---
title: "WordPress Tip: There’s a Plugin for That"
date: 2010-05-30
description: "$( document ).ready(function() { // Handler for .ready() called. $("
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2010/05/30/wordpress-tip-theres-a-plugin-for-that/
---
# WordPress Tip: There’s a Plugin for That
One of the many advantages of WordPress over other blog platforms is the number of plugins available. Plugins are scripts that you can add to WordPress to increase the functionality in some way. For example, a contact form plugin gives you an easy way to drop in a contact form into your site.

If you use Firefox, you're probably familiar with the concept of "extensions." Plugins is WordPress's term for the same concept -- a little bit of code that adds functionality to your site in some way. 

### 9,793 Plugins

At the time of this post, there are [9,793 plugins available for WordPress](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/). That's a lot for a blog platform -- more than any other blog platform. For example, BlogEngine.net, a blog platform that runs on .NET, has less than [100 plugins available](http://www.dotnetblogengine.net/page/extensions.aspx).

If you have an iPhone or have seen the "There's an app for that" commercials, it's much the same with WordPress. If you have a problem or specific situation, most likely there's a plugin for it.

### Finding Plugins

All plugins for WordPress are listed here: [http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins). You can search for keywords, sort by tags, or look at the most popular plugins. You can also do a keyword search for [my favorite wordpress plugins on Google](https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=my+favorite+wordpress+plugins&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=) to find popular plugins.

The easiest way to get started with plugins is by looking for [widget plugins](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tags/widget), since most of these widget plugins are drag-and-drop simple. After activating the plugin, look in your widgets area (Appearance > Widgets) for a new widget.

### Installing Plugins

To install a plugin, go to **Plugins > Add New** in your WordPress admin interface. You can install and activate the plugins you need directly from within WordPress. But be sure to read the Installation instructions for the plugin. Some plugins may have special instructions, such as adjusting the file permissions for a specific folder in your directory.

### Updating Plugins

After you install a plugin, in a few months (or with new releases of WordPress), you'll probably need to update the plugin. When you need to update a plugin, the Plugins page in your WordPress admin area shows the following message:

> There is a new version of [plugin name] available. View version details or upgrade automatically.

Always keep your plugins up to date. Out of date plugins pose security risks for your blog. Additionally, many plugins may not be compatible with the latest version of WordPress, so look for updates from the plugin authors.