10 tips for choosing a WordPress plugin

With plugins, WordPress users have sites that are flexible and adaptable to suit their needs. Additional functionality can be integrated at any time and come blend with consistency site architecture.

However, you should always be careful with plugins that are installed on pain of attending surprises. To make your choice, it is better to adopt a method and systematically applied to each new installation of a plugin. We offer a list of 10 tips for choosing the WordPress plugin.

Choosing plugins on the WordPress Archive.

When you start looking for a WordPress plugin, make sure to choose a present in the "repository of WordPress." Each plugin has a description sheet containing various information we'll look after the tutorial.

This directory is available at: http://wordpress.org/plugins/. It lists all the plugins validated by WordPress submitted by the community. To date, more than 27,500 plugins are present in the repository, and we advise you to select one that is not party.

Total number of plugins and total number of downloads

Compatibility with WordPress version

This is the most important selection requirements. The plugin that you choose must be compatible with the version of WordPress that you have installed on your site. If this is not the case, the installation of the plugin is not recommended. 

This information is available in two places: 

Top right next to the words "Compatible up to:"

Bottom right below the words "Compatibility". In case of conflict with a version of WordPress, the "Broken" indication is displayed.

Date of last update

This date indicates when the plugin has been updated for the last time by its author. It is relatively important since it allows to have a second opinion on the credibility of a plugin.

Indeed, a plugin that has been recently updated has a good chance to work with the latest version of WordPress or external APIs it uses.

Conversely, an older plugin is more likely not to be compatible with the latest version of WordPress. It can also mean the abandonment of the development of the plugin by its author.However, it should not be discredited a plugin that is not updated for several years. If the plugin meets the standards of WordPress and its code is consistent regardless of the version of WordPress, then the date of the last update should not be a criterion for selection.

Date of last update of a plugin

support

Each plugin has a support forum accessible from the "View media forum" button. It allows you to be in contact with the plugin author to ask a question or make a report of a found bug.

The number of solved topics is available to get an idea about the quality of support. If the number of unresolved topics is too large, do not take the risk of installing a plugin which the author does not provide support.

Number of topics resolved by the media

The number of downloads

This index almost never wrong. Indeed, a plugin with a high number of downloads is often pledge of trust and quality.

However, be careful when you hesitate between two plugins. If downloads of numbers are almost identical, rather prefer the one with the least downloads peaks. This means that the plugin has fewer updates than its competitor, but it has more of the sites installed with it.

Total number of downloads of a plugin

The number of votes

To hear from the community about a WordPress plugin, just look at the notes that are assigned to it. The scores range from 1 to 5. If a plugin has an average of less than 4 stars, you are entitled to doubt the quality of the plugin.

The scoring system of a plugin

The version number

Over the plugin version number, the higher its development is advanced. This is to get an idea of project maturity, stability, and its level of functionality and optimization. A plugin development carries the 0.1.x numbers 0.9.x. The first stable and successful version 1.0 brings the number, the following are called 2.0, 3.0 .... Test versions are called beta and are potentially unstable.

Download button + plugin version number

Users Reviews

As for the note, users have the option to leave a review about a plugin. This is a very good way to see if it is appreciated by the community. Note that this feature is available for several months. That is why one can find excellent plugins with little notice.

A comment posted on the WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin

The number of the Plugins of Author

The number of plugins created by an author can be considered as a selection criterion. Indeed, a WordPress developer who created several plugins may provide more frequent updates and be more available on the support forum.


Attention must still take the time to look at the plugins created by the author before relying to the total number. If the author has developed 10 plugins with less than 100 downloads each, you have the right to be wary.

Total number of plugins created by the author

Screenshots

Feel free to take a ride in the "Screenshots" of detail description of a plugin. In general, there are screenshots of the management interface it offers. Of course, these images are not a selection criterion. If the plugin meets the needs you expect, it meets the requirements listed above and screenshots confirm your choice, you can download the plugin with confidence.

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