One of the great things about WordPress is the way we can easily extend its capabilities by installing additional code in the form of plugins. If we need to add specific functionality to a site, a plugin is often available to simplify the task.
But every plugin you add and enable, especially third-party plugins that weren’t specifically made for the Newspack platform, adds code that can slow page loads and reduce performance. It’s important to only install and activate plugins that are necessary for key business needs.
Here are some tips for keeping that plugin list short and sweet.
Submit plugins for review before installation
Newspack maintains a list of approved third-party plugins that can be installed without a ping to our support team. Other plugins can be submitted for review through our form. We require that publishers do this before adding third-party plugins, so we can evaluate them for performance, security concerns, and duplication of functionality, among other factors.
A question to consider before submitting a new plugin for review: Can a plugin that’s already on the list achieve the results you want? We recommend going with the version that’s tried-and-true on the platform whenever possible, rather than pioneering a new service or plugin, since the existing plugins have already been evaluated for performance.
When in doubt about what to use, the Newspack team or our publisher community may be able to make a recommendation.
Test performance of new plugins
Plugin conflicts have the potential to cause errors and dramatically reduce your site’s reliability. The Newspack team vets every new plugin request for performance and security, but with so many plugins installed and frequent code updates, it can be difficult to catch every possible conflict upfront. If you have doubts about a plugin’s reliability or worry about its impact on site performance, we recommend performance testing before and after install.
Before installation, make sure to do performance testing on posts and pages where you plan to use a plugin. This will establish their baseline performance. Once you’ve installed and configured the plugin, do another quick performance test on those posts and pages. Testing performance with the plugin on and off can uncover hits to performance you’ll incur by making use of it on the site, as well as give us a heads up on any plugin conflicts.
Proactively review installed/activated plugins
Even if you got your plugins reviewed before install and tested their performance early on, it’s important to periodically vet the plugins you have installed and activated on your site. Admins can view the plugins list by navigating to Plugins > Installed Plugins in your main navigation on the dashboard.
What should you look for in reviewing that list?
- Newspack-managed plugins: Most of the plugins you see in your plugins list will receive automatic updates through Newspack Manager while they’re in use. These should all be fine to keep installed, but it’s good to double-check whether they’re in use. Deactivate a plugin that isn’t in use by selecting the Deactivate link under its name in the plugin list. For instance, if you used Gravity Forms briefly for a single event sign-up form, but the event has passed and you’ve already exported the data, it could be safely deactivated.
- Third-party plugins: As you iterate on strategies, you might have temporarily activated some plugins to test them out. For example, if you’re using Gravity Forms, maybe you also activated the Gravity Forms Polls Add-On or Gravity Forms Quiz Add-On. Are you still using them? If not, at very least deactivate them.
- Any plugin whose function or name you don’t recognize: If you’re not sure what a plugin does or whether it’s in use, ask the support team. A quick request in the help channel can help you sort it out and alert us to any potential issues. We generally recommend that you uninstall any third-party plugin that isn’t in use. For Newspack-managed plugins, deactivating those that aren’t in use should be sufficient.