{"id":9325,"date":"2009-08-20T22:23:56","date_gmt":"2009-08-20T16:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=9325"},"modified":"2026-10-15T14:59:29","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T09:29:29","slug":"must-have-wordpress-plugins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Must-Have WordPress Plugins for 2026 (Updated List)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Which are the <strong>must-have WordPress plugins<\/strong> for a new blog? Guest author Igor Kheifets first answered this in 2009, after installing, deactivating and removing hundreds of plugins. Some of his picks are still excellent, while others have closed. This updated list keeps the plugins that still work and replaces the rest with current favorites.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-67367\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/must-have-wordpress-plugins-2026-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Must-have WordPress plugins for 2026\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/must-have-wordpress-plugins-2026-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/must-have-wordpress-plugins-2026-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/must-have-wordpress-plugins-2026-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/must-have-wordpress-plugins-2026-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/must-have-wordpress-plugins-2026.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> A new WordPress blog needs an SEO plugin, a caching plugin, a contact form, a redirect manager, spam protection, security, backups and related posts. Good choices are All in One SEO or Rank Math, WP Super Cache, Contact Form 7, Redirection, Akismet, Wordfence, UpdraftPlus and YARPP. Install only what you need and keep every plugin updated.<\/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-6adae47cedac5\" 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-6adae47cedac5\" 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\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#10_must-have_WordPress_plugins_in_2026\" >10 must-have WordPress plugins in 2026<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#1_All_in_One_SEO_or_Rank_Math\" >1. All in One SEO (or Rank Math)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#2_WP_Super_Cache\" >2. WP Super Cache<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#3_Contact_Form_7\" >3. Contact Form 7<\/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\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#4_Redirection\" >4. Redirection<\/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\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#5_YARPP_Yet_Another_Related_Posts_Plugin\" >5. YARPP (Yet Another Related Posts Plugin)<\/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\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#6_WP_Popular_Posts\" >6. WP Popular Posts<\/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\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#7_AddToAny_Share_Buttons\" >7. AddToAny Share Buttons<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#8_Akismet_Anti-spam\" >8. Akismet Anti-spam<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#9_Wordfence_Security\" >9. Wordfence Security<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#10_UpdraftPlus\" >10. UpdraftPlus<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#Tips_for_choosing_WordPress_plugins\" >Tips for choosing WordPress plugins<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-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-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#How_many_plugins_should_a_WordPress_site_have\" >How many plugins should a WordPress site have?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#Which_plugins_from_the_original_2009_list_are_closed\" >Which plugins from the original 2009 list are closed?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#Are_free_WordPress_plugins_safe\" >Are free WordPress plugins safe?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/must-have-wordpress-plugins\/#Do_I_need_a_caching_plugin\" >Do I need a caching plugin?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_must-have_WordPress_plugins_in_2026\"><\/span>10 must-have WordPress plugins in 2026<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Each of these is free in the official WordPress.org plugin directory and was recently updated.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_All_in_One_SEO_or_Rank_Math\"><\/span>1. All in One SEO (or Rank Math)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Igor&#8217;s first pick is still going strong. <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/all-in-one-seo-pack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">All in One SEO<\/a> lets you set SEO titles and meta descriptions without changing your post, so a catchy headline can still carry your target keyword. It also helps avoid duplicate content problems. <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/seo-by-rank-math\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rank Math<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wordpress-seo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Yoast SEO<\/a> are popular alternatives; pick one SEO plugin, not several.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_WP_Super_Cache\"><\/span>2. WP Super Cache<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wp-super-cache\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WP Super Cache<\/a> makes your blog load faster by serving cached pages. If your host runs LiteSpeed servers, <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/litespeed-cache\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LiteSpeed Cache<\/a> is another strong choice.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Contact_Form_7\"><\/span>3. Contact Form 7<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Every major blog has a contact form, and many still build it with <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/contact-form-7\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Contact Form 7<\/a>. Add spam protection to the form so your inbox stays clean.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Redirection\"><\/span>4. Redirection<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Broken links and indexing problems hurt SEO. <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/redirection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Redirection<\/a> lets you create simple 301 redirects when you move or delete posts, and logs 404 errors so you can fix them. Also see how to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2020\/04\/find-remove-internal-broken-links\/\">find and remove broken internal links<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_YARPP_Yet_Another_Related_Posts_Plugin\"><\/span>5. YARPP (Yet Another Related Posts Plugin)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/yet-another-related-posts-plugin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">YARPP<\/a> shows posts related to the one being read, giving readers more of what they want and improving blog navigation.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_WP_Popular_Posts\"><\/span>6. WP Popular Posts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Igor recommended Popularity Contest for showing your most popular posts, but it has since closed on WordPress.org. <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wordpress-popular-posts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WP Popular Posts<\/a> does the same job today with a sidebar widget for popular posts by day, week or month.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_AddToAny_Share_Buttons\"><\/span>7. AddToAny Share Buttons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The original list included TweetMeme and Sexy Bookmarks for sharing. Both have closed (read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2010\/07\/tweetmeme-pro-retweet-buttons\/\">what happened to TweetMeme<\/a>). <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/add-to-any\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AddToAny Share Buttons<\/a> adds share buttons for X, Facebook, WhatsApp, email and more.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Akismet_Anti-spam\"><\/span>8. Akismet Anti-spam<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Comment Luv encouraged comments by linking to commenters&#8217; latest posts, but it has closed, and comment links attract spam. <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/akismet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Akismet<\/a> filters spam comments and form submissions automatically.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"9_Wordfence_Security\"><\/span>9. Wordfence Security<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The 2009 list&#8217;s security pick, Smart Update Pinger, is no longer in the plugin directory, and WordPress handles update pings itself. For real protection, <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/wordfence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Wordfence Security<\/a> adds a firewall, malware scanning and login security.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"10_UpdraftPlus\"><\/span>10. UpdraftPlus<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Backups were missing from the original list. <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.org\/plugins\/updraftplus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UpdraftPlus<\/a> schedules backups of your files and database and can store them in cloud storage, so you can restore your blog if something goes wrong.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_choosing_WordPress_plugins\"><\/span>Tips for choosing WordPress plugins<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Check that a plugin was updated recently and works with your WordPress version.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid plugins that do the same job, like two SEO or two caching plugins.<\/li>\n<li>Delete plugins you no longer use instead of just deactivating them.<\/li>\n<li>Test new plugins on a staging site or after a backup.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Curious what runs this site? Here are the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2011\/01\/qot-wordpress-plugins\/\">WordPress plugins that power QOT<\/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_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. Use only the plugins you need, choose well-maintained ones and remove the rest.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_plugins_from_the_original_2009_list_are_closed\"><\/span>Which plugins from the original 2009 list are closed?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Comment Luv, Popularity Contest, TweetMeme and Sexy Bookmarks are closed on WordPress.org, and Smart Update Pinger is no longer listed.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_free_WordPress_plugins_safe\"><\/span>Are free WordPress plugins safe?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Plugins from the official WordPress.org directory that are actively updated are generally safe. Keep them updated and avoid &#8220;nulled&#8221; premium plugins.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_I_need_a_caching_plugin\"><\/span>Do I need a caching plugin?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Usually yes, unless your host already provides caching. A cache plugin makes pages load faster for visitors.<\/p>\n<p><em>Originally written by guest author Igor Kheifets, an internet marketing blogger who wrote about SEO, copywriting, lead generation and social media at IgorHelpsYouSucceed.com. Updated for 2026 by QuickOnlineTips.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Which are the must-have WordPress plugins for a new blog? Guest author Igor Kheifets first answered this in 2009, after&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":67367,"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-9325","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\/9325","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=9325"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9325\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67369,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9325\/revisions\/67369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67367"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9325"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9325"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9325"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}