If you’re new to WordPress, you might find yourself wondering, “what is a WordPress plugin?”. It’s a fairly common question to ask because, in addition to being one of the many new terms that WordPress will introduce to your vocabulary, plugins are also an essential building block of every single WordPress site.

In this entry, we’ll answer the question of “what is a WordPress plugin?”. Then, we’ll give you a few tips on where you can find WordPress plugins and how you can manage them on your site.

What Is A WordPress Plugin And How Does It Work?

A WordPress plugin is essentially a bit of code that “plugs in” to your self-hosted WordPress site. In human terms, that means a WordPress plugin is something that adds new functionality to your WordPress site or extends existing functionality on your site.

One of the benefits of WordPress is that enterprising developers have written tens of thousands of WordPress plugins that you can add to your site.

Plugins can make everything from small tweaks to massive changes to your site. For example, some plugins can even turn your WordPress site into a fully functioning eCommerce store, social network, or forum.

Or, they can also add smaller features like an Instagram feed. Some WordPress plugins don’t even have front-facing effects. For example, you can install plugins to improve your site’s performance or help it rank better in search engines like Google.

How Do Plugins Work?

You’ll learn all of this in more detail below. But generally, to start using WordPress plugins on your site, you’ll need to:

  • Find a WordPress plugin that you’re interested in
  • Install that plugin on your WordPress site
  • Configure the plugin inside your WordPress dashboard


Searching for WordPress plugins from inside your WordPress dashboard

Can You Use WordPress Plugins at WordPress.com?

For most users, the answer is, “No”. You cannot use WordPress plugins at WordPress.com – plugins are something that only people who use self-hosted WordPress, AKA WordPress.org, can benefit from.

Recently, Automattic slightly tweaked this policy by allowing WordPress.com Business Plan users to install third-party plugins. But still, the average WordPress.com user cannot install their own plugins.

Finding and Managing WordPress Plugins For Your Site

Now that you’re able to answer the question of what is a WordPress plugin, let’s move on to where you can find WordPress plugins and how you can add them to your site.

Where to Find WordPress Plugins

You can find WordPress plugins in a few different places, depending on whether you want free or premium plugins.

With free plugins, you can install and use the plugin without paying anything, though sometimes certain features are locked unless you pay money.

On the other hand, premium plugins, obviously, cost money, but often offer better features as a result.

Here are some of the best places to find WordPress plugins:

  • WordPress.org – the official WordPress plugin directory and one of the best places to find free WordPress plugins.
  • Code Canyon – a large directory of exclusively premium WordPress plugins.
  • Third-party developers – plenty of developers only sell plugins through their own sites, so using Google is often a good way to find plugins.