WordPress powers millions of websites—and one of the reasons for its incredible success is its flexibility. Plugins allow you to extend WordPress with new features, integrations, and custom functionality without editing the core system. Whether you want to build tools for your own site, develop plugins for clients, or launch a commercial product, learning how to create WordPress plugins is one of the most valuable skills you can master.
If you’ve never built a plugin before, the process may seem intimidating at first. But don’t worry—this guide will walk you through everything step-by-step, from understanding how plugins work to writing your first line of code and creating a functioning plugin you can activate right inside WordPress.
What Is a WordPress Plugin?
A plugin is a bundle of code that hooks into WordPress to modify or extend its behavior. You can:
- Add new features
- Create shortcodes
- Add admin pages
- Modify the editor
- Create custom post types
- Integrate external services
- Optimize performance
- Build commercial products
Plugins are powerful because they connect to WordPress through hooks, actions, and filters, allowing you to enhance functionality without modifying core files.
Think of a plugin as a small app that runs inside WordPress.
Why You Should Learn Plugin Development
Learning how to create WordPress plugins opens up a world of opportunities:
1. You can build exactly what you need.
Instead of searching for the perfect plugin, you can create one tailored to your project.
2. You gain total control over performance.
Many plugins are bloated. When you build your own, you write lean, optimized code.
3. You can monetize your skills.
Selling your own plugins is a thriving business. Many developers build full-time incomes selling niche plugins.
4. You become a highly valuable developer.
Plugin development involves PHP, JavaScript, hooks, APIs—skills that put you in high demand.
5. You can contribute to the open-source community.
Custom plugins can be shared, sold, or released as free tools to help others.
Whether you’re a beginner or an agency owner, plugin development is a skill that grows your career and your business.
What You Need Before You Start
Before building your first plugin, you should have:
- A basic understanding of PHP (even beginner level is okay)
- Familiarity with WordPress admin
- A working local development environment such as:
- Local by Flywheel
- XAMPP / MAMP / WAMP
- DevKinsta
- A text editor or IDE such as:
- VS Code
- PhpStorm
- Sublime Text
You don’t need to be an expert in programming—just comfortable enough to edit code.
Step 1: Create Your Plugin Folder
Go to:
/wp-content/plugins/
Inside this directory, create a new folder.
For example:
my-first-plugin
This folder will contain all your plugin files.
Step 2: Create the Main Plugin File
Inside the folder, create a file named:
my-first-plugin.php
This file will contain your plugin’s header and core logic.
Now open the file and add the following code:
<?php
/**
* Plugin Name: My First Plugin
* Description: A simple beginner-friendly plugin that displays a message.
* Version: 1.0
* Author: Your Name
**/
This header tells WordPress that this is a valid plugin.
If you now go to WordPress → Plugins, you will see “My First Plugin” listed—even though it does nothing yet.
You’re already halfway there.
Step 3: Write Your First Function
Let’s make the plugin do something useful.
We’ll add a simple message to the footer of your site.
Add this code:
function mfp_display_message() {
echo '<p style="text-align:center;">Thank you for visiting my website!</p>';
}
This creates the function, but it won’t run unless we connect it to WordPress.
Step 4: Hook Into WordPress
WordPress uses hooks to run additional code at specific times.
Use an action hook to trigger your function:
add_action('wp_footer', 'mfp_display_message');
Now when you refresh your website, your message appears in the footer.
Congratulations! You just built your first working plugin.
Step 5: Add a Settings Page (Optional But Recommended)
Plugins often need user settings. Let’s add a simple admin page.
Add this function:
function mfp_add_admin_page() {
add_menu_page(
'My First Plugin Settings',
'My Plugin',
'manage_options',
'mfp-settings',
'mfp_settings_page_html'
);
}
add_action('admin_menu', 'mfp_add_admin_page');
Now create the settings page function:
function mfp_settings_page_html() {
echo '<h1>My First Plugin Settings</h1>';
echo '<p>More features coming soon…</p>';
}
Refresh the admin area and you’ll see a new menu item called My Plugin.
This is how real plugins start.
Step 6: Add a Shortcode
Many plugins allow users to insert content anywhere with shortcodes.
Add this:
function mfp_shortcode_message() {
return 'This is a message from my first plugin!';
}
add_shortcode('mfp_message', 'mfp_shortcode_message');
Now users can type:
[mfp_message]
And your plugin will output the message.
Step 7: Organize Your Plugin Files
As your plugin grows, place files into folders:
my-first-plugin/
|-- my-first-plugin.php
|-- assets/
| |-- css/
| |-- js/
|-- includes/
| |-- admin.php
| |-- public.php
This structure keeps your code maintainable and professional—critical if you plan to sell plugins.
Step 8: Add Security Best Practices
Security is extremely important in WordPress development.
Always:
Escape output
echo esc_html( $text );
Sanitize input
$clean = sanitize_text_field( $_POST['input'] );
Verify user permissions
if (!current_user_can('manage_options')) {
return;
}
Use nonces for form protection
wp_nonce_field('mfp_action', 'mfp_nonce');
These practices protect your plugin from common vulnerabilities.
Step 9: Add Internationalization (i18n)
Make your plugin translation-ready:
- Wrap text in translation functions:
__('Thank you for visiting', 'my-first-plugin');
- Load text domain:
add_action('plugins_loaded', function(){
load_plugin_textdomain('my-first-plugin', false, dirname(plugin_basename(__FILE__)) . '/languages');
});
This makes your plugin more professional and sellable.
Step 10: Prepare for Distribution
If you want to share or sell your plugin, follow best practices:
Include a README file
Explain features, installation steps, and requirements.
Add version control
Use GitHub or GitLab.
Compress and package your plugin
Zip the plugin folder with all files.
Test it thoroughly
Check:
- PHP 7–8 compatibility
- Different WordPress versions
- Admin and frontend function
- Plugin conflicts
Consider selling your plugin
You can sell it on:
- Your own website
- CodeCanyon
- Freemius
- Creative Market
- WordPress plugin marketplace (freemium model)
Or create a full plugin business.
Tips for Becoming a Better Plugin Developer
1. Learn how hooks work deeply
This is the core of WordPress development.
2. Study other plugins’ source code
Look at how popular plugins are structured.
3. Start small
Build utility plugins first.
4. Use debugging tools
Enable WP_DEBUG to catch errors early.
5. Keep your code modular
Break logic into classes and files when your plugin grows.
6. Learn the WordPress REST API
Modern WordPress plugins rely heavily on REST endpoints, especially headless or JS-heavy plugins.
7. Stay updated
WordPress evolves quickly. Keep learning.
Conclusion
Building your first WordPress plugin is an exciting step in your development journey. Even a simple plugin gives you insight into the structure, hooks, functionality, and power behind WordPress. The more you experiment, the more you’ll understand how easy it is to turn ideas into real, working tools.
This guide gave you the foundations: creating a plugin file, hooking into WordPress actions, adding settings pages, using shortcodes, organizing files, securing your code, and understanding best practices.
From here, the possibilities are endless—you can build plugins for performance, SEO, content, automation, WooCommerce, external APIs, SaaS integrations, and anything else you imagine.