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Finding the Right Plugin (For Any Job)

Finding the Right Plugin (For Any Job)

How to search for WordPress plugins and evaluate and test plugins properly after you've found them.

Jay Hoffmann

August 03, 2014
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  1. The right plugin is... • reliable • coded using best

    practices • updated frequently • well supported
  2. On a piece of paper, write down everything you need

    to add to your site I need a gallery plugin I need to group my photos together from multiple authors and output them on my posts and sidebar
  3. Small or Big Adds a single piece of functionality Adds

    several pieces of functionality Few or no options Full-featured option panel Uses simple WordPress hooks May contain it’s own API Maintained by a single developer Maintained by multiple developers or a community
  4. Search with caution • Search on Google for your functionality

    “+ plugin” • Don’t even bother with free plugins that haven’t been approved • Look for something updated in the last 6 months to a year • Rule of thumb: popular plugins tend to be popular for a reason
  5. Go with what works • For Free Plugins: Use Google

    for search, but land in the WordPress plugin repository ! • For Premium Plugins: rely on trusted developers
  6. Taking a look at Development A couple of signs Reviews

    Ratings + Downloads Codebase GitHub Repo, FAQ, Screenshots
  7. But the best way to evaluate a plugin is to

    test it in a safe, live environment • Boot up a fresh WordPress install (preferably on a live server) • define( 'WP_DEBUG', true ); Plugins react differently with new content and next to other plugins. Creating a test site allows you to stretch a plugin a bit before adding it to production.
  8. WP Test (wptest.io) • Install “WordPress Importer” Plugin • Import

    included .xml file • Make sure to check “Download all attachments”
  9. Install your plugin on your test site • Look for

    debug errors (notices are okay, warnings are bad) • Add some content related to the plugin • Switch on and off a few options • Use included shortcodes, functions, etc.
  10. Understanding Plugin Performance • Performant plugins are those that use

    WordPress coding standards, proper API hooks and loading techniques • Performance is the strongest indicator of a good plugin • If this is ignored, conflicts with other plugins and themes crop up Front-end Back-end
  11. Front-end Performance Content and style generated on the front page

    of your site The key is to ensure that each performance hit (i.e. loaded file, extra load time) is necessary for the functionality of the plugin
  12. P3 Plugin Profiler Plugin https://wordpress.org/plugins/p3-profiler/ • Test load times for

    individual plugins • Look for long hangups and get a handle on how load times are being effected Other tools for developers: Helpful Information, Debug Bar, Query Monitor
  13. Understanding Front-end Performance Long load times may be okay. Jetpack,

    for instance, has a long load time, but only because P3 measures logged in users times (faster for logged out users), there is a lot of scripts that need to be initially loaded, and it is solving many problems at once.
  14. Back-end Performance • Check to make sure there are no

    debug warnings • Are options organized in the admin? • Is the plugin making use of the WordPress API? • i.e. Custom Post Type, global $post object How is code being handled and what is being added to the admin
  15. Looking for Support • A plugin is about as strong

    as the support it’s developer gives and the community behind it. • How active is the developer on support forums? • Is there a website dedicated to the plugin? • ...with proper documentation? • Do other WordPress users engage with the plugin through forums
  16. Quick Caveat: Support should be on par with the level

    of complexity of a plugin. Simple plugins require less support, feature upgrades and may not have a dedicated site. ! That’s okay as long as the developer is there to answer questions.
  17. For a Few Tips More • A plugin is typically

    about as good as it’s website (with exceptions) • In general, stay away from Version 1.0 • Two sources I trust: • WPMail.me • ManageWP Plugins of the Month • Use WP Plugin Checker to see what other sites are using