Introduction
WordPress is a powerful content management system (CMS), and it already comes with a variety of built-in features, such as the ability to create and manage posts, pages, categories, links, comments, and media.
Often, however, you will want to add more features to your site or make some existing functionality more efficient. This is where plugins come in. WordPress plugins are pieces of software that can be downloaded and installed to enhance your blog.
Additionally Read: 20 Best Membership Plugins For WordPress
WordPress plugins are a great way to add features to your site, but it is important to remember that they are third-party software, meaning the developer has no control over the quality of the code.
As a result, it is possible that a plugin might contain malicious code or other security vulnerabilities. To protect you from malicious code, it is important to know how to properly use and maintain plugins. This chapter will provide you with a guide to using plugins to add functionality to your site.
The following topics are addressed here:
• WordPress plugins
• Using plugins to enhance site functionality
• Using plugins for SEO
• Deactivating plugins
• Summary
What Are WordPress Plugins?
WordPress plugins are pieces of software that can be downloaded and installed to enhance your blog.
There are thousands of free plugins available for WordPress users. Some plugins are created by the WordPress development team, while others are created by independent developers.
The most popular plugin that is included with the WordPress software is the “Akismet” plugin, which is used to protect your blog from spam comments.
All plugins are added to your WordPress site through the “Plugins” page. This page is located at Settings > Plugins.
Why Use WordPress Plugins?
There are a variety of different reasons that you might want to use WordPress plugins. Here are some of the most common reasons:
• To add new functionality to your site
• To improve the efficiency of existing features
• To add SEO functionality to your site
Using Plugins to Enhance Site Functionality
There are two main reasons to install plugins: to enhance site functionality and to create new functionality.
To enhance site functionality, you might install a plugin to add a contact form, add a social sharing toolbar, automatically add excerpts to your posts, or add a search box.
To create new functionality, you might install a plugin that will allow you to add a Twitter feed, create a private membership area, create a survey, or add a widget to showcase your latest blog posts.
What is the Difference between a Plugin and a Theme?
One of the most important things to understand about plugins is that they are different from themes.
Additionally Read: Things To Look For In Your WordPress Theme
Themes modify the appearance of your blog, while plugins are pieces of software that add functionality to your site.
Even though they are different, it is possible for themes and plugins to work together. For example, if you find a theme that has a feature that you would like to use, but it doesn’t work the way you want, you can change the theme to work the way you want it to, or you can use a plugin to add the feature you want.
Additionally Read: What is a Child Theme In WordPress
How Many Plugins Is Too Many?
There is no definitive answer to this question. It all depends on the type and purpose of the site you are building.
For example, if you are building a site that is purely informational, you might not need any plugins.
However, if you are building a site that you want to use as a marketing tool, you might need to add some plugins to add functionality to the site.
It is important to remember that plugins can be a security risk, so it is important to only use plugins that are well supported and trusted. Additionally, it might be worth checking your website’s endpoint security.
Also, it is important to keep the number of plugins on your site to a minimum, because this will help to improve site performance.
What Are the Different Types of Plugins?
There are three different types of plugins:
• Core plugins
• Inactive plugins
• Active plugins
Core Plugins
Core plugins are plugins that are developed and distributed by the WordPress development team.
These plugins are included in the core WordPress software, so they are always available to you. If you want to use a core plugin, you can activate it from the “Plugins” page, which is located at Settings > Plugins.
Inactive Plugins
Inactive plugins are plugins that are no longer actively developed. You can still activate inactive plugins, but you won’t be able to receive any future updates or bug fixes. It is also possible that inactive plugins will stop functioning in the future.
Active Plugins
Active plugins are plugins that are currently being actively developed. These plugins are also available for free and can be downloaded from the “Plugins” page.
How Do You Know If a Plugin Is Good?
One of the most important things to remember when using plugins is that you should always be on the lookout for plugins that have active development and support.
Many plugins are abandoned, meaning that the developer has stopped working on the plugin and no longer releases updates. This means that there is no support for the plugin, which could lead to problems with the site.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not all plugin developers are honest about their plugins.
Some developers will claim that their plugin is the best, but they won’t be honest about the features and functionality that are included. It is important to review the plugin before installing it to make sure it does what you want it to do.
How Do You Install a Plugin?
To install a plugin, you need to go to the “Plugins” page, which is located at Settings > Plugins.
You will see a search box at the top of the page where you can search for plugins based on the functionality they offer.
To install a plugin, you need to click on the “Add Plugin” button. This will allow you to install the plugin.
How Do You Know If a Plugin Is Currently Active?
To find out if a plugin is currently active, you need to go to the “Plugins” page, which is located at Settings > Plugins and click on “Active” . Here you can see a list of all the plugins that are currently active on your blog.
What Happens When You Deactivate a Plugin?
When you deactivate a plugin, the plugin is removed from your site, but all of the settings for the plugin are not deleted. You can use the plugin again in the future, but you will need to reactivate it first.
Where Do You Find the Plugin Settings?
Sometimes, after you activate a plugin, you will need to change the settings for the plugin. To do this, you need to go to the “Plugins” page, find the plugin where you will find a “Settings” link.
Note that some plugins might not have a settings page. On this page, you can see a list of all the plugins that have been activated. Here you can find the settings for each plugin.
How Do You Know What Settings You Need to Change?
It is important to remember that not every plugin has the same settings. Different plugins have different features and functionality.
It is important to read the “readme” file or documentation that comes with the plugin, or you can ask a developer to help you understand what the settings mean.
Where Are the Plugin Files Located?
Plugin files are located inside /wp-content/plugins/
How Do You Deactivate a Plugin?
To deactivate a plugin, you need to go to the “Plugins” page . Here you can see a list of all the plugins that have been activated on your blog. You will need to click the “Deactivate Plugin” link to deactivate the plugin.
How Do You Reactivate a Plugin?
To reactivate a plugin, you need to go to the “Plugins” page. Here you can see a list of all the plugins that have been activated on your blog. You will need to click the “Activate Plugin” link to reactivate the plugin.
How Many Plugins Can You Install on One WordPress Site?
There is no limit to how many plugins you can install on one WordPress site. However, it is important to keep the number of plugins to a minimum, because this can help to improve site performance.
How Do You Keep Track of Your Plugins?
The best way to keep track of the plugins on your site is to create a spreadsheet that lists the plugins, the version number, the version of the WordPress software that you are using, and the date the plugin was installed.
You will also want to take note of any settings that you change for any of the plugins. If you update your WordPress software, you can add this information to your spreadsheet so you can keep track and revert changes if things go south.
Conclusion
WordPress is a powerful tool for creating websites, but it can be a bit overwhelming for beginners.
One of the most common problems that beginners face is the number of plugins that they have installed. The more plugins you have installed, the more resources your website will use.
This can slow down your website, and can even cause it to crash. If you have too many plugins installed on your website, you should try to remove some of them. You can do this by following these steps:
1. Log in to your WordPress website.
2. Go to the Plugins page.
3. Click the Deactivate link next to the plugin that you want to remove.
4. Click the Delete link next to the plugin that you want to remove.