Step 5: Debugging & Optimizing

Now that our plugin is packed with features, we need to debug, optimize, and secure it to ensure it runs smoothly.

Debugging Common Plugin Issues 🛠️

🔹 Enable Debug Mode

Add this to wp-config.php to see errors:

define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
@ini_set('display_errors', 0);

Now, errors are logged in wp-content/debug.log instead of showing on the site.

🔹 Using the Query Monitor Plugin

✅ Track database queries

✅ Identify slow plugins

✅ View PHP errors

Install Query Monitor from the plugin directory to debug like a pro! 🚀

Performance Optimization ⚡

🔹 Minimize Plugin Load Time

• Only load CSS & JS when needed:

if (is_admin()) {
    wp_enqueue_style('my-plugin-admin-css', plugin_dir_url(__FILE__) . 'assets/css/admin.css');
}

• Use Transients for caching data:

$cached_data = get_transient('my_plugin_data');
if (!$cached_data) {
    $cached_data = some_expensive_function();
    set_transient('my_plugin_data', $cached_data, 12 * HOUR_IN_SECONDS);
}

Security Best Practices 🔒

🔹 Sanitize & Escape User Input

• Always sanitize data before saving:

$clean_data = sanitize_text_field($_POST['user_input']);

• Escape data before displaying:

echo esc_html($user_input);

🔹 Validate Nonces to Prevent CSRF Attacks

if (!isset($_POST['my_nonce']) || !wp_verify_nonce($_POST['my_nonce'], 'my_action')) {
    die('Security check failed');
}

Conclusion 🎯

Your plugin is now:

✅ Organized with a structured folder setup

✅ Debugged using logs & Query Monitor

✅ Optimized for speed & performance

✅ Secured against common vulnerabilities

Your plugin is almost ready for release! 🚀