The WordPress plugin repository has over 30,000 plugins and counting, with thousands more premium plugins available around the web. Finding the right plugin can be a Herculean task, and choosing the wrong one can lead to security problems, bad UX or a complete breakdown of your site. We’ll go over how to group plugins in meaningful ways to identify which would be the most useful. From there, we’ll review how to evaluate plugins for performance, functionality and usability by setting up a complete test environment to stretch plugins to their limits. We’ll end with an overview of red flags and useful signs to look out for, such as support and frequent updates. By understanding the ways in which plugins integrate with the WordPress API, and what to look out for, you’ll be able to find the exact plugin you need, every time.