Plugins can be incredibly useful, but evaluating the value and risks of each plugin you add to your site is important. Similar to apps you can install on your phone, choose good quality, safe, and tested plugins. This guide will help you understand how to choose plugins for your site.
In this guide
Before installing a plugin, consider the following factors:
A WordPress.com site comes with many extras compared to a typical WordPress site. Check out our list of built-in features to ensure the new plugin you’re adding doesn’t overlap with something your site already has. Extra plugins can impact your site’s performance, so we recommend using a built-in feature as long as that provides what you need.
Before installing a plugin, check the date it was last updated. You’ll find this on the plugin’s page just below the title:
If a plugin hasn’t been updated in many years, that may be a sign that it doesn’t get regular attention from its developers and, therefore, may not work well with your site. Check to see if you can find a similar plugin with a more recent update.
You can also see the version of WordPress the plugin was tested to work with. On the plugin’s page, to the right of the description, look for the “tested up to” section:
WordPress software is continually updated. If a plugin doesn’t keep up, it can become incompatible with your site. To check the version of WordPress your site is running, go to Tools → Site Health and click on the Info tab. You can then compare this with what the plugin has been tested with most recently.
While the plugin doesn’t need to have been tested up to the latest version of WordPress, it could be a bad sign if there’s a significant difference between that version and the current version of WordPress. Use at your own risk, and remember your site is automatically backed up daily.
On the plugin’s page, look for the number of active installations. You’ll find this to the right of the description:
This number tells you how many other sites are using the plugin. If a plugin is popular, it’s often a good sign that it’s reliable. On the other hand, if it only has a small number of installs, it will not have been tried and tested on many sites before yours.
You can also read reviews of a plugin on the WordPress.org plugin repository. Search for the plugin and click on the reviews tab to read what others have to say about the plugin.
For plugins you install via WordPress.com, good plugin developers help in the support process. Some plugins provide support via the WordPress.org plugin repository. Search for the plugin and click on its Support tab to see if the developer is actively responding. Other plugins may offer a dedicated help center with tutorials, an email address you can contact, or other forms of personalized support. This would be mentioned in the plugin’s description.
Hopefully, you will never need to contact the plugin makers for help. If you do, it’s good to know that someone will be available to support you.
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Ready to install a plugin? Visit our Install a Plugin guide for step-by-step instructions.
The above factors apply equally to the plugins already on your site. It’s a good idea to regularly audit your installed plugins so you can delete any plugins you no longer need. In addition, consider the following advice:
When looking for a specific feature to add to your site, it can be tempting to try several different plugins. However, avoid installing multiple plugins to perform the same task because it might be difficult to know which plugin is the one you like best. Instead, activate one plugin, try it, and then deactivate it before activating the next one. Once you find the most suitable plugin, delete any others you don’t plan on using.
A plugin may not work well with every other plugin. Unless multiple plugins must be activated to work together, it is best to install one plugin at a time and set up each one individually. Then, if a plugin causes undesirable results on your site, you’ll be able to isolate the specific plugin that caused the issue. More detail in our Solve Problems with Plugins guide.
Always keep your plugins up to date to ensure your site has the latest features and security protections. In your site’s dashboard, you can go to Plugins → Installed Plugins to check for updates.
