To define a WordPress plugin is a program or a set of one or more functions written in the PHP scripting language. That adds a specific set of features or services to the WordPress site.
WordPress Plugins offer custom functions and features. It helps to enable users to tailor their sites to their specific needs. It allows for extending the features and functionality of a website or blog. Most plugins are available in the WordPress Repository. Either you can download them and install the files. Or install plugins from the plugin section in the WordPress dashboard. If you want to install plugins manually you must have your FTP or Cpanel access. WordPress plugins are made up of PHP code and other assets that make the plugin useful. These include but are not limited to images, CSS, and JavaScript.
For Example, Woo Commerce is a WordPress plugin. It lets you in quick time to sell products on your WordPress Website. And it has a minimal configuration.
WordPress has earned much of its fame as a free and open-source content management system. Installing it is easy. Learning and handling couldn’t be easier. If you are new in the world of WordPress, there are common questions you will probably have about plugins.
- What are plugins and why do I need them?
- How to choose the right plugins?
- How am I to know that I have an issue with a plugin?
- What are the must-needed plugins should I use?
Here are some facts About WordPress Plugin:
- Using Plugins you can add/Integrate features to your website. Like SEO, Google Analytics, Security, Caching, etc.
- WordPress websites can have many or zero Active plugins. The most website has 10-30 Plugins active depending on on-site needs.
- It allows you to extend Website features beyond the standard WordPress site.
- It allows you to create almost any kind of website by extending features. For Example eCommerce Websites, Social Networks, Community Forums, etc.
- You can search for categories by your needs. For example WordPress RSS plugin, WordPress location plugin, WordPress sitemap plugin, WordPress lightbox plugin, etc.
- It can be classified into two categories, free Plugins, and Premium Plugins.
Free vs Premium WordPress Plugin:
The largest source of plugins that are free and open-source like WordPress itself is the official WordPress Plugin Repository. This directory is immediately available with any WordPress install so that users can browse its contents directly from the site’s admin dashboard. There are tons of WordPress plugins available for free download. There are also premium or paid WordPress plugins. Premium plugins are paid versions of WordPress plugins that come with additional features, priority support, documentation, and regular updates.
Why would you want to pay for a plugin? Well, there are several reasons:
While there are thousands of plugins available for free from the plugin directory. Paid plugins usually offer full-time support. Staff and developers that work on maintaining the security and compatibility of plugins. With the latest version of WordPress as well as with other themes and plugins.
Most of the time, plugins work fine with the core of WordPress and with other plugins. But sometimes a plugin’s code will get in the way of another plugin, causing compatibility issues. With a paid plugin, it’s just nice to know you have support staff that can help you out if anything goes wrong.
You might be asking what types of things plugins can do. Well, if you can imagine it, there must be a plugin for that. All you need to do is take a stroll through the WordPress plugin directory to see. These are all possible ways plugins can extend or enhance your WordPress site.
Conclusion:
Plugins are one of the best things about using WordPress. It saves your time and reduces your pressure to do difficult things in WordPress. We hope this article helped you learn What is a plugin in WordPress. If you have any questions regarding this article please message us anytime.
