When I first started blogging, there were so many things I needed to learn.
Deciding which plug-ins were a must-have for my self-hosted blog was only part of a far more complicated equation! I had no idea how many there were to choose from at first and I considered going on a wordpress speed optimization course for some guidence.
Given there were literally thousands to choose from (20k+ and growing), narrowing it down to the bare essentials was no small task.
But, before you get started installing all the fancy bells-and-whistles known as plug-ins on your self-hosted blog, I highly recommend you read my post A Word About WordPress Plug-ins so you know what you’re getting yourself into when you choose to add them to your site!
With that said, here are…
My Must-Have Top 5 Plug-Ins for WordPress
These plug-ins are listed in alphabetical order, so I can’t claim obvious favorites!
1. Akismet
I can’t imagine a blog without this handy plug-in. Akismet prevents and filters out ‘comment spam’ and ‘track-back’ spam automatically, for you. It catches thousands+++ of spam comments and track-back spam before it even hits your comments queue. It saves me so much time from filtering through countless spammers! Just take a look at the Akismet official homepage to see how many spams zapped to date. As of this post, it was 99 billion. No, that is not a typo. That’s impressive!
2. Comment Reply Notification
I love this plug-in! This plug-in is intended to give a personal touch when connecting with readers (via comments) on your blog. Essentially, with this plug-in, when you ‘reply’ to a comment made by a reader on a post, this plug-in sends an email to the reader that commented and delivers it to the Inbox of their email address! Talk about reaching out and getting personal! So much better than making your reader come back to see if you bothered to respond to their comment on your post!
3. Easy Recipe
This plug-in makes it so simple to format your recipe in an easy-to-read format with a pre-formatted bulleted ingredient list and a pre-formatted numbered list for the instructions. It makes your recipe look professional and simple to print. It also lets you add a photo, add nutritional info, notes & more! Easy to use, simple to install – it’s the perfect recipe plug-in for your food blog!
4. Editorial Calendar
If you like structure and to see a calendar view of posts, this is the plug-in for you. This editorial calendar gives you an overview of your blog and when each post is scheduled to be published. You can drag and drop to move posts, edit posts right in the calendar, and manage your entire posting schedule for your blog. Please note: when you search for this plug-in to install it, it’s called Editorial Calendar. Yet, after it is installed, you will find it in the plug-in directory as WordPress Editorial Calendar.
5. W3 Total Cache
In simple terms, this plug-in is designed to improve the performance of your site by loading your site pages at a faster speed and improving your reader’s experience when they visit your site. In not-as-simple terms, it’s a WordPress Performance Optimization (WPO) framework.
I hope you found this post helpful. If you have any plug-ins you find essential that you’d like to share, please add them in the comments!
Cheers,
Kristi
Johlene says
Hey there Kristi, hope you are well? Are these plug-ins only for WordPress..? I use Blogspot.. and I´m hoping I can use some of them….. Xx
Kristi says
Hi Johlene! As far as I know, they are only for WordPress, but I have never used Blogspot. I would think that Blogspot would have something similar, but I can’t be certain. Some developers develop for multiple platforms, so I’d say it’s certainly possible. If Blogspot has plug-ins at all, I’d certainly give a try searching for them. Try searching for “comment” as a plug-in and see what it comes up with. I love that Comment plug-in – and so do readers! Win!
Pam says
I’m not planning on being a ‘blogger’…yet, if I was, I would find these suggestions really helpful. I love your blog, Kristi. The recipes are wonderful and the look and feel of the site is beautiful and professional…Yay you!
I’m still going to raise my hand for the gluten free, soy free and vegan recipes. Recent dinner parties have been challenging in my effort to include dishes that fit this profile. Seems to me that more people moving in the direction of “this-and-that-free”…don’t ya think?
Kristi says
Thanks for all the compliments Pam! I’m loving the blog, and I love knowing how readers see it. Yes, I’m totally on board with trying new recipes that are gluten-free, soy-free or vegan – I’m on it! 🙂
Milana says
Thanks for sharing! I was looking for some sort of editorial calendar so this is just perfect! I use Aksimet and Easy Recipe too 🙂 My brother has an amazing how-to-blog-blog that you should check out for more tips if you want – http://howtomakemyblog.com
xx Milana
Kristi says
Thanks for the link Milana. I read a few of his articles – he has some great suggestions! Thanks for passing along. Yes, I could not live without the editorial calendar – it helps me stay organized!
Aimee / Wallflower Girl says
I’ve just changed from Yum Print to Easy Recipe and am liking it so far but it’s a shame a lot of the features are only available if you pay extra 🙁 I’m going to look into the cache plugin. Thanks for the list!
Kristi says
Hmmm, I don’t remember upgrading my Easy Recipe plug-in to the paid version, but I might have. I’ve forgotten now, since I’ve had it for a year. After your comment though, I went to look at the plug-in on the WordPress.org site, and the screenshots looked like the version I have. I wonder what the difference is? Now you have me curious! I’m going to be checking this out for sure! Thanks for the heads-up!
Consuelo @ Honey & Figs says
My Get Me Cooking plugin has crashed, so I think I’ll give easy recipe a try! Thanks for the info, Kristi 😀
Kristi says
I’ve really enjoyed it Consuelo. Yet, another reader says that you have to pay extra for some of the features. I don’t remember doing that – but it’s possible I did. Be sure to check it out to see if it’s what you want (as-is) before you decide! I love mine, but it’s entirely possible I have the paid version.
Ruby @ The Ruby Red Apron says
Thank so much for sharing! I’m so clueless about plugins. I just installed 1, 2, and 5. 🙂
Kristi says
Ruby, I think you picked some of the best ones! Akismet has saved me SO much time, and I love, love, love the Comment Reply Notification – it’s so much more personal than expecting your readers to come back to your blog just to read your response. I’ve also had so many readers email me about the speed of my site, I think you’ll really like the W3 Total Cache plug-in. Enjoy! Glad I could help.
Sara {Home is Where the Cookies Are} says
Great tips! I have to admit, I probably don’t use as many plug-ins as I should!! So many things I need to update! Ahhhhh! Plugins are not the boss of me either!! 😉
Kristi says
Hahahaha! Ok, I LOL’d at this. Bananas and plug-ins are SSSSOOOO not the boss of us! LOVED your banana post…
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
The editorial calendar is one of my favorites, it definitely has made scheduling alot easier!
Kristi says
Mine too Pamela! It really helps keep me organized. I love seeing a month at a glance!
Juliana says
Kristi, thank you so much for this post…very useful, I will try to add the Easy Recipe.
Again, thanks for this informative post and hope you are having a lovely week 😀
Kristi says
Thanks Juliana! So glad you found it helpful!
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
Hmmmm W3 intrigued me, however, it also scares me and for some reason I feel like it might slow down my site, because… That’s what my luck would do to me!lol. I downloaded this one Plug IN and it was HORRENDOUS! I couldn’t load my site, so I couldn’t get in there and DELETE IT! 🙁 HostGator had to go in there and disable ALL of my plugins in order to help me figure out what was going on.
Kristi says
I know exactly how you feel – bad plug-ins can be real nightmares! I’ve had no problems with W3 Super Cache, and I’ve been using it about a year – but I’ll definitely keep an eye open and let you know if things change!
Josefine {The Smoothie Lover} says
I’ve been wondering for a long time how I get my readers to know when I reply on a comment. Imma download that comment reply notification plugin right now. Thanks so much for the great advice!
Kristi says
Thanks Josefine! That is by far one of my favorite plug-ins. I love that my replies go straight to their Inbox. I rarely think to go back to a post I’ve commented on to see what the response was – and with this plug-in, you don’t have to! It makes your life much easier!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
Totally agree with you on Akismet (a must-have!) and Easy Recipe (we actually run Easy Recipe and ZipList simultaneously). And, I’m so excited to check out the others! We’ve actually specifically been planning to scout out a comment management plug-in, and Comment Reply Notification sounds awesome! Seriously fab post!
Kristi says
I love the Comment plug-in – it gives such a personal touch to my readers. I’ve heard a lot about Ziplist, but haven’t installed it yet. If you have tips on why, how, etc. – send me email! 🙂
Margaret@KitchenFrau says
What great information! I am such a technology dummy and limp along, begging more knowledgeable friends or relatives for help whenever I need to figure something out. Your blog and these posts are hugely helpful. I’m so glad I discovered your blog – thank you!
Kristi says
I’m so glad you found it helpful Margaret! That’s why I do it – I absolutely love to help others and it warms my heart to know that someone benefits! Have a beautiful week!