The vast number of plugins available for WordPress is just one of many reasons the content management system has become our go-to platform for building websites. No matter what functionality needs to implemented, we can usually find a plugin that delivers exactly what we’re looking for. While there are thousands of WordPress plugins available, we have a few favorites we use consistently to ensure optimal performance for each site we craft. We’ve collected a few of the best WordPress plugins that get installed on just about every site we build and shared them below.
Here are 7 of the Best WordPress Plugins We Use
1. Gravity Forms
There are plenty of form plugins available for WordPress, but the advanced features and numerous third-party add-ons makes Gravity Forms our first choice. We use Gravity Forms for everything from simple contact forms, multi-page applications, MailChimp sign up, and user registration. Fields within Gravity Forms can easily be populated dynamically and the plugin can also display fields with conditional logic. That’s what makes Gravity Forms one of the best WordPress plugins we use for website projects.
Learn more about Gravity Forms
2. Yoast
There’s a reason why each one of our WordPress sites has Yoast installed. Yoast is on our list of the best WordPress plugins because it makes it easy to optimize our sites for search engines by letting us add specific focus keywords and page descriptions to each page.
3. WPBakery Page Builder
With a drag and drop interface, plenty of custom elements, and the ability to create unique templates on each page, WPBakery Page Builder has quickly become a staple plugin for our team. The custom grid builder included with the plugin is great for adding blog, news, and even custom post type feeds throughout our sites. WPBakery Page Builder also let’s us save our templates and easily apply them on other pages.
Learn more about WPBakery Page Builder
4. Wordfence
Wordfence is one of the most downloaded security plugins for WordPress, and for good reason. It continuously monitors our websites and protects against malicious attacks. Wordfence also allows us to view blocked intrusion attempts and set up advanced blocking, keeping the sites we build as secure as possible.
5. 404page
Few things bring more frustration than coming across an error 404 page while clicking through a site. 404page is one of the best WordPress plugins because it allows us to set any page on the site as the 404 redirect. Custom 404 content can help alleviate pain on the user’s end by allowing us to direct them to other helpful pages on the site.
6. Advanced Custom Fields
Any time a site requires us to create a custom post type, we rely on Advanced Custom Fields. This plugin has over 30 field types available making it easy for us to set up custom content. While it’s great for custom post types, it also allows us to create content fields for pages, posts, media, and more.
Learn more about Advanced Custom Fields
7. Go Live Update URLS
One of the last steps in our website launching process includes installing and running the Go Live Update URLS plugin. This one of the best WordPress plugins because it runs through the site and replaces every instance of the development url with the new one. Using this plugin means no broken links and missing images, ensuring a smooth site launch.
Learn more about Go Live Update URLS
We love WordPress because of the many plugins available. While each site we build is unique, there are some WordPress plugins we use on a regular basis that ensure our sites are running their best. Have a favorite WordPress plugin you use on every site? Tell us about it in the comments below!