How to choose plugins for wordpress

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WordPress plugins are useful. But they can also slow down a site, invite hackers, and even cause a penalty. Here are five key considerations when choosing a WordPress plugin.

Five considerations about the WordPress plugin
The plugin is reviewed
It is popular
“Changelog” indicates fairly regular updates
The feedback support indicates that it is a healthy supplement
Does not overlap with other installed plugin
The plugin is reviewed
A free plugin should be vetted by WordPress. WordPress provides an official plugin healthtrax corporate email list repository where trusted free plugins can be downloaded.

If an issue is discovered with a free plugin, WordPress will remove the download from your site. Typical issues can be coding that results in a vulnerability, but it can also relate to other issues as outlined in the WordPress Plugin Guidelines.

It's not a perfect system to ensure that the plugin is safe to install. But it's generally safer than downloading a plugin that isn't available through the official WordPress repository.

The exceptions to this rule are paid premium plugins from reputable companies. Generally, premium plugins have a free version and a paid version. The fact that WordPress has vetted a free version ensures (to me) that there is some sort of quality control in place.

There are premium add-ons available and those add-ons may undergo their own private testing. They are generally safe to purchase and download. However, it may be helpful to research testing and verification practices before purchasing.

The plugin is popular
I'm not generally a believer in the wisdom of crowds. However, I do feel a certain amount of security in knowing that a WordPress plugin is popular and well-liked.