What Is A WordPress Plugin? And How Do I Use It?
Early on, WordPress offered a simple way to extend itself - addon plugins.
A plugin sounds fancy, but it isn’t really - it’s simply PHP code that is run with WordPress, exactly as if it was part of the original program.
The term plugin explains this - the code ‘plugs itself in’ WordPress and becomes just another part of it.
For example, my plugin for easy popups at PopupPicker.com allows you to switch between popup types on your blog without coding - the plugin handles the popup display, and makes it easy to use them (WordPress blogs are notorious for breaking popups).
Using plugins is simple: although there are some rules for plugins, mostly they involve how they are written to work properly. One key though is how to add them.
Because they need to plug into WordPress, WordPress needs to first see them - which is a 2-step operation:
- The plugin must be placed in a special location on your site: wherever the blog is, and in the /wp-content/plugins/ directory therein.
- The plugin needs to be made active. To do that, you log into WordPress, click on the Plugins tab, find the specific plugin entry in the list, and click on ‘Activate’ to get it going.
From there, it’s added to WordPress, providing the features you want.
One caution, however; since the plugin actually ‘digs into’ WordPress, you should know what you are adding, and why. Don’t just grab any plugin and use it. I recommend the ones on WordPress’ site (and mine too of course!) I discuss this in more detail on my recent WordPress security post.
However, there are many quality plugins out there, and the opportunities to add to your blog and give it new features is virtually endless. Using a simple method like plugins, your blog can transform itself - without YOU needing to program it!
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