WordPress plugins can be incredibly helpful when it comes to launching your WordPress website.

Plugins allow you to do all kinds of useful things and add abilities that would otherwise require a lot of programming. However, you need to make sure that you’re careful when choosing the plugins that you use on your website, as they can cause conflicts and put your site security at risk.

In order to help keep your website secure, you need to keep your plugins updated regularly. If plugins remain on your website without being updated, they have the potential to open up security issues.

Review all plugins before installing

You can actually prevent a lot of problems simply by using plugins sparingly. Always do research before installing a new plug. Look at the reviews of the plugin; not just the star rating but also what people are writing about the plugin.

You should also check to see when the plugin was last updated. If the plugin hasn’t been updated in over a year, it could indicate that the plugin is no longer being supported. If you notice that before you install the plugin, moving on to a different plugin would save you the time of having to switch plugins in the future.

Always disable and remove any plugins that you don’t use

If your website has WordPress plugins that you don’t use anymore, deactivate and delete them.

One of the biggest risks to your website’s security is running old plugins that are not used and may not be actively maintained.

Do you really need the plugin?

Searching for WordPress plugins can be fun. Many plugins are offered for free but always resist the temptation to go overboard installing new plugins. Only use as many plugins as are needed.

Every time you consider a new plugin, ask yourself if you really need it. Do you want it because it’s crucial or just because it’s cool? Before installing the new plugin, also check to see if there is a similar plugin that might be better or more popular, as that’s often an indication that it’s better supported.

If you’re unsure about a plugin for your website, always feel free to contact us.  We’re here to be your resource for anything WordPress-related.

If you already have a situation where you think your website may have been hacked, get in touch with us to help and ask about our website hack cleanup services.