What makes a WordPress Plugin Great

One of the core philosophies of WordPress is to keep the code as light and fast as possible but to provide a rich framework for developers to add to the product.  This concept is a key reason for the huge and constantly growing universe of WordPress plugins.  In talking to WordPress users I’ve discovered that almost universally folks are pleased with the plugins they use.  However, there are plugins that work and then there are plugins that go the extra mile.

I started thinking about this because I’ve started making a couple of bucks from blogging and I decided that it was high time I paid back those who helped me get up and running in the blogging world.  So I took a bit of a critical look at the plugins I am using and asked myself – what’s the difference between the various plugins I am using?

First and foremost every plugin has to do what it claims.  If it claims to reduce blog spam, you should see a decrease in spam after installing the plugin.  If it is designed to add social links to your posts, then it should do so.  This is a pretty basic criteria that you expect.  But once installed (another very basic criteria), there are clear differences that separate the plugins from the great plugins.

Make it easy to configure the plugin - All plugins automatically appear in the Manage Plugins Page (Plugins > Installed).  Some plugins have no configuration options, but most plugins also add a configuration link to the Plugin menu, the Settings menu or the plugin adds a custom menu on the left column.  This usually results in a few seconds of “where do I go” immediately after the installation.  For me, the best plugins so the settings option right on the Manage Plugins Page next to deactivate and edit so you know right where to find it.   It’s nice to also put a menu link on the WordPress left menu.

Give me status – Its human nature not to believe the computer. Even when software programs automatically save, they have to include a save button for the comfort of the human users (even if it really does nothing).  A good plugin will give as much status information as possible.  These can range from the simple, unnecessary but especially comforting “installed correctly” message to the great detail provided by XML Sitemap Generator.

Its okay to ask for money, but not in my face – When the plugin developer is giving their work away, they have every right to also ask for a donation.  However, when the request is the first thing you see on the top of the settings menu before you even configure the plugin – that’s a bit pushy.  It’s also okay to ask for some on-screen promotion – but don’t make that the default setting as WP-SpamFree does:

Good documentation right there – The best documentation is found right where I need it – on the settings page.  While I noted WP-SpamFree is a little pushy with the promotion, their documentation is among the best. Sure, in the perfect world everything is 100% intuitive and no documentation is needed. However, in our imperfect world with users of all levels of expertise, the documentation makes a big difference.

Most of the documentation is right where you need it – right next to the setting where you have to decide what to do. But not only that, but all the rest of the documentation including troubleshooting tips, plugins it is known to conflict with, settings for the optional contact form and how to contact the developer for support are all right there on the settings page.

WP SpamFree also has the documentation nicely displayed with some colors and a simple uncrowded layout.  WP-Security Scan also has some great status information, but the layout with poor spacing and the bullet points misaligned with the box makes the product look less than finished.  This is a case where the display actually takes away from an otherwise great product.

I hope more developers begin to step up and provide more documentation and status information to make their plugins stand out as great plugins!

Written by David Silversmith from Info Musing
Posted on May 12th, 2009 and filed under WordPress Plugins
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