If you are a developer and want to build a WordPress plugin to customize your website and provide it to all WordPress users for a specific use case, then this WordPress Plugin Development article is well-suited for you. You will not master plugin development after reading this, but you will understand how plugins are built.
WordPress is a very powerful tool with a vast plugin library, and you can also create your own plugin. In this article, I have covered the essential things you need to know and consider as a beginner.
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Table of Contents
Prerequisites
Before starting plugin development, you’ll need:
- Basic PHP knowledge
- Understanding of WordPress core functions
- WordPress development environment (local server like XAMPP or MAMP)
- Text editor or IDE (VS Code, PhpStorm)
WordPress Plugin Development Basics
Plugin Structure
A typical WordPress Plugin Development follows this basic directory structure:
my-plugin/
│
├── my-plugin.php # Main plugin file
├── readme.txt # Plugin information file
├── includes/ # Additional PHP files
│ └── class-plugin-core.php
├── admin/ # Admin-related files
│ ├── class-admin-settings.php
│ └── css/
│ └── admin-styles.css
├── public/ # Public-facing files
│ ├── js/
│ └── css/
└── languages/ # Translation filesCreating Your First WordPress Plugin
Plugin Header
Every WordPress Plugin Development process requires a header in the main plugin file:
<?php
/*
Plugin Name: My First Plugin
Plugin URI: https://example.com/my-plugin
Description: A simple demonstration plugin
Version: 1.0.0
Author: Your Name
Author URI: https://example.com
License: GPL2
*/
// Prevent direct file access
if (!defined('ABSPATH')) {
exit;
}Initialization Hooks
1. init Hook
Purpose: General initialization for plugins and themes
Use Cases:
- Register custom post types
- Add new taxonomies
- Initialize custom functionality
add_action('init', 'custom_init_function');
function custom_init_function() {
// Register custom post type
register_post_type('book', [
'public' => true,
'label' => 'Books'
]);
// Register custom taxonomy
register_taxonomy('genre', 'book', [
'public' => true,
'label' => 'Book Genres'
]);
}2. admin_init Hook
Purpose: Backend-specific initialization
Use Cases:
- Register plugin settings
- Add admin sections
- Perform administrative tasks
add_action('admin_init', 'admin_initialization');
function admin_initialization() {
// Register a new setting
register_setting('plugin_options', 'my_plugin_settings');
// Add settings section
add_settings_section(
'plugin_main_section',
'Main Plugin Settings',
'section_callback',
'my-plugin-page'
);
}3. wp_loaded Hook
Purpose: After WordPress core is fully loaded
Use Cases:
- Complex initialization tasks
- Final setup before page rendering
add_action('wp_loaded', 'after_wordpress_load');
function after_wordpress_load() {
// Perform tasks after complete WordPress initialization
// Example: Complex permission checks or global configurations
}WordPress Plugin Lifecycle Hooks
1. register_activation_hook()
Purpose: Execute tasks when plugin is activated
Use Cases:
- Create database tables
- Set default plugin options
- Initial setup requirements
register_activation_hook(__FILE__, 'plugin_activation_setup');
function plugin_activation_setup() {
// Create custom database table
global $wpdb;
$table_name = $wpdb->prefix . 'custom_plugin_data';
$charset_collate = $wpdb->get_charset_collate();
$sql = "CREATE TABLE $table_name (
id mediumint(9) NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT,
data text NOT NULL,
PRIMARY KEY (id)
) $charset_collate;";
require_once(ABSPATH . 'wp-admin/includes/upgrade.php');
dbDelta($sql);
}2. register_deactivation_hook()
Purpose: Cleanup when plugin is deactivated
Use Cases:
- Remove temporary data
- Log deactivation
- Perform cleanup tasks
register_deactivation_hook(__FILE__, 'plugin_deactivation_cleanup');
function plugin_deactivation_cleanup() {
// Remove plugin-specific options
delete_option('my_plugin_settings');
}3. register_uninstall_hook()
Purpose: Complete removal of plugin data
Use Cases:
- Delete all plugin-related database entries
- Remove custom tables
- Comprehensive cleanup
register_uninstall_hook(__FILE__, 'plugin_complete_removal');
function plugin_complete_removal() {
global $wpdb;
// Delete all plugin-related options
delete_option('my_plugin_settings');
// Drop custom tables
$wpdb->query("DROP TABLE IF EXISTS {$wpdb->prefix}custom_plugin_data");
}Admin-Related Hooks
1. admin_menu
Purpose: Add custom admin menu pages
Example:
add_action('admin_menu', 'create_custom_menu_pages');
function create_custom_menu_pages() {
add_menu_page(
'Plugin Settings',
'My Plugin',
'manage_options',
'my-plugin-settings',
'render_settings_page',
'dashicons-admin-generic',
99
);
}2. admin_notices
Purpose: Display admin notifications
Example:
add_action('admin_notices', 'display_admin_notifications');
function display_admin_notifications() {
echo '<div class="notice notice-success">
<p>Welcome to My Awesome Plugin!</p>
</div>';
}Frontend Rendering Hooks
1. wp_enqueue_scripts
Purpose: Load frontend assets
Example:
add_action('wp_enqueue_scripts', 'load_frontend_assets');
function load_frontend_assets() {
wp_enqueue_style('my-plugin-style', plugin_dir_url(__FILE__) . 'css/style.css');
wp_enqueue_script('my-plugin-script', plugin_dir_url(__FILE__) . 'js/script.js', ['jquery'], '1.0', true);
}Best Practices
- Always sanitize and validate input
- Use WordPress coding standards
- Implement proper security checks
- Make plugins translatable
- Handle plugin activation and deactivation
- Create uninstall script
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Debugging
Use WordPress debugging tools:
- Enable WP_DEBUG in wp-config.php
- Use error_log() for logging
- Utilize WordPress’s built-in logging functions
Deployment
- Test thoroughly in a development environment
- Create a readme.txt file
- Consider submitting to the WordPress plugin repository
- Provide clear documentation
If you have made it to the end, I hope you now have a basic understanding of WordPress Plugin Development and can begin your journey with this knowledge. Remember that plugin development requires practice and patience, so start coding and keep going. 👍
