.

Updating and removing

To update, install the new .zxp over the old one; both installers replace the files and keep your settings. To remove a panel, use the installer's list. If you installed by hand, delete the folder from the extensions directory.