Widgets were originally designed to provide a simple and easy-to-use way of giving design and structure control of the WordPress Theme to the user, which is now available on properly “widgetized” WordPress Themes to include the header, footer, and elsewhere in the WordPress design and structure.
Widgets require no code experience or expertise. They can be added, removed, and rearranged on the Theme Customizer or Appearance > Widgets in the WordPress Administration Screens.

Some WordPress Widgets offer customization and options such as forms to fill out, includes or excludes of data and information, optional images, and other customization features.

The Appearance Widgets Screen explains how to use the various Widgets that come delivered with WordPress.

Plugins that come bundled with widgets can be found in the WordPress Plugin Directory.

Installing Widgets #

WordPress comes pre-packaged with a variety of Widgets. If those are insufficient for your needs you can install new ones by searching the WordPress Plugin Directory which is accessible from the WordPress Administration Plugins > Add New Screen.

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Displaying Widgets #

Existing Widgets in Existing Widget Areas #

Before you can add a Widget you must verify that the Theme you’re using supports Widgets (more specifically: Widget Area). You can do so by simply navigating to the Appearance menu and looking for a sub menu titled “Widgets”.

If your Theme supports Theme Customizer then you can use the following Steps. In Theme Customizer, the live preview of changes is available.

1. Go to Appearance > Customize in the WordPress Administration Screens.
2. Click the Widget menu in the Theme Customizer to access to the Widget Customize Screen.
3. Click the down arrow of Widget Area to list the already registered Widgets.
4. Click Add a Widget button at the bottom of sidebar. It shows the list of available widgets.
5. Click a widget you want to add. The widgets should be added in the sidebar.
6. Preview your site and you should see the content from your new Widget.
7. To arrange the Widgets within the Sidebar, drag and drop the widgets in the order you want or click Reorder link and click up arrow and down allow of each widget and click Done after the arrange operation.
8. To customize the Widget features, click the down arrow in the right to expand the Widget’s interface.
9. To remove the widget, click Remove from Widget’s interface in above step.

If your Theme does not support Theme Customizer then you can use the following conventional steps:

1. Go to Appearance > Widgets in the WordPress Administration Screens.
2. Choose a Widget and either drag it to the sidebar where you wish it to appear, or click the widget, (select a destination sidebar if your theme has more than one) and click the Add Widget button. There might be more than one sidebar option, so begin with the first one. Once in place, WordPress automatically updates the Theme.
3. Preview the site. You should find that the “default” sidebar elements are now gone and only the new addition is visible.
4. Return to the Widgets Screen to continue adding Widgets.
5. To arrange the Widgets within the sidebar or Widget area, click and drag it into place.
6. To customize the Widget features, click the down arrow in the upper right corner to expand the Widget’s interface.
7. To save the Widget’s customization, click Save.
8. To remove the Widget, click Delete.

If you want to remove the widget but save its setting for possible future use, just drag it into the Inactive Widgets area. You can add them back anytime from there. This is especially helpful when you switch to a theme with fewer or different widget areas.

When changing themes, there is often some variation in the number and setup of widget areas/sidebars and sometimes these conflicts make the transition a bit less smooth. If you changed themes and seem to be missing widgets, scroll down on the screen to the Inactive Widgets area, where all of your widgets and their settings will have been saved.

Enabling Accessibility Mode, via Screen Options, allows you to use Add and Edit buttons instead of using drag and drop.

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Widget Areas #

While widget areas typically occur in webpage sidebars, a theme can place widget areas anywhere on a page. For example, besides the usual sidebar locations, the Twenty Seventeen theme has a widget area in the footer of every page.

If you would like to place a Widget somewhere on your Theme that does not have a pre-defined Widget Area, you will need some programming knowledge and should follow the instructions on the Widgets API section found here.

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Using Text Widgets #

The Text Widget is one of the most commonly used WordPress Widgets that comes with every WordPress installation. It allows users to add text, video, images, custom lists, and more to their WordPress sites.

To use the WordPress Text Widget:

1. Go to Appearance > Customize in the WordPress Administration Screens and click the Widget menu in the Theme Customizer. Or Go to Appearance > Widgets in the WordPress Administration Screens.
2. Open the sidebar to which you wish to add the Text Widget.
3. Find the Text Widget in the list of Widgets.
4. Click and drag the Widget to the spot you wish it to appear.

To open and edit the Text Widget:

1. Click the down arrow to the right of the Text Widget title.
2. Set the Text Widget Title (optional).
3. Add the text or HTML code to the box or edit what is currently there.
4. Choose the option to Automatically add paragraphs to wrap each block of text in an HTML paragraph tag (recommended for text).
5. Click Save to save the Text Widget.
6. Click Close to close the Text Widget.
7. Switch tabs in your browser and preview the results and make changes if necessary.

The Text Widget can hold a variety of HTML, XHTML, and multimedia links and players such as video and object embeds.

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Adding Code to the Text Widget #

Basic HTML, embeds, and JavaScript are added easily to the WordPress Text Widget. Most embed codes from social sharing sites for multimedia will work in a WordPress Text Widget. However, active code and programming languages such as PHP will not work as the Widget will strip out code it cannot display.

To add active code to the Text Widget, use one of the many WordPress Plugins from the WordPress Plugin Directory that override WordPress restrictions on using PHP in posts. Check that they will work on Widgets as some will not.

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Using RSS Widgets #

The RSS Widget allows you to integrate an external feed source for content into a Widget area of your site, such as your Twitter account, Facebook posts, Google+ posts, or other blogs.

The RSS Widget displays the most recently published content from any source with an active feed. This is an ideal way of integrating outside content into your site.

By default, WordPress RSS Widget displays the post title or the first 100 or so characters of a Tweet or long untitled post. These are either in the form of a link or features a link to the original source depending upon the feed’s design and structure.

1. Enter the RSS feed URL in the first box, copied from the source page for the content you wish to include in your sidebar or other widgetized space.
2. Give the feed a title: This is optional and gives you the chance to showcase the source of the content.
3. How many items would you like to display?: By default, 10 are show, but you can choose from 1-20 posts.
4. Display item content?: This allows you to show an excerpt of the content not just the title.
5. Display item author if available?: If you wish to give credit to the original author of the content, check this to display the author.
6. Display item date?: If available, the date of the original content will be shown.

You may add multiple RSS Widgets for incoming feeds to your WordPress sidebar and other widgetized areas of your site.

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Resources #

• Widgetizing Themes
• Widgets API
• WordPress Tips on Exploring the WordPress Text Widget
• WordPress Widgets Announcement (historical reference)

The post WordPress Widgets first appeared on CODIBU.

By default, WordPress adds all the published pages to the menu automatically. However, customization of menu is possible, such as adding a link to a category or to external site, changing the order of the menu link, or creating a sub-menu.

The Appearance Menu Screen is accessible via Dashboard > Appearance > Menus.

Screen Options #

The Screen Options allow you to choose which modules are displayed, or not displayed, in the underlying Screen. Clicking on the Screen Options tab shows a list of the possible modules and options with a check-box next to each. Check the box for each module or option you want displayed, or uncheck the box to not display that module. Click the Screen Options tab again to close the Screen Options.

Certain modules, like Posts are hidden by default.

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Creating Menu #

1. Go to the WordPress Dashboard.
2. From the ‘Appearance’ menu on the left-hand side of the Dashboard, select the ‘Menus’ option to bring up the Menu Editor.
3. Select Create a new menu at the top of the page
4. Enter a name for your new menu in the Menu Name box
5. Click the Create Menu button.

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Adding Items to a Menu #

You can add different item types into your menu, such as Pages, Categories, or even Custom Links. These are split between panes left of the menu you’re currently editing. An example on how to add link to a page:

1. Locate the pane entitled Pages.
2. Within this pane, select the View All link to bring up a list of all the currently published Pages on your site.
3. Select the Pages that you want to add by clicking the checkbox next to each Page’s title.
4. Click the Add to Menu button located at the bottom of this pane to add your selection(s) to the menu that you created in the previous step.
5. Click the Save Menu button once you’ve added all the menu items you want.

Your custom menu has now been saved.

Note: The Screen Options allow you to choose which items you can use to add to a menu. Certain items, like Tags are hidden by default.

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Deleting a Menu Item #

1. Locate the menu item that you want to remove in the menu editor window
2. Click on the arrow icon in the top right-hand corner of the menu item to expand it.
3. Click on the Remove item. The menu item will be immediately removed.
4. Click the Save Menu button to save your changes.

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Creating Multi-level Menus #

When planning the structure of your menu, it helps to think of each menu item as a heading in a formal report document. In a formal report, main section headings (Level 1 headings) are the nearest to the left of the page; sub-section headings (Level 2 headings) are indented slightly further to the right; any other subordinate headings (Level 3, 4, etc) within the same section are indented even further to the right.

The WordPress menu editor allows you to create multi-level menus using a simple ‘drag and drop’ interface. Drag menu items up or down to change their order of appearance in the menu. Drag menu items left or right in order to create sub-levels within your menu.

To make one menu item a subordinate of another, you need to position the ‘child’ underneath its ‘parent’ and then drag it slightly to the right.

1. Position the mouse over the ‘child’ menu item.
2. Whilst holding the left mouse button, drag it to the right.
3. Release the mouse button.
4. Repeat these steps for each sub-menu item.
5. Click the Save Menu button in the Menu Editor to save your changes.

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Adding Your Menu to Your Site #

If your current theme supports custom menus, you will be able to add your new menu to one of the Theme Locations.

1. Scroll to the bottom of the menu editor window.
2. In the section titled Theme locations, click the check box for the location where you want your menu to appear.
3. Click Save menu once you’ve made your selection.

If your current theme does not support custom menus, you will need to add your new menu via the Custom Menu widget in the Appearance Widgets Screen.

Rearranging, Configuring Menu Items #

Once an item is added to a menu, those menu items can be rearranged. Placing the mouse cursor over the menu item title, when the mouse cursor changes to 4-arrows, hold the left-mouse button down, drag the module to where you want to place it, then release the mouse button (this is called drag-and-drop). Remember you can drag a menu item slightly to the right of the menu item above it to create a hierarchy (parent/child) relationship in the menu.

Each Menu Item has a configuration arrow on the right side of the Menu Item title, that when clicked opens the configuration box. Click the arrow a second time closed the configuration box. If you don’t see Link Target, CSS Classes, Link Relationship (XFN), and Description, then under Screen Options make sure those boxes are checked to expose them here.

Then configuration choices are:

Navigation Label

The label for this particular menu item

Title Attribute

The attribute used when displaying the label

Link Target

Select “Same window or tab” or “New window or tab” from the pulldown.

CSS Classes

Optional CSS Classes for this menu item

Link Relationship (XFN)

Allows for the generation of XFN attributes automatically so you can show how you are related to the authors/owners of site to which you are linking. See Link Relationship for details.

Description

Description for this link. The description will be displayed in the menu if the current theme supports it.

Original

A link to the original source of the menu item (e.g. a link to view the post or page).

Remove

Remove this menu item from the menu.

Cancel

Cancel the configuration of the menu item and

The post Appearance Menus Screen first appeared on CODIBU.

Fundamentally, the WordPress Theme system is a way to “skin” your WordPress site. Yet, it is more than just a “skin”. Skinning your site implies that only the design is changed. WordPress Themes can provide much more control over the visual presentation of your content and other data on your WordPress site, as well as behavior of certain site’s elements while interacting with visitors.

A WordPress Theme is a collection of files that work together to produce a graphical interface with an underlying unifying design for a website. These files are called template files. A Theme modifies the way the site is displayed, without modifying the underlying software. Themes may include customized template files, image files (*.jpg, *.png, .gif), style sheets (.css), custom Pages, as well as any necessary code files (*.php). For an introduction to template files, see Template Files.

Let’s say you write a lot about cheese and gadgets. Through the use of the WordPress Loop and template files, you can customize your Cheese category posts to look different from your Gadgets category posts. With this powerful control over what different pages and categories look like on your site, you are limited only by your imagination. For information on how to create custom look for various templates in your theme, take a look at Template Hierarchy.

To better understand this diagram, you can interact with it.

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Default Themes #

WordPress currently comes with three themes: the default Twenty Nineteen theme (demo), and previous defaults Twenty Seventeen theme (demo) and Twenty Sixteen theme (demo) .

You can switch between Themes using the Appearance in the Administration Screen. Themes you add to the theme directory will appear in the Administration Screen > Appearance > Themes as additional selections.

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Get New Themes #

The WordPress Theme Directory is the official site for WordPress Themes. Every theme in this directory is reviewed by a dedicated team and tested against wide range of rules, all of which are ensuring secure and pleasant experience for theme user.

Among almost 2,900 themes in directory, you can easily find the right one for your site with advanced search feature using filters for layout, subject and specific theme’s features.

If you need more than screenshot and features list to decide whether the theme fits your needs, you can see the demo for the theme with Preview feature on theme’s info page.

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Adding New Themes #

Most of themes in WordPress Theme Directory come with installation instructions, especially the ones that may require more steps than the usual theme installation. Be sure to read through and follow those instructions for the successful installation of the Theme. If your Theme does not work after following any provided instructions, please contact the Theme author for help.

Adding New Themes using the Administration Screens #

You can download any theme from WordPress Theme Directory directly to your site by using the Add New option in the Appearance sub-menu.

1. Log in to the WordPress Administration Screens.
2. Select the Appearance screen, then Themes.
3. Select Add New.
4. Either use the Search or Filter options to locate a Theme you would like to use.
5. Click on the Preview link to preview the Theme or the Install link to upload the Theme to your site,
6. Or use the Upload Theme button at the top of page to upload a zipped copy of a Theme that you have previously downloaded to your machine.

When the Theme is already downloaded but not activated Live Preview option will give you preview of your site with your own, existing content.

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Adding New Themes by using cPanel #

If your host offers the cPanel control panel, you can use its Upload option to upload the Theme files to your site. For this you will need Theme files in an compressed archive (.zip or .gz).

1. Download the Theme .zip file to your machine.
2. In cPanel File Manager, navigate to your Themes folder. Depending on your hosting, path to Themes folder can differ a bit but essentially you are looking for public_html inside which you’ll find /wp-content/themes/.
3. Once you’re inside the Themes folder in cPanel File Manager, click on Upload and upload that .zip file you saved in Step 1.
4. Once the .zip file is uploaded, right click on the name of that file in cPanel and select Extract from the context menu.
5. When Theme files are successfully extracted, follow the instructions below for activating the new Theme.

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Adding New Themes Manually (FTP) #

To add a new Theme to your WordPress installation via FTP protocol, you’ll need FTP client and extracted Theme files.

1. Download the Theme archive (.zip) and extract the files it contains. You should have a folder named as theme itself, containing theme files.
2. Using an FTP client to access your host web server and navigate to /wp-content/themes/ directory.
3. Upload the Theme folder to this directory on your host server.
4. Follow the instructions below for activating the new Theme.

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Activating the Theme #

Now that new Theme is in /wp-content/themes/ directory (whether you used Administration Screens, cPanel or FTP method), this new Theme is ready to be activated. All themes in /wp-content/themes/ directory are available for Activation and Update (when update is provided by theme author), but only one theme from this directory can be Active.

When theme is Activated it means that this theme’s style and functionality (look and behavior) will be applied on your site. You will be informed by Administration notification about successful activation of the Theme.

To activate a Theme for your site:

1. Log in to the WordPress Administration Screens.
2. Select the Appearance screen, then Themes.
3. You should see here all themes from your /wp-content/themes/ directory and from here you can see details for each of them by clicking on Theme Details (rollover the Theme thumbnail).
4. Live Preview option will give you preview of your site with your site’s content.
5. To activate the Theme click the Activate button.

Your selection will immediately become active.

Note: If the Theme preview is blank, do NOT activate the new Theme without investigating further. Your site may not be displayed correctly, otherwise. If you do not see Theme’s thumbnail at all, your new Theme might be corrupted or broken. Take a look below installed theme’s thumbnails if there is any info about broken themes. In this case contact the Theme author for help.

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Creating Themes #

If you are interested in creating your own Theme for distribution, or learning more about the architecture of Themes, please review the documentation regarding Theme Development.

If you simply want to customize your current Theme for your own use, consider creating a Child Theme.

Whichever the case, you are welcome to join Theme Review Team and their dedicated #themereview Slack channel. Here you can ask for help on developing themes for WordPress Theme Directory or even start reviewing themes yourself.

The post Using Themes first appeared on CODIBU.

WordPress Plugins are PHP scripts that extend the functionality of WordPress. They enhance the features of WordPress, or add entirely new features to your site. Plugins are often developed by volunteers, and are usually free to the public.

Plugins are available via the WordPress Plugin Directory. Although plugins you find here are thoroughly tested and considered safe to use, they are of varying quality and are often works in progress.

How do they relate to WordPress core? #

The WordPress content management system software, or WordPress core, provides the primary functionality for publishing content and managing users. Each WordPress plugin is an additional piece of software that can be easily installed to extend the functionality of WordPress core.

This allows you to customize your WordPress site with your desired functionality. Since so much functionality is provided through plugins, WordPress core is full-featured and customizable, without having to include everything for everyone.

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What are some examples? #

Some of the more popular plugins in the WordPress Plugin Directory fall into these categories:

• Spam control
• SEO
• Data import and export
• E-commerce
• Security
• Caching

This is just a small sample. There are thousands of plugins available in the directory, so there’s a good chance you’ll find some that are useful to you.

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Finding and Installing Plugins #

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Finding Plugins #

You can browse and search for plugins in the WordPress Plugin Directory. Each plugin listed there is available for download as a zip file you can upload to your WordPress site.

An alternative way to find and install plugins is from within the WordPress admin screens. Navigate to Plugins > Add New, and you can browse and search for plugins from within your dashboard. Each plugin listed there has an “Install Now” button so you can easily add it to your site.

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Plugin Updates #

Plugin developers update their plugins occasionally, and those updates will be visible to you on your site’s Plugins page. To find any plugins installed on your site that need to be updated:

1. Click the “Plugins” link in the left nav of your site’s dashboard.
2. Look down the list of installed plugins for any that include a line reading “There is a new version…”
3. Click the “View version…” link in that note to view details about the plugin’s update.
4. Click the “update now” link to update the plugin.

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Plugin Compatibility #

If a plugin hasn’t been updated since the most recent update to WordPress core, it may be incompatible, or its compatibility may be unknown. You can view compatibility information about plugins from the Add Plugins page, or from the Installed Plugins list.

Compatibility of New Plugins #

To learn about the compatibility of a plugin before you install it, navigate to Plugins > Add New. Each plugin description on this page includes a note that reads “Compatible with your version of WordPress” or “Untested with your version of WordPress.” You can click the “More details” link to see information about this plugin’s compatibility.

Compatibility of Installed Plugins #

To learn about the compatibility of plugins you’ve already installed, click the “Plugins” link in the left nav of your site’s dashboard. Each item on this list should contain a “View details” link. Click this to see information about this plugin’s compatibility with different versions of WordPress.

Installing Plugins #

There are 3 ways to install WordPress plugins.

Automatic Plugin Installation. Any plugin available on the WordPress Plugins Directory can be installed via the built-in plugin installer.

Upload via WordPress Admin. You can easily add a new plugin by uploading a zip archive of the plugin from your local computer.

Manual Plugin Installation. In some cases, you may need to manually upload a plugin directly using an SFTP client.

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Automatic Plugin Installation #

This is the simplest method of installing a plugin. To add a plugin using the built-in plugin installer:

1. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
2. Use the search form in the top-right to search by keyword, author or tag.
3. On the search results that appear, click a plugin’s title to read more about it. This page may contain installation notes, plugin documentation or other useful information.
4. Click the Install Now button to install the plugin.
5. Click Activate to activate the plugin.

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Manual Upload via WordPress Admin #

If you have a copy of the plugin as a zip file, you can manually upload it and install it through the Plugins admin screen.

1. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
2. Click the Upload Plugin button at the top of the screen.
3. Select the zip file from your local filesystem.
4. Click the Install Now button.
5. When installation is complete, you’ll see “Plugin installed successfully.” Click the Activate Plugin button at the bottom of the page.

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Manual Plugin Installation #

In rare cases, you may need to install a plugin by manually transferring the files onto the server. This is recommended only when absolutely necessary, for example when your server is not configured to allow automatic installations.

This procedure requires you to be familiar with the process of transferring files using an SFTP client.

Warning: this process may put your site at risk if you install a WordPress plugin incompatible with the current version or from an unreliable source. Back up your site completely before proceeding.

1. If your plugin is in the form of a zip file, unzip the contents. You should see a single folder named after the plugin.
2. Look in the plugin folder for a readme.txt file. Read the file to confirm that this is the correct plugin, and to look for any special instructions.
3. Connect to your WordPress server with your SFTP client.
4. Copy the plugin folder to the wp-content/plugins folder in your WordPress directory. This installs the plugin to your WordPress site.
5. Navigate to your Plugins admin screen and locate the newly uploaded plugin in the list.
6. Click the plugin’s “Activate” link.
7. If there is one, click the plugin’s “View details” link to learn more about the plugin.

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Plugin Favorites #

You can add a plugin to your list of favorites, and you can view and easily install another WordPress.org user’s favorite plugins.

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Favorite a Plugin #

1. Log in to the WordPress Plugins Directory.
2. While viewing a plugin’s page, click the heart icon next to the Download button.
3. Once you have favorited a plugin, it will show up in your WordPress.org public profile. If you have published a review of the plugin, your rating of the plugin will also appear here.

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View a User’s Favorite Plugins #

To see a WordPress.org user’s favorite plugins (including your own):

1. Browse to the Add Plugins admin screen (Plugins > Add New).
2. Click the Favorites tab.
3. Type the user’s name in the “Your WordPress.org username” field.
4. Click Get Favorites.

Each of the plugins listed here has an Install Now button you can use to add the plugin to your site.

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Uninstalling Plugins #

Plugins have a safe and easy-to-use uninstaller. If that’s unavailable to you for some reason, you can also manually uninstall them.

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Automatic Uninstallation #

The safe and easy way to uninstall a plugin is via the WordPress admin screen.

1. Navigate to your Plugins admin screen and locate the plugin to be installed.
2. Click the plugin’s “Deactivate” link.
3. Click the plugin’s “Delete” link.

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Manual Uninstallation #

In rare cases, you may need to manually uninstall a plugin without using the Plugins admin screen. This is recommended only when absolutely necessary.

Warning: The following procedure involves manually deleting files from your WordPress server. This can be dangerous. Back up your site completely before proceeding.

1. Navigate to your Plugins admin screen and locate the plugin to be installed.
2. Click the plugin’s “Deactivate” link.
3. If installing the plugin required you to edit your WordPress theme, manually edit the theme files to remove those modifications.
4. Connect to your WordPress server with your SFTP client.
5. Navigate to your WordPress directory, then into the wp-content/plugins folder. Locate the folder named after the plugin to be uninstalled. Note: the folder name will not match the plugin completely, but it should be recognizable. A plugin named The Most Useful Plugin Ever would probably be located at wp-content/plugins/the-most-useful-plugin-ever.
6. Delete the plugin folder and its contents.
7. Navigate to your Plugins admin screen and review the list of plugins to confirm that you have successfully removed the intended plugin.

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Troubleshooting #

Occasionally, a WordPress Plugin may not work as expected. There is no defined procedure or recipe for troubleshooting such a problem, but this section may be helpful.

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Resources #

• Review the plugin’s documentation to confirm that you’ve followed the instructions. See:
  • Plugins > View details
  • Plugins > edit (Click readme.txt under “Plugin Files.”)
• Search the WordPress Support Forums for the name of the plugin and keywords associated with the problem you are experiencing.
• Search the WordPress Plugins Directory for notes on the plugin and links to issues reported in the Forums.
• Go to the website of the plugin author and check their blog and plugin page for known issues or advice.
• Search the web with the name of the plugin and keywords associated with the issue.
• Post a question on the WordPress Support Forums with the name of the Plugin and specific problems in the title. For advice on how to improve your chances of getting help, see Finding WordPress Help.

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Possible Resolutions #

• The plugin may be installed, but inactive. Check that the plugin has been activated in your Plugin screen.
• Deactivate and re-activate the plugin to see if this makes it work.
• The problem may be caused by a conflict with another WordPress plugin. Try deactivating other plugins to identify the conflict.
• The plugin may be a buggy or incompatible. Search for similar plugins that you can try instead.

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Advanced Troubleshooting #

The information in this section may be unfamiliar or intimidating to anyone new to WordPress. If you are an experienced WordPress user and you have no fear of going “under the hood,” this section may be helpful.

If you are experiencing problems with a new plugin or one that stopped working after an update, these steps can help you troubleshoot:

• If you manually installed the plugin:
  • Check the location of the plugin folder. You should find it under wp-content/plugins.
  • If you are uploading a new version of the plugin, check that any old versions have been deleted or moved.
  • Use your SFTP program to delete the plugin folder, and then re-install it.
• If you modified your WordPress theme to accommodate the plugin, review your changes. Make sure your code is correct, free of typos, and in the right place (e.g. within the WordPress loop vs. outside of it).
• If the Plugin does not appear in the Plugins List, view the Plugin’s main file in the Plugin Editor to ensure the Plugin’s header text exists and is properly formed.
• If you’re using a custom WordPress Theme, try using one of the default WordPress Themes to see if your issue is Theme related. If it is, contact the Theme developer for assistance.
• Deactivate all your plugins to ensure they’re not causing the problem. Reactivate the problematic one. If it works, there may be a conflict. Activate the others one by one to see if the problem returns, which may indicate the conflicting plugin.

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WordPress Plugin Tips #

The following are WordPress Plugin tips and techniques for advanced users and developers.

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Plugin Management #

Plugins are managed from the Plugins admin screen of your WordPress site. This list shows all installed plugins, whether they are active or inactive. From this screen, you can activate, deactivate and delete plugins. Each plugin on the list also contains links to further information about the plugin. Plugins listed in bold are currently active.

The main file in each plugin should have a file header that shows basic information about the plugin. WordPress recognizes the header and, if it’s present and correctly formatted, uses it to populate the list of plugins in the admin screen.

<?php
/**
 * Plugin Name: Magic Plugin
 * Description: Magic Plugin performs magic. 
 * Plugin URI: http://example.com/magic-plugin
 * Version: 2.3
 * Author: Mr. Magic 
 * Author URI: http://example.com/
 * Text Domain: magic-plugin 
 * 
 * @package Magic Plugin
 */

?> 

If a plugin you installed is missing from the list on this admin screen, there could be a problem with its file header.

Each plugin should also have a readme.txt file, which includes information about its authors, version, license, installation steps and more. To view this, click the Edit link on the admin screen, then click readme.txt under the Plugin Files list.

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Must-Use Plugins #

In a WordPress multisite network, you can install a plugin as must-use, meaning it is active on all sites in the network. By installing one or more plugins as must-use, you can standardize functionality across the sites in your multisite network. Must-use plugins can’t be deactivated using the Plugins screen.

WordPress loads these plugins before normal plugins, which means that code and hooked functions registered in a must-use plugin can be assumed available to all other plugins.

The information in this section applies to WordPress multisite only. The concept of must-use plugins does not apply in a single-site WordPress instance. See Must Use Plugins and Create A Network for more details.

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Hiding Plugins When Deactivated #

When activated, some plugins add code to the WordPress template files. This extra code may remain in place even after the plugin is deactivated, and can affect the look or functionality of the theme, causing errors. Therefore, it is imperative to prevent an inactive plugin from being detected and used. To do this, add PHP code to the template to perform a simple function_exists() check. (See the example, below.) Upload the modified template to your wp-content folder.
The if (function_exists()) checks for the plugin, and will only call the plugin’s function if the plugin is installed and active. If function_exists() returns FALSE, it will ignore the plugin function and continue loading the page.

<?php 
if ( function_exists( 'FUNCTION NAME' ) ) {
  FUNCTION_NAME();
}
?>

This example plugin uses a function called alex_get_shoutbox() to print out its contents.

<?php
if ( function_exists( 'alex_get_shoutbox' ) ) {
  alex_get_shoutbox();
}
?> 

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Developing Plugins #

The WordPress community relies on plugin developers to maintain a healthy and growing collection of plugins. A large part what makes WordPress valuable is the extensive and freely available plugins. You can help WordPress users by creating your own plugins for distribution through the WordPress.com plugin directory.

If you’re new to WordPress plugin development, these resources can be a helpful starting point.

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