WordPress Plugins That Make Me Happy  ## Metadata - Author: [[Timi Wahalahti]] - Full Title: WordPress Plugins That Make Me Happy - Category: #articles - Document Note: --- tags: - #wordpress - #plugins - #tooling Author: Timi Wahalahti Source: Website Reference: https://sipp.is/wordpress-plugins-that-make-me-happy/ date created: 2025-08-23 00:00 --- # Title: WordPress plugins that make me happy ## Table of Contents: - [📝 Summary](#-summary) - [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - [🗒️ Notes](#️-notes) - [📖 References](#-references-1) - [🗣️ Paraphrase](#-paraphrase) - [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - [❓ Questions](#-questions) - [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - [💡 Implications](#-implications) - [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-assessment) - [✅ Logical validity](#-logical-validity) - [🔍 DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#-seo-evaluation) - [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### References: - Timi Wahalahti, “WordPress plugins that make me happy,” 2024-01-30. https://sipp.is/wordpress-plugins-that-make-me-happy/ ## 📝 Summary: The article is a concise, opinionated list of WordPress plugins the author uses regularly because they “do the job really well.” It’s intentionally minimal and unordered, functioning as a personal toolkit reference rather than a review. Listed plugins: WP Last Login, Query Monitor, Force Login, Koko Analytics, One Time Login, Public Post Preview, Simple Page Ordering, Two-Factor, Unconfirmed, User Switching, WP Crontrol, WP Term Order, Surge. ## 📖 Main Content: The post curates pragmatic, low‑friction plugins that improve day‑to‑day site management, development, analytics, security, and performance without bloat. - Admin/user ops: - WP Last Login: quickly see when users last logged in; useful for audits and pruning inactive accounts. - User Switching: swap between accounts for troubleshooting roles and permissions. - Unconfirmed: manage users who haven’t confirmed emails; helps keep databases tidy. - One Time Login: generate single‑use links to assist users who can’t access accounts securely. - Development/debugging: - Query Monitor: indispensable for profiling queries, hooks, HTTP requests, and performance bottlenecks. - WP Crontrol: view and manage scheduled cron events to debug tasks and timing issues. - Content workflow: - Simple Page Ordering: drag‑and‑drop page hierarchy/order in admin—faster IA tweaks. - WP Term Order: similarly order taxonomy terms for menus, archives, or thematic groupings. - Public Post Preview: share draft posts with stakeholders via expiring links—no account needed. - Security: - Force Login: require authentication to view the site—great for staging or private communities. - Two‑Factor: adds 2FA for stronger account security and compliance needs. - Analytics: - Koko Analytics: privacy‑friendly, self‑hosted analytics, avoiding external trackers. - Performance: - Surge: page caching/performance plugin focused on speed and simplicity. Overall, the list favors tools that are: - Lightweight and focused - Privacy‑respecting - Operationally helpful for teams and devs - Easy to adopt for recurring workflows ### 🗒️ Notes - Purpose: Provide a “go‑to” plugin set for reliable, everyday tasks. - Tone: Positive, minimal, experience‑driven. - Not exhaustive; intentionally short and utility‑oriented. - Applies across: staging privacy, editorial collaboration, debugging, security hygiene, performance, and analytics. Per‑plugin notes: - WP Last Login - Track last activity; aids security reviews and cleanup. - Complements role audits and licensing/headcount checks. - Query Monitor - Pinpoint slow queries, hooks, and template loads. - Essential for performance tuning before adding caching. - Force Login - Quick site lockdown; protects staging/private content. - Reduces accidental indexing/leaks. - Koko Analytics - First‑party analytics; GDPR‑friendly. - Fast and simple dashboards. - One Time Login - Secure, time‑bound access links. - Reduces support friction without changing passwords. - Public Post Preview - Share WIP content; time‑limited links improve security. - Streamlines editorial approvals. - Simple Page Ordering - Drag‑and‑drop IA changes—no custom code. - Two‑Factor - Adds OTP/2FA options; improves account integrity. - Unconfirmed - Surface and resolve pending user confirmations. - Keeps user tables accurate and reduces spam. - User Switching - Validate role/cap behavior quickly. - Great for support and QA. - WP Crontrol - Inspect and trigger cron events; debug missed schedules. - WP Term Order - Control taxonomy presentation order. - Surge - Simple page caching; measurable TTFB improvements. ## 📖 References: - Original article: https://sipp.is/wordpress-plugins-that-make-me-happy/ - Plugin homepages (representative): - Query Monitor: https://wordpress.org/plugins/query-monitor/ - Koko Analytics: https://wordpress.org/plugins/koko-analytics/ - Force Login: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-force-login/ - Public Post Preview: https://wordpress.org/plugins/public-post-preview/ - User Switching: https://wordpress.org/plugins/user-switching/ - WP Crontrol: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-crontrol/ - Two-Factor: https://wordpress.org/plugins/two-factor/ - Simple Page Ordering: https://wordpress.org/plugins/simple-page-ordering/ - WP Term Order: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-term-order/ - WP Last Login: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-last-login/ - Unconfirmed: https://wordpress.org/plugins/unconfirmed/ - Surge: https://wordpress.org/plugins/surge/ ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: - Original idea: “Just a list of plugins that do the job really well… in constant use. Not in any particular order.” - Paraphrase: This is a practical shortlist of consistently reliable plugins the author reaches for regularly, presented without ranking. - Implicit theme: Utility over hype. - Paraphrase: The emphasis is on dependable tools that solve real problems, favoring simplicity and performance instead of flashy features. ## 📰 Newsletter: Learning WordPress the fun way: This week we’re honing the essentials with a power‑packed toolkit that keeps your sites fast, secure, and sane. If you’ve ever chased a phantom cron or needed to share a draft without onboarding a whole user account, this curated set nails the basics: - Build & Debug: Query Monitor and WP Crontrol to spot bottlenecks and tame scheduled tasks. - Workflow Magic: Public Post Preview for stakeholder reviews; Simple Page Ordering and WP Term Order for tidy IA. - Security First: Force Login for staging, Two‑Factor for account integrity, and One Time Login to rescue locked‑out users—without risky password shuffles. - Privacy‑Respecting Analytics: Koko Analytics keeps insights in‑house. - Performance: Surge delivers speed without a PhD in caching. Explore them all via Timi Wahalahti’s roundup: “WordPress plugins that make me happy.” For deeper dives, check out Query Monitor and Koko Analytics on WordPress.org. Got a favorite lightweight plugin? Hit reply—we love nerding out about tools that quietly do the work. ## ✅ Action Items: Prompt for your role (Developer Advocate at GoDaddy; OSS/WordPress educator; OSPO‑aspirant): “Analyze how this article’s plugin choices support open‑source advocacy, contributor onboarding, and education. Map each plugin to: - Contributor Experience: How tools like User Switching, One Time Login, and Force Login reduce friction in support, QA, and staging reviews. - Teaching & Curriculum: How Query Monitor and WP Crontrol enable performance debugging and scheduled task labs in PHP/JS courses. - Privacy & Sustainability: How Koko Analytics models privacy‑first, self‑hosted analytics aligned with OSS values and EU compliance. - Secure Practices: How Two‑Factor and WP Last Login reinforce security literacy and operational hygiene. - Editorial & Collaboration: How Public Post Preview, Simple Page Ordering, and WP Term Order streamline collaborative workflows. - Performance & Cost: How Surge demonstrates speed wins with minimal config—useful for case studies proving ROI of simplicity - Summary: The document titled "WordPress plugins that make me happy" is a list of plugins that the author finds particularly useful for their WordPress website. The author mentions that these plugins are in constant use and are part of their go-to list. However, no specific information is provided about the plugins themselves or why they make the author happy. Therefore, it is unable to summarize the content due to missing information. - URL: https://sipp.is/wordpress-plugins-that-make-me-happy/ Just a list of plugins that do the job really well, which is something that makes me really, really happy. These are in my go-to list and in constant use. Not in any particular order. * [WP Last Login](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-last-login/) * [Query Monitor](https://wordpress.org/plugins/query-monitor/) * [Force Login](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-force-login/) * [Koko Analytics](https://wordpress.org/plugins/koko-analytics/) * [One Time Login](https://wordpress.org/plugins/one-time-login/) * [Public Post Preview](https://wordpress.org/plugins/public-post-preview/) * [Simple Page Ordering](https://wordpress.org/plugins/simple-page-ordering/) * [Two-Factor](https://wordpress.org/plugins/two-factor/) * [Unconfirmed](https://wordpress.org/plugins/unconfirmed/) * [User Switching](https://wordpress.org/plugins/user-switching/) * [WP Crontrol](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-crontrol/) * [WP Term Order](https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-term-order/) * [Surge](https://wordpress.org/plugins/surge/) [2024-01-30](https://sipp.is/wordpress-plugins-that-make-me-happy/) #### Post navigation [Previous Post Previous post: Website tree and curation of our internet experience](https://sipp.is/website-tree-and-curation-of-our-internet-experience/) #### Leave a comment Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked \* Comment \* <div \_="@=389,dis=none"><div \_="@=390,dis=none"></div></div> Name \* Email \* Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. [Learn how your comment data is processed](https://akismet.com/privacy/)., WordPress Plugins That Make Me Happy, Timi Wahalahti, 01hne2mqdjhkbjg1rntv4zcxe2.