How To Create A WordPress Plugin

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If you are adding custom code for your WordPress site, such as code for a filter or action, its best to create a separate plugin just for that code. We recommend doing so as opposed to putting the code in functions.php for the following reasons:

  • You can turn a plugin on and off easily to test.
  • If you switch themes, even just to test something, you don’t lose your custom code.
  • It’s simple.

To create a WordPress plugin, you just need to upload a file with a valid plugin header to your WordPress plugins directory. It can be this simple:

 

Here is are some background articles on hooks and custom code from our blog you might find useful:

What Is A WordPress Hook?

How To Be Smart About Using Custom WordPress Code

Evaluating and Implementing Custom WordPress Code