I’ve built quite a few WordPress plugins over the years. Some turned out great and are now active on thousands of sites. Others were quiet side projects that didn’t go very far. And some are still sitting half-finished in my dev folder.
Whenever I wrap up one plugin, I always end up asking myself the same question:
What should I build next?
There’s no perfect formula. But over time, I’ve found a few things that help me figure it out.
It usually starts with a small problem
Most of my plugin ideas come from something that annoys me while working on a site.
Maybe it’s a missing feature. Maybe something feels harder than it should be.
Or maybe I find myself doing the same thing again and again and thinking, “I wish this was easier.”
That’s often the spark.
Sometimes I also notice patterns — like when I see the same question pop up in support forums or multiple people asking for a similar solution. That’s usually a good sign that the problem is real.
I try to keep the idea small
I like plugins that do one thing really well.
Not big toolkits. Not feature-packed dashboards.
Just something simple and focused that solves a problem cleanly.
If I can explain what the plugin does in one short sentence, that’s usually a green light.
If I need to explain it in a paragraph, it probably needs more thought.
I ask myself: would I use this?
This one matters a lot to me.
Even if an idea sounds useful, I stop and ask:
Would I actually install this on my own site and use it regularly?
If I’m not excited to use it myself, I probably won’t enjoy building or maintaining it either.
I don’t care how “big” it is
Some of my smallest plugins have been the most popular.
One of them was just four lines of code — and it’s now used on over a thousand sites.
So I don’t worry if an idea seems too simple.
If it helps someone, it’s worth building.
I check if it really needs to be a plugin
Not every idea should become a plugin.
Sometimes it’s better as a blog post, or a tutorial, or just a code snippet.
I only build it as a plugin if it feels like something that truly belongs inside WordPress — something that improves how people use the admin or manage their site.
And finally… I go with what excites me
If I feel like opening my editor and starting right away — that’s the best sign.
If I’m forcing it or overthinking, I usually let the idea rest.
Because building is just one part. Maintaining the plugin, answering questions, and improving it takes energy too. So I only move forward if I feel a genuine pull toward the idea.
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