Plugin activation failed: dependency plugin not installed

A prerequisite plugin required by the target plugin is not installed or activated on the instance, preventing the dependent plugin from starting. (high likelihood)

The dependency plugin exists but is in a deactivated state due to a previous manual deactivation or failed activation attempt. (high likelihood)

Multiple dependency plugins are missing, creating a chain of unmet dependencies that must be resolved in the correct order. (medium likelihood)

The dependency plugin requires a higher version or different edition of ServiceNow than what is currently running on the instance. (medium likelihood)

Plugin metadata is corrupted or the sys_plugins table contains inconsistent dependency information for the target plugin. (low likelihood)

Step 1: Navigate to System Applications > All Available Applications > Plugins and locate the plugin you are trying to activate to identify its exact name and ID.

Step 2: Check the System Log at System Diagnostics > Log > Application Log for the complete error message which should specify the name of the missing dependency plugin.

Step 3: In the Plugins application, search for the dependency plugin by name and verify whether it appears in the available plugins list and check its current activation status.

Step 4: If the dependency plugin is available but not activated, click the Install/Activate button for the dependency plugin first and wait for the activation to complete successfully.

Step 5: If the dependency plugin is not available in your instance, verify your ServiceNow edition and version support the required plugin by checking the plugin documentation or ServiceNow Store.

Step 6: For multiple dependencies, repeat the activation process for each prerequisite plugin in the correct dependency order, starting with plugins that have no dependencies themselves.

Step 7: After all dependency plugins are successfully activated, return to the original target plugin and attempt activation again while monitoring the System Log for any additional errors.

Step 8: If the error persists after installing dependencies, restart the plugin activation process after clearing your browser cache and refreshing the Plugins page.