What plugins do you always use on a new WordPress site

When setting up a WordPress site from scratch, what are the plugins you always add first? I’m talking about the basics like security, backups, and performance—things that create a solid foundation before adding fancy features. Free or paid, what do you recommend?

This gets asked on this forum a lot. Here’s a link to previous discussions that might help: https://www.reddit.com/r/Wordpress/search/?q=essential%20plugins&restrict_sr=1

This topic has come up plenty of times, and I’ve shared my thoughts here: https://www.reddit.com/r/WordPress_org/comments/147gt1q/must_have_wordpress_plugins_and_themes.

Are you looking for plugin categories or specific plugins?

Dakota said:
Are you looking for plugin categories or specific plugins?

If possible, a mix of both would be great. Maybe list the key categories first and then share your go-to plugins—whether free or paid—for each category. Thanks!

I’ve been working with WordPress for over 12 years now. Here’s my go-to list of plugins:

  • SVG Support (because scalable graphics are better than raster images for most uses)
  • Akismet (to handle comment spam)
  • Google Site Kit (for easy analytics and search integration)
  • Favicon Generator (to customize how your site looks in browser tabs)
  • Oxygen Builder + Hydrogen Pack (a builder combo for designing)
  • Yoast (great for handling meta tags like titles and descriptions)
  • Redis Cache (makes your site faster, but you’ll need a Redis server for this)

These cover most of my basic needs.

@Lyle
Thanks, that’s super helpful! Do you also recommend any security or backup plugins?