Laura James

I am currently deciding what new plug-ins to add to my WordPress.org blog. There are so many options when it comes to plug-ins…the list is seemingly endless and changes on a regular basis. I appreciate the efforts of those who design these plug-ins. I have some active plugins and the rest are currently deactivated. When I was first learning about the world of WordPress plugins, I found the following tutorial on WordPress.org to be most helpful:

Plugins are tools to extend the functionality of WordPress. This article contains a list of plugins by category, and links to other plugin repositories. The core of WordPress is designed to be lean, to maximize flexibility and minimize code bloat. Plugins offer custom functions and features so that each user can tailor their site to their specific needs.

For instructions and information on downloading, installing, upgrading, troubleshooting, and managing your WordPress Plugins, see Managing Plugins. If you want to develop your own plugin, there is a comprehensive list of resources in Plugin Resources.

Plugin Repositories

WordPress Plugins are available from several sources. The “official” sources for WordPress Plugins are:

* Official WordPress Plugins Repository

Not all WordPress Plugins make it into the above repositories. Try searching the web for “WordPress Plugin” and the keywords for the type of functionality you are seeking.
Default Plugins

The following plugins are included with the WordPress core distribution:

Akismet
Akismet checks your comments against the Akismet web service to see if they look like spam or not. You can review the spam it catches under “Manage” and it automatically deletes old spam after 15 days.
Hello Dolly
This is not just a plugin, it symbolizes the hope and enthusiasm of an entire generation summed up in two words sung most famously by Louis Armstrong. Hello, Dolly. This is, by the way, the world’s first official WordPress Plugin. When enabled you will randomly see a lyric from “Hello, Dolly” in the upper right of your Administration Panels on every page but the Plugins panel.

Plugin Development

For information on building your own plugins, see:

* Writing a Plugin
* Plugin API

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The author of this article, Laura James, is the Chief Executive Officer of Best Designed Blogs. This company provides complete online business solutions.

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