What Are WordPress Plugins? And How Do They Work?

WordPress plugins are one of the most powerful features that set WordPress apart from other content management systems. With over 60,000 free plugins available, you can truly customize and extend WordPress to fit your needs.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explain everything you need to know about WordPress plugins, including:

What are WordPress plugins and how do they work?
Types of WordPress plugins
Finding and installing plugins
Activating and deactivating plugins
Must-have plugins for websites
Premium vs free plugins
Plugin optimization and maintenance
FAQs about WordPress plugins

Let‘s get started!

What Are WordPress Plugins?

A WordPress plugin is a software application that extends and adds new functionality to your WordPress website. Think of plugins like “apps” for your WordPress site.

Plugins allow you to quickly add features that would normally require extensive custom development. For example, you can:

Add an online store
Create membership sites
Sell courses and digital downloads
Build business directories
Integrate analytics and tracking
Improve SEO rankings
Enhance security
Optimize performance
Build mobile apps
And much more!

The possibilities are endless when it comes to extending WordPress functionality with plugins.

How Do WordPress Plugins Work?

WordPress is built to be easily extended and customized. The WordPress plugin architecture provides "hooks" that allow plugins to hook into WordPress.

When a plugin is activated, the files are loaded and the code is executed alongside the main WordPress software. Plugins can modify existing WordPress behavior or add completely new features.

Some examples of what plugins can do:

Modify database tables – Plugins can create custom tables to store plugin data.
Add custom post types – Plugins can register post types like "products" or "listings".
Create shortcodes – Shortcodes allow you to run plugin code using [shortcode].
Modify admin UI – Plugins can add/remove menus, options pages, meta boxes, etc.
Alter display – Plugins use filters to modify the output of pages, posts, widgets, etc.
Respond to events – Actions allow plugins to run code at certain times such as saving posts.
Extend REST API – Plugins can create custom endpoints for mobile apps.

As you can see, plugins integrate deeply into WordPress allowing for complete flexibility.

Types of WordPress Plugins

Not all plugins are created equal. Here are the main types of WordPress plugins available:

1. Functional Plugins

These plugins add specific functionality to your site. Examples include contact form plugins, SEO plugins, caching plugins, analytics, etc.

Most sites will use a number of functional plugins to create the desired frontend and backend features.

2. Widget Plugins

Widget plugins add extra widgets that you can use in your sidebars and other widget areas. These range from simple widgets like recent posts to complex widgets like calendars and social media feeds.

3. Theme Plugins

Many premium WordPress themes come bundled with plugins to add custom features. These plugins only work with their parent theme.

4. Multipurpose Plugins

Some plugins offer multiple functionalities in one. For example, Jetpack has modules for stats, CDN, security, and more. LearnDash allows you to create full courses.

These multipurpose plugins can replace several smaller plugins and simplify your stack.

5. Helper Plugins

Helper plugins make it faster and easier to manage certain tasks in WordPress. For example, plugins to make backups, bulk edit posts, import/export content, duplicate posts, etc.

6. Extender Plugins

Extender plugins don’t do anything on their own. They extend functionalities of other plugins.

For example, many eCommerce plugins have extender plugins to add integrations, payment gateways, shipping methods, etc.

Where to Find WordPress Plugins

There are a few places where you can find both free and premium WordPress plugins.

WordPress Plugin Directory

The WordPress Plugin Directory is the official directory hosted on WordPress.org. It contains over 60,000 free WordPress plugins that you can browse and download.

All plugins uploaded to the directory are manually reviewed by the WordPress team before being published. This ensures plugins meet certain code standards for security, performance, and best practices.

To search the plugin directory:

Go to Plugins » Add New in your WordPress admin.
Type a keyword related to the functionality you need.
Click "Search Plugins".
Browse the results and click the "Install Now" button to install a plugin.

The WordPress plugin directory only contains free plugins. If you‘re looking for premium plugins, you‘ll need to find them elsewhere.

Third-Party Marketplaces

Aside from the official WordPress directory, there are a few other major marketplaces where developers sell premium WordPress plugins:

Codecanyon – Popular marketplace with over 19k+ premium WordPress plugins and themes. Quality varies.
CreativeMarket – Curated marketplace for premium WordPress plugins and themes.
MojoMarketplace – Has over 1,500+ premium WordPress plugins.
ThemeForest – Primarily a theme marketplace but has over 10k plugin options.

Before downloading plugins from marketplaces, always check reviews and plugin details. Avoid plugins with low ratings or sketchy descriptions.

Independent Developers

Many developers and agencies choose to sell their premium WordPress plugins independently through their own websites.

When purchasing plugins this way, you have to sign up through the company‘s sales process rather than going through a marketplace system.

Doing some research on the developer beforehand helps ensure that you‘re purchasing from a reputable source.

How to Install WordPress Plugins

Installing plugins is a straightforward process that can be done directly within your WordPress dashboard. There are just two parts:

Uploading the Plugin

If you downloaded a .zip file from the plugin directory, you first need to upload it:

Go to Plugins » Add New
Click the Upload Plugin button top top.
Choose your .zip file and click Install Now

Activating the Plugin

Once the plugin files are uploaded to your /wp-content/plugins/ directory, you can activate it:

Go to Plugins in the admin sidebar
Find the plugin and click Activate

And that‘s it! The plugin is now installed and active on your site.

Most plugins will guide you through any additional setup steps the first time you activate them.

Must-Have Plugins for Websites

Here are some of the top types of plugins that are must-haves for many websites:

Security Plugins

Security plugins help protect your site from hackers, spammers, and bot attacks. We recommend:

Wordfence – Full-featured firewall and scanner.
iThemes Security – Protects sites from common attacks.
Sucuri – Malware scanner and security hardening.

Backups

Backup plugins allow you to schedule automated backups of your WordPress site for disaster recovery. Our top picks:

UpdraftPlus – Manual + scheduled backups to cloud or local. Free version available.
VaultPress – Real-time backup and restore by Jetpack.
BackupBuddy – Complete site backups with cloud integrations.

Caching

Caching plugins can significantly improve site performance by reducing database queries and server requests. Check out:

WP Rocket – Fast caching optimized for speed. Paid plugin.
WP Fastest Cache – Simple straightforward caching. Free.
W3 Total Cache – Full-page caching and minification. Free.

SEO Plugins

SEO plugins help you optimize your content to improve rankings and organic traffic. Our favorites:

Yoast SEO – Complete SEO optimization and analytics.
The SEO Framework – Lightweight SEO plugin with rich snippet support.
Rank Math – SEO toolkit that helps win the search battle.

Forms

Form builder plugins allow you to easily create contact forms, surveys, calculators, and more. Here are the top options:

Contact Form 7 – Simple, flexible, and free form builder.
WPForms – Drag & drop form builder with templates.
Formidable Forms – Build complex forms with repeaters and multi-page forms.
Gravity Forms – Powerful premium form builder with conditional logic.

Analytics

Analytics plugins help track traffic sources, popular content, conversions, and other site statistics. Our top picks include:

MonsterInsights – Full Google Analytics integration.
Analytify – Lightweight Google Analytics plugin.
ExactMetrics – All-in-one analytics and marketing suite for WordPress.

This covers some of the most essential categories of plugins sites need. There are thousands more plugins available for other popular features like:

Image galleries
Social media
Newsletters and email marketing
Calendars
Reviews and testimonials
Personalization
And much more!

Premium vs Free Plugins

One of the most common questions is whether to use free or premium plugins. There are upsides and downsides to both options:

Free WordPress Plugins

Available for download at no cost
Can often offer lighter-weight options
Supported through forum community
Less frequent updates
Limited feature sets
No premium support

Premium WordPress Plugins

One-time purchase cost
More features and settings
Better documentation
Frequent updates
Technical support teams
Specialized functionality
Access to addons/extensions

In most cases, free plugins are a great place to start, especially for more general functionality.

For niche features or sites that require specialized support, premium plugins tend to offer more robust options and reliability.

We recommend using a mix of both free and premium plugins as needed for your particular website.

Optimizing Plugins for Performance

Too many active plugins can sometimes lead to performance issues. Here are a few tips for optimizing your plugins:

Eliminate any unused plugins – Remove inactive plugins to reduce resource demands.
Limit plugins where possible – Find multipurpose plugins rather than multiple specialized plugins.
Check compatibility – Ensure all plugins are fully compatible with your WordPress version.
Monitor resource usage – Keep an eye on overall memory usage and load times.
Enable caching – Caching reduces the front-end impact of plugins.
Choose lightweight options – When available, choose lighter plugins over bulky alternatives.

Following WordPress best practices for plugins helps ensure your site runs as efficiently as possible.

Maintaining and Updating Plugins

Like all software, WordPress plugins need to be maintained and updated for optimal security and performance.

Guidelines for maintaining plugins:

Update regularly – Use the "Updates" page to update plugins to the latest versions.
Schedule automatic updates – Check the "Automatic Updates" setting under Plugins to enable auto updates for plugins. This ensures they update without you needing to manually click update every time.
Version control – Use a plugin like WP Rollback to roll back plugin updates if they cause issues.
Review changelog – Briefly review the changelog before updating to check for compatibility changes or new requirements.
Staging site – Test plugin updates on a staging site before updating your live site.
backups – Always have a complete backup before updating plugins in case you need to restore.

Following these maintenance practices helps smooth over any potential disruptions from plugin updates.

FAQs About WordPress Plugins

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about WordPress plugins:

Are there any risks with plugins?

Plugins can potentially impact security, performance, or cause site disruptions if not properly coded. Sticking with plugins from reputable developers helps minimize risk.

Can I use plugins with WordPress.com sites?

No, you can only use plugins on self-hosted WordPress.org sites where you have admin access. WordPress.com has themes and customization options but does not support plugins.

How do I get support for a plugin?

Most plugins offer forum support for free users. Premium plugins should have a support team to contact. Ensure the plugin has active support before purchasing.

Why aren‘t my plugins working after moving hosts?

Plugins rely on PHP versions, server configurations, file permissions, etc. Some hosts may cause compatibility issues. Contact your host for assistance.

Are there any must-have plugins?

It depends on your needs, but most sites benefit from having plugins like security, caching, SEO, forms, and analytics. Evaluate which features are essential for your goals.

Can I create my own plugins?

Yes! Anyone can build plugins using WordPress plugin development frameworks and knowledge of PHP and WordPress hooks.

Conclusion

WordPress plugins are powerful tools for extending WordPress in virtually unlimited ways. With over 60,000 options, you‘re sure to find plugins to add the functionality you need.

Understanding what plugins are, how they work, and where to find them gives you extensive control over your website. Combine free and premium plugins to get the features you need and optimize performance.

By mastering the world of WordPress plugins, you can customize your site to achieve any objective you have. Whether you want to go beyond blogging into eCommerce or membership sites, plugins pave the path to success.