It can be overwhelming when you first try to get into WordPress plugin development. Honestly, one of the best ways to learn is just to dive right in and start coding. However, this is something that doesn’t just happen overnight. Be ready to commit and invest some time learning WordPress, PHP, and React.
With that being said, having some good resources on hand can help you navigate all the craziness and cut through the noise quicker. My brother and I develop WordPress plugins full-time, so we are constantly bouncing between different sources to speed up our workflows.
WordPress plugin development resources
Below is a shortlist of WordPress plugin development resources that we use in our daily work.
WordPress Plugin Handbook
I always recommend starting out with the official WordPress Plugin Handbook. This is a good basic introduction and overview.
You’ll also want to dive into the Block Editor Handbook if you’re creating a plugin for the Block Editor.
WordPress Codex
The WordPress Codex has a good overview of writing a plugin, and what all it entails.
Make WordPress Core
Make sure to check out the PHP coding standards when it comes to WordPress core.
WordPress.tv
WordPress.tv has great plugin development videos you can watch.
WordPress Development Stack Exchange
There is a Stack Exchange just for WordPress development. This is a place you can find answers and also ask questions.
SitePoint
SitePoint has some good articles focused on the topic of WordPress plugin development.
Kinsta
Here is an in-depth tutorial on how to publish a plugin to the WordPress repository.
Gutenberg (Block Editor) Courses
Zac Gordon has the best courses when it comes to learning JavaScript and coding for Gutenberg. Check out JavaScript for WordPress.
Additional resources
The Codex also has a list of some additional plugin development resources.
WordPress plugin marketing and selling
Stepping beyond development, there is a lot more to learn about marketing and selling WordPress plugins. Check out a few articles we’ve written:
- 18 things we’ve learned from building WordPress plugins
- VAT for dummies: An easy guide for WordPress EDD sellers
Summary
There are thousands of other great articles around the web about plugin development, but I recommend going through all the resources above first.
Also, if you have any questions about WordPress plugin development, I’d be happy to answer them and share how we do things with our own plugins. Feel free to drop them in the comments below.
