How to install a GFCI outlet

A GFCI outlet (which stands for ground fault circuit interrupter) is a receptacle with its own built-in circuit breaker. It is intended to protect you from electric shock and your wiring and breaker panel from being “shorted out”.
Building codes require that you have a GFCI outlet in areas near water (e.g. in your kitchen, bathroom or garage.) You don’t need to install a GFCI outlet for all your outlets near water, just the first one in a series. This way the single GFCI can “trip” or shut off if one of the receptacles further down the line are shorted out.