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
“+ 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
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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