Awesome Motive’s product suite of nearly 20 commercial plugins has expanded to include a backup plugin. The company announced its acquisition of Duplicator today, a 12-year-old freemium product with more than 1.5 million users.
In addition to the backup utility, the plugin enables users to migrate, copy, move, or clone a site from one location to another. Commercial licenses range from $49/year to $299.50/year.
Snapcreek co-founders Bob Riley and Cory Lamle, creators of Duplicator, will be moving on to pursue other endeavors but the rest of the team will continue to work on the product at Awesome Motive led by John Turner.
This is the first WordPress business acquisition of 2023, and it’s a major one as 1.5 million users are changing hands to rely on a new company. Users can expect no pricing changes but some have already expressedconcern about having to put up with Awesome Motive’s trademark aggressive marketing that litters the WordPress admin with ads and upsells.
In the co-founders’ farewell post, they assured users that Awesome Motive will continue working on their prior roadmap.
“We have shared our extensive feature wishlist, and we know that with Awesome Motive’s resources and experience that wishlist will become a reality much faster,” Riley said.
“As we pass the baton, Cory and I want to say thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey. We are extremely grateful to be able to play a small part in the amazing WordPress ecosystem.”
There are a few ways you can try to minimize CPU usage in WordPress:
1. Optimize your website’s code and reduce the number of HTTP requests it makes. This can be done by combining and minifying JavaScript and CSS files, and optimizing images.
2. Use a caching plugin to cache your website’s pages and posts. This can significantly reduce the load on your server by reducing the number of PHP requests that need to be processed.
3. Use a content delivery network (CDN) to offload static files, such as images, to a network of servers around the world. This can reduce the load on your server and improve website performance for users.
4. Optimize your database by regularly cleaning it up and removing unnecessary data.
5. Use a lightweight theme that is optimized for performance. Avoid using themes with lots of features and unnecessary code.
6. Limit the number of plugins you use on your website. Each plugin can add additional load to your server, so only use the ones that are absolutely necessary.
7. Consider upgrading your hosting plan to one with more resources, such as more CPU and memory, if your website is receiving a lot of traffic.
If you continue to experience high CPU usage, it may be worth considering hiring a WordPress developer to help identify and fix any issues with your website.
WordPress developer Munir Kamal has released a new plugin called CF7 Blocks that does exactly what it says in the name. It brings blocks to one of WordPress’ most beloved plugins, which has kept the same familiar interface and has not yet adopted the block editor.
The Contact Form 7 plugin was created by WordPress developer Takayuki Miyoshi, who has devotedly kept it updated for the past 15 years. His stalwart commitment to keeping it free forever is one of the reasons it has grown to more than 5 million active installs. The developer community has built hundreds of integrations and extensions for CF7 because users found it easy to build forms with its simple interface.
Contact Form 7 interface
CF7 users currently edit forms in the plugin’s dedicated interface. The plugin also includes a block, so users can return to the block editor and select a form to embed.
The new CF7 Blocks plugin makes it possible to edit CF7 forms using WordPress’ default editor, instead of having to mess with shortcodes and HTML. It still has its own dedicated Contact form editing page, except with the ability to customize fields as blocks. New forms will use the block interface and old ones can still be edited using CF7’s default HTML editor.
CF7 Blocks offers a more intuitive experience with pre-made form templates that will automatically insert the necessary blocks so users don’t have to start from scratch.
In the block settings, users can easily customize the text of the labels, enter a value for placeholders, toggle the label on or off, mark fields as required, customize dimensions, and more. Fields can easily be dragged and dropped for re-ordering, a feature that is especially useful with lengthier, more complex forms.
One handy feature is that form fields can easily be transformed into other fields with the click of a button, making it easy to customize a form when the pre-set templates aren’t exactly what is needed.
In the same tradition of Contact Form 7, CF7 Blocks is available for free in the WordPress plugin directory. The plugin also has its own website where users can subscribe to get updates and find out what’s coming soon. Kamal said users can expect more fields to be added to the plugin in future releases beyond the standard fields that come with Contact Form 7. Design options for visually styling and customizing forms are another feature on the roadmap for CF7 Blocks.
Backing up your WooCommerce store is important because it allows you to recover your store in the event of data loss or corruption. Here are the steps you can follow to backup your WooCommerce store:
1. Backup your WordPress database:
Your WordPress database contains all of your store’s data, including product information, customer information, and order history. You can use a plugin like WP-DB-Backup to create a database backup.
2. Backup your WordPress files:
Your WordPress files include your theme, plugins, and media files. You can use a plugin like UpdraftPlus to backup your files.
3. Store your backups in a safe location:
It’s important to store your backups in a safe location, such as on a separate hard drive or in the cloud. This way, you’ll be able to access your backups in the event that your server fails.
4. Schedule regular backups:
It’s a good idea to set up a schedule for creating backups. This way, you can ensure that your store’s data is regularly backed up and protected.
Nick Diego, developer advocate at WP Engine, has released version 1.4.0 of his Icon Block plugin. Diego launched it in October 2021, after struggling to find an efficient way to add SVG icons to the block editor. He is aiming for this small but useful plugin to become “the definitive SVG icon and graphic block.” In the past year, it has grown 1300%Â to more than 7,000 active installs, while staying focused on a tight set of features.
WordPress contributors have been discussing adding SVG support to core for more than a decade, but have not yet found a clear path forward that properly addresses security concerns. In July 2022, the Performance team began working on a module for SVG uploads but it’s still in progress. In the meantime, since the SVG format has nearly universal support across the web, users have relied on plugins like SVG Support (1M+ installs) or Safe SVG (700k+ installs) to upload SVG files to the media library and use them like any other image file.
Diego’s plugin is different in that it was made for use with the block and site editors. The Icon Block registers a single block that allows users to add custom SVG icons and graphics. It also enables access to the WordPress icon library, which contains 270+ SVG icons.
One advantage of the plugin is that users don’t need to install a whole block library if they just need SVG icons. In version 1.2.0, Icon Block added the ability for developers to register their own custom icon libraries.
The latest release expands width control beyond what is offered in the core Image block to support %, px, em, rem, vh, vw, or whatever units are defined in theme.json. These units are also available in Global Styles, so users can control width based on how the theme author intended. Diego, who said he prefers to use native WordPress components wherever possible, updated width controls using Gutenberg’s HeightControl, which isn’t yet available in core.
“Luckily, it is built out of components that have been in WordPress since 6.0. I ported the code from the HeightControl over to a custom DimensionControl in the Icon Block and made a few modifications to meet my specific needs,” Diego said.
Icon height support is a new feature in the latest 1.4.0 release, another feature request from the plugin’s community of users.
“One thing to note is that I choose to exclude % from the height unit options,” Diego said in the release post. “Using % can have unexpected results based on the icon’s container height and is quite unintuitive.”
Version 1.4.0 also improves color support to better support Global Styles. When themes define a primary and secondary colors in theme.json, icons set to use these will work seamlessly with style variation switching. This is a beautiful demonstration of how block developers can make their plugins work harmoniously with Global Styles to improve the experience of full-site editing.
In future releases, Diego said he plans to work on a way to allow users to insert custom SVG icons from an “uploaded” SVG file, as well as explore ways to integrate with third-party icon libraries. Access to Font Awesome, Boostrap icons, Ionicons, and other SVG libraries would give users a much wider selection beyond the WordPress icon library when designing their sites.
Users can submit feature requests via the issues queue in the plugin’s GitHub repository. Since Diego is developing the plugin using native WordPress components as much as possible, users can also expect additional functionality to become available as it is added to WordPress core.
“There are tons of great icon plugins in the WordPress ecosystem, free and premium,” Diego said. “Most have more features and functionality than the Icon Block. However, what makes this block different is its strong commitment to WordPress’ core design principles.
“The goal was always to make the block feel like it belonged in WordPress itself. I have strived to use as many core block supports and components as possible. Version 1.4.0 stays true to this effort with much-needed enhancements.”
There are several ways to hide the WordPress login page. Here are a few options you can try:
1. Use a security plugin:
There are many security plugins available for WordPress that allow you to easily hide the login page. Some popular options include iThemes Security and Wordfence.
2. Change the login URL:
You can change the URL of the login page by adding the following code to your functions.php file:
function custom_login_url() {
return home_url();
}
add_filter('login_url', 'custom_login_url');
3. Use a custom login plugin:
There are also several plugins available that allow you to create a custom login page for your site. These plugins typically include features such as customizable login forms, CAPTCHAs, and the ability to redirect users to specific pages after login.
4. Modify your .htaccess file:
You can use .htaccess rules to block access to the login page. To do this, add the following code to your .htaccess file:
<Files wp-login.php>
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
Allow from 123.456.789.0
</Files>
Be sure to replace “123.456.789.0” with your own IP address. This will block access to the login page from all IP addresses except your own.
There are a few different ways you can automatically update the copyright year in the footer of your WordPress website. One option is to use a plugin like “Easy Digital Downloads – Yearly Archive.” This plugin will automatically update the copyright year in your footer to the current year.
Another option is to use a shortcode in your footer.php file. To do this, you will need to add the following code to your footer.php file:
<p>Copyright [year] [site_title]</p>
This will display the current year and the title of your website in the copyright footer.
You can also use a simple PHP function to automatically update the copyright year in your footer. To do this, you will need to add the following code to your footer.php file:
This will display the current year in the copyright footer.
Finally, you can use a widget to display the copyright year in your footer. To do this, go to Appearance > Widgets in your WordPress dashboard and add the “Text” widget to your footer widget area. Then, you can enter the following code in the widget:
<p>Copyright [year] [site_title]</p>
This will display the current year and the title of your website in the copyright footer.
Here are some popular and easy-to-use countdown plugins for WordPress:
Countdown Timer Ultimate: This plugin allows you to create and display countdown timers on your WordPress site. It features a user-friendly interface, responsive design, and customization options such as the ability to change colors, fonts, and the countdown style.
Countdown WP: This plugin offers a range of customizable countdown designs, as well as the ability to set a redirect URL for when the countdown reaches zero. It also includes a widget that allows you to easily add the countdown to your sidebar or other widgetized area.
Easy Countdown: This plugin allows you to create and display countdown timers on your WordPress site with a simple shortcode. It includes options for setting the countdown expiration date and time, customizing the appearance, and displaying the countdown in different languages.
Advanced Countdown Timer: This plugin allows you to create and display a variety of countdown timers on your WordPress site, including evergreen countdown timers that reset when the user visits the page again. It includes options for customizing the appearance of the countdown, as well as the ability to set a redirect URL for when the countdown reaches zero.
Countdown Clock: This plugin allows you to create and display a countdown clock on your WordPress site with a simple shortcode. It includes options for customizing the appearance of the countdown, as well as the ability to set a redirect URL for when the countdown reaches zero.
Overall, any of these plugins should provide an easy-to-use solution for adding a countdown timer to your WordPress site.
There are a few different ways you can try to fix an SSL error on your WordPress site. Here are some steps you can take:
1. Check the SSL certificate: Make sure the SSL certificate for your domain is properly installed and not expired. You can check the status of your SSL certificate by using a tool like SSL Shopper’s SSL Checker.
2. Force SSL in WordPress: If your SSL certificate is properly installed, you can try forcing SSL on your site by adding the following code to your WordPress .htaccess file:
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
This will redirect all traffic to the HTTPS version of your site.
3. Update your WordPress site URL: If forcing SSL doesn’t work, you may need to update the WordPress site URL to use HTTPS. To do this, go to the WordPress dashboard and navigate to Settings > General. Then update the “WordPress Address (URL)” and “Site Address (URL)” fields to use HTTPS instead of HTTP.
4. Check for mixed content: Another common cause of SSL errors is mixed content, which is when a page is loaded over HTTPS but includes resources (such as images or scripts) that are served over HTTP. To fix mixed content issues, you can use a plugin like SSL Insecure Content Fixer to automatically update your site’s URLs to use HTTPS.
If these steps don’t help, you may need to consult your hosting provider or a WordPress developer for further assistance.
To add a “favorite” feature to your WordPress site, you can either use a plugin or write custom code. Here are the steps to do this using a plugin:
1. Install and activate the WP Favorite Posts plugin. This plugin allows users to bookmark their favorite posts, pages, and custom post types.
2. After activating the plugin, a new “Favorites” menu will appear in your WordPress dashboard. Go to “Favorites > Settings” to configure the plugin’s settings.
3. In the plugin settings, you can choose which post types to enable the favorite feature for and customize the text and appearance of the favorite button.
4. To display the favorite button on your site, you can use the wpfp_link function in your theme’s template files. For example, you could add the following code to your single.php file to display the favorite button on single post pages:
if ( function_exists( 'wpfp_link' ) ) {
wpfp_link();
}
5. Users can then click the favorite button to bookmark a post, and view their favorite posts by visiting the “Favorites” page on your site.
Alternatively, you can write custom code to add a favorite feature to your WordPress site. This would involve creating a custom database table to store the favorite data, and writing functions to add and remove posts from the favorites list. You would then need to add a button or link to your site’s templates to allow users to favorite posts, and a page or widget to display their favorite posts.
