WordPress. Get Started with Plug-ins

WordPress is one of the most popular CMS platforms available, powering a lot of websites worldwide. It is open-source software written in PHP and contains a set of feature-rich tools that enable users to create and manage content, applications, and websites of all kinds.

The WordPress platform provides an array of free, feature-rich, and extensible plug-ins that can help extend the functionality of your website. A plugin is a program or piece of software that adds a specific set of functions or features to a WordPress website. With WordPress, you can use plug-ins to add new features and functionality to your website like creating forms, managing user accounts and permissions, adding social networks, or even developing shopping carts. This article will explain the basics of plugins for the WordPress platform and how you can use them to create powerful websites.

How Plug-Ins Work

Plugins work by adding code to the WordPress functions.php file. When someone visits your site, WordPress loads this code which then interacts with different parts of your site, such as the database, theme files, and other external services. The plug-ins provide additional features or functionalities that can be used to enhance your website’s capabilities.

Finding Plugins

The first step in finding the right plugin for your website is to search the official WordPress plugins directory. This directory contains over 50,000 plugins that can be browsed by category, popularity, ranking, and keyword search. Once you’ve found a plugin that meets your needs, you can easily install it on your WordPress website by following the instructions on the plugin page.

Installing Plugins

Once you have found the plugin that you need for your website, you can install it in one of two ways. The first way is by downloading the plugin from the official WordPress repository and uploading it to your server via FTP or another file-uploading service such as cPanel or FileZilla. The second way is by using the in-built WordPress Plugin Installer which allows you to search for plugins directly from your Dashboard and then install them with just a few clicks.

Managing Plugins

Once you have installed a plugin on your website, you will need to manage it in order to keep everything up-to-date. To do this, you will need to access your Dashboard and find the section labeled ‘Plugins’ where you can view all the plugins installed on your website. From here, you can update existing plugins as well as delete any that are no longer needed or are causing problems with your website.

Using Plugins

Using plugins on WordPress is incredibly easy and they can be used to extend the functionality of your website without needing any custom coding or development work. Popular plugins include e-commerce solutions such as WooCommerce which allow you to add an online store to your site, contact form builders such as Gravity Forms for adding contact forms, social media plugins for embedding content from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and security plugins for keeping your site safe from malware attacks. There are also many other types of plugins available for all kinds of tasks from SEO optimization to analytics tracking and beyond.

Developing Plugins

If you want to develop a custom plugin for WordPress yourself then there are a few steps that you will need to take before you start coding. Firstly, create an account on wordpress.org/plugins where you will need to register your plugin as well as upload it when ready. Next, create a new folder outside of the main WordPress installation in which to store your files before writing any code using HTML and PHP languages. Finally, when ready upload these files onto the wordpress repository and make them available for download so that other users can start utilizing your plugin on their own websites.

Conclusion

WordPress has an expansive range of plugins available which makes it easy to add additional functionality and features to your website without having to hire a developer or learn to code yourself. Whether you are looking for an e-commerce solution for adding an online store, or simply want to increase security on your site with an anti-malware plugin – there is something available for everyone on WordPress! Finally – if plug-ins aren’t quite cutting it – developing custom plugins is always an option should you wish to take it up!