Even in the era of blocks, custom code still has a place in the WordPress admin. For example, we might embed a third-party widget or paste a snippet to share in a tutorial.
WordPress already includes Custom HTML and Code blocks for these purposes. However, their lack of syntax highlighting makes the code harder to read. Thankfully, there are several options for fixing this issue.
Syntax highlighting plugins help by color-coding and formatting your code snippets. Suddenly, you can tell your PHP from your HTML and JavaScript. It looks similar to what you’d find in popular editing apps like VS Code.
Want to dress up your code on the front and back end of your site? Here are the best syntax highlighter plugins on the market!
Enlighter is a flexible WordPress syntax-highlighting plugin that works with both the Classic and Block editors. Add code snippets via the built-in block or a shortcode.
You’ll find support for all the popular coding languages and a generic highlighting engine for unrecognized languages. There is also a theme customizer for tweaking fonts and colors.
This plugin proves that there is beauty in simplicity. It enhances the existing WordPress Code block by adding server-side syntax highlighting. There’s no need to load external scripts, resulting in better performance.
Even better, the plugin will automatically upgrade any existing Code blocks on your website. It’s never been easier to make your snippets stand out.
Highlighting Code Block adds a custom block to the WordPress editor. Add the block, choose your language, and you’ll get an easy-to-read snippet for your readers.
A settings panel lets you adjust the color scheme and typography. It also works with the Classic Editor, adding <pre></pre> tags to surround your snippets.
If you like the look of the VS Code editor, this is the plugin for you. It uses the same rendering engine as the popular app, while focusing on flexibility and performance.
There are 25+ themes to choose from and support for 150+ programming languages. Other niceties include a max-height block setting (you can scroll to reveal additional code), a copy button, and the ability to convert existing Code blocks.
PrettyCode claims to be the “prettiest syntax highlighting block” for WordPress. It fulfills that promise by offering over 50 themes and a slick title display for its custom block.
The plugin uses the popular CodeMirror library to dress up even the most mundane snippets. And there’s a look to match just about every site.
This syntax highlighter plugin offers plenty of formatting options, from plain to vibrant. It also supports more than 90 languages, making it a good choice for a variety of tutorial types.
Powered by Prism.js, you’ll find options to enable line numbers, a copy button, and a command line interface (CLI). The plugin also enables highlighting in WordPress post excerpts.
Powered by Prism.js with 90+ language support, line numbers, copy button, CLI formatting, and excerpt highlighting.
Prism.js-powered code styling.
Make Your Code Snippets Beautiful and Accessible
Using a syntax highlighter to share code snippets adds both form and function. Not only will your code look better, but it will also be more accessible for your audience.
Code is often difficult to read, but it can be improved with smart use of color and typography. The plugins on this list are there to help. They provide a wide range of looks and features. Plus, they can evolve along with your site’s design.
Don’t settle for the default styles of the WordPress Code block! Not when any of the above plugins will improve your code presentation in just a few clicks.
From a distance, forms may sound like one of the most boring website features. Sure, they’re a necessity. But they exist for utility and nothing more. Gravity Forms has other ideas.
This plugin turns such stereotypes on their head. Install Gravity Forms, and you can certainly build a standard contact form. But you can also create polls, multi-step surveys, user registration systems, and sell products. Seriously, we could go on for hours with potential use cases.
There’s a ton of functionality built into the core plugin. However, an ever-growing selection of free and paid add-ons is what transforms a form into a Swiss Army knife for your WordPress website. You might be surprised at the possibilities.
With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best add-ons for Gravity Forms. You’ll find a mix of niche uses from a wide range of developers. Let’s blast off and do more with our forms!
We start here because form security is always an important consideration. Gravity Forms Zero Spam seamlessly protects your form from bots and other nuisances. Activate the plugin and… that’s it.
The plugin includes options for what to do with entries marked as spam (delete them or move them to a spam folder) and whether to send you a periodic spam summary. It’s the quickest way to get some peace of mind.
This add-on is included with certain Gravity Forms licenses and automates the publishing of user-submitted content. You can map form fields to WordPress post titles, content, and other custom data points. Users can even upload files for use as a featured image.
Best of all, you’ll have control of the entire process. For example, you can manually review posts before publishing, allow users to edit their posts on the front end, or password-protect submitted posts. It also works with third-party post types from WooCommerce, The Events Calendar, and more.
Use Gravity PDF to turn your form entries into custom PDF files that can be attached to form notifications. It’s perfect for creating printable invoices, gift certificates, or anything that needs to be archived.
The free version of the plugin includes features for customizing the look of your PDF (add your logo or fonts), while the commercial version offers more design options and on-screen previews.
Here’s a plugin that targets power users. Power Boost for Gravity Forms adds an array of handy features, including a “last entry” column in your form list, support for merge tags in HTML fields, the ability to resend feeds, and a “copy shortcode” link.
You can also replace a form by uploading a JSON file. In short, lots of little things add up to more convenience.
Gravity Forms Encrypted Fields helps you manage and secure sensitive user information. This commercial plugin encrypts chosen fields while still making their contents visible to approved users. Everyone else will see your custom “restricted data” message.
You can choose from several encryption types and control which fields to protect.
Do you need complete control over Gravity Forms notifications and confirmations? Advanced Merge Tags lets you tweak field output to your heart’s content. Change the text case of field values, append or prepend content, retrieve matching values from other forms, character conversion, and more.
There are also custom merge tags for the current timestamp, parent slug, and modifying an entry’s creation date. It’s everything you need to customize your form output.
A form can be so much more than a way to send a message. For example, Gravity Booking will turn your forms into a fully-fledged appointment scheduling system. Use it to build a custom booking form that allows customers to pay online.
Other features include support for multiple locations, email reminders, holidays/blackout dates, and Google Calendar synchronization.
This official Gravity Forms add-on turns your form submissions into Trello cards. Choose which Trello board entries are added to and set labels and due dates. Cards can be automatically assigned to team members, and attached files are included.
You can use Gravity Forms’ conditional logic feature to configure how and when cards are created.
Automatically creates Trello cards from submissions with board selection, labels, assignments, due dates, and conditional logic.
Trello workflow integration.
Rocket Fuel for WordPress Forms
Gravity Forms can turn an ordinary form into something powerful. It’s one of the most versatile plugins in the WordPress ecosystem. That’s in no small part due to the library of official and third-party add-ons on the market. The items above are only the tip of the iceberg.
In all, it allows us to rethink what’s possible when building with WordPress. The right form could replace the need for other plugins. For example, eschew that shopping cart and create an order form instead. You might also use a form for common features like front-end posting and user registration.
So, check out the add-ons above and use your creativity. There are so many possibilities!
Publishing dynamic content is one of the key selling points of content management systems (CMS) like WordPress. Content can change based on user input or other conditions. This is useful for everything from e-commerce sites to online publications. There are also simple use cases – even for brochure websites.
But what happens if some of your critical data lives elsewhere? There may be a plugin that integrates with the third-party service you’re using. Or, you might build a custom solution from scratch.
The Remote Data Blocks plugin aims to make fetching data from outside sources easy. It integrates with services like Airtable, Google Sheets, and Shopify out of the box. There’s also a framework for connecting to other services via HTTP. Once connected, you can display your data via a WordPress block and customize it with a pattern.
How does it work? Let’s put the plugin to the test with a sample project. We’ll guide you through each step and see what we can accomplish together. Here we go!
Sample Project: Display a Google Sheet in WordPress
To test Remote Data Blocks’ capabilities, we’ll use the plugin to fetch data from a Google Sheet. The file contains contact information for an employee directory.
The process includes installing the plugin, connecting to Google Cloud Platform (the most time-consuming part), and displaying the data on our website using the included block. We’ll also need to create a block pattern to style our data.
Step 1: Install the Remote Data Blocks Plugin
The first step is to install the latest version of Remote Data Blocks on your WordPress website:
Log in to your WordPress website and navigate to Plugins > Add Plugin.
Search for “Remote Data Blocks” and find the plugin in the provided list.
Install and activate the plugin.
We’ll come back to the plugin settings later in our tutorial.
Step 2: Configure Google Cloud Platform
We have some work to do before we can connect a Google Sheet to WordPress. We’ll show you the steps below. The Remote Data Blocks team has also put together a helpful guide for this process.
Hint: If you need help, Google has a project creation guide you can use as a reference. Google will ask for a project name and a parent resource. We’ll call our project Remote Data Blocks Test and leave the parent resource blank.
2.2 Connect to the Google Sheets and Google Drive APIs
Once the project is created, we’ll need to enable both the Google Sheets and Google Drive APIs. Here’s how:
Using the left-hand menu, navigate to the Enabled APIs & Services page.
Click on the Enable APIs and Services button.
One at a time, search for and add the Google Sheets and Google Drive APIs.
2.3 Enable the IAM API
Our project will also need access to the IAM API, as this handles authentication. Click the Enable the API button.
2.4 Create a Google Cloud Platform Service Account
After that, we’ll create a service account for the project. Head to the Google Cloud console website.
Using the left-hand menu, navigate to the Service Accounts page.
Click on the Create Service Account button.
Give your service account a name and click Continue.
On the Permissions screen, choose Owner and click the Continue button.
The Principals screen can be left blank. Click Done.
When finished, you’ll be redirected to the Service Accounts page, where your new account will be listed.
2.5 Generate JSON Credentials
Within your service account, click the options button (⋮) and select Manage Keys.
On the Keys page, click the Add Key button and select JSON as the format. Click the Create button.
Google Cloud platform will generate a JSON that you can download to your device.
Important: Note the generated email address associated with your service account – you’ll need it!
Step 3: Share Your Spreadsheet With Your Google Service Account Email
Remember the email address associated with your Google Service Account that we generated above? We’ll need it here.
We’ll head over to the Google Sheet we want to connect to our website and share it with the email address.
Step 4: Copy the Google Sheet ID
Next, we’ll locate the ID of our Google Sheet. We’ll need this detail to connect it to our website. The ID is located in the Sheet’s URL, like so:
We’re looking at the bolded area above (test_spreadsheet_id). We’ll copy our ID and keep it handy for the next step.
Step 5: Create a Data Source in Remote Data Blocks
We’re done with Google and on to our website. Navigate to Settings > Remote Data Blocks to connect our Google Sheet.
On the settings page, click the Connect New button.
Select Google Sheets from the menu.
Give your data source a name (we chose Employee Directory).
Paste the contents of the JSON file generated in Step 2.
Click the Continue button.
On the Scope screen, we’re asked to choose a spreadsheet from the menu. Ours is on the list. We’ll select it and the sheet we want to use (Sheet1), then click the Continue button.
On the Blocks screen, we’ll choose the Auto-register blocks option and click the Save button.
Step 6: Insert the Remote Data Block Into a Page
Now, it’s time to add the remote data block to our page.
Remote Data Blocks uses the data source name we provided in the last step. So, we’ll search for “employee directory” and add the block to the page. There are a couple of options, but we’ll choose Employee Directory/Sheet1 Loop. This option will automatically update the data when we edit our Google Sheet.
The next step is to place our remote data into a block pattern. So, we’ll select Choose a Pattern and click the only available option.
Note that the included pattern does not format the data into a table or anything resembling a spreadsheet. That’s OK, because we created a set of columns to house our data.
Dragging the various data points (First Name, Last Name, Title, Extension) into the Columns Block gave us a better layout. We can also use the Block Editor to make further improvements.
All Data Points Lead to WordPress
Fetching data from third-party sources is challenging. It’s also necessary, as we store our stuff all over the place. Remote Data Blocks helps by providing a framework we can build from.
There’s a lot of potential here, and we can imagine the plugin expanding in the future. Perhaps it works with more services out of the box. It might also include a few more block patterns to style common data types with ease.
The plugin could also empower non-technical site owners. For example, imagine updating a restaurant’s menu page by editing a Google Doc or another cloud-based file. They wouldn’t have to touch WordPress at all. It would eliminate their learning curve and ease our support requirements.
However, this is just the beginning. There are already plenty of niche uses for Remote Data Blocks and more to come. So, download the plugin and experiment!
The WordPress Media Library is a handy tool for managing images, documents, and multimedia content. It arranges uploaded files into date-based folders and creates multiple image sizes. All great features for a basic website.
There are a few drawbacks, however. The content management system’s (CMS) predictable file structure makes it easy to guess where a file is stored. For instance, a UK budget document leaked before its official release. How did this happen? A journalist was able to guess the file name based on last year’s version:
The BBC was able to access the PDF version of the OBR’s key report at 11:45 on Wednesday by replacing the word ‘March’ with ‘November’ in the web address of a previous edition.
Search engines can also index your site’s media files. This can be a benefit to your SEO strategy, but it’s not always desirable. Consider a membership website that requires registration to access specific files. A user may stumble upon a file via search, defeating the purpose of hiding files behind a login.
None of this means that there’s a security flaw. Rather, WordPress wasn’t built with private media storage in mind. Thankfully, there are easy ways to improve media file security.
Let’s review some tools and techniques for protecting your WordPress media files. They’ll keep your files away from prying eyes and might even save you some hosting bandwidth.
Available Methods of File Protection
The first thing to know about protecting your media files is that there are multiple types of protection. The method(s) you use will depend on your specific needs. We’ll break this section down by common scenarios.
Note that none of the following options will guarantee file security in high-stakes situations such as the UK government leak above. Rather, they are basic measures that will make it harder for someone (or something) to access your files.
With that in mind, here are a few ways to improve file security.
Block Direct File Access From Outside Sites (Hotlinking)
Let’s say you have a large PDF file on your website. By default, an external website could link directly to that file (a.k.a. hotlinking). It may seem harmless, but every time a user clicks that link, the file access counts against your hosting bandwidth. Even worse, the user never visits your website.
The solution is to block hotlink access at the server level. Add the following snippet to your website’s .htaccess file:
# Deny direct access to uploads unless navigated from your site (change example.com to your domain name)
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
# Only apply to files inside uploads directory
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/wp-content/uploads/ [NC]
# Allow requests from your own domain
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^https?://(www\.)?example\.com/ [NC]
# Block direct access to specified file types
RewriteRule \.(mp3|mp4|pdf|zip)$ - [F,NC,L]
</IfModule>
If your website runs on an NGINX server, add this snippet to the nginx.conf file:
# Deny direct access to uploads unless navigated from your site (change example.com to your domain name)
# File types protected: mp3, mp4, pdf, zip
location ~* ^/wp-content/uploads/.*\.(pdf|zip|mp4|mp3)$ {
valid_referers none blocked server_names *.example.com example.com;
if ($invalid_referer) {
return 403;
}
}
Be sure to change example.com to match your domain name and edit the included file extensions to match your needs.
Note: We don’t recommend protecting image files this way, as it may lead to undesirable results. For instance, you won’t be able to include images or file links from the server in your email newsletter without adding some exceptions to the code above.
Prevent Search Engines From Indexing Your Media Files
Uploaded WordPress media files can easily end up in search results. This can be undesirable for a few reasons:
Direct links to large files can eat up bandwidth.
Users aren’t visiting your website, just downloading files.
Members-only files could be exposed to the public.
Part of any file protection strategy should include preventing (or discouraging) search engine indexing. As such, there are a few methods to implement.
First, we can add the following to our site’s robots.txt file to discourage crawling of the /wp-content/uploads/ folder:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /wp-content/uploads/
This won’t prevent indexing of your files, just crawling. The main benefit is reducing the load on your server.
To fully prevent indexing, we can use the X-Robots-Tag header.
For Apache servers, add this snippet to your site’s .htaccess file:
# Prevent indexing of media files in /wp-content/uploads/
<IfModule mod_headers.c>
<FilesMatch "\.(pdf|doc|docx|xls|xlsx|ppt|pptx|zip|rar|7z|mp3|m4a|wav|mp4|mov|avi|webm)$">
Header always set X-Robots-Tag "noindex, nofollow, nosnippet, noarchive"
</FilesMatch>
</IfModule>
NGINX users can add this to their nginx.conf file:
# Prevent indexing of media files in /wp-content/uploads/
location ~* ^/wp-content/uploads/.*\.(pdf|doc|docx|xls|xlsx|ppt|pptx|zip|rar|7z|mp3|m4a|wav|mp4|mov|avi|webm|jpg|jpeg|png|gif|webp|svg)$ {
add_header X-Robots-Tag "noindex, nofollow, nosnippet, noarchive" always;
}
The above methods will reduce bot traffic and reduce the likelihood that your files will appear in search results.
Prevent Access to WordPress Attachment Pages
By default, WordPress creates a post for every media file you upload. It may come in handy for some niche use cases, but it is most often a forgotten feature. Without further action, these posts can be indexed by search engines.
Some SEO plugins, such as Yoast SEO, RankMath, and All in One SEO, offer settings to disable attachment pages. This is the simplest way to prevent search engines or users from accessing them.
Short of that, you can also use a code snippet in your theme’s functions.php file or a custom plugin. We’ll share a couple of them that cover common scenarios.
Return a 404 Error on Attachment Pages:
If you’d like to deny access to attachment pages, the following snippet will do just that. Visitors will see a 404 page, rather than the attachment.
<?php
/**
* Force attachment pages to 404.
*/
add_action( 'template_redirect', function () {
if ( ! is_attachment() ) {
return;
}
global $wp_query;
$wp_query->set_404();
status_header( 404 );
nocache_headers();
// Load your 404 template.
include get_query_template( '404' );
exit;
} );
Redirect Attachment Pages to Parent Post:
Here’s a slightly different approach that redirects users to the attachment’s parent post. This is handy for blogs and other online publications looking to ensure users see their content, rather than media files.
<?php
/**
* Redirect attachment pages to their parent post when available.
*/
add_action( 'template_redirect', function () {
if ( ! is_attachment() ) {
return;
}
$attachment_id = get_queried_object_id();
$parent_id = wp_get_post_parent_id( $attachment_id );
if ( $parent_id ) {
wp_safe_redirect( get_permalink( $parent_id ), 301 );
exit;
}
// No parent: redirect to file URL if it exists.
$url = wp_get_attachment_url( $attachment_id );
if ( $url ) {
wp_safe_redirect( $url, 301 );
exit;
}
wp_safe_redirect( home_url( '/' ), 302 );
exit;
} );
If you don’t need WordPress attachment pages, there’s no reason to keep them around. Thankfully, you have several options for giving them the heave-ho.
Use a Plugin for Media File Protection
You can also use a plugin to protect your WordPress media files. The right plugin can do some or all of the above functions to keep your files safer.
For example, Download Monitor offers multiple functions, including file protection. Among its features:
Disable or enable specific folders for file downloads.
Create randomly-generated URLs for files you want to protect.
Attempting to access a file directly will result in a 404 error.
Require users to log in before accessing a file.
Keep track of how many times a file has been downloaded.
The free version of the plugin covers common use cases. A premium version goes the extra mile by integrating with popular form plugins and adding CAPTCHA protection.
Meanwhile, many membership plugins come with some form of file protection. Check out the plugin’s documentation to see what’s available.
Take Control of Your Files and Gain Peace of Mind
There are several reasons for locking down your WordPress media files, even if you aren’t posting sensitive information. For one, the rise of AI bot traffic means higher bandwidth usage. Restricting access to large files can prevent surprise charges on your hosting bill.
Plus, media files and attachment pages can be taken out of context. A simple redirect can help by pointing users toward your content. That could be the difference between a one-time visitor and a loyal reader. Say hello to lower bounce rates!
The above solutions are easy to implement into your existing website. What’s more, they bring a little peace of mind. You won’t have to worry about the wrong people accessing your files or causing a traffic nightmare on your server.
Consider your file protection needs and how they might impact your SEO strategy. From there, you can create a plan that works for you.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology can make life easier for WordPress developers. We can use it to increase our efficiency and coding capabilities. AI takes the pain out of tasks like troubleshooting a buggy code snippet or querying data.
Some of us are using AI to build custom plugins, but it doesn’t have to end there. We can also extend existing ones. This skill comes in handy when a free or commercial plugin doesn’t quite do everything you need. Everything from minor tweaks to complex features is possible.
For instance, we’ve used AI to generate a custom WooCommerce email when a specific product is ordered. Perhaps that doesn’t sound like an earth-shattering use case. But building such functionality without hours of research is a win in our book. About 30 minutes is all we needed to go from concept to finished product.
Let’s face it: Every WordPress project is nuanced. There are always things our clients would like to change – regardless of size or difficulty. AI can help us go from “Oh, no!” to “That was easy!”
With that in mind, here are some tips for using your favorite large language model (LLM) to extend an existing WordPress plugin.
Is This the Right Plugin for the Job?
Wouldn’t it be nice if the plugin you installed also did x, y, and z? It’s a common refrain when building a website. After all, the little details often separate the good from the great.
Perhaps a client requested a feature that differs from the plugin’s default behavior. Or maybe you had an idea for leveling up the user interface. It’s a great way to spark creativity and go the extra mile.
However, not every plugin is the right one for the job. Some extensions may be too complex and difficult to maintain, while others could take the plugin in a completely different direction. The result is an inefficient path to achieve your goals. In short, it’s an easy way to go down the old rabbit hole.
The WordPress plugin ecosystem is vast, and there are often multiple options for every need. As such, you may find that a different product is a better fit for your project. Look for a plugin that already does most of what you need. From there, extending will be easier.
It’s great that we can extend plugins using AI. Yet, that doesn’t mean we should extend every plugin. So, consider the pros and cons of a product before you dive in headfirst.
A Well-Documented Plugin Often Yields the Best Results
WordPress plugins come from all corners of the ecosystem. Thus, you’ll notice that some authors provide more thorough documentation than others.
Well-documented plugins tend to be better candidates for an AI-generated extension. AI models will have ready access to that information, and it will likely improve your odds of a successful outcome.
Another side effect is that other developers have probably built extensions as well. AI can research forums and blog posts to understand how things work. Plugins often have custom functions, hooks, and filters that developers can tap into. The more information that’s available, the better.
Hint: Feel free to include any relevant documentation or demo links in your AI prompts. This ensures that the AI model is looking in the right place. It could save you from some trial-and-error when building an extension.
What if a plugin has little or no documentation? You may still have a chance to build on top of it. Upload the plugin or share a relevant snippet with AI. The model should be able to determine how things work and move forward from there.
Think About Structure and Future Maintenance
Let’s say that you’ve found the perfect plugin to extend with AI. Now what? You’ll want to think about the best way to structure your extension and how you’ll maintain it.
It’s always tempting to paste a few code snippets into your theme’s functions.php file. That may work in the short term. But what happens when it’s time to change to a new theme? You’ll have to do another copy-and-paste, or risk losing your custom functionality.
Placing your code into a custom plugin is usually the best option. This ensures that your functionality stays intact throughout your website’s lifespan. Better still, most AI apps can help you build a plugin structure that’s easy to maintain. A simple plugin might require a single file, while a more robust one could benefit from a tree structure.
Speaking of maintenance, that places another responsibility on your shoulders. It’s possible to build a custom extension that you won’t need to edit for years. However, it’s important to keep track of changes to the plugin you’re extending. For instance, a major change to Elementor or Gravity Forms could mean refactoring your code.
Building plugins that depend on other plugins is great – just be sure to understand what you’re getting into.
Make Your Existing WordPress Plugins Do More
AI is a great asset when extending an existing WordPress plugin. Explain what you want to achieve, share code and/or documentation, and let the app do the dirty work for you. It’s possible to have a working prototype within minutes.
That’s not to say the entire process is seamless. AI can make mistakes or misinterpret your instructions. As such, your generated code may require a few rounds of revisions. Not to worry! That’s still faster than writing something from scratch.
A word of advice: Ensure that your generated code uses security best practices. We have a handy guide to help you test. Taking a few extra minutes here will give you peace of mind.
Do you have an idea that makes an existing plugin even better? Now is a great time to experiment with a little help from AI.
Online courses are more popular than ever, and it seems like we’re finding new uses for them all the time. People are building everything from user onboarding portals to full-blown educational platforms.
It’s also never been easier to publish an online course. What’s more, WordPress serves as a great foundation for online education. Its content and media management capabilities are a natural fit. Plus, the ability to add automation and connect to third-party services opens a world of possibilities.
Thus, it’s no surprise that learning management system (LMS) plugins have become a popular category. They enable features such as student registration, online transactions, quizzes, automated grading, and awarding certificates. They have everything you need to build, publish, and manage a course in short order.
With that in mind, let’s review a selection of top LMS plugins for WordPress. Each of them has something unique to offer, and you’re sure to find one that fits your needs. Let’s get started!
LifterLMS is a free learning management plugin for WordPress that includes all the basics. Their course builder makes it easy to create lessons, assignments, and quizzes within a custom dashboard (a common theme among the plugins listed here).
The plugin also features a variety of blocks for displaying course grids, outlines, student progress, a login form, and more. A collection of premium add-ons enables e-commerce functionality, social learning, and group management. This means the plugin will grow with you.
The free version of Tutor LMS lets you build and sell online courses with ease. Connect with students via built-in Q&A sections and lesson commenting. It also features a pleasant, easy-to-read design that allows students to focus on learning.
The pro version unlocks additional payment gateways (PayPal is the lone gateway in the free version), an AI Studio feature for generating course materials, certificates, and membership functionality.
Among Sensei’s standout features is Learning Mode, a distraction-free layout that focuses on your course content. You’ll also find a certificate creation tool, auto-graded quizzes, and analytical reports.
Upgrade to Sensei Pro for access to AI-generated quizzes, WooCommerce integration, conditional content, and a suite of custom blocks. The free Course theme will help you get your project off to a quick start.
A commercial-only plugin, LearnDash is a staple among WordPress LMS options. The plugin offers a complete turnkey solution for building and selling courses. Features include a drag-and-drop course builder, PayPal/Stripe integration, and drip-feed content.
It also integrates with third-party tools, such as WooCommerce, The Events Calendar, Gravity Forms, Slack, and Elementor. Available add-ons bring notetaking, group management, and advanced analytical capabilities. LearnDash helps you create professional-looking courses that scale.
LearnPress is a feature-packed WordPress LMS plugin for building and monetizing online courses. The plugin works with the WordPress Block Editor and Elementor out of the box. Meanwhile, you can add features such as course prerequisites, BuddyPress integration, certificates, a front-end editor, and more via free and paid add-ons.
You can even distribute your courses via the LearnPress mobile app – allowing your students to learn on the go. You’ll also find support for selling access to in-person courses.
Whether you’re new to building online courses or a pro, MasterStudy has plenty of features and flexibility. The plugin’s course builder includes options to enable course previews and reviews. You can also assign expiration dates and difficulty levels to each course.
In addition, there’s support for multiple quiz types and a quiz timer. Move up to the pro version and gain access to AI content generation, recurring subscriptions, certificates, live streaming support, and more.
Billed as a “social WordPress LMS,”” WPLMS includes an intriguing set of features. For one, the plugin offers a multi-platform framework that converts your courses to a progressive web app.
Students can optionally download a course and use it anywhere – even without an internet connection. That’s in addition to the standard features you’d expect in an LMS. This commercial option is robust to say the least.
Masteriyo is an extensible LMS solution, with over 40 available add-ons and 20+ third-party integrations. That provides plenty of customization options for course builders. The plugin can also power community-based educational platforms, where instructors sign up to teach courses.
Inside, you’ll find a certificate builder, content dripping, a student gradebook, and support for social logins. There are plenty of features to dig into.
Extensible LMS with add-ons and integrations, certificate builder, gradebook, and social login support.
Extensible course system.
Turn Your WordPress Site Into a Learning Hub
The LMS plugins above offer nearly unlimited possibilities for online educators. Each takes a different approach to course building and management. With that, it’s a matter of picking the tool that fits your workflow.
There is no shortage of features or extras, either. The free plugins on our list include all the basics and are great for beginners. However, those with more complex project requirements will want to check out the premium versions – they include pro-level functionality and user experience.
One thing we haven’t mentioned yet is web hosting. LMS plugins aren’t necessarily resource hogs. But the more users you have, the more server resources you’ll need. Be sure to purchase a web hosting plan with enough storage, RAM, and CPU cycles to handle your anticipated traffic. Hint: It never hurts to leave some room for growth.
Are you looking for more tips for building a successful online course using WordPress? We have a handy guide to help.
Now that you have plenty of great options, it’s time to pick a plugin and get to work!
You may associate website spam with things like phony user accounts, senseless contact form entries, and incoherent blog comments. However, spammers can also hit other parts of your website. WooCommerce is a prime example.
Spam bots are known to order products using fake or stolen payment credentials. You may also notice them using offline payment gateways, such as Cash on Delivery or Direct Bank Transfer (BACS).
These activities are, at the very least, annoying. Your inbox and dashboard will become cluttered with illegitimate orders. However, there’s also some danger involved. A spammer using a stolen credit card can result in fraudulent charges. That impacts both you and the victim.
That’s why it’s important to take action against spammers. We’ll show you how to protect your WooCommerce site without disrupting legitimate customers. It’s easier than you think!
Steps for a Spam-Free WooCommerce Shop
There are several anti-spam WordPress plugins on the market, and some are compatible with WooCommerce. Thus, it’s OK to choose the option that works best for you.
Turnstile will “challenge” suspicious traffic by requiring them to check a box within a widget. Meanwhile, the widget won’t interrupt legitimate users. It’s an effective and hassle-free way to keep spammers at bay.
Note: There’s also a version of this plugin that uses Google’s reCAPTCHA if you’re so inclined.
Step 1: Create Cloudflare Keys
The first step is to create a free Cloudflare account and generate API keys for use on your website. The plugin’s author has a guide for obtaining your Cloudflare keys.
Step 2: Install Simple CAPTCHA Alternative with Cloudflare Turnstile
Next, it’s time to install the plugin:
Log in to your WordPress website and navigate to Plugins > Add Plugin.
Search for “Simple CAPTCHA Alternative with Cloudflare Turnstile”.
Install and activate the plugin.
Step 3: Configure the Plugin
Let’s configure Simple CAPTCHA Alternative with Cloudflare Turnstile by navigating to Settings > Cloudflare Turnstile.
Here’s what to do inside the plugin’s settings panel. There are several ways to customize the plugin’s behavior. However, we’ll focus on the bare minimum to protect your store:
Enter your Cloudflare Turnstile API keys (you’ll need both the Site Key and Secret Key).
Use the WooCommerce Forms section to enable Cloudflare Turnstile on the areas you want to protect. We recommend the WooCommerce Checkout option, as it stops spam orders in their tracks.
Once enabled, you should see the Turnstile widget displayed on your WooCommerce Checkout page.
Other Considerations
As we mentioned, Simple CAPTCHA Alternative with Cloudflare Turnstile has a robust settings panel. That means there are a few other items you might want to consider:
What happens if there’s an outage? You can protect against a Cloudflare outage by enabling Failsafe Mode. The plugin will either allow all submissions or use reCAPTCHA instead (provided you have API keys). This avoids any disruptions to your site’s customers.
Would you like to protect other areas of your website? You can enable the Turnstile widget virtually anywhere user input is required. The site’s login, registration, and comment forms are examples. There are also integrations with popular form plugins.
Should logged-in users see the Cloudflare Turnstile widget? You can limit the widget’s display to “guest” checkouts only. However, we recommend enabling the widget on your site’s registration forms first.
Do you want to disable the widget for specific payment gateways? This comes in handy if you only want to protect the aforementioned offline payment gateways.
We recommend experimenting with the plugin’s settings to determine what works best for your website. You can always add or remove protection methods as needed.
Rid Your E-Commerce Site of Spam Orders
There is no avenue spammers won’t explore. WooCommerce orders are just one in a long list of places they’ll attempt to wreak havoc. Thankfully, you don’t have to put up with it.
Install Simple CAPTCHA Alternative with Cloudflare Turnstile, and your website will be protected within minutes. You and your clients will gain peace of mind while stopping illegitimate orders from overwhelming your inbox.
Plugins like this one are becoming a necessity as malicious traffic continues to have a field day with WordPress. Be sure to protect yourself!
You may think of WordPress plugins as tools for improving a website. That makes plenty of sense. We use them to add features for users and site owners. They add capabilities like SEO, shopping carts, and layout building to the mix.
Plugins aren’t just here to serve those groups, however. There are also products designed specifically for web developers. These expert-only items enable us to troubleshoot issues, measure performance, monitor site functionality, and more.
Some utilities are even meant to be installed temporarily. Use them and then lose them. All the better to keep a curious client from wreaking havoc!
With that in mind, let’s look at a handful of WordPress plugins that cater to developers. You might find a few that fit your workflow.
This official WordPress plugin belongs in every developer’s toolbox. It’s a debugging tool that makes troubleshooting potential plugin and theme conflicts easier to diagnose. You can “virtually” deactivate items within your user session to identify which one is causing an issue.
Importantly, visitors to your website won’t be impacted by your tests. You’ll also find a plethora of debug data and confirmation that WordPress core files haven’t been tampered with. When things go wrong, reach for Health Check.
Does your website have performance issues? Is it riddled with PHP or JavaScript errors? Query Monitor will help you pinpoint the source of a myriad of problems. The plugin logs errors and keeps track of everything that happens during a page load on the front and back ends of your website.
You’ll also find handy details such as the current theme template, user capability info, and server environment settings. There is also a selection of add-ons for extending Query Monitor’s functionality.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever accidentally triggered a user email when working on a website. It’s a common issue when troubleshooting or building new features. Activate Disable Emails, and you won’t have to worry about that WooCommerce invoice or password reset being sent.
Your site’s theme, plugins, and custom code snippets all impact performance. But how much? Code Profiler provides a visual overview of load times, disk usage, and more. The colorful (and exportable) charts make it easy to identify what’s slowing down your site.
The plugin also works with WP-CLI and accommodates custom cookies/HTTP headers.
WordPress relies on cron tasks for functionality like sending emails and detecting software updates. In some cases, a failed task can lead to problems – particularly for e-commerce and membership sites.
Advanced Cron Manager allows you to view registered tasks, modify their schedules, and add new tasks to the list. The plugin helps you take control of an otherwise invisible process.
Let’s face it: email is unreliable. That said, we still count on it for receiving form submissions and e-commerce orders. Email Log provides peace of mind by tracking every email WordPress sends. It also serves as the first step in troubleshooting email delivery issues.
Plugins To Help You Build and Troubleshoot Faster
Developers have no shortage of responsibilities. We not only build websites with WordPress, but we also maintain and troubleshoot them. The right tools are essential for our efficiency and sanity.
The plugins on this list help us do just that. They provide useful data, allow fine-grained control over site processes, and alert us to potential problems. Even better is that we can install them with just a few clicks.
So, don’t go it alone when working with WordPress. Use the tools above to give you an edge – you’ll be glad to have them in your toolbox.
The Media Library is a vital part of WordPress. It’s where we upload images, documents, audio, and video for use on our websites.
The feature has seen minor improvements, but still lacks some advanced features. It can also be difficult to manage on large sites with lots of files. Plus, there’s no built-in support for some modern image formats.
As usual, the plugin ecosystem has solutions for all these shortcomings. There are countless options for improving the Media Library’s functionality and workflow. Everything from replacing an existing upload to creating a custom taxonomy system is available.
Are you looking to make the Media Library work for you? You’ve come to the right place! Here are eight of the best free plugins to enhance its form and function.
This plugin includes a suite of helpful features to enhance the WordPress Media Library. It supports categories, tags, and custom taxonomies for your files – perfect for keeping track of large libraries.
You can also display photo galleries based on these taxonomies. You’ll also find support for extra file metadata, MIME type options, and an enhanced media search.
Are you a frequent user of free stock photo sites? You’ll want to check out Instant Images. The plugin connects your site to Openverse, Pexels, Unsplash, and other popular free image communities.
Find the perfect photo and import it into your site’s Media Library. The best part is not having to leave your site to find great images.
SVG files are lightweight and scale beautifully to any size. However, there are security risks when using an unsanitized file. A malicious actor could place code in the file that is executed when the image is viewed.
Safe SVG helps sanitize uploaded files and lets you choose which users can upload them. It also optimizes SVGs and lets you view them in the Media Library – something WordPress core still doesn’t support.
Older image file formats like JPG and PNG can slow your site’s performance. Newer formats like WebP offer more efficient compression and save you bandwidth. Install Converter for Media, and the plugin will convert your existing images to WebP and optimize them. That provides a better page loading experience while improving Google PageSpeed scores.
The WordPress Media Library can become a cluttered mess. Old files sit unused and take up precious space. The plugin scans your site and flags files that are either broken or unused.
Support for WooCommerce means it will work with your web store. It’s an easy way to tame an out-of-control library and free up your server storage.
ShortPixel Image Optimizer will shrink all types of images, including PDF files. You can compress existing legacy format images or convert them to WebP or AVIF. The plugin optionally protects images from AI bot scrapers.
The bulk optimization feature works in the background, and command-line (WP-CLI) support lets you be as hands-on as you like.
Files must be directly uploaded within WordPress to be listed in the Media Library. But what if you have to upload files via FTP? Media Sync will scan your site’s /wp-content/uploads/ folder to find images not listed in the Media Library, then import them. You can remove the plugin when you’re done. Easy!
Take Control of the WordPress Media Library
Nice as it is, the WordPress Media Library doesn’t fit every workflow. The plugins above mean that you don’t have to settle. Use them to create an experience that fits your needs.
Improve your file organization, optimize images, support for new formats, and connect to third-party services. It’s all possible with the help of the right plugins.
So, what are you waiting for? Create a plan and take control of the WordPress Media Library.
WordPress Media Plugin FAQs
What Is a Media Library Plugin?
They are plugins that can improve the default WordPress media library, offering more features and organization options. They can efficiently manage your images, videos, and files within your WordPress site.
Who Should Use a Media Library Plugin?
Anyone who manages a WordPress site with a significant amount of media content. This includes bloggers, photographers, e-commerce site owners, and anyone who wants better organization and functionality in their media library.
Why Use a Media Library Plugin on Your WordPress Site?
They offer advanced features like better sorting, filtering, and categorization. They make managing a large number of media files easier and more efficient.
Can I Organize Files in Folders with These Plugins?
Yes, many media library plugins offer the ability to organize files into folders and categories, making it easier to keep your media files neat and accessible.
Are These Plugins Easy to Use for Beginners?
Most media library plugins are designed with user-friendliness in mind. However, the ease of use can vary, so it’s worth checking reviews or trying a demo if available.
There’s a school of thought among web developers that clients don’t care about how you build something. They only care that things work as expected.
There’s some truth to that logic. Most of our clients aren’t WordPress experts. They don’t know Yoast SEO from Jetpack. They’re unlikely to know what separates a good theme from a poor one. They depend on us to build their website responsibly.
However, our choices will matter to them at some point in the future. For example, when an abandoned plugin includes an unpatched security issue. Or when an outdated theme isn’t compatible with the latest version of PHP.
Making the wrong choice can be costly for you and your clients. At the very least, it means additional maintenance. At worst, it could mean cleaning up a hacked website and dealing with a data breach.
So, how do you know if you’re choosing the best options for your clients? We have some tips for picking themes and plugins that have the best chance of future success.
Choose WordPress Products With a Good Reputation
The WordPress.org plugin repository hosts tens of thousands of items. However, not all of them are fit for use in a production environment. Consider that some plugins haven’t been updated in years, while others have existed for only a short time. The same scenario applies to themes.
That’s why choosing reputable products is so important. Even if something goes wrong, it’s likely to be fixed. Additionally, the best theme and plugin authors are proactive in implementing security measures.
Finding a reputable product isn’t difficult; it involves a little bit of research. Here are a few clues that a theme or plugin is trustworthy:
An updated changelog: A regular pattern of updates indicates that the product is actively developed. New features are great. However, also look for bug fixes and security patches.
Resolved support tickets: The WordPress.org forums are a great place to see how well a product is supported. Some commercial products may have their own support forums. Regardless, look for resolved tickets and frequent responses from their support team.
A steady active install count: The theme and plugin repositories include active install counts. A high number doesn’t always correlate to quality, but it’s an indicator of a trusted product. Even a relatively low number is acceptable, provided the items above are addressed.
None of us can guarantee the long-term outlook for a theme or plugin. But choosing one with a good reputation should increase your confidence. It’s something your clients will also appreciate.
Consider the Pros & Cons of an Ecosystem
Some WordPress themes and plugins come with their own ecosystems. WooCommerce is a prime example, as the e-commerce platform offers extensions you can use to add functionality. Other examples include Gravity Forms, Kadence, and GeneratePress.
Buying into such an ecosystem has advantages. Compatibility should be top-notch, for one. It’s better than a piecemeal approach, where you add unrelated software from all over the web. Each piece fits together to create something bigger.
Theoretically, this should mean easier maintenance, particularly if each item comes from the same author. Product upgrades arrive in lock-step and avoid major issues.
There are some potential downsides to this approach. An ecosystem must be sustainable, for one. Imagine investing in a family of theme products that goes out of existence. That means your clients are using software that is no longer actively developed. It’s only a matter of time until there are problems.
Plus, a singular part of an ecosystem could fall into a black hole. Many WooCommerce extensions are built by third-party developers, for example. That’s great for innovation. Yet, there’s also a risk that the product won’t keep up with changes to the parent plugin.
Once again, this is where reputation comes into play. Scrutinize an ecosystem and its related products as you would any other theme or plugin. Don’t assume every item is of equal quality or strength.
Think About the Bigger Picture
It’s easy to fall into short-term thinking when working on client projects. We’re trying to meet client expectations within a tight timeline and budget. That can lead to installing a theme or plugin simply because it’s the fastest solution.
We may not realize the long-term consequences of those decisions. Using what’s most convenient in the moment doesn’t guarantee quality or reliability. Make the wrong choice, and suddenly, your client will care about how you built their website.
Keep that in mind as you plan for a project. Consider the future needs of the website and how things will look in a few years. Do you see a WordPress theme or plugin that’s still humming along? Or might you be in a panic to replace a key component?
No decision is without risk. However, you can reduce it by doing your homework. Doing so will lead to easier maintenance and more peace of mind.
WordPress is known for its flexibility. The ability to build custom blocks keeps with that tradition. There are so many potential use cases. It feels like the sky is the limit.
However, building a custom block hasn’t always been easy. Even seasoned WordPress developers can struggle to learn the process. Blocks are based on React, rather than PHP. As such, there’s a serious learning curve. That has left many to look at alternative methods or use third-party block suites.
There’s a new tool looking to change the narrative. Telex is Automattic’s AI-powered block builder. Tell the app what you want, and Telex goes to work. It generates code and, once you’re satisfied with the result, creates a custom plugin to install on your website.
Telex is ripe for experimentation. Let’s take it for a spin and see what it can do.
Getting Started With Telex
First things first, you’ll need a free WordPress.com account to use Telex and save your projects. Click the Login button on the upper right of the screen to get started.
Once that’s taken care of, it’s time to tell Telex about your project. The interface should be familiar to anyone who has used ChatGPT, Gemini, or other popular AI models.
Enter your idea into the text field, and the tool takes care of the rest. It generates your custom block’s code and even lets you test it in a real WordPress installation (thanks to WordPress Playground).
Doesn’t that sound otherworldly? Follow along as we create a demo block.
Creating a Custom Timeline Block
From the looks of things, there’s no idea that’s too far-flung for Telex. There is a plethora of creative examples popping up on the web.
For our purposes, we’ll try to keep things practical. We’ll create a Timeline block that allows us to highlight important dates with style.
Here’s the prompt we used:
Create a Timeline block that allows me to highlight important dates in a vertical format. It should have fields for the following:
1. Year
2. Content
The design should feature the Year on the left and the Content on the right. A vertical line should be displayed between the Year and the Content. The Year should be bold text and stand out.
Hint: Telex has an “Enhance Prompt” feature that will that will rewrite your prompt using AI. Give it a try if you’re having trouble describing what you want. We tried the feature, and it added a few elements we hadn’t thought of, including responsive styling.
Click the Build button once you’re satisfied with your prompt.
Generating & Testing Our Custom Block
Telex will start building your block in plain view. The UI shows your prompt at the top of the screen, while the app’s internal dialog scrolls by below.
In our case, the process took about two minutes to complete. Once finished, we were redirected to a WordPress install and placed into the Block Editor.
This is where the fun begins! Telex provides an opportunity to test our new block and see how it works. We can use the chat panel on the right side of the screen to ask questions or make edits.
Judging the Initial Result
At first glance, our Timeline block looks similar to what we envisioned. Telex followed our instructions with the help of its AI enhancement feature. It also added a few details we didn’t think of, such as the ability to style the block’s colors and spacing.
There’s even a handy plus (+) icon for adding additional milestones to our block. As promised, the block is also responsive. The Year and Content blocks are stacked on small screens for easier reading.
It’s a strong start. However, we think there’s room for improvement. Can Telex help?
Improving Our Timeline Block
Perhaps the biggest thing missing from our block is the ability to customize the typography. We’d love to change the font sizing and spacing. Let’s ask Telex for some help:
Can you add font size and spacing settings to the Year and Content fields?
Telex receives our prompt and immediately begins revising the block. Once finished, the Block Editor is refreshed, and it’s time to inspect the changes.
Sure enough, our block now features typography settings for the Year and Content fields. Nice!
We’re one step closer to completion. However, there are a few other small tweaks we’d like to make:
I notice the line between entries isn't connected. Can we change that?
Also, I'd love the ability to horizontally align each entry to the Top, Middle, or Bottom.
Telex got both requests correct, to a point. We can now align our milestones horizontally. However, the connecting line has now moved to the left side, which is not what we wanted. Recall that the line had been in the middle.
Can you move the connecting line back to the middle? It should be connected to the icon between the Year and Content fields.
It took a few tries and a recovery from a PHP crash inside WordPress Playground. Telex eventually moved the line to the middle and adjusted the styling so the milestones are connected on the front end (there was still a bit of space in the editor).
Things are looking good, so we’ll click the Download button on the upper right of the screen. Telex provides a ZIP file containing a plugin for our custom block.
Now, we can install the plugin on any WordPress website!
Making Custom Blocks a Prompt Away
Our experience with Telex was a pleasant one. Within 30 minutes, we had a working prototype of our custom Timeline block. Even the most talented of React developers would have difficulty matching that pace.
Sure, there were a few glitches along the way. That’s to be expected from any AI tool. However, Telex produced the result we were hoping for.
What about security? We ran the plugin through Plugin Check, which gave us a thumbs-up. We recommend using the tool for every custom block you generate. Also, review the code manually. Don’t take security for granted.
Telex is still in its “experimental” phase as of this writing. However, it’s safe to say that the future looks very bright.
Every WordPress website is a target for brute-force login attempts. Bots will swarm your site and flood it with various usernames and password combinations. If they find a weak or compromised password, they can do untold damage.
Enhancing your site’s login security is crucial, and implementing two-factor authentication (2FA) should be a part of your plan. The technology requires a user to verify their identity via email, text message, or a third-party app. It’s the last line of defense against a hacker accessing a user’s account.
The good news is that you don’t have to be a security expert to implement 2FA on your website. Several WordPress plugins can add this layer of security in just a few clicks.
We’ve put together a list of the top 2FA plugins to help you get started. You’ll find options covering different authentication methods, along with the ability to protect administrator and lower-level accounts. You’re sure to find the perfect match for your site’s needs.
An official plugin from the WordPress team, Two-Factor adds 2FA settings to each user’s profile. It also supports several verification methods, including email, time-based one-time passwords (TOTP), FIDO Universal 2nd Factor (U2F), and backup codes. Note that 2FA can be enabled on a per-user basis or for all users via a code snippet.
Wordfence is known for its all-in-one security suite. However, they also offer a niche plugin that secures your site’s login. Wordfence Login Security supports TOTP-based apps such as Google Authenticator and Authy. What’s more, you can add reCAPTCHA protection to your login pages and guard against XML-RPC attacks. It’s a lightweight option that adds peace of mind.
WP 2FA makes it easy to protect user accounts. There are options for protecting all users, specific users, or users with a particular role. The plugin supports email and TOTP authentication methods. It also allows users to set up their 2FA preferences on the front end where appropriate. Developers can use the plugin’s API to add support for additional 2FA providers.
Add a layer of security to any user or user role on your WordPress website. Two Factor Authentication supports TOTP and HOTP methods. It’s also compatible with WooCommerce, Elementor Pro, Gravity Forms, and other popular plugins. The plugin can also remember trusted devices and will alert you if a user enters the correct password with an incorrect 2FA code.
Here’s a simple solution for adding 2FA to your website. Install Two Factor (2FA) Authentication via Email, and a toggle will be added to each user profile. Enable 2FA for individuals or use the provided code snippet to turn it on sitewide. Note that email is the only supported authentication method.
Solid Security includes a suite of tools to protect your website, including 2FA. The free version of the plugin offers email-based authentication, while the pro version supports TOTP and backup codes. You can also configure strong password requirements and ban users after repeated failed login attempts.
An Easy Way To Improve Your Website’s Security
Two-factor authentication is a must-have feature for every WordPress website. It’s also one of the easiest items to implement.
The plugins above streamline the process and provide multiple authentication options. So, whether you need to protect site administrators, e-commerce customers, or both, there’s a plugin for you.
We hope you found this plugin roundup useful. Check out our WordPress Security section for more helpful tips and tools.
WordPress is an effective platform for getting your website indexed by search engines. And, while there are several well-known plugins to help optimize your site, there are many more under-the-radar options to choose from.
These plugins range in their focus. Some provide comprehensive SEO improvements, covering everything from keywords to helping boost site speed. Others focus on specific aspects, like making your site easier for artificial intelligence (AI) models to index. This diversity means you can find a plugin tailored to exactly what your site needs.
The beauty of these plugins is their ability to fine-tune your website’s SEO strategy. Whether you’re looking to enhance your site’s visibility, increase traffic, or improve search rankings, these tools can be helpful. They’re also designed to be user-friendly, making SEO more accessible to everyone, regardless of technical expertise.
To give your WordPress site an SEO boost, here are ten underrated plugins. Each plugin brings something unique and could be the key to improving your site’s search engine ranking. These plugins are worth exploring if you’re aiming for a more effective and efficient SEO approach.
Enter your desired keyword or phrase, and BoldGrid Easy SEO will analyze your site’s content and provide helpful suggestions.
That may sound pretty standard. However, the plugin also scans image ALT attributes and your use of heading tags to improve page structure. Search visibility settings enable you to hide content from search engines, if that’s your thing.
The SEO Framework aims to blend seamlessly into your WordPress website. The plugin eschews loud ads and upsells, while focusing on helpful features. It comes preconfigured with settings that should benefit most websites, but you can adjust them as needed.
You’ll find settings for each page’s meta details, along with social sharing optimizations. There is also a wide array of paid extensions that add structured data, Google Analytics integration, and local business info.
Structured data is an important factor for many types of websites. Local businesses, publishers, and events benefit from adding rich snippets to their content.
& Structured Data supports 35+ schema types and includes WordPress blocks that make it easy to add structured content to any page. Plus, you can conditionally display markup fields on any page or post type.
Touted as “beginner-friendly,” SureRank SEO offers a suite of features to get your site indexed. It covers all the basics for optimizing content and social media sharing.
There’s also an image SEO feature that automatically generates ALT text and redirects WordPress attachment pages. You’ll also find Google Search Console integration and the ability to track SERP (search engine results pages) stats on the dashboard.
SEOPress includes everything you’d expect from an SEO plugin, plus a few extras. The image sitemap feature is a prime example.
It automatically adds images, galleries, and WooCommerce product images to your sitemap for improved visibility in Google Images. You can also build a custom HTML sitemap to help users navigate your content. The little details are what make this a compelling option.
Sometimes, the standard meta tags added by SEO plugins aren’t enough. That’s where Meta Tag Manager comes in.
The plugin enables you to add predefined or custom meta tags to pages and posts. You can include tags globally for different content types, or on specific posts. It will also add structured and Open Graph data to your site’s home page.
Provide social networks like Facebook, Pinterest, and X with all the appropriate Open Graph data with OG. Activate the plugin, and it will automatically output the relevant data, including images and WooCommerce product meta.
Oh, and there’s no settings page to worry about. It’s an easy way to improve your site’s social sharing capabilities.
Search engines are no longer the only tools indexing your website. AI large language models (LLMs) are also frequent visitors (some might say too frequent).
The Website LLMs.txt plugin automatically generates an llms.txt file that formats site data in an AI-friendly manner. Think of it as an XML sitemap geared toward the needs of LLMs. You can customize which content is added and how often the file is updated.
Note that it’s up to each LLM model to recognize and use the file. Some may ignore it.
Internal linking is often an underutilized aspect of SEO. We spend so much time tweaking titles and descriptions, ignoring the great content already on our websites.
Internal Link Juicer aims to fix that by automatically adding relevant links to your posts. Enter keywords for a post, and the plugin will identify appropriate links. You can tweak settings, including the link format and excluding specific posts from linking.
Do you pay attention to the names of your media files? If not, you’re missing an opportunity to improve SEO. Media File Renamer scans your file’s data using AI and generates an SEO-friendly name, title, ALT attribute, and description.
The plugin works for new uploads, but you can also use it with the existing files in your Media Library.
Alternative Options for Improving SEO
SEO isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition. Your site’s needs will vary, based on the type of content you publish and your goals. Certain niches require specialized tools.
The plugins in this collection can help with a variety of use cases. And some can be used in conjunction with the more generic tools on the market. That enables you to build a custom SEO strategy.
It’s also no secret that, in the age of AI, SEO is shifting. Thankfully, the WordPress plugin ecosystem is beginning to address this evolution. You can simultaneously cover the traditional and cutting-edge techniques.
We hope this collection helps you build a winning formula for now and the future!
Niche SEO WordPress Plugin FAQs
What Are Niche WordPress SEO Plugins?
They are specialized WordPress plugins designed to improve search engine optimization for specific types of websites.
Who Should Use Niche SEO Plugins for WordPress?
They are ideal for website owners who have specific SEO needs that aren’t fully addressed by general SEO plugins.
Why Choose a Niche SEO Plugin Over a General SEO Plugin?
They offer customized features and settings that cater specifically to the unique SEO challenges of certain types of websites or businesses.
Can These Plugins Help with Content Optimization?
Yes, many niche SEO plugins offer content analysis and recommendations tailored to your specific website type, helping you optimize your content more effectively.
Do Niche SEO Plugins Work Alongside General SEO Plugins?
In many cases, yes. They can often complement the features of general SEO plugins for a more comprehensive SEO strategy.
A feature-rich WordPress theme that offers “unlimited flexibility” may still not be able to handle certain demands you place upon it. You may have to accept the fact your need or needs will go unfulfilled, try to resolve the problem yourself through coding (or place it in the hands of a developer), or look for some other solution to your problem. That other solution, a WordPress plugin, could be readily available – assuming you know what to look for and where to look for it.
Plugins offer a wealth of valuable features, providing the flexibility and functionality needed to enhance a theme’s performance and, in turn, elevate a website’s overall quality. Certain plugins can be true game-changers, transforming the website-building process and significantly enhancing the final product’s attributes.
Amelia, Essential Grid, and the other leading WordPress plugins featured in this article have undoubtedly revolutionized what’s achievable in website design and functionality.
The essential: Amelia automates the entire booking process from top to bottom.
This video shows one of Amelia’s most popular usages. Click on it to explore it.
As powerful as the Amelia WordPress plugin is, it’s UI is remarkably easy to navigate. Users quickly learn how to establish their schedules and manage their appointments with a minimum of effort.
Amelia’s customizable pre-built templates can be put into play to make things even easier. Take Booking Appointments at a Dog Walking Service for example. It doesn’t get much more straightforward than this.
The ability to fully automate appointment or event booking operations has been a true game changer, and Amelia’s standout feature, “Packages,” takes it to the next level. Packages bundles related services into complete, well-organized packages. By doing so Amelia-
maximizes revenue opportunities for businesses while at the same time simplifying the booking process for clients.
makes it possible for spas, salons, healthcare providers, fitness centers, and similar services-oriented businesses to tailor packages to meet their client’s specific needs and preferences.
Client average score: 4.9 out of 5 on Capterra
Key customer insight: Pros: “Best plugin I found for planning my (recurring) workshops. And great support if there are any issues.”
Cons: “It needs some getting used to, when you start using this plugin.”
Immediate help via: Support manual, YouTube videos
The essential: wpDataTables is a powerful and easy to work with WordPress plugin for creating tables and charts from one or more sources.
This video shows one of wpDataTables’ most popular usages. Click on it to explore it.
wpDataTables was designed to ensure that data management and visualization tasks could be accomplished quickly, easily, and effectively. This WordPress plugin’s users have in fact found that they can process large datasets to create informative, responsive, and editable charts and tables quickly and effectively in three simple steps:
Access and retrieve data from multiple sources – Excel to MySQL
Customize and configure the table/chart as needed. It could be helpful to do so with the aid of a template like the WordPress Pricing Table
Use Visual Composer or any standard WordPress editor to publish the table or chart.
wpDataTable has been considered to be a gamechanger for a long time because of the straightforwardness and effectiveness its users experience when working on what might otherwise be very difficult data management tasks. wpDataTables’ Multiple Database Connections capability sets it apart from any competition. This feature enables users to connect to multiple databases and process the data.
Client average score: 4.5 out of 5 on WordPress.org
Key customer insight: “The support team helped resolve the compatibility issues with my theme. Really helpful and willing to go the extra way to ensure that the plugin works well in any environment. ”
Immediate help via: Support manual, YouTube videos
The essential: Slider Revolution can be used by anyone to create professional-level visuals.
This video shows one of Slider Revolution’s most popular usages. Click on it to explore it.
It can be difficult for a website builder to know how to go about a creating beautiful and future-ready website. Slider Revolution’s developers have met the challenge head on by giving its users access to its constantly growing collection ultra-modern templates.
An eye-catching example of the possibilities these templates bring to the table is provided in this Serenity Hero with Focus Effect template which can serve both as an inspiration and a means of jump-starting an effort to create a stunning website.
New templates are released monthly, and when you start working with one of them, it quickly becomes clear that –
much of the design effort has already been done.
design or coding skills are not needed to customize a template.
the templates have already been optimized for speed and responsiveness.
Unless you are satisfied with having your website designs blend in with everyone else’s you should consider taking a more innovative design approach. Revolution Slider can be your perfect guide.
Immediate help via: Support manual, YouTube videos
The essential: Fancy Product Designer gives you absolute freedom in determining how to customize a product or product part.
This video shows one of Fancy Product Designer’s most popular usages. Click on it to explore it.
A great thing about Fancy Product Designer is that it is not limited to a mere handful of products. It can in fact be applied to almost any type of product, and there are limitless possibilities when customizing a product, whether you’re tailoring the entire product or just a specific part of it.
Some plugins make performing certain tasks easier, faster, or both, but they often come with limitations on how they can be utilized. That’s not true with Fancy Product Designer,
If a product is capable of being customized to any extent at all, Fancy Product Designer can do it. Users can –
upload text or images from social media as well as from any device.
upload images in various formats: PNG,SVG, JPEG and PDF.
integrate essential features into one solution.
utilize AI techniques for image background removal.
elevate text with a range of strokes, styles, and shadows to add depth and flair to your design.
present multiple views of a product.
New templates are released on a monthly basis.
Immediate help via: YouTube videos, Support manual
The essential: LayerSlider is an all-in-one solution designed to make a lasting impression on website visitors.
This video highlights one of the most popular applications of LayerSlider. Click to explore.
LayerSlider’s popularity stems from its ability to work seamlessly on any website, no matter the content. LayerSlider is much more than just a slider-building plugin. It is a creative tool with features that web designers, developers, and businesses can use to create websites that will compel their visitors to sit up and take notice.
Among LayerSlider’s many unique features you will find –
scroll effects, stunning animations, and other eye-catching features.
versatile templates like this Fashion Trends example that allows seamless text and image customization to serve as a standout centerpiece on any website.
a Project Editor that places every tool and function front and center, precisely where you would expect to find them.
seamless integration with third-party content, including Google Fonts and Pexels.
Add-ons, including Countdown, Counter, 404, and Maintenance & Coming Soon, expand LayerSlider’s versatility to meet diverse project needs.
Key customer insight: “The scroll effects make my page come alive – it’s like magic seeing the animations unfold as you scroll.”
The essential: SSL Insecure Content Fixer solves the majority of insecure content warnings with minimal effort.
This video shows one of SSL Insecure Content Fixer’s most popular usages. Click on it to explore it.
The SSL Insecure Content Fixer plugin serves to clean up a WordPress website’s HTTPS insecure content and mixed content warnings. When installed, SSL Insecure Content Fixer’s default settings are activated, and basic website fixes are automatically performed using the Simple fix level.
If this suffices there is no more to be done. Otherwise, the SSL Insecure Content Fixer plugin can be operated at 4 additional content fixing levels:
Content Fix Level that does everything the Simple fix level does. In addition it cleans up images and iframes, and it embeds (videos, tunes) in your page content and in Text widgets.
Widgets fix level does everything the Content fix level does with the exception that it does not restrict its widget fixes to Text widgets.
Capture fix level that captures an entire page, fixes scripts, images, stylesheets, and iframes, and embeds (videos/ tunes) in the page.
Capture All fix level that does everything the Capture fix level does and in addition captures AJAX requests.
A note of caution: Care should be taken when operating at either the Capture fix or the Capture All fix level as these levels have been known to have an impact on website performance.
Client average score: 4.85 out of 5 on WordPress.org
The essential: If you can envision a gallery design, Essential Grid will help you create it.
This video shows one of Essential Grid’s most popular usages. Click on it to explore it.
Essential Grid is a game-changer that can save you a ton of time while at the same time ensuring that you will be able to attractively organize your content streams. You can put Essential Grid to good use on any website project that has a need for a filterable, sortable, or searchable grid listing of items.
Essential Grid’s standout feature is its collection of 50+ fully customizable grid skins, providing easy access to jumpstart your project with minimal effort. If you don’t find exactly what you think you need, you can easily build your with the Visual Editor and add it to the collection..
The Clark Gillies Blog Grid skin for example is minimal and functional in design. The optional lightbox also makes it a solid pick for a portfolio showcase.
With Essential Grid –
You get a choice of even, masonry, and cobble layouts.
You can source and upload content from Social Media sites.
Your Essential Grid galleries will display on all devices perfectly.
The essential: Map SVG is the perfect map plugin for any project.
This video shows one of Map SVG’s most popular usages. Click on it to explore it.
Of all the mapping plugins out there, the MapSVG plugin is by far the most customizable. Map SVG offers customizable templates that integrate seamlessly with an embedded, highly flexible database, supporting vector, Google, and image maps.
These customizable templates enable you to easily create information windows of any complexity you choose. Your maps can in effect be treated as websites within a website.
Map SVG uses are many and varied. The more common uses include:
Data visualization, which is accomplished with multicolored maps where each different color is associated with a specific meaning or value.
Locations of sales or field representatives on a map as well as in a directory where additional information pertaining to each individual can be displayed.
Showcasing land plots with associated information for real estate companies.
Showcasing store locations for multi-store businesses.
A popular feature that sets Map SVG apart is the support it offers via an AI-assisted live chat. This feature, integrated into the plugin, has read all the Map SVG documents and can answer all the basic questions.
Key customer insight: Pretty flexible with most of the options.
Immediate help via: YouTube videos, Support manual, AI assistant, live chat
The essential: IvyForms enables its users to easily create WordPress forms without any need for code.
This video shows one of IvyForms’ most popular usages. Click on it to explore it.
The IvyForms WordPress form builder features a modern UI, no-nonsense customizing, and effective reporting. With IvyForms it becomes a simple matter to –
create a Contact Form in mere seconds without having to worry about coding.
take the Contact Form and with just a click integrate it into a contact page, a mailing list, a marketing service, or whatever.
use smart conditional logic to capture valuable contact information from your visitors.
Initiate an email campaign.
Fields you use, from file uploads, multi-page forms, or forms you create will always display correctly on devices.
You can also take advantage of IvyForms’ pre-built templates to kick-start a project, use interactive conversational forms to bring a WordPress form to life, and make use or reCAPTCHA or honeypot to protect against spam.
It’s almost a given that one or more of the WordPress plugins in the above listing will be more than capable of solving whatever issue you may be facing if that issue involves:
Difficulty of Use: These plugins simplify complex tasks.
Substandard Performance: These plugins improve performance characteristics of a theme or website.
Reliable Support and Updates: These plugins feature regular updates and attentive developer support.
Future-Ready Features: These plugins can help to make a website future-ready.
Versatility: These plugins address needs for added flexibility or special functionality.
If additional searching should be required on your part, you should find it easier to arrive at a solution to your problem because of the knowledge you have gained here.
If you’re using the WordPress platform for your website building projects, you’re definitely on the right track. Still, building a better website than the competition’s is usually easier said than done. As doing so may require design or coding skills beyond what you currently possess.
The good news is that there are WordPress tools that can be precisely what you need to improve a website’s features or add desired functionality.
These tools are called plugins, and they are software addons you can install on your websites to add features. You can extend functionality, optimize SEO, boost speed and performance, and more.
Check out these 9 great WordPress plugins for your website projects in 2023. One of more of them could give you exactly what you are looking for.
If is unlikely that the Brizy design team really intended to pander to you, but once you start using it, no other website theme builder will ever feel as nice and easy to work with. The Brizy cloud website builder is ideal for beginners and non-techies (and for techies as well), and you can download it for free.
The Brizy WordPress theme builder has many uses. You can, for example –
build a new website.
improve upon an existing one.
create dynamic templates and use them for creating blog and archive pages, headers and footers, and custom pages exactly as you want them.
choose among more than 150 high conversion pre-made templates
access elements and templates to customize an eCommerce shop site
Key Brizy features include a Theme Builder, Global Blocks, Global Styling features, and WooCommerce integration. You can take advantage of the 100% White Label option if you want to brand the Brizy Builder as your own.
Click on the banner to give Brizy a closer look. A Pro option is available.
You probably enjoy facing a challenge now and then, or you wouldn’t be a web designer. Still, working with massive amounts of complex data can be frustrating at times. Especially when it takes hours of effort to create a table or chart and the final result is disappointing.
wpDataTables is a power-packed WordPress tables plugin that can process huge amounts of complex data to create attractive, interactive, responsive, and easily editable and maintainable tables and charts in minutes.
wpDataTables key features include –
4 chart-building engines — Google Charts, Highcharts, Chart.js, and Apex Charts.
the ability to work from multiple database sources, MYSQL, MS SQL, PostgreSQL and with all standard data formats
using Conditional Formatting to highlight and color code key data
integration with Elementor, Divi, Avada and WP Bakery.
Other useful features include sorting and filtering, formula columns, nested JSON, and more. Click on the banner to learn more.
Adding the Amelia WordPress booking plugin to a business’s WordPress website can completely streamline and fully automate its appointment booking operations with its ability to –
manage an unlimited number of client appointment bookings at multiple locations from a single platform and dashboard.
enable clients to book appointments online 24/7.
manage group appointments, packages, and events.
send notifications and reminders to clients via Email or SMS
accept payments online using PayPal, Stripe, Mollie, or
Booking forms can even be customized to match the business’s brand. Amelia provides an ideal booking solution for beauty, healthcare, fitness, consulting, educational, and other client-dependent business enterprises.
Click on the banner to learn more about how you could use the Amelia WordPress plugin streamline and automate your business’s booking operations.
Choosing LayerSlider to add sliders to a website is a wise choice as it’s the best WordPress slider plugin on the market, and it can also be used to create image galleries, popups, landing pages, animated page blocks, and parallax and scroll scenes.
LayerSlider will fully support whatever WordPress theme and page builder you happen to be using.
LayerSlider’s 210+ highly customizable website, slider, and popup templates provide a great starting point for your new projects.
TheDock WordPress theme builder helps teams create websites faster; websites that are guaranteed to look sharp, perform great, and be easy to support because of this plugin’s –
well organized selections of Custom Post Types and Custom Fields.
extremely fast page loads
auto-adjusting, highly flexible layout system and its global UI components
White-label builder for sharing access to TheDock’s theme builder only when you want to
If you would benefit from injecting a few healthy doses of spice and flair into your websites, you should have the Slider Revolution WordPress plugin in your web design toolbox.
Slider Revolution’s-
250+ website and slider templates and innovative website animation effects will impress the most jaded of visitors
web design tools take you to the limits of web design possibilities.
Slider Revolution is used and trusted by over 9 million worldwide users.
Download Monitor is a WordPress downloads manager that can help streamline your business operations without having to set-up a complex tracking solution, such as Google Analytics.
You can use this, the best WordPress grid plugin on the market, to incorporate breathtaking, professional-looking galleries into your websites.
It isn’t all that difficult to do so. Essential Grid places at your fingertips –
fully customizable and stunning boxed and full-width to full-screen grid layout options and masonry and cobble grid designs
responsive designs that enable you to control how your grids will appear on various devices
access to social media content.
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WordPress is a highly flexible content management syste for building websites. A driving force behind this flexibility is the wide variety of great WordPress plugins you can use to add features to your site.
Choosing the right WordPress plugin is important for a website’s performance. It can be critical with respect to what it will be capable of accomplishing.
Check out these 9 best WordPress plugins for your website projects in 2023. One of more of them could be a game changer.
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