What WordPress plugins do you always install on your sites?

Request
1

These are the plugins I’ve been using a lot recently:

RankMath or The SEO Framework

RankMath is lightweight and user-friendly, perfect for client sites. I prefer The SEO Framework for personal projects since it gives more precise control and is one of the least resource-heavy options.

WP Rocket

Not free, but it’s amazing for improving site speed with just a few tweaks.

Perfmatters

This one is great for sites with lots of content or heavy features. It helps manage performance better.

Imagify

Perfect for compressing and optimizing images, especially useful for image-heavy sites.

Phoenix Media Rename

I recently discovered this—it renames image files to match post names. It’s super handy for organizing media files.

WP Sheet Editor

This plugin lets you manage posts, pages, categories, and more in a spreadsheet format. It makes bulk editing a breeze.

Hide Admin Notices

Keeps the admin area clean by putting all notices in one place.

Lasso & Internal Link Juicer

Lasso is great for affiliate links, and Internal Link Juicer helps with interlinking pages by automating keyword-based links.

What plugins do you think should be on this list? Share your recommendations!

2

My standard setup is:

  • Astra Pro Theme
  • Beaver Builder
  • Ultimate Addons for Beaver Builder
  • Font Awesome
  • Gravity Forms
  • Litespeed Cache
  • Loginizer
  • Rank Math SEO
  • Smash Balloon Social Wall
  • The Events Calendar
  • UpdraftPlus
  • Wordfence
  • WP Mail SMTP

This stack works really well for political campaign sites. For example:

  • The Events Calendar is great for managing event pages.
  • Smash Balloon Social Wall keeps the homepage dynamic by showing social posts.
  • Gravity Forms is essential for forms that lead to donation pages.

These plugins save so much time.

3

@Oli
Good list! I forgot to mention Wordfence and UpdraftPlus. Both are lifesavers. Updraft especially when you need to undo major mistakes. :sweat_smile:

4

Wil said:
@Oli
Good list! I forgot to mention Wordfence and UpdraftPlus. Both are lifesavers. Updraft especially when you need to undo major mistakes. :sweat_smile:

Totally agree. Updraft also makes site cloning easier, though it can leave your folders cluttered with backups if you’re not careful.

5

Can you use WP Rocket and Perfmatters together, or do they overlap?

6

Kai said:
Can you use WP Rocket and Perfmatters together, or do they overlap?

You can, but avoid overlapping settings like caching and minifying. Stick to one tool for those features.

7

Kai said:
Can you use WP Rocket and Perfmatters together, or do they overlap?

Honestly, just use the latest version of WP Rocket. It’s solid on its own.

8

Does Phoenix Media Rename actually rename the file or just the title? If it’s just the title, it seems pointless.

9

Bao said:
Does Phoenix Media Rename actually rename the file or just the title? If it’s just the title, it seems pointless.

It renames the file itself, which is why I started using it. Found out it has other helpful features too.

10

Here’s my go-to list:

  • ACF Pro
  • ShortPixel for images
  • WP Umbrella for monitoring and backups
  • WP Rocket for performance
  • Rank Math for SEO
  • AI Alt Text Generator for image descriptions
  • Envato Elements for design
  • Neve Theme for its speed and simplicity
  • All-in-One WP Migration for site transfers

Plus, I use addons like Plus Addons and Ultimate Addons.

11

What exactly makes RankMath stand out? Isn’t it just another SEO tool with the usual features?

12

Noor said:
What exactly makes RankMath stand out? Isn’t it just another SEO tool with the usual features?

For me, it’s easy to set up basic SEO settings like page titles, schemas, and 404 management. It’s also user-friendly for clients who aren’t very tech-savvy. Their on-page audit tool is decent for new sites.

13

@Wil
Fair enough. Do you think managing redirects is better through a plugin like RankMath or directly in the .htaccess file?

14

Noor said:
@Wil
Fair enough. Do you think managing redirects is better through a plugin like RankMath or directly in the .htaccess file?

For bigger sites, .htaccess is more efficient. But for quick fixes or client-managed sites, the plugin is easier.