You may think of WordPress plugins as tools for improving a website. That makes plenty of sense. We use them to add features for users and site owners. They add capabilities like SEO, shopping carts, and layout building to the mix.
Plugins aren’t just here to serve those groups, however. There are also products designed specifically for web developers. These expert-only items enable us to troubleshoot issues, measure performance, monitor site functionality, and more.
Some utilities are even meant to be installed temporarily. Use them and then lose them. All the better to keep a curious client from wreaking havoc!
With that in mind, let’s look at a handful of WordPress plugins that cater to developers. You might find a few that fit your workflow.
Health Check & Troubleshooting WordPress Plugin
This official WordPress plugin belongs in every developer’s toolbox. It’s a debugging tool that makes troubleshooting potential plugin and theme conflicts easier to diagnose. You can “virtually” deactivate items within your user session to identify which one is causing an issue.
Importantly, visitors to your website won’t be impacted by your tests. You’ll also find a plethora of debug data and confirmation that WordPress core files haven’t been tampered with. When things go wrong, reach for Health Check.
Query Monitor for WordPress
Does your website have performance issues? Is it riddled with PHP or JavaScript errors? Query Monitor will help you pinpoint the source of a myriad of problems. The plugin logs errors and keeps track of everything that happens during a page load on the front and back ends of your website.
You’ll also find handy details such as the current theme template, user capability info, and server environment settings. There is also a selection of add-ons for extending Query Monitor’s functionality.
Disable Emails WordPress Plugin
Raise your hand if you’ve ever accidentally triggered a user email when working on a website. It’s a common issue when troubleshooting or building new features. Activate Disable Emails, and you won’t have to worry about that WooCommerce invoice or password reset being sent.
It’s also a perfect companion when working on a local or staging environment.
Code Profiler for WordPress
Your site’s theme, plugins, and custom code snippets all impact performance. But how much? Code Profiler provides a visual overview of load times, disk usage, and more. The colorful (and exportable) charts make it easy to identify what’s slowing down your site.
The plugin also works with WP-CLI and accommodates custom cookies/HTTP headers.
Advanced Cron Manager for WordPress
WordPress relies on cron tasks for functionality like sending emails and detecting software updates. In some cases, a failed task can lead to problems – particularly for e-commerce and membership sites.
Advanced Cron Manager allows you to view registered tasks, modify their schedules, and add new tasks to the list. The plugin helps you take control of an otherwise invisible process.
Email Log WordPress Plugin
Let’s face it: email is unreliable. That said, we still count on it for receiving form submissions and e-commerce orders. Email Log provides peace of mind by tracking every email WordPress sends. It also serves as the first step in troubleshooting email delivery issues.
Plugins To Help You Build and Troubleshoot Faster
Developers have no shortage of responsibilities. We not only build websites with WordPress, but we also maintain and troubleshoot them. The right tools are essential for our efficiency and sanity.
The plugins on this list help us do just that. They provide useful data, allow fine-grained control over site processes, and alert us to potential problems. Even better is that we can install them with just a few clicks.
So, don’t go it alone when working with WordPress. Use the tools above to give you an edge – you’ll be glad to have them in your toolbox.
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