Hey Champs!!
Welcome to the new series of Custom Plugin Development for Wordpress website. There are multiple plugins in the repository but creating our own makes it much more curious to learn and understand about how plugin works. Custom Plugin development allows you to extend the functionality of your website without modifying core files. For all the beginners, who are all starting their career as wordpress developer, creating a simple plugin is a great way to start. In this guide, let’s get to know the basic steps of building a simple WordPress plugin.
Step 1: Setup Your Plugin Files
- Go to the wp-content/plugins/ directory in your WordPress installation.
- Create a new folder for your plugin, e.g., my-first-plugin.
- Inside the folder, create a main PHP file, e.g., my-first-plugin.php.
Step 2: Add Plugin Header Information
Plugin header need to be in the main php code file to recognize your plugin. Open my-first-plugin.php and add the following:
<?php
/**
* Plugin Name: My first Plugin
* Plugin URI: https://example.com
* Description: A first custom WordPress plugin.
* Version: 1.0
* Author: Devy Muse
* Author URI: https://devymuse.com
* License: GPL2
*/
Step 3: Add Functionality
For this example, let's create a simple plugin that adds a custom message to the footer of your site.
function my_first_plugin_footer_message() {
echo '<p style="text-align: center; color: #777;">Powered by My first Plugin of Devy Muse</p>';
}
add_action('wp_footer', 'my_first_plugin_footer_message');
Step 4: Activate the Plugin
- Go to your WordPress dashboard.
- Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
- Find "My First Plugin" and click Activate.
Now, your plugin is running, and it adds a message to the footer of your website.
Step 5: Extend Your Plugin (Optional)
You can expand your plugin by adding more features, such as:
- Creating a settings page in the WordPress admin.
- Adding shortcodes to display custom content.
- Using widgets to provide additional functionality.
Conclusion
Developing a WordPress plugin is simpler than it seems. By following these basic steps, you can create your own custom plugin to enhance your WordPress website. As you gain experience, you can develop more complex plugins to add advanced functionality. Happy coding!!.