A Collection of Essential WordPress Plugins

With so many plugins available, finding the best WordPress plugins can be hard and time-consuming! That is my motivation for gathering this comprehensive collection of Essential WordPress plugins. Enjoy!

WP DB Backup

WP DB Backup is an easy to use plugin which lets you backup your core WordPress database tables just by a few clicks. Besides it is so easy, it has also been one of the most used plugin to secure your WP-powered website.

User Spam Remover

Automatically removes spam user registrations and other old, unused user accounts. Blocks annoying e-mail to administrator after new registrations.

Exploit Scanner

Search the files and database of your WordPress install for signs that may indicate that it has fallen victim to malicious hackers.

WP Security Scan

WP Security Scan checks your WordPress website/blog for security vulnerabilities and suggests corrective actions such as:

1. Passwords
2. File permissions
3. Database security
4. Version hiding
5. WordPress admin protection/security
6. Removes WP Generator META tag from core code

Requirements

• WordPress version 3.0 and higher (tested with 3.2.1, 3.3)
• PHP5 (tested with PHP Interpreter >= 5.2.9)

Stealth Login

The Stealth Login plugin will help you to create custom URL addresses for login, registering and logout of WordPress.

Limit Login Attempts

Limit rate of login attempts, including by way of cookies, for each IP. Fully customizable.

Antivirus

AntiVirus for WordPress is a easy and safe tool to protect your blog install against exploits, malware and spam injections. Scan your templates now!

Features

• Virus alert in the admin bar
• Cleaning up after plugin removal
• Translations into many languages​​
• Daily scan with email notifications
• Database tables and theme templates checks
• WordPress 3.x ready: both visually and technically
• Whitelist solution: Mark suspected cases as "no virus"
• Manual check of template files with alerts on suspected cases
• Optional: Google Safe Browsing for malware and phishing monitoring.

Requirements

• PHP 5.1
• WordPress 2.8

Admin SSL Secure Plugin

Admin SSL secures login page, admin area, posts, pages - whatever you want - using Private SSL. Once you have activated the plugin please go to the Admin SSL config page to enable SSL, and read the installation instructions.

Each time you update Admin SSL, please read the FAQ and installation instructions in case there is some important information relating to the update.

Features:

1. Forces SSL on all pages where passwords can be entered.
2. Works with Private SSL.
3. Custom additional URLS (e.g. wp-admin/) can be secured through the config page.
4. You can choose where you want the Admin SSL config page to appear!
5. Works on WordPress 3.0 - 3.1.1; for previous versions of WordPress please use version 1.4.1, but note it is no longer supported - you should upgrade to the latest WordPress version.

Chat

Start communicating! Bring live, two-way chat to your site. Host your own live chat sessions, interact with your visitors and boost your sales without needing any third party javascript or other code – works great with BuddyPress and Multisite too.

Twitter Goodies

Official Tweet Button + Twitter Goodies Profile & Search Widget. Plugin shows your tweets on Page/Post/Widget area.

Skype Online Status

The plugin Skype Online Status allows you to add one or multiple, highly customizable and accessible (!) Skype buttons to your blog. You can pick any of the available Skype button themes that will show your online status and place them in your pages and posts content (with a neat little Skype quicktag button in the WYSIWYG editor), in your sidebar via widgets (unlimited number) or anywhere in your theme template files.

Facebook Tab Manager

Makes WordPress function as an editor for tabs you can embed in a Facebook page for your business, campaign, or organization.

BuddyPress Private Community

This plugin makes your BuddyPress community private. You can control which areas of your site are accessible to logged out users in two ways, "restrict site access, but allow some public pages" or "allow site access, but restrict some private pages". This plugin also can block widgets from logged out users and block all RSS feeds.

In the default mode (restrict access, but allow some public pages), logged out users only have access to your homepage, or access to a list of pages/areas that you'd like to make public. Logged in members have full site access.

If you visit the community when you're logged out and you're visiting a private page, then you're redirected to a landing page of your choice (defaults to the homepage).

You can set uris that are accessibly to non-logged in users using a special config php file - no database calls are needed.

FV Community News

Give the visitors of your site the ability to submit their news to you, and list it in a nice news feed.

Alkivia Open Community

A plugin to build user communities all around WordPress, mainly it’s around having a well integrated profiles system. This plugin will provide all needed functions and widgets to make it easy and flexible the ways to show all information about a user. Also, there is some user privacy settings to permit which information to show in the profile page.

With this plugin, you can manage you user profiles and have a user list. For each user, a profile page is provided. The information shown in the profile page is based on your privacy settings. Also, you can select the user list order, ascending or descending, and ordering by different fields: ID, login name, display name or date registered.

Disqus Comment System

Disqus, pronounced "discuss", is a service and tool for web comments and discussions. Disqus makes commenting easier and more interactive, while connecting websites and commenters across a thriving discussion community.

The Disqus for WordPress plugin seamlessly integrates using the Disqus API and by syncing with WordPress comments.

Disqus for WordPress

• Uses the Disqus API
• Comments indexable by search engines (SEO-friendly)
• Support for importing existing comments
• Auto-sync (backup) of comments with Disqus and WordPress database

WordPress Advanced Ticket System

This plugin adds to WordPress the features of a complete ticket system. This allows users to submit tickets to report problems or get support on whatever you want. Users can set the status, priority, product and type of each ticket.

The WordPress Bar

Seen the DiggBar on Digg.com? Add a similar feature to your WordPress blog. Use your blog as a short link service with Easy Link Creation. Feature any link on the internet with a custom UR. Also feature social network links such as Facebook, Twitter, and Digg.

Ad Inserter

An elegant solution to put any ad into WordPress. Perfect for AdSense or contextual Amazon ads. Simply enter any HTML code and select where and how you want to display it (including widgets). You can also use {category}, {short_category}, {title}, {short_title}, {tag}, {smart_tag} or {search_query} for actual article data. To rotate different ad versions separate them with.

Max Banner Ads

Easily add and rotate banners in your wordpress blog anywhere you like without editing any themes or touching any codes

Ad Code Manager

Manage your ad codes through the WordPress admin in a safe and easy way.

Ad Code Manager gives non-developers an interface in the WordPress admin for configuring your complex set of ad codes.

Some code-level configuration may be necessary to setup Ad Code Manager. Ad tags must be added (via do_action()) to your theme's template files where you'd like ads to appear. Alternatively, you can incorporate ad tags into your website with our widget and our shortcode. Check out the configuration guide for the full details.

Ad Injection

Injects any adverts (e.g. AdSense) into the WordPress posts or widget area. Restrict who sees ads by post length/age/referrer or IP. Cache compatible.

Ad Injection from reviewmylife injects any kind of advert or other content (e.g. Google AdSense, Amazon Associates, ClickBank, TradeDoubler, etc) into the existing content of your WordPress posts and pages. You can control the number of adverts based on the post length, and it can restrict who sees adverts by post age, visitor referrer and IP address. Adverts can be configured in the post (random, top, and bottom positions) or in any widget/sidebar area. There's support for A:B split testing / ad rotation. And the dynamic restrictions (by IP and referrer) work with WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache and WP Cache.

WP Bannerize

WP Bannerize is an easy to use adv server with html, free text and Flash banner support. WP Bannerize will be part of the new upcoming wpXtreme!

wpXtreme is a powerful tool for enhancing your WordPress experience. Downloading one free plugin, you will get:

• a lot of improvements to the WordPress core for free (like a cool backend layout, improved user management, etc)
• access to the evergrowing wpxPluginStore, where you will be able to download plugins for all your needs

WP Bannerize is an Amazing Banner Manager. With WP Bannerize you can manage all your advertising stuff through widgets, shortcodes or directly from your template. In your template insert:

<?php 
	if(function_exists( 'wp_bannerize' )){ 
    	wp_bannerize();
     } 
?> 

use new shortcode featured or set it like Widget.

Text Link Ads

This plugin is a service offered by a company which sells link ads. It is an easy way to earn some money by adding some links inside your articles.

Features

• Ads that can be placed anywhere on a page, including the footer.
• Predictable revenue. Get paid a flat rate per month per ad sold.
• Full editorial control. Approve or deny ads as they are sold or allow us to do the work.
• Blog friendly. Install our simple plugin and we take care of the rest. Just sit back and collect your monthly earnings.
• This plugin works with the MU installs.

Join over 40,000 publishers monetizing their sites. Connect with our large and growing client base while maintaining editorial control over ads placed on your site. Get paid instantly on the 1st of each month with no fees or hassles.

This plugin requires a valid and approved site key. You must signup and submit your blog to Text link Ads

Advertisement Management

With the Advertisement Management plugin you can add advertisements to your blog directly from the backend.

AdServe

AdServe is the advertising server for WordPress. You could setup your banner campaigns using different sized banners, set available impressions and count resulting clicks! Optionally AdServe links ads to blog users so that one could check the campaign results within the Dashboard.

Janeth Kent

Licenciada en Bellas Artes y programadora por pasión. Cuando tengo un rato retoco fotos, edito vídeos y diseño cosas. El resto del tiempo escribo en MA-NO WEB DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT.