This is a post that has been in my drafts folder for ages. I just kept running out of time to write it! But, if you’ve ever self-hosted your blog, you might have discovered a wonderful new world of plugins. Basically, godsent tools to help improve your life. If you’re like me and got people overwhelmed by the prospects, don’t worry! I’ve put together a list of nine plugins for self-hosted blogs I personally use and highly recommend.
But Nicole, why nine? Because I wanted to use the column blocks and nine fit better than ten. π
Disclaimer: I am not a representative of any of the following companies, nor was I paid to write this post. I simply wanted to share a resource I thought might be helpful for other bloggers!
Going Self-Hosted
For me personally, going self-hosted was a trip. I haven’t written about my experience (yet). And I’m not sure if I ever will, because honestly, there are guides that other bloggers have done that will guide you better than anything I could put together. If you’re considering going self-hosted, I’d recommend these resources:
- Kal @ Reader Voracious has a series about going self-hosted
- Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane books also has a wonderful guide
- Sumedha @ The Wordy Habitat shares her experiences with going self-hosted, too
But, for me, I wanted to go self-hosted for a few reasons. A main one? Having access to plugins that would allow me to do cool shit with my website. I hope, if you’re already self-hosted, this might help you find tools you could also use! If not, perhaps this can help give some guidance on what you’ll access to, if you take the plunge. (Though, I recognize that the ability to go and maintain a self-hosted blog is a privledge not everyone has access to!)
Must Have Plugins for Self-Hosted Blogs
Accessibility and Discoverability
Accessibility by UserWay
One thing I noticed on other bloggers’ websites who were self-hosted was the UserWay Accessibility widget. I knew I wanted my website to be more accessible. Honestly, it’s one of the main reasons I went self-hosted, after I realized I couldn’t implement this plugin without doing so.
Yoast SEO
Honestly, I didn’t know what SEO really was until I went self-hosted. And, despite using this plugin to help boost my SEO, I haven’t seen a huge jump in numbers/engagement. But, I think it’s a great starting point and has encouraged me to (eventually) starting learning more about SEO!
Site Kit By Google
As a complement to Yoast, I also installed Site Kit by Google! To be honest, it’s not something I’ve used/delved into as much. But, it is something I’d like to learn more how to utilize, as obviously, I’d love it if my posts ranked when searched. Perhaps that way, my posts can grow more organically?
Security
Akismet Spam Protection
I think if you’ve been blogging for any amount of time, you’ve experienced spam. Not having to deal with it constantly is such a lifesaver. Highly recommend.
JetPack
100% recommend the Jetpack plugins for self-hosted blogs. Between malware scans, spam protection, optional site backups and more (especially on paid), it’s a great tool. It also has stat features!
Updraft Plus
I can’t imagine just…losing my blog. The thought is legitimately terrifying. So, having a free option to backup my site is such a peace of mind! Though, I do need to remember to actually back it up more…
Leveling Up Your Formatting
Ultimate Blocks
This is my favorite plugin I’ve downloaded, hands down. It gives me so much access to fun formatting features. All compatible to the block editor on WordPress! I wouldn’t have my Table of Contents, tabbed lists, content toggles or dropdown menus without it.
FileBird
When Kal introduced me to FileBird, it was a fucking game changer. It allows you to have folders to organize your media into. FOLDERS!! Having all my featured blog images and book covers in their own respective places?! We worship.
Duplicate Page
I thrive off templates. As you can probably notice, most of my posts have a pretty standard format. Using this plugin to create a base template that lives in my drafts and then duplicates it so I can just plug in materials and post? Yes please.
In Sum
I hope you enjoyed this short and sweet guide to must have plugins for self-hosted blogs! Must have is loose, of course, as these are just my recommendations, as plugins I have use for! I’d love to hear what plugins are your favorite. Or, what plugins you wish existed.
And if this post was helpful, you can tip me on Ko-Fi! I’m currently trying to pay down about 5K in medical debt, so anything helps. π€
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OMG how have I never heard of FireBird till now??? I’ve literally been naming my images in a way so that I can easily search the keyword and browse through that category. this will make life so much easier. altho I’m using Kadence Blocks which provides a lot now, I shall check out Ultimate Blocks as well. love the suggestions, Nicole! and ty for shouting out my post <3
Dude, I didn’t learn about FileBird until like, three months ago, thanks to Kal, and when I tell you how much I love it!! I really hope you like it!
And imma have to look into Kadence Blocks! π Of course! <3
I think it was Kal that told me about Ultimate Blocks and I love that plug in. Still haven’t looked into the folder one, but I really should.
Right? It’s such a great plugin. And I’m a huge fan of the folder one. It takes a bit of work to organize if you have a lot of media, so it’s so nice to use once it’s complete!
Honestly, I am so confused by SEO stuff. I’ve tried the plugins, I’ve read the posts, and I still am either confused or just think “I don’t have time for this” lol
I need to figure out my spam issue. I have SO MUCH spam go to my blog email. It’s hard to filter out the actual emails from the spam. There’s hundreds. I’ve done everything I can think of. I don’t think I have askimet though, so I’ll have to check that one out!
I’ve been super anti the block editor. I downloaded a plugin to revert to the classic editor because I just COULD NOT handle the blocks. But seeing how much customization you can do with additional plugins for the blocks has me reconsidering this!
To be frank, there is a lot I still don’t know about SEO (I just write my posts until I get it “green” through Yoast). But I do want to learn more about it, because it’d be nice to get some organic traction?
Ugh, that sucks you get so much spam! I have hardly any that I need to review, so I think askimet might help? Hopefully??
I started out for the first few months being super anti-block editor, too! Yet I slowly came around and now I absolutely love it and wouldn’t want to go back to classic for anything.π I’ll be curious if you decide to switch back and if you like it better!
I love this post SO much! Honestly I’m so grateful for some plugins, they just make everything so much easier ahah. I’m a bit bothered by Askimet though, because apparently it prevented a bunch of people from commenting on my blog, so I had to deactivate it. It’s so frustrating! That being said, I love using Jetpack as well and find Yoast SEO SO useful. I have to try Ultimate Blocks, it sounds SO practical!
Oh I’m so glad, Marie!! Right?! After discovering the world of plugins, I don’t know if I could ever go back.
Oh that’s interesting about Askimet, I haven’t heard of that. But that’s so annoying you’ve had to deal with that before. I’d be curious what you think of Ultimate Blocks (I love them, personally).