Manage your plugins¶

Anatomy of your plugin¶

Prerequisites :

Learn WordPress Developer basis : https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/intro/
Know the Header Requirements : https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/plugin-basics/header-requirements/

Plugin management

To simplify the deployment of updates and make it as seamless as possible, the plugin’s release is based on the information provided in the plugin’s own file.

You simply need to publish a zip file of your plugin (the folder name inside the zip should match the plugin’s slug). If the slug does not exist in your organization, the plugin will be created; otherwise, a new version will be created.

Important

When you publish an update, the version number need to be unique and greater than the latest version.

File Header requirement

This is the minimum header of your plugin file :

<?php
/**
 * Plugin Name: Dummy Plugin
 * Version: 1.0.4
 * Update URI: https://registry.wp-content.io
 */

The name and version properties will be used to publish your plugin data. The property Update URI is mandatory because it will indicate WordPress to connect wp-content.io repository instead of official repository.

Zip structure

Here is an example of minimal plugin structure :

dummy/
  └── dummy.php

Enhance your plugin’s preview:¶

The following header show you available customization from the plugin file :

<?php
/**
 * Plugin Name: Dummy Plugin
 * Plugin URI:
 * Description: Fake plugin 
 * Version: 1.0.4
 * Author: Happy Monkey
 * Author URI: https://mkey.fr/
 * Requires at least: 6.4
 * Requires PHP: 8.1
 * Update URI: https://registry.wp-content.io
 */

Other plugin's preview tab

In WordPress, when you click "See details" link on a plugin card, a preview is shown with some tabs :

By default, only "Description" tab is shown and use the short plugin description (from main file header comment). If you want to customize tabs, you can add some files (in Markdown format) at your plugin root :

Filename	Corresponding tab
README.md	Description
INSTALL.md	Installation
FAQ.md	FAQ

Example of zip structure :

dummy/
  ├── dummy.php
  ├── FAQ.md
  ├── INSTALL.md
  └── README.md

Changelog tab

The changelog is automatically generated from your plugin update history. You can manage your version (add release notes or delete a version) from your dashboard.