Development Plugins¶

• Use these plugins when constructing a website. While some will not be useful until after a while, others may be useful for the duration of your website.

FTP Plugins: WP Easy Uploader / My FTP / others (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/myftp/)¶

• Replaces the need for an outside FTP client
• Allows an administrator to add plugins, themes, and any type of file to WordPress directly from inside WordPress
• May be obsolete soon because WordPress is incorporating them straight into the WP dashboard
  • You can install plugins by going to Plugins > Add New and themes by going to Appearance > Add New Themes
• If you plan on having a lot of pdf’s Ftp Plugins can be useful
  • Easily upload plugins directly to the plugins directory and theme files directly to the themes directory.
• MY FTP = old, FTP client in WP
• Easy Up Loader = Zip a lot of pdfs and upload into easy uploader, and it will take care of it for you!

WP Security Scan (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-securit...¶

• A little out of date
• Searches your WP installation for security vulnerabilities and suggests how to fix them
• Not perfect, as it does not guarantee that it will find everything, but it is a way to double check
• A new plugin with plans to add more
• wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-securit...

Exec-PHP (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/exec-php/)¶

• Executes PHP code within posts, pages and text widgets
• Allows you to add your own php without editing the theme. Lets you put php in a post/page
• Need plugin to run the php
• Works in your newsfeeds
• Restrict execution of PHP code in posts and pages to certain users by using roles and capabilities
• Hasn’t been updated in a year….downloaded a bunch of times (still seems to be compatible with WP 2.9.2)

WP-DB-Backup (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-db-back...¶

• WP database backup! (It can back up multiple wordpress sites)
• Allows you easily to backup your core WordPress database tables.
• You may also backup other tables in the same database to save space.
• Just in case the server melts
• Has not been updated over a year but still works
• www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/gpl.html

Developer Plugins¶

• Useful for you as a developer, makes it easier for you to set up things

Anti-Spam: Akismet / WP-SpamFree / Bad Behavior / Minimum Comment Length¶

• Akismet (http://akismet.com/) = Is a default plugin for WordPress that blocks spam. You will need an AI to see if the comments are spam. This WordPress plugin does not block 100% of spam.
  • You will need to sign up for a free API Key at wordpress.com to use this

• WP -SpamFree (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-spamfree/) = Is an anti-spam WordPress plugin. This plugin might block some users. These users will have to change their options in Firefox to become unblocked. Users maybe blocked because this plugin works on cookies/javascript.

• Bad Behavior (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/bad-behavior/) = Is a link anti-spam WordPress plugin that has akismet built into it. This plugin looks on how the comment is being added to your site.

Comment Captcha: Math Comment Spam Protection / WP Captcha / WP Clickcha¶

• WP Captcha (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-captcha-free/)= Is another anti-spam plugin. This plugin provides images of text that the user must identify before they can post a comment. The point of this plugin is to prove to the computer that the users are human. There is a possibility that this plugin may reduce your comments. Uses AJAX so its compatible with all cache plugins (including WP-Cache)and
  works out of the box without any configuration, setup, or editing .php files.

• Math Comment Spam Protection (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/math-comment-spam-protection/) = Is another anti-spam plugin. This plugin requires the user to do a simple math problem to prove that the user is a human being.

Search Everything (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/search-eve...¶

• Is a WordPress plugin that increases the functionality of your blog’s search engine. It will add related searches and a typo fixer to your search results.

WP Super Cache (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-super-c...¶

• Is a WordPress plugin that increases the loading speed of your wp site. It is built on top of WP Cache. It works by creating HTML file of your wp blog and saves it onto your web server. So when users come to your site, they can up

WP-Optimize (www.ruhanirabin.com/wp-optimize/)¶

• Is a WordPress plugin that cleans and optimizes the database. The plugins deletes the unnecessary items within the database.

Stats: Google Analytics for WordPress / WordPress.com Stats / others¶

• Google Analytics for WordPress (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-analytics-for-wordpress/) = Is a WordPress plugin that tracks clicks to outbound links on the site. This will help the developer see the statistics of their site’s user traffic and where the site is sending traffic
  • Automatically tells you whether a click came from a comment or one of your posts

• Wordpress.com stats (http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stats/) = fastest

Blog Metrics (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/blog-metri...¶

• Gives statistics on average number of posts, words per post, number of comments and similar information

Feedburner: FD Feedburner Plugin (1st WP plugin) / FeedBurner FeedSmith Plugin (GOOGLE built and adapted to WP)¶

• FD Feedburner Plugin (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/feedburner...

• FeedBurner FeedSmithing Plugin = owned by google, and has stats for RSS feeds (COOL). What percentage of posts that your subscribers actually read. Useful. Need to set up initially.

URL Absolutifier¶

• Makes URL absolute instead of relative, useful because you do not have to type in your whole domain name
• Make all your links work in feed readers only
• Will not slow down WP
• GPL licensed
• Download it here

RSS Footer / From RSS?¶

• RSS Footer: Lets you add a line of content at the bottom of articles in your feed that directs readers to your website or tells them about related posts.
• Important = to try to get your RSS readers to your page! You can get them to look at other parts rather then your blog.
• adds fuctionality to RSS feed
  RSS Footer download
• From RSS: Lets you greet or give information to only people subscribed to your RSS
• Important to acknowledge and reward your RSS readers to keep them reading!
  From RSS? download

Yet Another Related Posts Plugin (YARPP)¶

• gives you a list of related posts.
• Based off the same tech as google page rank
• Uses different combinations of key words from other posts (customized algorithm)
• It is another way to show other content that you already know your readers are interested in.
• Has custom display and template options, you can put one in your RSS feed, after every article, in greets, etc.
• Good way to redirect your readers to your other blog posts and other interesting information outside your blog to keep the interested and share you with a large network.
• Download here

WP Greet Box¶

• adds a box that you can customize (text/pic) to greet ppl from a specific URL.
• Lets you target an audience based on the URL they are coming from
• You can put a unique targeted message.
• This is good to capture “stumble upon” users to your site because it automatically detects keywords and directs them to related content based on the website they came from
• Download here

Comment Redirect¶

• Yoast
• Will redirect first time commenters to the page of your choice
• Try to make it Personal by acknowledging they are first-time commenters and thanking them
• Also a good spot for yet another related posts
• Important to create a community in your site
• Download

Email Commenters¶

• Most people set up automatic email updates when people comment (gets annoying)
• With email commenters: Have button that provides a list of all the emails of all the ppl that commented on that specific post. Email specific people
• useful for: updates
• Comments lure people back to your site because they have another reason to visit: networking and community
  Download plugin

Users to CSV¶

• Allows you to export different data on your site’s users
• Puts users onto a spread sheet, you can do analytics on it and export data, set up mailing list.
• Gives you content so you can run statistics off of it.
• Comma separated value – basic universal comment file
• Great for starting a mailing list or transitioning a list of users to another site.
  Download here

SEO Plugins¶

All in One SEO Pack / Headspace 2 (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one...¶

• Most widely used
• It can be used without complicated setup, but also provides in-depth options for advanced users
• GPL
• Takes all the SEO plugins and options and put it into one. Gives you the option to pick what is the best for your blog
• headspace 2 = All in one
• Can use interchangeably; if one does not work or crashes, you can use the other.

Google XML Sitemaps (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sit...¶

• Simple and no set up
• Makes an XML sitemap of all pages in a website and gives it to search engines. It creates sitemaps of every single page so search engines do not miss anything. When you make a new post it sends pings to every major search engine and blog search engines. Then in minutes it will index the page!
• For example, if you are the first person to write about a particular event or occurrence, the search engine will put your website first.
• every website should use this!!!

Meta Robots (yoast.com/wordpress/meta-robots-wordpre...¶

• Metadata = related info. Not always visible.
• Lets you add specific matadata for the webcrawlers that will help you do specific things.
• Google = supports all
• Allows you to have “no index” or private = not searchable
• can prevent from searching RSS feeds (Do not want ppl to find this)
• Yoast talks about this a lot! (written by him) we can trust him.

WordPress SEO Pager / WP-Pagenavi / WP Pagebar¶

• All plugins that pageinite your blog
• WordPress by default only has next and previous
• plugIns to show pages (sits in same place and color coordinates to your theme)
• WP Pagenavi lets you design/customize how it looks (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-pagenavi/)
• Makes it easier for your your user to find things they are looking for on your website.
• Helps with SEO bc it will link to ONE post not 10. Easier for the enduser.

Yoast Breadcrumbs (yoast.com/wordpress/breadcrumbs/)¶

• Breadcrumbs in websites = from book, it’s a trial from where you come from.
• Written by YOAST (the best)
• ex: Home >> About Us >>
• Done by category/parent pages
• Organized by the page, NOT by how you got there
• Good for end user and page ranking
• Some themes have it already in it (default pages have it for WordPress and WordPress 3.0)
• Should have it even though it’s not the best design wise
• You can hide it so that others don’t see it on your webpage

Permalink Migration Plugin / Redirection¶

• See www.shoutmeloud.com/how-to-use-deans-pe... for a how-to
• You should set this up before you start your website so that system updates don’t cause problems.
• A little outdated
• It is not on wordpress.org depository
• Prevents problem of dead links
• problem change permalink for structure, but it does not change all the links in the website. You will have a lot of dead links (?).
• Set up and does it for you. Adds a 3.1 permanent redirect. Turns old urls to re-direct to the new ones. Keep old pages and re-directs it and will load automatically. (seamless)
• Redirection = does it automatically when URL changes. Keeps a log of every 404 error, and figure out where it is coming from. Can make it re-direct to other pages (like “this is private”). Permalink migration. Kept up-to-date. Really popular. Big community behind it!!

Features for the End-User, Plugins¶

• Used to build a community around your comments/posts. Try to get the people who come to your site to talk to each other. You want users to come even if you do not provide consistently updated content.

Subscribe to Comments / Tweet Comments¶

• Can subscribed to users if they comment
• Can get an email everytime someone comments
• RSS
• Twitter = sends a tweet everytime a new comment

WordPress Threaded Comments (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-...¶

• You can reply to any comments that have been posted and the discussion will be nested or threaded.
• Customizable HTML / PHP / CSS on admin section.

TweetSuite / TweetBacks / Twitter ReTweet¶

• retweet = adds a button that says “retweet” post that will automatically create a link to the post. Like “share on facebook”
• tweetback = tweets and links to your post/blog. Auto comment on blog with a link to where they talked about it. If someone tweets about blog, will show up near comments and will link you to their tweets.
• tweetsweet = lets you retweet tweetbacks. Integrates all the stuff together.

FriendConnect (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-fri...¶

• Suedo soc network from google. Use your google account to post comments! Integrates everything!
• Yoast

Contact Form 7(http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/contact-form-7/)/ Enhanced Contact Form (yoast.com/wordpress/enhanced-wordpress-...¶

• Contact forms = text boxes that auto send email when they fill out contact form. So then you do not need to put your email on your site.
• Customizable
• Enhanced Contact Form is done by Yoast

Sociable / Share-this (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/sociable/)¶

• Displays buttons to share your site on Facebook, google, etc.
• should use one!
• Helps you be connected to the web and spread word of your website
• You can choose which sites to list. Don’t go overboard, just choose the top 5 most popular with your target demographic.

SlideShare WordPress Plugin (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/slideshare/)¶

• Put presentation into a wp page
• Image to click to see next image
• Done by Yoast

Search Suggest (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/search-sug...¶

• This plugin makes it possible to mimic search engine’s search behavior, by showing related searches and spelling suggestions.

commentluv / keywordluv¶

• Commentluv = definition from author = will visit site of comment author and will allow them to have a chance to publicize themselves. Allows to have a signiture to link back to their site. Might have to use another plugin to use. Need to have their home URL in their profile. Either not everyone can use it, or make it manditory to put in your profile.
• Ketwordluv = reward commentators by seperating name and key words to website. Need to really know how to use it. Usually = in comments a person’s name will link to homepage. Helps the commenters home site SEO.

SEO Automatic Links (wordpress.org/extend/plugins/seo-automa...¶

• SEO Smart Links provides automatic SEO benefits for your site in addition to custom keyword lists, nofollow and much more.
• Everything happens completely transparent, and you can edit the options from the administration settings panel.