What is: Plugin

A plugin is a software add-on that is installed on a program, enhancing its capabilities. In other way, plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a (WordPress) website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your (WordPress) websites. In this blog, we will tell about WordPress Plugin.

WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. In the WordPress community, there is a saying that goes around: “there’s a plugin for that”. They make it easier for users to add features to their website without knowing a single line of code.

There are thousands of WordPress plugins available for free at the official WordPress plugin directory. At WordPress Beginner, we write about all the best WordPress plugins. We have even shared a list of all the plugins we use. Aside from free plugins, there are tons of amazing commercial ones available from third-party companies and developers.


 

As a site administrator, you can install/uninstall plugins from the admin area. You can also download and manually install them using an FTP client.

Because the vast majority of plugins are free, it is important to note that they usually do not come with tech support. For this reason it is important to be careful when choosing which ones you want to install on your site.

Most graphics and audio programs today support plug-ins since they are a convenient way to expand the capabilities of the program. Though some plug-ins may be shipped with the program, most are developed by third-parties and are sold separately. Because companies that make browser plug-ins are often competing for a standard (such as Flash and QuickTime), these plug-ins are usually available as free downloads from the Internet.

Although there are plugins that can do the task you want them to do, some are much higher quality than others.

There is a myth that WordPress plugins slow your site down. It is not true. Only the number of bad ones will slow down your site. We have written a detailed article on how many plugins should you install.