Nachschlagewerk (2023/7) –
- Erfahrungen mit dem Einsatz von WordPress als CMS –
- Experience with WordPress used as CMS –
This is some dictionary for my own use but maybe also interesting for others.
So far (since 1999) i did create websites with pure html and css. For static pages still my first choice, but now with wordpress.org there are very good arguments to change to CMS. But some things are tricky still if there is need for special features. Plugins are necessary but not easy to find which one is really useful, is save, and permanently updated… Each update of wordpress makes frightened, is the plugin updated? still working? This are some plugins i have in use on different sites.
Useful Plugins
- Limit Login Attempts – definitely important to protect the backend for brute force attacks. Ok, nobody will use ‘admin’ as username any more, as most attacks go to admin. But some hackers even identify other usernames if they are hidden and then it’s only a matter of time and the installation is lost. This plugin long time was no more maintained but still recommended by insiders and working very well. 2023 there was an update – I really hope this keeps on in future.
latest news: the plugin was reloaded:
https://wordpress.org/plugins/limit-login-attempts-reloaded/
i use it at some new pages. So far all was ok. As announced it should be possible to take the settings of old plugin after change. - WP Statistics – one of the few remaining really usable counters. Since “count per day” disappeared i use it for all websites. Little slow and less features but does the job.
- Email Address Encoder – this automatically encrypts all email-addresses, just install it and no spam-robots are screening the shown email addresses.
- Weiterlesen auf den Anfang – very simple but solves an issue nearly everyone is bored of – the ‘more’ link in basic configuration is jumping to middle of the linked-page. After installation it jumps to top of page [it also can be done by scripting, but much more easy with this little plugin]
- WP Lightbox 2 – lightbox-window for viewing galleries and pictures, just needs some configuration [checkbox-setting not to open the page but the media-file]. Any anchor <a> to any image then will be covered by lightbox-window and all pictures inside the pages or galleries can be accessed by forward/backward.
another plugin is useful to check: wordpress.org/plugins/easy-fancybox/ (now Firelight Lightbox) - Diashow [slidesshow-jquery-image-gallery] is the best plugin for showing automatic slideshows. It uses the standard wp-media-upload. All uploaded pictures can be used. Of course the best effect will come with standard picture sizes. As much as necessary different slideshows can be configurated, each with an own style.
Unfortunately this plugin was finally closed in 2022 – also the first fork is out-dated since 2019 – but there is the next fork which is still maintained:
https://de.wordpress.org/plugins/slideshow-se/ - /simply-gallery-block/ galley & slideshow & lightbox plugin with so much customization possibillities – Masonry, Justified and Grid Gallery
- Category Post in Custom Menu – automatically fills the menu with categories, therefore it is very flexible. Unfortunately there is a conflict with some other plugins showing nice icons for menu – you have to decide which one is more useful. For me mostly it is this plugin, a very helpful plugin. Also avoiding the issue of too much menu-items at very big websites. Amazing.
Take care with old PHP versions. - Contextual Related Posts – shows links to similar posts and offers lots of configuration possibilities.
- [meteor-slides] shows some nice effects but there is only one configuration – nice for small sites. … but seems to be lost without updates….
- /interactive-geo-maps/ showing a map with countries which can be clicked
- [Cool-Tag-Cloud] makes nice labels of tags/Schlagwörtern, no need to write own CSS styles. But it seems now to belong to the lost plugins – there are long time no updates but it works…
- WP Flexible Map shows google-maps and is very easy to configure with short-code. Best for people writing in text-editor and worth a try. But you need to buy a google-key to avoid message from Google-Maps.
- wordpress.org/plugins/sticky-menu-or-anything-on-scroll/ needs little idea of CSS, only to select the menu or box which should stick – very nice – good to paste a logo in twentyfifteen.
- wordpress.org/plugins/float-to-top-button/ very easy ‘go to top’ button
but also disappeared in 2022
now i use: https://wordpress.org/plugins/to-top/
(which also can be used to switch on the customizer at FSE) - wordpress.org/plugins/page-scroll-to-id/ with this one not only automatic scrolling to top but to any other “id” anchor linked by “#” is possible – but it needs some study of settings and correct code handling…
very nice alternative:
https://wordpress.org/plugins/surbma-smooth-scroll/ (waiting for update) - WP Responsive Recent Post Slider – Carousel Sliders based on posts
- PDF:
PDF Embedder – shows PDF inside posts
Firelight Lightbox – can be used to open PDF in popup-windows (please adjust the settings) - Video:
Video PopUp – any video can be opened in popup-window (unfortunately there is some conflict with other lightbox-plugins so as “simply”…)
The Plugin “Gallery” (…gallery-video) is a nice alternative to present videos in lightbox-window
. - closed Plugins:
[Post-Slider-WD] this plugin creates nice sliders extracted from posts, using the featured images – all text can be edited – unfortunetely closed in 2022…..
Count Per Day – this plugin was very good for easy following up visitors, which pages are viewed, which country and so on. No need for configuration, just working. And no problem with the strict European dataprotection rights.
Update: Unfortunately this plugin 2019 was removed from wordpress.org – still it is working perfect but everyone has to decide if still using – since PHP8 now it is broken – i miss it really. Unfortunately also there is no real good replacement.
now some more administrative plugins
- Regenerate Thumbnails – this is one of the tools you will need and wonder why it is not integrated – this is needed after each change of thumbnail-size, otherwise there is no visible change at pages. But somtimes there are problems after update of WordPress – needs to wait some time for plugin update…
- Breadcrumb NavXT if not included in theme – this does the job to show the site-structure.
- Simple Page Ordering – this is needed to clean up the sorting of posts listed in backend, no idea why it is not standard. But i deactivate it after usage – the sorting keeps on –
- Copy & Delete Posts –
- Post Type Switcher – switching from posts to pages and back
- for the customizer:
Customizer Export/Import – related on the Theme (for Customizer-Themes)
Customizer Search – if the settings are mixed up - Better Search Replace – if URL changes or ssl….
- Loco Translate – if the translation of themes need to be corrected
- Broken Link Checker – sometimes it is useful to check the site for broken links – but may be risky in permanent use – better deactivate it after use – sometimes long waiting for updates of this plugin…
And this is for going deeper:
- Multisite Language Switcher – only for multisite installations! but for big sites with multi-language this plugin is a dream – language support in wordpress becomes better and better – with this plugin sites/pages of different language can be connected and the dashboard language can be managed and much more.
- Advanced Custom Fields – for people missing real CMS
- Advanced Custom Fields: Nav Menu Field – needs the above plugin – and then a custom menu on each page is possible. If you need it please read the manuals – not so difficult but some small scripting in templates will cause a wonderful result.
- Plugin Report – Provides detailed information about currently installed plugins
- …there are much more… but i don’t want to confuse and unfortunately i lost some nice plugin due to ‘no more maintenance’ – sometimes new plugins appear, sometimes wordpress core update includes the features. Therefore it’s good always to be up to date.
hier ein paar Beispiele für Webseiten:
» Familienhaus Herrmann – Alpe im Oberallgäu [WP Theme: Kahuna]» Ortsteil-Bürgermeisterin in München [WP Theme: Mantra]» Integrationsbeirat Weilheim Schongau [WP Theme: Mantra]» lotall.de – meine Reise-Bilder [WP Theme: Mantra]» saharasandsammler.de – meine Reise-Bilder themengeordnet [WP Theme: TwentyTwenty]» MENA-Water Kompaktanlagen (in 10 Sprachen) [WP Theme: Kahuna]» Schauspielerin Jana Herrmann [WP Theme: Kadence]» Ferienwohnung Sonnenstrahl in Obermaiselstein [WP Theme: Kahuna]» neue Informations-Seite für alles was sonst keinen Platz findet [WP Theme: Mantra]» neue Informations-Seite für die Infos zu Kirchenjahr und Bibel [WP Theme: Catch FSE]
» Alle Reise-Bilder | travel-pictures
Bereiste Länder – Countries of Visit
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