{"id":6649,"date":"2020-04-25T15:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-04-25T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/?p=6649"},"modified":"2022-06-24T12:12:20","modified_gmt":"2022-06-24T10:12:20","slug":"what-are-wordpress-plugins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/what-are-wordpress-plugins\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are WordPress Plugins and What Do They Do"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]WordPress is by far the most popular CMS for crafting all types of websites. The beloved platform offers an array of elements and flexibility, but if you\u2019d like to <strong>make your site more powerful, add new options to it, or fill in the pieces the WordPress software may be missing, you need plugins<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Plugins are essential elements for making great websites. Paired with the right <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/themes-list\/\">premium WordPress theme<\/a>, they form the perfect amalgam that caters to virtually any kind of site you want to make.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]In this roundup, we\u2019ll explain what WordPress plugins are, what they do, and more. Stick with us and you\u2019ll learn:[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;22px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#what-are-wordpress-plugins\">What Are WordPress Plugins?<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#what-do-wordpress-plugins-do\">What Do WordPress Plugins Do?<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#how-do-wordpress-plugins-work\">How Do WordPress Plugins Work?<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#where-to-find-wordpress-plugins\">Where to Find WordPress Plugins?<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#before-installing-a-wordpress-plugin\">Things to Consider Before Installing a WordPress Plugin<\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#how-to-install-wordpress-plugins\">How to Install WordPress Plugins<\/a>?<\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;5px&#8221;]<ul class=\"qodef-unordered-list-item qodef-toc\">\n    <li>\n\t        <div class=\"qodef-ul-title-holder\">\n            <span class=\"qodef-ul-title-content\"><a href=\"#how-many-wordpress-plugins-is-too-many\">How Many WordPress Plugins Is Too Many? <\/a><\/span>        <\/div>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;30px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Now let\u2019s get down to the nitty-gritty, shall we?[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"what-are-wordpress-plugins\"><\/a>What Are WordPress Plugins?<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<strong>Plugins are pieces of code you can add to your WordPress website to augment its existing functionalities and add new features to it<\/strong>. When there\u2019s something your WordPress website can\u2019t do right out of the box, plugins come to the rescue.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Say you want to share the story of your brand with your audience. For that purpose, you\u2019d like to create a timeline that perfectly depicts the major stages you went through on your professional journey. Sure, there are some pretty neat <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/theme-shortcode\/horizontal-timeline-wordpress-themes\/\">premium WordPress themes with a horizontal timeline shortcode<\/a> you could use. But, there\u2019s also a variety of handy <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wordpress-timeline-plugins\/\">WordPress timeline plugins<\/a> that can help you add customizable timelines to your site, regardless of the theme you\u2019ve opted for.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"what-do-wordpress-plugins-do\"><\/a>What Do WordPress Plugins Do?<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Remember how in video games certain magic potions help your hero move faster or make them cast some pretty cool spells? Well, that\u2019s just what plugins do to your website. They <strong>boost its performance and make it execute pretty much any kind of action you have in mind, no matter how big or small<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Are you perhaps thinking of <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-add-wordpress-paypal-button\/\">adding a PayPal button to your website<\/a>? No problem, there\u2019s just the right plugin for it. How about <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-create-301-redirects-in-wordpress\/\">creating 301 redirects in WordPress<\/a>? You can do that with a plugin, too. And what about <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/add-favicon-wordpress\/\">adding a favicon to your site<\/a>? Worry not, as once again, plugins come to the rescue.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]With copious amounts of plugins to choose from, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/best-wordpress-rss-plugins\/\">RSS feed plugins<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wordpress-social-media-plugins\/\">social media plugins<\/a>, or even <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wordpress-recipe-plugins\/\">recipe plugins<\/a>, you can effortlessly create a website fully tailored to your requirements.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"how-do-wordpress-plugins-work\"><\/a>How Do WordPress Plugins Work?<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"395\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-Do-WordPress-Plugins-Work.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"How Do WordPress Plugins Work\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-Do-WordPress-Plugins-Work.png 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-Do-WordPress-Plugins-Work-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-Do-WordPress-Plugins-Work-620x350.png 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Plugins run on top of the WordPress software and usually use hooks to add new functionalities to the core code.<strong> Hooks are specific places that can be found throughout the WordPress code to which people can add (i.e. <em>hang<\/em>) their bits of code.<\/strong> There are two types of hooks &#8211; actions and filters. <strong>Action hooks<\/strong> let people add all kinds of functionalities to the code, whereas <strong>filter hooks<\/strong> enable others to modify the existing data and the content associated with a specific hook.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]It\u2019s also important to mention that <strong>each plugin comes with its own set of options you can tweak according to your needs. We spoke earlier about timeline plugins<\/strong>. Depending on a timeline plugin you decide to use, you can choose the number of timelines to display, which animations to add, select the features you wish to disable, etc.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"where-to-find-wordpress-plugins\"><\/a>Where to Find WordPress Plugins<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WordPress-Plugins.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"WordPress Plugins\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WordPress-Plugins.png 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WordPress-Plugins-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/WordPress-Plugins-620x331.png 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">official WordPress plugin directory<\/a> is the <strong>place where you can find plugins en masse and download them to your website free of charge<\/strong>. Currently, there are more than 55k plugins to choose from, and new ones are constantly added to the repository.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;50px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/CodeCanyon.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"CodeCanyon\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/CodeCanyon.jpg 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/CodeCanyon-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/CodeCanyon-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>Another great resource of exclusively premium plugins<\/strong> is <a href=\"https:\/\/codecanyon.net\/category\/plugins\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CodeCanyon<\/a>. This website is run by the same people who stand behind <a href=\"https:\/\/themeforest.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ThemeForest<\/a>. At the moment, it features more than 2.200 plugins.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]You can also try using plugins from <strong>third-party developers<\/strong>, who sell add-ons through their own websites. It\u2019s easy to find them by doing a search. Just make sure they\u2019re trustworthy and reputable.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">Free vs. Premium Plugins<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]When you decide to add a specific functionality to your website, using a free plugin will often suffice. But sometimes, you\u2019ll need to access the entire range of the plugin\u2019s functions to make your site work just the way you imagined. And that\u2019s when you\u2019ll have to upgrade to the premium version. Of course, some plugins don\u2019t include free plans at all, such as those featured on the CodeCanyon website. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]In order to choose between the free and the paid version of a plugin, it\u2019s important to understand your needs. Think carefully about what you\u2019re looking for, write it all down, and determine what features you want from a plugin. If the free plugin ticks all of your boxes, go for it. Alternatively, choose a premium plugin that fits not only your requirements but your budget, too.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">Is It Possible to Install Plugins on WordPress.com?<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Even those who know all about the <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wordpress-com-vs-wordpress-org\/\">difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com<\/a>, often ask whether they can install plugins on WordPress.com.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The answer to this question is both yes and no. WordPress.com automatically packs plugins with their software.<strong> If you\u2019re using the free version, then you can\u2019t add any third-party plugins to your website<\/strong>. Only Business and eCommerce plan users can install as many plugins as they like.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;81px&#8221;][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; accent_color=&#8221;#f0f0f0&#8243;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;50px&#8221;][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=&#8221;top-picks-banner&#8221;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_separator color=&#8221;custom&#8221; accent_color=&#8221;#f0f0f0&#8243;][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;80px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"before-installing-a-wordpress-plugin\"><\/a>Things to Consider Before Installing a WordPress Plugin<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;21px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Things-to-Consider-Before-Installing-a-WordPress-Plugin.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Things to Consider Before Installing a WordPress Plugin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Things-to-Consider-Before-Installing-a-WordPress-Plugin.png 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Things-to-Consider-Before-Installing-a-WordPress-Plugin-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Things-to-Consider-Before-Installing-a-WordPress-Plugin-620x331.png 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Downloading plugins from trusted providers is not the only thing you need to keep in mind. When you want to find a good add-on for your website, you need to pay attention to several significant details. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Now let\u2019s take a look at the most important metrics on the official WordPress plugin repository.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">When Was the Plugin Last Updated<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<strong>Make sure to look at the date when the last update was performed<\/strong>. If several months, a year, or more have passed, it\u2019s for the best to avoid such plugins. There\u2019s a big chance they won\u2019t work well, and the risk of experiencing security issues is too big. You want to go for the plugins that are regularly maintained by their authors, and as such are clear of bugs and safety threats.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">The WordPress Version the Plugin Has Been Tested Up To<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This is another thing you should check out, as you want to <strong>make sure the plugins will work well with your WordPress version<\/strong>. When developers submit their plugins to the WordPress directory, they need to include a readme file as well. This file contains the <em>tested up<\/em> to tag. Sometimes though, developers forget to update the readme file even after they test their plugin on the latest version of WordPress. But if you don\u2019t want to risk running a broken plugin, don\u2019t opt for the ones that were not tested with the software version you\u2019re using.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">User Ratings and Reviews<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;24px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Plugin-Ratings.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Plugin Ratings\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Plugin-Ratings.png 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Plugin-Ratings-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Plugin-Ratings-620x331.png 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;60px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/User-Reviews.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"User Reviews\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/User-Reviews.png 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/User-Reviews-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/User-Reviews-620x331.png 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<strong>Pay attention to what the people who have used the plugin are saying<\/strong>. Are there more positive or negative experiences? By keeping your eye on the ratings and reviews sections you should be able to understand if the plugin lives up to the heights its authors have promised.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">Active Installs<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]This is a useful metric that shows you the number of websites on which the selected plugin is currently active. <strong>The higher the number the better<\/strong>. There must be a good reason why a lot of people trust the plugin, right?[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">Support<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<strong>Check the support tab to understand if the plugin authors and their team are actively helping users with the issues they may experience<\/strong>. It\u2019s good to know you\u2019ll be able to get the assistance yourself in case you may need it one day. While this may not be the most important thing to keep an eye on, it\u2019s nice to know the authors are involved with the community. If they\u2019re smart, they\u2019ll use the feedback to improve the functionality of their product.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">What About Premium Plugins?<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;24px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/What-About-Premium-Plugins.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"What About Premium Plugins\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/What-About-Premium-Plugins.jpg 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/What-About-Premium-Plugins-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/What-About-Premium-Plugins-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]In case you decide to use premium plugins, pretty much the same rules apply as with free plugins. If you opt for downloading plugins from CodeCanyon, look at <strong>the number of sales, item rating, and the comments section<\/strong>. Of course, don\u2019t forget to check <strong>the date when the plugin was last updated, as well as the WordPress software version it\u2019s compatible with<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"how-to-install-wordpress-plugins\"><\/a>How to Install WordPress Plugins<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Once you choose the plugins you\u2019re going to use, it\u2019s time to add them to your website. There are several ways you can go about that. You can either install plugins from your WordPress admin dashboard or download them from plugin directories to your computer and then upload them to your WordPress website. To turn this experience into a proper cakewalk,<strong> make sure to check out our detailed step-by-step guide<\/strong> on <a href=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/how-to-install-a-wordpress-plugin\/\">how to install WordPress plugins<\/a>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">How to Update WordPress Plugins<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<strong>To ensure the plugins you\u2019ve installed perform flawlessly, don\u2019t forget to update them whenever possible<\/strong>. That\u2019ll keep them secure and bug-free. You can update them either manually (if a plugin is not downloaded from the official WordPress plugin repository) or automatically.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;50px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-to-Update-WordPress-Plugins.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"How to Update WordPress Plugins\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-to-Update-WordPress-Plugins.jpg 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-to-Update-WordPress-Plugins-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-to-Update-WordPress-Plugins-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]To check if a plugin update is available, go to <em><strong>Dashboard &gt; Updates<\/strong><\/em>. Select the plugins you wish to update and then press the <em><strong>Update Plugins<\/strong><\/em> button.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;72px&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"qodef-h5\">How to Deactivate WordPress Plugins<\/h3>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]While there are several ways to disable a WordPress plugin, the easiest way is via your WordPress dashboard. Go to <em><strong>Plugins &gt; Installed Plugins<\/strong><\/em>. Next, find the plugin you wish to disable.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;50px&#8221;]<div class=\"qodef-single-image-holder   qodef-has-border \">\n    <div class=\"qodef-si-inner\" >\n                                    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"374\" src=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-to-Deactivate-WordPress-Plugins.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"How to Deactivate WordPress Plugins\" srcset=\"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-to-Deactivate-WordPress-Plugins.jpg 700w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-to-Deactivate-WordPress-Plugins-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/How-to-Deactivate-WordPress-Plugins-620x331.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/>                        <\/div>\n<\/div>[vc_empty_space height=&#8221;38px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Then, click on <em><strong>Deactivate<\/strong><\/em> below the name of the plugin. If you wish, you can also remove the plugin entirely from your site by pressing the <em><strong>Delete<\/strong><\/em> button that\u2019ll appear as soon as you deactivate the add-on.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\"><a id=\"how-many-wordpress-plugins-is-too-many\"><\/a>How Many WordPress Plugins Is Too Many?<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Most people will probably advise you not to go overboard with plugins, as too many add-ons may negatively impact the performance of your website. And they\u2019d be right. [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]The thing is, when you activate a myriad of plugins on your website, you risk straining your database by sending a lot of requests to it at the same time. As a result, your website will load slower. Plus, there\u2019s always a risk of running into security issues. The more plugins you\u2019ve installed, the higher the chance of finding a security hole that could jeopardize the way your website works.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]So don&#8217;t go wild. There&#8217;s no need to install every plugin that comes your way. <strong>Choose the ones you really need, and delete the ones that turn out to be superfluous<\/strong>.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;68px&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"qodef-h4\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Whatever functionality you can imagine, there\u2019s probably a plugin for it. <strong>Plugins take your website to a whole new level, help you add both essential as well as specific features to it, and improve the overall user experience. <\/strong>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=&#8221;28px&#8221;][vc_column_text]Just be careful when deciding which plugins to go for, as you don\u2019t want them to compromise the performance of your website. Download them from reputable providers, make sure they\u2019re safe, kept up to date, regularly maintained, and enjoy crafting some spectacular websites.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>All you need to know about WordPress plugins in one place. Learn what they are, what they do, where to get them, and much more. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[15,13],"class_list":["post-6649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-resources","tag-plugins","tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qodeinteractive.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}