One of the main reasons WordPress is so popular is its open source nature. There are over 50,000 plugins that have been developed for this widely used content management system (CMS). However, you may be wondering how to create your own WordPress plugin.
Fortunately, WordPress makes the process easy. Some coding knowledge will be required, but it’s not very difficult to learn how to create a basic plugin for your website. This, among other things, will allow you to add more features to your content.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at WordPress plugins and why you might want to create one. Then we’ll show you how to develop your first plugin. Let’s get started!
An Introduction to WordPress Plugins
WordPress powers more than a third of all websites on the Internet. This equates to around half a billion different sites!
A major factor in the success of WordPress is its open source nature. This means that the source code of the core software, its plugins and themes are available for anyone to work with and modify as they see fit.
WordPress plugins are packages of code that extend the functionality of your site. These are created by different developers from around the world and are designed for a variety of purposes.
For example, you’ll find plugins to add social share buttons, newsletter signup forms, popups, turn WordPress into a full-fledged eCommerce site, and more:
<img src= "https://www.dreamhost.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/How-to-Create-Your-First-WordPress-Plugin-DreamHost-3.jpg" alt="The Plugin Directory WordPress" /
The WordPress plugin ecosystem empowers those with no coding knowledge to create and customize powerful websites. Furthermore, it offers almost unlimited opportunities for both developers and webmasters.
Why Develop a WordPress Plugin
WordPress is one of the largest marketplaces for developers . This means that you will find plenty of resources to help you develop plugins for the CMS.
In addition, the earning potential of WordPress plugins is also very high. While there is no shortage of competition, if you have a new or better solution to a common problem, you could quickly find your plugin used on thousands of sites. In fact, most plugins available for download were originally developed to help solve a problem.
The magic of WordPress is that you can develop a solution for your own site, you don’t have to share it. in the accessories market. However, many developers choose to make their plugins available to other users to help them resolve similar issues that may be bothering them.
Lastly, WordPress is a great platform for learning to code. Because it’s been around for 19 years, it provides a wealth of resources and documentation to help you get started. On top of that, it has a massive user base, which can help you gain developer exposure if your plugin is widely adopted.
How to Create a WordPress Plugin (in 6 Steps)
While different plugins will require different amounts of coding and knowledge, they all tend to follow the same development process. Let’s see how to create a WordPress plugin in six steps.
Step 1: Do your research and plan
There are thousands of tools in WordPress. Plugins directory. So the first thing you’ll want to do is do some research to see if your idea already exists.
Even if it does, however, you could still go ahead with your plan. You might want to explore similar plugins and find out how you could improve them. Alternatively, you can supplement what’s already available with something like your own custom post type and additional features.
You can also check the status of existing plugins. For example, if a plugin hasn’t been updated in some time or isn’t compatible with the latest version of WordPress, there may be an opportunity to adopt it or provide a better solution:
<img src=" https://www .dreamhost.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/How-to-Create-Your-First-WordPress-Plugin-DreamHost-2.jpg" alt="Abandoned Plugin Example" /
Also You can view the number of active installations to see if there is a large market for the type of plugin you have in mind. It’s also a good idea to test the plugin on your own site to see what it does well and what could be done better.
You’ll also want to consider how you’ll market your plugin. For example, some developers create a website dedicated to their products. If you plan to monetize your plugin, you will need to think about both pricing and subscription options.
Finally, you’ll want to read up on WordPress coding standards. This is particularly important if you plan to share your plugin with others.These coding standards are a set of guidelines and best practices that developers should try to adhere to when building themes and plugins for WordPress.
Related: Want to learn WordPress? Get started with these resources
Step 2: Set up a test environment
The next step is to set up a test environment. As a beginner, you’ll likely learn a lot along the way and don’t want to experiment on a live site. A local environment or staging site will allow you to test your plugin privately while you work on it.
You can use Local to create a WordPress site on your computer:
You can also create a staging environment online. With DreamHost, you can make a copy of your existing site. This way, you can test your plugin without breaking your site or interrupting your visitors.
Step 3: Create the plugin file
Once Have your staging environment set up, it’s time to create your plugin. The first step is to create a folder for it in your site directory.
You can use a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) client like FileZilla to access your site’s files and folders:
If this is your first time using FileZilla, you will need to enter your credentials, including your username and password. You can get this information from your hosting account.
Once you’ve connected to your site’s directory, go to wp-content/plugins and create a new folder for your plugin:
Next, you’ll need to create a PHP file to add to this folder. To do this, open your preferred text editor and enter the following information:
This file contains code that adds functionality to your site and works in a very similar way to how a plugin does. However, if you switch to a different theme in the future, or your theme is updated to a new version, you will lose these changes.
Step 5: Test Your Plugin
As you continue to develop your plugin, it’s important to save your work often and test changes on your site test. . You’ll also want to keep an eye out for any security issues, so you can resolve them before publishing your plugin.
Once you’re happy with your plugin, you should test it on a live site. Again, you’ll want to make sure you’ve thoroughly tested your plugin for bugs and vulnerabilities.
It’s also a good idea to create a backup of your live site before testing your plugin on it. This way, if something goes wrong, you can restore your content.
If you’re satisfied with the performance of your plugin, you can offer it to other developers to use and test. This can generate valuable feedback for you. You can also ask them to test your plugin and try to break it to prove its stability.
To do this, you’ll want to export your plugin to a zip file for easy distribution and installation. Locate your plugin folder in the site directory, then right click on it and select Send To
To recap, here’s how to create your own WordPress plugin:
- Research your idea.
- Set up a test environment.
- Create the main plugin file and folder.
- Add code to the plugin file.
- Test your plugin.
- Distribute your plugin on WordPress.org.
Our DreamPress plans allow you to create a staging site so you can develop and test plugins with confidence. A test site is the closest thing to a real business, making it the perfect place to test how a new plugin might perform when installed.
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