{"id":15645,"date":"2010-10-05T22:35:57","date_gmt":"2010-10-05T17:05:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=15645"},"modified":"2026-10-15T14:03:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T08:33:15","slug":"new-wordpress-plugins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/","title":{"rendered":"New WordPress Plugins: How to Find and Test Them (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Thousands of <strong>new WordPress plugins<\/strong> are added to the official directory every year, and some of them are genuinely useful. This guide looks back at five notable plugins we covered in 2010, explains what happened to them, and shows how to find and safely test new plugins for your site in 2026.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-67167\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-wordpress-plugins-2026-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"How to find new WordPress plugins\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-wordpress-plugins-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-wordpress-plugins-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-wordpress-plugins-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-wordpress-plugins-2026-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-wordpress-plugins-2026.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> To find new WordPress plugins, check the &#8220;New plugins&#8221; section of the WordPress.org Plugin Directory. Before installing one, look at when it was last updated, which WordPress version it was tested with, how many active installs it has and its support forum. Test it on a staging copy first and remove plugins you no longer use.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aeaf8a1ed2f1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aeaf8a1ed2f1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#Where_to_find_new_WordPress_plugins_in_2026\" >Where to find new WordPress plugins in 2026<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#How_to_check_a_new_plugin_before_you_install_it\" >How to check a new plugin before you install it<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#The_5_new_WordPress_plugins_we_picked_in_2010\" >The 5 new WordPress plugins we picked in 2010<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#1_Google_Scribe\" >1. Google Scribe<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#2_Ozh_Spam_Magnet_Checker\" >2. Ozh&#8217; Spam Magnet Checker<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#3_Haiku_minimalist_audio_player\" >3. Haiku minimalist audio player<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#4_IE9_Pinned_Site\" >4. IE9 Pinned Site<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#5_OrangeSoda_Keyword_Density\" >5. OrangeSoda Keyword Density<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#Why_new_WordPress_plugins_still_deserve_a_look\" >Why new WordPress plugins still deserve a look<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#How_do_I_see_the_newest_WordPress_plugins\" >How do I see the newest WordPress plugins?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#Are_new_WordPress_plugins_safe_to_use\" >Are new WordPress plugins safe to use?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#Do_the_plugins_from_this_2010_list_still_work\" >Do the plugins from this 2010 list still work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/10\/new-wordpress-plugins\/#How_many_plugins_should_a_WordPress_site_have\" >How many plugins should a WordPress site have?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_find_new_WordPress_plugins_in_2026\"><\/span>Where to find new WordPress plugins in 2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The official <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WordPress Plugin Directory<\/a> is still the best starting point. Its <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/browse\/new\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New plugins<\/a> list shows the most recent additions, newest first. You can also search the directory from your own dashboard under <em>Plugins &gt; Add New Plugin<\/em>, which uses the same listings.<\/p>\n<p>Most brand-new plugins have very few installs and no reviews yet. That doesn&#8217;t make them bad, but it means you are one of the first testers, so treat them with a little more care than an established plugin.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_check_a_new_plugin_before_you_install_it\"><\/span>How to check a new plugin before you install it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Every plugin page in the directory shows a few details that tell you a lot about its health:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Last updated:<\/strong> a plugin that hasn&#8217;t been updated in years may not work with current WordPress or PHP versions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Tested up to:<\/strong> the latest WordPress version the author has tested it with.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Active installations:<\/strong> a rough guide to how widely it is used.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Support forum and reviews:<\/strong> see whether the author answers questions and fixes reported bugs.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Closed notice:<\/strong> if a plugin has been closed, the page says so and it can no longer be downloaded. Remove closed plugins from your site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Then test it safely:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Take a full backup of your files and database.<\/li>\n<li>Install the plugin on a staging copy of your site if your host offers one.<\/li>\n<li>Check your pages, forms and checkout (if you have one) still work, and that page speed hasn&#8217;t dropped.<\/li>\n<li>Only then install it on the live site.<\/li>\n<li>Delete plugins you stop using, rather than just deactivating them.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Keeping plugins updated matters as much as choosing them well. See our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2020\/05\/auto-update-wordpress-plugins-themes\/\">how to auto-update WordPress plugins and themes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_5_new_WordPress_plugins_we_picked_in_2010\"><\/span>The 5 new WordPress plugins we picked in 2010<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In September 2010, guest author Lior picked five promising new plugins. Here is what each one did and what to use for the same job today.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Google_Scribe\"><\/span>1. Google Scribe<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Google Scribe was a Google Labs experiment that auto-completed words and sentences as you typed, and two plugins added it to the post editor and the comment box. Google retired Scribe long ago, so these plugins no longer work. Today, autocomplete and writing help come from your browser, your keyboard app or the AI writing tools built into many editors.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Ozh_Spam_Magnet_Checker\"><\/span>2. Ozh&#8217; Spam Magnet Checker<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This plugin from developer Ozh showed which of your posts attracted the most spam comments, so you could close comments on old spam magnets. It has not been updated in many years. For comment spam today, use <a href=\"https:\/\/akismet.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Akismet<\/a> or close comments on older posts in <em>Settings &gt; Discussion<\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Haiku_minimalist_audio_player\"><\/span>3. Haiku minimalist audio player<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Haiku was a tiny HTML5 audio player that used simple &#8220;play&#8221; and &#8220;stop&#8221; text links, with no Flash needed. The plugin has since been closed in the directory. You no longer need it: WordPress has a built-in Audio block that plays files in any modern browser.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_IE9_Pinned_Site\"><\/span>4. IE9 Pinned Site<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Internet Explorer 9 let you pin websites to the Windows taskbar, and this plugin added the extra settings for it. Microsoft retired Internet Explorer in 2022, so the plugin has no use now. A good site icon (favicon) is what modern browsers use when someone pins or bookmarks your site.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_OrangeSoda_Keyword_Density\"><\/span>5. OrangeSoda Keyword Density<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>This plugin counted keyword density while you wrote. Keyword density is no longer a useful target for SEO. Modern SEO plugins such as <a href=\"https:\/\/rankmath.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rank Math<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/yoast.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yoast SEO<\/a> instead check that your focus keyword appears in the title, description, headings and opening paragraph, which is far more helpful.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_new_WordPress_plugins_still_deserve_a_look\"><\/span>Why new WordPress plugins still deserve a look<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Lior&#8217;s advice from 2010 still holds: there are too many plugins to try them all, so visit the directory regularly and keep an eye on what&#8217;s new. The difference today is that WordPress itself does much more out of the box, so always ask whether you need a plugin at all. Fewer, well-maintained plugins mean a faster and more secure site, which also helps protect you from attacks like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2013\/04\/global-brute-force-attack-on-wordpress-blogs\/\">WordPress brute force attempts<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_see_the_newest_WordPress_plugins\"><\/span>How do I see the newest WordPress plugins?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Open the WordPress.org Plugin Directory and choose the &#8220;New plugins&#8221; section. It lists the latest additions first.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_new_WordPress_plugins_safe_to_use\"><\/span>Are new WordPress plugins safe to use?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Plugins in the official directory are reviewed before they are listed, but a new plugin has little track record. Back up your site, test on staging and check the support forum before using it on a live site.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_the_plugins_from_this_2010_list_still_work\"><\/span>Do the plugins from this 2010 list still work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>No. They were built for services and browsers that are gone, or have not been updated in many years. Use the modern alternatives listed above.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_plugins_should_a_WordPress_site_have\"><\/span>How many plugins should a WordPress site have?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>There is no fixed number. Install only what you actually need, keep everything updated and delete plugins you no longer use.<\/p>\n<p><em>Originally written by guest author Lior, who worked for Producteev, an online task management company. Updated for 2026 by QuickOnlineTips.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thousands of new WordPress plugins are added to the official directory every year, and some of them are genuinely useful&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67167,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[44,17],"class_list":["post-15645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogging","tag-guest-posts","tag-wordpress"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15645","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15645"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15645\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67170,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15645\/revisions\/67170"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15645"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15645"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15645"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}