Smashing WordPress: Beyond the Blog, 3rd Edition

Appendix A: Essential WordPress Plugins

The number of plugins available for the WordPress platform is staggering; there is just no way to try them all or even to keep up with all the changes taking place. This chapter is dedicated to just a smattering of the marvelous plugins that are available for WordPress. Each of the plugins covered here has reached the users, has been thoroughly tested, and clearly fills a need. Still, these represent only a drop in the ocean compared to what’s available.

Do keep in mind that plugins are always changing, just as WordPress is. This means that what works great today may not be so useful in the future. Along with using the information in this chapter, you need to continue researching and keep up with updates to make sure that you find the right plugin to fill your needs.

Be advised: Sometimes you’ll get warnings when trying out a plugin, telling you that the plugin has been tested only up to this or that version of WordPress, and maybe not on the version that you’re running. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it won’t work for you — just that the plugin hasn’t been tested with your particular version or the plugin author hasn’t updated the plugin files. So don’t be put off just because a plugin isn’t tested with your version yet; set up a test blog and give it a go for yourself. Most plugins will work across versions, after all.

Content-Focused Plugins

It’s all about the content; you want people to find it, get hooked, and then spend an afternoon ...