Plugins can be a very good addition to your site if set up for the right reasons. However, before you go on a virtual ‘shopping spree’ – bear in mind that they will add weight to your page load and can slow down your site substantially.
The nature of open source means that plugins vary in quality and relevance, some will outdate – others remain solid and strong through active developments and regular updates. Do take a little time to read up on the details, check on the reviews and last update date. Check out the info for Akismet — many active installs, plenty of good reviews, very recent update and a great star rating.
reminder: word of caution!
- AVOID plugins which deal with performance or caching
While some are quite good, there are too many which are very intrusive to your server and theme. You could end up with troubles you do not know how to solve. - AVOID overload
as with themes, do experiment and try out possible options – once you know that you will not be using a particular plugin, do deactivate as well as delete it. This will keep the load light and is a preventive measure against clashes.
The following list is by no means exhaustive – it includes plugins which are both safe and useful. I will update this over time.
Please note: I am not recommending that you install this entire list. You should review the options and included functions and consider your site specifically to decide which might be useful.
security
gutenberg addons
SVG
tools
- WPVivid – backups
- Updraft – backups with restore
- Regenerate Thumbnails
- Smush – Compress, Optimize and Lazy Load Images
- Really disable emojis
forms
- contactform 7
- gravity forms (premium)