WPBeginner

Beginner's Guide for WordPress

  • Blog
    • Beginners Guide
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Showcase
    • Themes
    • Tutorials
    • WordPress Plugins
  • Start Here
    • How to Start a Blog
    • Create a Website
    • Start an Online Store
    • Best Website Builder
    • Email Marketing
    • WordPress Hosting
    • Business Name Ideas
  • Deals
    • Bluehost Coupon
    • SiteGround Coupon
    • WP Engine Coupon
    • HostGator Coupon
    • Domain.com Coupon
    • Constant Contact
    • View All Deals »
  • Glossary
  • Videos
  • Products
X
☰
Beginner's Guide for WordPress / Start your WordPress Blog in minutes
Choosing the Best
WordPress Hosting
How to Easily
Install WordPress
Recommended
WordPress Plugins
View all Guides

WPBeginner» Blog» Tutorials» How to Create a WordPress Plugin

How to Create a WordPress Plugin

Last updated on June 22nd, 2012 by Editorial Staff
104 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Free WordPress Video Tutorials on YouTube by WPBeginner
How to Create a WordPress Plugin

WordPress is the most popular open source blog system. Due to it ease of use and extensibility, it is almost de facto of blog industry standard. With their plugin management module, developers are free to build their own custom plugin to add new features. Some examples are page specific SEO features, photo gallery, spam combating and more.

Writing your own WordPress plugin is not that difficult if you are a web developer with basic PHP skills. The only thing you will need, coupled with your PHP skills, is some direction, some resources, a little information on how WordPress expects your plugin to behave, and most importantly a great idea.

A plugin is a simple program, a set of functions, that adds a specific set of features and services that can be executed in different sections of your WordPress site.

Today, I have compiled a list of the best tutorials to help you create your own plugin(s).

Writing a Plugin – WordPress Codex

Writing a Plugin - WordPress Codex

The best way to learn anything new is to start at the source. Here you can start by learning the basics in WordPress official site. This plugin overview guide takes you through the initial stages of plugin development, from naming your plugin, creating the plugins first PHP file, setting up a unique directory for a multi-file plugin (if you choose to use CSS, Javascript), using and understanding WP hooks and template tags, creating option pages and saving plugin data to the database.

Anatomy of a WordPress Plugin

Anatomy of a WordPress Plugin

This tutorial from Nettuts covers pretty much the same information as the official WordPress site, but it is more illustrated and easy to follow. It explains the concept of how to build your widgets, and how to write your widgets admin panel. It is a must read for a new developer.

How to write a WordPress Plugin ?

How to write a WordPress Plugin

A rather basic tutorial that teach you to setup your own plugin, not bad to get your first hands on.

Create a Custom WordPress Plugin From Scratch

Create a Custom WordPress Plugin from Scratch

This tutorial will describe the implementation of a WordPress plugin starting from scratch. The plugin will connect to an external OSCommerce database and display random products on your WordPress site.

WordPress Plugin Tutorial – Hello World

In this tutorial, you will go over how to make a simple Hello World plugin.

How to Make a Social Bookmarking WordPress Plugin – Step by Step

Work on a more real life applicable plugins, learn how to develop your bookmark plugin one step at a time. This tutorial will teach you another level of knowledge with creating plugins and accessing API features of the social network system, not to forget admin panel, conditional tags and WordPress hooks.

WP Tutorial: Your First WP Plugin

This is a video tutorial in which you will learn how to create your first WordPress plugin.

A Crash-Course in WordPress Plugin Development

A Crash-Course in WordPress Plugin Development

This is a screencast tutorial from nettuts showing how to create a WordPress plugin from scratch that allows a blog editor to easily format articles.

Building a Plugin – It’s Easier Than You Think (Video)

This video tutorial demonstrates the basics of constructing a plugin, designing it to make the changes you want, and then using that plugin to alter your WordPress site in a persistent way.

First WP Plugin in 20 Lines

First WP Plugin in 20 Lines

This tutorial is for newbie plugin developers, it doesn’t explain how to use WP nor how to code PHP. What it does do is create a plugin in only 20 lines, which is pretty cool.

Building a WordPress Plugin

This easy to read tutorial takes you through the full process, of developing a plugin.

Developing WordPress Plugins – Slides

Developing WordPress Plugins - Slides

If you have any questions or suggestions about this article feel free to post a comment below.

Ryan TurkiRyan is a 17 Years old Web Developer/Designer. He’s interested in every thing around the Web especially web development and designing. He loves using jQuery, HTML, PHP, MYSQL, CSS, and AJAX. You can follow him on Twitter @TurRyan.
104 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share
Pin
Popular on WPBeginner Right Now!
  • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

    How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress

  • Google Analytics in WordPress

    How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners

  • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org

  • Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

    Revealed: Why Building an Email List is so Important Today (6 Reasons)

About the Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi. Trusted by over 1.3 million readers worldwide.

The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit

27 Comments

Leave a Reply
  1. Denis says:
    Mar 31, 2021 at 1:38 pm

    Hello,

    Thank you for the information.

    It would be nice if you can revise the links, some of them are not working anymore.

    Best regards,

    Reply
    • WPBeginner Support says:
      Apr 1, 2021 at 9:47 am

      Thank you for letting us know, we’ll be sure to update this article when we are able :)

      Reply
  2. Ahroihan says:
    Nov 22, 2016 at 6:45 am

    Hello,
    I want to make a plugin, can you give me tutorial about it?
    Thank you

    Reply
  3. mamta says:
    May 30, 2016 at 7:20 am

    hi,i’m php developer and wordpress developer.i would like to create custom wordpress plugin.please send tutorials.

    Reply
  4. Siva says:
    Nov 11, 2015 at 1:25 am

    Hi i am php and wordpress developer, so i want to create custom wordpress plugin

    please give me plugin tutorials and help to create plugin.

    Reply
  5. ramesh ram says:
    Aug 14, 2015 at 9:12 pm

    hi,i’m php developer and wordpress developer.i would like to create custom wordpress plugin.please send tutorials.

    Reply
  6. Marcy says:
    May 7, 2015 at 4:55 pm

    I’m a virgin programer, but have decided to create my own plug in for a fund raiser thermometer for my adoption blog because none of the ones I’ve found are comparable with my WP version and have what I want on them… and needless to say, I need help, direction, tips, something similar to what I need that I can tweek… etc. Please help ! :) thanks

    Reply
  7. suresh says:
    Apr 9, 2014 at 6:18 am

    It’s Good Article and it’s much simple

    Reply
  8. Shrini says:
    Apr 1, 2012 at 1:14 am

    Good article to learn WP plugin development…

    Reply
  9. JasonCrews says:
    Dec 21, 2011 at 5:01 pm

    WordPressmodder is a viagra site now

    Reply
  10. rakeshtiwary022 says:
    Jun 9, 2011 at 1:06 pm

    hi am php and wordpress developer, so i want to create custom wordpress plugin

    please give me plugin tutorials and help to create plugin

    email:-rakeshtiwary022@gmail.com

    Reply
  11. HomeTivi says:
    Jun 8, 2011 at 8:11 pm

    hi am php and wordpress developer, so i want to create custom wordpress plugin

    please give me plugin tutorials and help to create plugin

    Reply
  12. MannuSingh says:
    Jun 4, 2011 at 2:43 am

    hi am php and wordpress developer, so i want to create custom wordpress plugin

    please give me plugin tutorials and help to create plugin

    Reply
  13. BanksBen says:
    Jun 3, 2011 at 2:27 pm

    I have a limited knowledge of php . I am integrating my old site in to my new wp site my old site is a PHP SQL driven system that collects leads and stores them.My site is http://www.moverscommunity.com/ and http://tsveetech.com

    Reply
  14. Bagesh Singh says:
    May 2, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    I am a programmer. From last two days I am trying to create custom plugin and it’s help me better thanks a lot.

    Reply
  15. Nigel says:
    Jan 29, 2011 at 7:08 am

    Thanks for this great collection of articles. I can’t wait to get started hacking together my own plugin :)

    Reply
  16. Dadang Iskandar says:
    Aug 20, 2010 at 8:29 am

    I am very grateful to find this article because I’m learning php programming. very nice brother

    Reply
  17. John Franklin says:
    Jun 15, 2010 at 8:18 am

    Very nice, I’m a huge fan of WordPress and it’s great to see new really useful plugins getting released. I’ll download and check it out, looks exactly like what I have been looking for for weeks. So, thanks alot!

    Reply
  18. Kent Tan says:
    Jun 1, 2010 at 9:46 am

    Nice collection of tutorials. Where can I get the more advanced stuff – e.g. creating an options page to configure the plugin etc?

    Reply
    • Editorial Staff says:
      Jun 1, 2010 at 1:31 pm

      Buy one of the plugin books… Study the Codex, and the Trunk.

      Reply
  19. Brad says:
    May 24, 2010 at 10:07 pm

    Thanks for the article, have always wanted to know a little more about making plugins so now I will give it a try!

    Reply
  20. Rosti The Snowman says:
    May 18, 2010 at 10:46 am

    I think this list will be really helpful

    thanks

    I also agree you should change the title :D

    Reply
  21. Tim Trice says:
    May 18, 2010 at 8:11 am

    Two of the first four cover the same function of echoing “Hello World” (the first, at least, let’s you customize the echo statement). I’d like to see some more articles focused on plugin standards, deactivation hooks and removing data from the DB as well as exports.

    Reply
  22. Joe says:
    May 18, 2010 at 2:57 am

    +1 change title :)

    Reply
  23. Marco says:
    May 17, 2010 at 4:18 pm

    Well, I suggest to change the title from “How to Create a WordPress Plugin” to “A list of the best tutorials to help you create your own WordPress Plugin”. ;-)

    Reply
    • Anwer says:
      Oct 20, 2016 at 2:35 am

      Well that’s good Idea..!!!Agree with you

      Reply
  24. Nikunj Tamboli says:
    May 17, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    Nice article will try to create couple of plugin using the article here

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Thanks for choosing to leave a comment. Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated according to our comment policy, and your email address will NOT be published. Please Do NOT use keywords in the name field. Let's have a personal and meaningful conversation.

Over 1,320,000+ Readers

Get fresh content from WPBeginner

Featured WordPress Plugin
RafflePress - WordPress Giveaway and Contest Plugin
RafflePress
Giveaway and Contest Plugin for WordPress. Learn More »
How to Start a Blog How to Start a Blog
I need help with ...
Starting a
Blog
WordPress
Performance
WordPress
Security
WordPress
SEO
WordPress
Errors
Building an
Online Store
Useful WordPress Guides
    • 7 Best WordPress Backup Plugins Compared (Pros and Cons)
    • How to Fix the Error Establishing a Database Connection in WordPress
    • Why You Need a CDN for your WordPress Blog? [Infographic]
    • 30 Legit Ways to Make Money Online Blogging with WordPress
    • Self Hosted WordPress.org vs. Free WordPress.com [Infograph]
    • Free Recording: WordPress Workshop for Beginners
    • 24 Must Have WordPress Plugins for Business Websites
    • How to Properly Move Your Blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
    • 5 Best Contact Form Plugins for WordPress Compared
    • Which is the Best WordPress Popup Plugin? (Comparison)
    • Best WooCommerce Hosting in 2021 (Comparison)
    • How to Fix the Internal Server Error in WordPress
    • How to Install WordPress - Complete WordPress Installation Tutorial
    • Why You Should Start Building an Email List Right Away
    • How to Properly Move WordPress to a New Domain Without Losing SEO
    • How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting for Your Website
    • How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform (Comparison)
    • WordPress Tutorials - 200+ Step by Step WordPress Tutorials
    • 5 Best WordPress Ecommerce Plugins Compared
    • 5 Best WordPress Membership Plugins (Compared)
    • 7 Best Email Marketing Services for Small Business (2021)
    • How to Choose the Best Domain Registrar (Compared)
    • The Truth About Shared WordPress Web Hosting
    • When Do You Really Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
    • 5 Best Drag and Drop WordPress Page Builders Compared
    • How to Switch from Blogger to WordPress without Losing Google Rankings
    • How to Properly Switch From Wix to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • How to Properly Move from Weebly to WordPress (Step by Step)
    • Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared
    • How to Properly Move from Squarespace to WordPress
    • How to Register a Domain Name (+ tip to get it for FREE)
    • HostGator Review - An Honest Look at Speed & Uptime (2021)
    • SiteGround Reviews from 4464 Users & Our Experts (2021)
    • Bluehost Review from Real Users + Performance Stats (2021)
    • How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a WordPress Website?
    • How to Create an Email Newsletter the RIGHT WAY (Step by Step)
    • Free Business Name Generator (A.I Powered)
    • How to Create a Free Business Email Address in 5 Minutes (Step by Step)
    • How to Install Google Analytics in WordPress for Beginners
    • How to Move WordPress to a New Host or Server With No Downtime
    • Why is WordPress Free? What are the Costs? What is the Catch?
    • How to Make a Website in 2021 – Step by Step Guide
Deals & Coupons (view all)
Elegant Themes
Elegant Themes Deal
Get the Divi theme with 194+ template packs from Elegant Themes for only $89. Extra, Bloom, and Monarch included free!
TeslaThemes
TeslaThemes Coupon
Get 20% off on TeslaThemes large collection of premium WordPress themes.
Featured In
About WPBeginner®

WPBeginner is a free WordPress resource site for Beginners. WPBeginner was founded in July 2009 by Syed Balkhi. The main goal of this site is to provide quality tips, tricks, hacks, and other WordPress resources that allows WordPress beginners to improve their site(s).

Join our team: We are Hiring!

Site Links
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • FTC Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Free Blog Setup
  • Free Business Tools
  • Growth Fund
Our Sites
  • OptinMonster
  • MonsterInsights
  • WPForms
  • SeedProd
  • Nameboy
  • RafflePress
  • Smash Balloon
  • AIOSEO

Copyright © 2009 - 2021 WPBeginner LLC. All Rights Reserved. WPBeginner® is a registered trademark.

Managed by Awesome Motive | WordPress hosting by SiteGround | WordPress Security by Sucuri.