WordPress is one of the most popular platforms for creating websites, powering over 40% of all websites on the internet as of 2025. However, "bare" WordPress, installed by default, has limited functionality and vulnerabilities:
- Security: Without protection, the site is vulnerable to attacks such as brute force or malware injection.
- Performance: Slow page loading worsens user experience and search engine rankings.
- Backups: Without backups, you risk losing data due to errors or hacking.
- SEO: Without optimization, the site may be invisible to Google and Yandex.
The Solution is to install a minimal set of verified plugins that solve these problems. Critical plugins are those without which the site is exposed to unjustified risk or cannot function effectively. These are not niche plugins for specific tasks (e.g., for online stores), but basic tools for any website.
Warning: More plugins ≠ better. Each plugin increases server load and can become a point of failure. The focus is on a minimal set of reliable solutions.
What you will get: A secure, fast, reliable, and manageable site, ready for further development.
What to do before installing plugins
Before installing plugins, it is important to prepare the site to minimize risks and ensure stability.
| Preparation Step | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Backup | Protection against data loss due to errors. | Make a full backup (files + database) via the hosting panel or a plugin, for example, UpdraftPlus. |
| WordPress Version | Ensure the latest version is used. | Check in the admin panel: Dashboard -> Updates. In 2025, this is WordPress 6.8 or higher. |
| PHP Version | Compatibility with plugins. | Use PHP 8.2 or higher. Check: Tools -> Site Health -> Info. |
| Active Theme | Compatibility and performance. | Use a lightweight theme, for example, Twenty Twenty-Five, or check the compatibility of the current theme. |
| Existing Plugins | Minimization of conflicts. | Deactivate or delete unnecessary plugins via Plugins -> Installed Plugins. |
| Install One by One | Simplifying problem diagnosis. | Install and test plugins one by one. |
Categories of Critical Plugins
Below are the categories of plugins essential for any WordPress site, their purpose, and examples with brief selection recommendations and key settings.
| Category | Why it's needed | Key Features | Examples (choose one) + Configuration/Selection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security | Protection against attacks, malware, bots. | Firewall (WAF), malware scanning, login attempt limiting, 2FA, blocking suspicious IPs. | Wordfence Security:
Recommendations1. Selection: Ideal for comprehensive protection. The free version is often sufficient.
Solid Security (formerly iThemes Security): Recommendations1. Selection: Excellent balance of features and simplicity. Good for beginners.
Alternatives: Sucuri Security (strong WAF, but scanning is paid), All In One WP Security & Firewall (very detailed, but harder for beginners) |
| Backup | Site recovery after failures. | Full backup (files + DB), automatic scheduling, remote storage, one-click restore. | UpdraftPlus:
Recommendations1. Selection: The most popular, free + paid add-ons, many storage options.
Jetpack Backup (VaultPress): Recommendations1. Selection: Ideal if you already use Jetpack. Real-time, very simple restore. Paid Alternatives: BlogVault (excellent solution for staging and migrations, paid), Duplicator (better for migrations/cloning than for regular backups) |
| Performance | Speeding up page loading, reducing load. | Page caching, compression (GZIP), minification of CSS/JS/HTML, Lazy Load, database optimization. | WP Rocket:
Recommendations1. Selection: The simplest and most effective paid caching plugin. "Set it and forget it".
LiteSpeed Cache: Recommendations1. Selection: Mandatory only if your hosting uses the LiteSpeed server (LSWS). Most powerful free tool.
Alternative: WP Super Cache (reliable free, but requires more manual setup for speed comparable to WP Rocket) |
| SEO | Improving visibility in search engines. | XML sitemap, meta tag configuration, content analysis, Schema.org, robots.txt management. | Rank Math:
Recommendations1. Selection: Very functional free, intuitive interface, good hints.
Yoast SEO: Recommendations1. Selection: Market veteran, very stable. Free version is powerful. Interface slightly more complex than Rank Math.
Alternative: All in One SEO (AIOSEO) - also very powerful and popular, a good choice, especially for beginners |
| Antispam (Optional) | Fighting spam comments and registrations. | Spam filtering, form protection, bot blocking. | Akismet Anti-Spam:
Recommendations1. Selection: Market leader, uses cloud analysis. Free for personal sites.
CleanTalk: Recommendations1. Selection: Effectively blocks spam without CAPTCHA. Paid (inexpensive), but has a trial period. Protects login, registration, comment forms.
Alternative: Antispam Bee (free, private, but requires a bit more manual management of false positives) |
Plugin Selection Criteria: How Not to Make a Mistake
Choosing the right plugin is key to site stability. Here are the main criteria:
| Criterion | Description | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Reputation & Reliability | Source, popularity, reviews. | Install only from WordPress.org or verified developer sites. Look for plugins with 100k+ installs, 4+ rating, and updated within the last 2-3 months. |
| Development Activity | Update frequency, support. | Check the support forum activity and developer response speed. Avoid plugins not updated for more than 1 year |
| Ease of Use | Interface and documentation. | Choose plugins with a clear interface and detailed documentation/FAQ. Check screenshots on the plugin page in the repository. |
| Performance | Impact on site speed. | Test speed before and after installation (Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix). Read reviews where users note the impact on speed. |
| Functionality | Solving a specific task. | Prefer specialized plugins over "all-in-one" solutions. Ensure the plugin solves exactly your main task from the stated category. |
| Compatibility | Work with your WP version, PHP, theme, and other plugins. | Check the "Requirements" or "Compatibility" tab on the plugin page. Look for mentions of conflicts in reviews/forums. |
Step-by-Step Guide: Installation and Basic Configuration
Installation via admin panel (recommended method)
- Log in to the WordPress admin panel (yoursite.ru/wp-admin)
- Go to Plugins -> Add New
- Enter the plugin name in the search bar
- Find the plugin, check the author and rating
- Click Install Now, then Activate
Manual installation (ZIP file)
- Download the plugin ZIP file from the official source (e.g., WordPress.org)
- In the admin panel: Plugins -> Add New -> Upload Plugin
- Select the ZIP file, click Install Now
- Click Activate Plugin
Basic plugin configuration (Augmented with examples from the section above)
- Security (e.g., Wordfence):
- Go through the setup wizard (if available)
- Enable the firewall (WAF) and malware scanning. (See details in the table for Wordfence)
- Configure login attempt limiting (3-5 attempts). (See details in the table)
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for all admins. (See details in the table)
- (Optional) Change the login URL to protect against bots
- Backup (e.g., UpdraftPlus):
- Connect remote storage (Google Drive, Dropbox). This is critical! (See details in the table)
- Configure a schedule (weekly for small sites). (See details in the table)
- Select files and database for backup
- Make the first full backup manually
- Test restoration on a staging site
- Performance (e.g., WP Rocket):
- Enable page caching. (See basic settings in the table)
- Activate compression (GZIP) and minification of CSS/JS/HTML. (See basic settings in the table - test!)
- Enable Lazy Load for images. (See basic settings in the table)
- Configure automatic cache clearing when content is updated
- Check site speed before and after
- SEO (e.g., Rank Math):
- Go through the setup wizard. (See details in the table)
- Create and verify the XML sitemap (yoursite.ru/sitemap_index.xml). (See details in the table)
- Configure title and meta description templates. (See details in the table)
- Connect Google Search Console via the plugin. (See details in the table)
- Check noindex settings for utility pages (author archives, tag archives, if not needed)
- Antispam (e.g., Akismet):
- Get an API key at WordPress.com (free for personal sites)
- Enter the key in the plugin settings. (See details in the table)
Testing after installation
- Open the homepage and several posts/pages. Check if all elements load correctly (images, scripts, styles)
- Check form functionality (if any) - send a test message/comment
- Measure loading speed (Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix). Compare with results before plugin installation
- Check the browser console for errors (F12 -> Console). Fix critical errors (JS/CSS)
- Ensure the admin panel works correctly (no slowdowns, errors when saving posts, uploading media files)
Common Mistakes
- Too many plugins: Install only what is necessary. Each extra plugin is a potential security hole and performance drag
- Unreliable sources: Use only WordPress.org or developer sites. Never download "nulled" (cracked) plugins!
- Ignoring updates: Regularly update WordPress, themes, and plugins. Enable notifications or use managed hosting
- Activating all plugins at once: Install one by one and test. This makes it easier to identify conflicts or problems
- Lack of backups: Make backups before and after any significant changes (plugin installation, core/theme update, code edits)
- Using outdated plugins: Avoid plugins not updated for more than 2 years. They may be incompatible with new WP/PHP versions and insecure
- Trusting default settings: Check and configure plugins manually. Especially security and caching settings
- Storing backups on the server: Use remote storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, S3). If the server breaks down or is hacked, backups on it will also be lost
Additional Recommendations
After installing the basic set of plugins, you can add others depending on your needs:
- Contact forms: WPForms Lite (very user-friendly), Contact Form 7 (powerful, but requires HTML/CSS knowledge for complex forms)
- Image optimization: ShortPixel, Imagify (automatic compression of uploaded images - important for speed!). Set compression to 70-80% for visually acceptable quality
- Uptime monitoring: Jetpack Monitor (simple), UptimeRobot (reliable free tier) - receive SMS/email if the site goes down
- Comment management: wpDiscuz (excellent for active blogs, modern interface)
Remember: First create a stable foundation (security, backups, speed, basic SEO) with critical plugins, then add functionality as real need arises. Each new plugin is an additional entry point, load, and potential conflict.
You have installed a critical set of plugins that ensures the security, reliability, and performance of your WordPress site. Regular updates, backup checks, and plugin monitoring will help keep the site in excellent shape. Every new plugin should be a considered decision, not an impulsive action.