Why WordPress Plugins Can Make and Break Your Website

WordPress plugins can make and break your website. That’s because plugins are a double-edged sword. All WordPress websites use plugins to build pages and just about everything else the site needs. Therefore, they can power websites with amazing functionality. However, they can slow sites down and cause them to crash. Keep reading to learn more about the good, the bad, and the ugly of WordPress Plugins and for tips on how to manage plugins properly.  

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Real World Example

I’ve been managing a website for several years and updating plugins regularly. Recently, during a routine update, the website unexpectedly shut down. This rarely happens but can happen any time plugins are updated. I was able to restart the site but had to temporarily turn off all the plugins to troubleshoot the situation. The website was down for less than 5 minutes. After getting it back online, I had to replace the troublesome plugin with another that offers similar functionality. 

Good Things About WordPress Plugins

Plugins are the source for most functionality on a WordPress website. They enable website designers to build pages and everything else, from forms to polls to exotic animations. Additionally, plugins are available to help with SEO, website speed and security, and eCommerce. If there is a functionality needed that a plugin can’t deliver, I haven’t found it yet. According to an article published by WPZoom, a WordPress theme developer, there are over 70,000 plugins available for WordPress. And since WordPress is an open-source platform, the number continues to grow.  

Bad Things About Plugins

There are two big reasons to be cautious when installing and updating plugins.

1. Plugins can cause functional issues

The WordPress environment’s open-source nature enables plugins to be developed by anyone worldwide. While that means an abundance of plugins that make everything possible, it can also cause problems. For websites to function properly, all plugins used on a website must be compatible. They have to play together nicely in the sandbox. Installing a new plugin on a website can cause issues with other plugins. 

For example, let’s say you have a plugin on your website that enables you to create forms. You create a form that allows visitors to request a price quote. All they have to do is fill out the form and hit the submit button. You get an email with the request and can provide the price quote. Now, you want to add a poll to your website to ask your visitors how they feel about a current event. You find a polling plugin and install it. However, the new plugin isn’t compatible with the form plugin, and the price request form stops working. It might still appear on the website, but it no longer works. Or it may completely disappear from your website.

In some cases, plugins have caused entire websites to crash. Again, this is rare, but it has happened.

2. Plugins Can Slow Down Your Site

The other issue with plugins is that they add JavaScript and CSS code to your website. The more plugins on the site, the more JS and CSS code builds up and can slow down the site. Deleting an unused plugin doesn’t always mean all the accompanying JS and CSS code gets scrubbed from the website. So a website could have lots of extra code, slowing it down despite deleting the plugin that needed the code.

Tips for Managing Plugins

Plugin management is essential for operating a high-performing website. 

Tips for Shopping New Plugins

Good plugin management starts with selecting good plugins. When shopping for a new plugin, pick one compatible with the current version of WordPress. Plugins in the WordPress directory will tell you if they have been tested. Here is an example of a header for a plugin.

As you can see, the plugin was tested up to WordPress version 6.6.2, has 70,000 active installations, and has an average rating of 4.6. All of this information is positive but since I haven’t used plugins from the developer, TMS, I would proceed, but cautiously.

Then, find out what technical support is available. The best support is a live phone or live chat support. If submitting a support ticket through email and waiting for a response is the only option, make sure the plugin developer is reputable, offers lots of other plugins, and has a record of fast response. There is nothing worse than having an issue with your plugin that requires waiting days for a response from the developer. 

Tips for Installing New Plugins

Before installing a new plugin, check each page of your website to make sure it’s working properly. Test your forms, buttons, and links. When you are sure everything is working properly, install and configure your new plugin. Then, check each page again to make sure the buttons, forms, and links still work properly. If they do, proceed with setting up your new functionality. If they don’t, deactivate the new plugin. Check everything again. If everything still works, uninstall the plugin and shop for a new one.

Tips for Updating Plugins

Updating plugins can be tricky, so it’s best to be careful with the process you use. Many plugins have an option to automatically update. I would strongly recommend against that option. While it requires no work on your part, it could cause a lot of work and downtime if a plugin update has compatibility issues. 

Instead, I recommend manually updating all plugins. Here is my process for updating plugins: First, check each page, post, button, form, and link to make sure the site is working properly. Then, update each plugin individually, starting with low-priority functionality and working my way up to more important plugins like page builders and forms. After each plugin, check the site again to make sure everything is still working properly. 

I keep a log of the plugins I update, so if there is an issue, I know the last plugins updated. If an issue arises, even a few days later, I can quickly deactivate only the recently updated plugins and troubleshoot. This saves lots of time deactivating all plugins and troubleshooting each one. It can mean the difference between keeping a site online with limited functionality or taking it down completely.

Conclusion to Why WordPress Plugins Can Make and Break Your Website

WordPress plugins can make and break your website. They offer endless special functions that can enhance the user experience, optimize SEO efforts, and keep a website technically sound. However, plugins must all work together to ensure seamless functionality across all website pages. Because independent developers create plugins, compatibility with other plugins can cause issues and, in rare cases, cause a website to crash. Take special care when adding and updating plugins. This is where SK Website Works comes in. We have the experience and expertise to protect your website while we add and manage plugins. Plugin management is part of our affordable monthly maintenance program. Contact us today for more information.

SK Website Works is a website company that builds trust between websites, visitors, and search engines by focusing on the user experience. We build and maintain websites, plus provide SEO services to keep websites running clean and Google happy. Plus, we create content that establishes our client’s experience, expertise, and authority in their field. This is the foundation of trust and conversion. Call us at 727-249-2749 to discuss what SK Website Works can do for you. You can also send an email to michael@skwebsiteworks.com. If you prefer to copy and paste the email link, it is michael@skwebsiteworks.com.

Thanks for your time, but now we’ve gotta run. We have websites to build and audit, blogs to write, eCommerce to manage, and photos to edit. Until next time, take care.