WordPress Maintenance Contract: A Complete Guide
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WordPress provides an official repository containing more than 59K plugins that assist with a variety of functionalities. Whether you wish to include a simple contact form or make your site an eCommerce store, there will be a plugin for it. But what if you desire a plugin that is customized to your site needs?
Well, you can develop a new WordPress plugin that meets your required site requirements effectively. However, for the best custom-made plugin, good coding skills alone are not sufficient. Plugin creation involves a systematic approach, from research and planning to design and development and then roll-out.
So in this blog, I will tell you how a professional WordPress development company develops a custom product from the website and what you can do for optimal results. Without further delay, let’s get started.
Plugins are, basically, PHP scripts meant to extend a WordPress website’s functionalities. Let’s discuss a few fundamental concepts with respect to plugin development.
First off, there’s a PHP file containing the plugin’s header comment. WordPress uses this comment to identify the plugin. This file is usually named the same as the plugin’s directory.
Ideally, you should create a separate directory for your new plugin within the wp-content/plugins/ directory. If you have multiple files, subdirectories, or assets, this dedicated directory will help organize the plugin files with ease.
Again, there’s a header comment block in every plugin’s main PHP file. It gives essential info about the plugin, like its name, version, description, author, etc.
Every WordPress plugin has two hooks: Action Hooks and Filter Hooks.
With Action hooks, you execute the plugin’s specific functionalities at particular points of the site execution flow. You can add and alter a functionality in your plugin through the action hook function add_action(). After it’s triggered, you’ll need to execute the ‘Callback’ function.
Here’s an example of how you use it.
function custom_callback_function( $post_id ) {
//do something here
}
add_action( 'save_post','custom_callback_function' );
And with Filter hooks, you can edit and modify the data used by WordPress and other plugins. To define filters, you will have to use the function add_filter(). For example, a filter hook can help you change a post’s content before it’s displayed on the live site.
Here’s an example of how you use it.
function change_title_callback( $title ) {
// modify $title and return a new value.
return $title;
}
add_filter( 'the_title', 'change_title_callback' );
You must have a good handle on these particulars of a WordPress plugin if you want to create a new one. Otherwise, it will be better to consult with a professional.
Assuming you already have WordPress installed, let’s count down the requirements.
WordPress is coded in PHP. So PHP is the main language to develop plugins. You need to know its syntax, object-oriented concepts, and best practices. Knowledge of how PHP interacts with databases such as MySQL, supported by WordPress, is essential.
It’s extremely essential you know the fundamentals of how WordPress operates. That includes the directory structure of WordPress, schema of the database, theme and plugin concept. In addition to, request handling and page serving within WordPress.
Even if the core logic of a plugin is done in PHP, you’ll most likely need HTML to construct structure for content. Additionally, there is CSS for aesthetics and JavaScript for dynamic interactions.
Rolling on a live site directly is not safe. You can test your plugin without endangering a production site by utilizing a local environment. XAMPP, MAMP, or Docker are programs that enable you to install WordPress locally on your machine.
A proper code editor or IDE is a basic necessity. Using it can ease the development and speed up the process. Editors like Visual Studio Code and Sublime text help with tasks like syntax highlighting, code completion and debugging support.
As discussed previously, WordPress hooks form the building blocks of plugins. You will need to know how to leverage action hooks for running code at particular points and filter hooks so that you can manipulate data.
Using Git is basically the most talked about tool for a version control system. It helps in keeping track of changes in your codes. You can restore an earlier state whenever needed and enable group collaboration if working as a team. You could have repositories hosted in sites like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket for instance.
WordPress coding standards keep the code uniform and identical between the base codes while making it useful and readable. These include PHP codes, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript coding standards.
After you have these requirements down, it’s time to start building a new WordPress plugin.
Different plugins require different levels of coding and development. But almost all of them follow a similar development approach. Here, we will look at basic plugin development and deployment.
On your staging or local WordPress development environment, create a folder for the plugin in your site’s directory. Access the site’s files and folder through an FTP client (like FileZilla) or using a hosting cPanel.
Then, go to wp-content/plugins/ and create a new folder for your WordPress plugin. In this folder, create a PHP file through your preferred code editor. Enter this code snippet.
<?php
/**
* Plugin Name: test-plugin
* Plugin URI: https://www.your-site.com/
* Description: Test.
* Version: 0.1
* Author: your-name
* Author URI: https://www.your-site.com/
**/
Replace the placeholders with specific info about your plugin. And remember to use the .php file extension.
After this file is created, upload it to the plugin folder in wp-content/plugins/. Once uploaded, navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard and visit the ‘Plugins’ page. There, you should see your new plugin live!
Now that the basic plugin file is ready, what you need to do is bring it to life. That means implementing the functionality it’s supposed to offer to the website.
In this part of the process, you implement the core logic of your new plugin. For that, you need to identify the suitable action and filter hooks and integrate them in the WordPress workflow.
Action Hook
First, use the add_action function to implement (or hook) custom functions to specific actions. Let’s take an example. Here, we will add a menu item to the WordPress dashboard.
function my_new_plugin_admin_menu() {
add_menu_page(
'My New Plugin Settings',
'My New Plugin',
'manage_options',
'my-new-plugin',
'my_new_plugin_settings_page'
);
}
add_action( 'admin_menu', 'my_new_plugin_admin_menu' );
function my_new_plugin_settings_page() {
// Output your settings page content here
echo '<h2>My New Plugin Settings</h2>';
}
Filter Hook
Next, you use the filter hook function, add_filter(), to modify the data. Here’s how you use it.
function my_new_plugin_modify_content( $content ) {
if ( is_single() ) {
$content .= '<p>This content was modified by My New Plugin.</p>';
}
return $content;
}
add_filter( 'the_content', 'my_new_plugin_modify_content' );
These hook implementations will apply the functionalities to the plugin and modify what it does, accordingly.
Now that you have a working plugin, it’s time to test and deploy it. This is why we are using a staging or local WordPress environment. So whatever changes need to be done in the plugin won’t affect the live site.
Testing
First, check for any bugs and vulnerabilities. Use the following testing strategies:
After the plugin is tested and approved, you can push it to the live site. But before that, make sure to backup your WordPress website.
Deployment
Export your plugin to a zip file for easy installation. Go to your plugin folder, right-click on your particular plugin’s file and proceed to creating a zip file. This file will contain your plugin’s main directory.
(For example, Windows users will get an option to select ‘Send to’ > ‘Compressed (zipped) folder’.)
Now, go to the Plugin section on your WordPress admin dashboard and navigate to ‘Add New Plugin’. Then, you can click on ‘Choose File’, upload the compressed zip file, and click ‘Install Now’. After the installation is done, click ‘Activate’. That will activate the new plugin on your live WordPress website.
There’s a chance you have created this plugin only for your own website. But by leaving some room for scalability, you may also publish it in the official WordPress repository.
But first, make sure your plugin adheres to the plugin guidelines set by WordPress. Only then can you submit the plugin for review.
Create a ‘ReadMe’ or readme.txt file for your new WordPress plugin in the dedicated plugin folder. The info you add in this file will be displayed on the official page of the plugin in the repository.
Something like this.
Here’s a sample of what you need to include in the readme.txt file. Use this as a starting point.
=== Your New Plugin Name ===
Contributors: WP Plugin Experts
Tags: wp plugin experts, plugin tutorial
Requires at least: 6.0
Tested up to: 6.2
Stable tag: 1.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
Describe what your new WordPress plugin does, what the user can achieve with it. (in brief)
== Description ==
Give a description of the plugin’s functionality.
== Installation ==
1. Upload the plugin folder to your /wp-content/plugins/ folder.
1. Go to the **Plugins** page and activate the plugin.
== Frequently Asked Questions ==
= How do I use this plugin? =
Answer to the question
= How to uninstall the plugin? =
Simply deactivate and delete the plugin.
== Screenshots ==
1. Description of the first screenshot.
1. Description of the second screenshot.
== Changelog ==
= 1.0 =
* Plugin released.
Make sure to review the details thoroughly as they will be displayed on your plugin’s main page in the official repository. After review, remember to save changes.
Once done, review the guidelines and add your plugin to the repository.
If you want to create an advanced plugin for your WordPress website, get our dedicated WordPress development services. We will review your technical and other requirements and develop a new WordPress plugin via a suitable approach.
As mentioned earlier, creating a new plugin isn’t just about coding. It’s about implementing the best practices to ensure security, scalability, maintainability, and performance. All-in-all, you want to make a plugin that offers the best features but is also safe and easy to use.
Follow official WordPress Coding Standards for PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. These standards guarantee consistency and readability for maintaining code and easy collaboration on it.
Make full use of Action Hooks and Filter Hooks to change WordPress behavior and extend features while avoiding changing core files. This guarantees that your plugin is compatible with future updates of WordPress.
You should always sanitize and validate any user input to prevent security vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. Use functions provided by WordPress, like sanitize_text_field(), esc_sql(), and wp_kses() for that.
Make sure to use WordPress nonces to protect against CSRF attacks. Especially when you are submitting forms or performing actions which involve modifying data.
Prefix all functions, classes, variables, constants, and database table names. Use a unique identifier related to your plugin. That prevents naming conflicts with other plugins or themes.
Use wp_enqueue_scripts() and admin_enqueue_scripts() to load CSS and JavaScript files for your plugin. This guarantees proper loading and that they will not run into any conflicts with other assets.
Make your plugin translation-ready by utilizing internationalization functions provided by WordPress. These are __() and _e(). Hand over a .pot file, and be ready to incorporate translation files for several languages.
Write efficient code, maintain a low query count, and put caching into perspective. That will ensure your plugin does not create a bottleneck for the website. Assets should be loaded only when needed.
Comments in your code must explain complex logic. Your clear, comprehensive `readme.txt` file should contain installation instructions, usage documentation, and troubleshooting advice.
If you want to make the best of these practices and create a high-quality plugin, dedicated WordPress developers will be more suitable.
It is mainly PHP for WordPress Plugin Development. You may also require a good knowledge of HTML for structuring content. Plus, there’s CSS for styling it and JavaScript for doing some dynamic front-end activities.
Moreover, it is good to know about MySQL (for WordPress database) since it can also come in handy.
Indeed, submitting to storage can expose your plugin to more users. However, this involves a guideline and a review process. They are important if you want to include your plugin in the public space for sharing.
WordPress has a great inbuilt update system. You must increment the version number and provide a list in the main plugin file. If not, the WordPress update API could be used if you are going to distribute it outside of the official repository.
It varies according to the plugin’s complexity, your development experience, and the scope it carries. You can create a basic plugin in just a few days. If it’s a complex, more advanced plugin, it may even take months.
Yes, you can develop a premium WordPress plugin that your customers will pay for. There are various marketplaces available for sales, like Envato and CodeCanyon. Or you may sell them directly from your own website.
While it may seem like a complex task, developing a new WordPress plugin is relatively straightforward. It starts with creating a new plugin file. Then you add the action and filter hooks for modifying the functionalities.
After that, you test and deploy the plugin on the live website. You can even publish the plugin on the official WordPress repository and sell it (or its premium version). Depends on whether you want to address just your website or create a broader solution.
While this guide will be suitable for a basic-level plugin, if you have more advanced requirements, our WordPress development agency will be better. So, connect with us today!