The huge range of over 37,000 community-contributed plugins is one of the most valuable features of WordPress.org. But how do you determine what’s a safe and effective plugin without being overwhelmed by choice? In this session we’ll look at when to use a plugin and discuss how to make an informed decision about which plugin to use – and explore how to troubleshoot any conflicts that may crop up.

1. Passionate About
Plugins
Kathryn Presner @zoonini
WordCamp Maine 2015 #WCME15

2. Kathryn Presner
Theme Whisperer
Theme Team
Automattic

3. Plugin Power!
What/when/how?

4. Installing Plugins

5. Behind the Scenes

6. Up Front

7. Up Front

8. Picking a Plugin
Making wise choices

9. Lots and Lots of Plugins
wordpress.org/plugins

10. OVERWHELMING

11. 1. Credibility
2. Track record
3. Popularity
Plugin Selection Criteria

12. courtesySixRevisions

13. courtesySixRevisions

14. courtesySixRevisions

15. courtesySixRevisions

16. Hand-picked

17. Popularity Contest

18. Favorites – Logged Out

19. Favorites – Logged In

20. Favorites – Logged In

21. Favorites – Profile

22. Repo Search

23. Google Search
non-repo
compilation
in repo
in repo
compilation
compilation

24. Past its Prime

26. Log in to Vote, Rate & Post

27. Version Compatibility

28. Version Compatibility

29. Version Compatibility

30. Version Compatibility
If IT WORKS votes / TOTAL votes >= 0.7 then IT WORKS
If IT WORKS votes / TOTAL votes >= 0.3 then IT’S BROKEN
Source: Otto

31. Author

32. Screenshots & FAQ

33. Offsite Support

34. Changelog

35. Support Track Record

36. Resolved Threads

38. Plugin Troubleshooting
Potential conflicts:
• plugin & WordPress core
• two or more plugins
• plugin & theme

39. Troubshooting Flow Chart
When in doubt, deactivate all plugins
Problem still there?
Reactivate one at a time
Test between each
NO

40. Troubshooting Flow Chart
When in doubt, deactivate all plugins
Problem still there?
YES
Search forums/Web
Post in forum/report to developer
Look in source code
to default theme
Replace plugin with an alternative

41. Plugin Care and Feeding
Avoid editing others’ plugin code...
COULD THE CHANGES:
Be moved outside plugin?
Be incorporated?
Be forked?

42. Post in the Forum

43. Follow a Plugin - Support

44. Follow a Plugin - Dev

45. A Few
Types
Plugins
NOTABLE
OF

46. SEO

47. Security/Backup

48. Multilingual

49. Monster Widget

50. Jetpack

51. Premium

52. More
• Forms
• Analytics
• Anti-spam
• Mapping
• Slider/slideshow
• Gallery
• Caching
• Admin interface
• Custom fields
• Custom post types
• Social sharing
• Multilingual

53. Resources – Codex
WordPress.org Codex: Managing Plugins
http://codex.wordpress.org/Managing_Plugins
WordPress.org Codex: Plugin Resources for
Developers
http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_Resources

54. Resources – Posts
6 Questions To Ask Before You Install A
WordPress Plugin
http://sixrevisions.com/wordpress/before-install-
wordpress-plugin/ (flowchart used with
permission)
Functionality: Plugins vs Themes– Pippin
Williamson
http://wp.tutsplus.com/articles/general/
functionality-plugins-vs-themes/

55. Resources – Books
Professional WordPress Plugin
Development
by Brad Williams, Ozh Richard, Justin Tadlock
Wrox
Wordpress Plugin Development Cookbook
by Yannick Lefebvre
Packt Publishing

56. Connect/Credits
Presentation
slideshare.net/zoonini
Kathryn Presner
kpresner.com / Twitter: @zoonini
WordPress.org Slack: zoonini
Fonts
Arvo & Lato
“Overwhelmed” photo
(cc) andres.thor – Flickr