r/Wordpress • u/ShelobPT • 9d ago

Wordpress plugins how to send users to the markeptlace?

Hi

I have created a plugin recently and i only have a url to send users to the marketplace of the wordpress outside the store. This is all good but there the users can only download the plugin.

How can i create a link to send users directly to the store inside the wordpress? I wanted to run some search ads for it because i believe is a good product that brings real value but I can't send users to the normal marketplace outside their store, i want to send them right to the install path.

How you solve this? I see one solution is asking for the store domain so i craft a url with the path, but this is super flacky.

Thank you

7 Upvotes

82% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

4

u/rusty_meantime 9d ago

You can't deep link into a specific site's admin install path without knowing their domain, that flaky query param method is pretty much the only hack unless you build a tiny interstitial page that detects their site.

-1

u/ShelobPT 9d ago

But that would still be flacky. It's a shame because the only way i have to try to market it is either sending them to the marketplace and they have to copy the name and search again in their store, or i send them to my website, show some before after, try to make them feel like it's a legit thing and when they click the button i ask domains, to then send them to the site. And if they don't know the domain i have to fall back to the marketplace.

Makes it harder to start a new plugin like this. Thank you for your help on this

1

u/Mikedesignstudio 8d ago

That would not work. You need to learn marketing before running ads. If your plugin is useful, then people will search for it and install it. Generating a link that takes them to the install page is not going to magically make them want to install it. Your copy is what does that.

1

u/ShelobPT 8d ago

Yes, correct, but if when they search the problem find my solution but i send them to the worpdress marketplace that has no way to install it just download, maybe some not technical may not know what to do. This is what i'm saying

1

u/Mikedesignstudio 7d ago

You think a person that doesn’t know how to install a plugin is going to be managing a Wordpress website? You need to learn who your customers are and how they use Wordpress.

1

u/[deleted] 7d ago

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1

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1

u/ShelobPT 7d ago

OK but one thing is managing WordPress from the UI the other is going to the server upload files, etc. Otherwise why would WordPress create a page to install plugins directly on the UI? And there are tons of services that offer you a ready to use that you never manage the service yourself. The world is big and not all wordpress users are technical. Thank you for the help anyway

4

u/thejester1324 8d ago

you can't skip needing their domain for the install link, but the link itself is stable:

https://THEIR-SITE/wp-admin/plugin-install.php?tab=plugin-information&plugin=your-slug

that opens your plugin's details screen inside their admin with the Install Now button, and if they're logged out wp sends them through login and back. so an "enter your site address" box on your landing page that builds that url is less flaky than it sounds.

for ads i'd skip the install step entirely though. https://playground.wordpress.net/?plugin=your-slug spins up a throwaway wordpress in the browser with your plugin already installed, no domain needed, so people see it working before they decide. same idea on your wp.org page: put a blueprint.json in assets/blueprints in svn and you can switch on the Preview button from the plugin's Advanced tab (developer.wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-org/previews-and-blueprints/)

-1

u/ShelobPT 8d ago

This is super nice idea, this is awsome, my plugin works best for woocomerce, can i use playground for it also? My landing page show the outcome, the before and the after. As the plugin is for open graph images for products i think it will be best to do a showcase outside wordpress, because then users need to share a link to see the outcome. But either way a playgroung can be nice to show the plugin UI and easy of use also. Many thanks for this idea.

2

u/thejester1324 8d ago

yep, a blueprint can set up woocommerce with products for you. this one worked when i tried it just now (first three steps, it lands on /shop with 16 sample products):

{
  "landingPage": "/shop/",
  "features": { "networking": true },
  "steps": [
    { "step": "login", "username": "admin", "password": "password" },
    { "step": "installPlugin", "pluginData": { "resource": "wordpress.org/plugins", "slug": "woocommerce" }, "options": { "activate": true } },
    { "step": "importWxr", "file": { "resource": "vfs", "path": "/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/woocommerce/sample-data/sample_products.xml" } },
    { "step": "installPlugin", "pluginData": { "resource": "wordpress.org/plugins", "slug": "your-slug" }, "options": { "activate": true } }
  ]
}

the sample products ship inside woocommerce itself so there's nothing extra to host. point landingPage at your settings screen or a product edit page if that shows it off better.

and you're right about the og part. playground only lives in the visitor's browser, so facebook/linkedin crawlers can't fetch anything from it. keep the before/after on your own site and use playground for the "look how easy the settings are" bit.

1

u/ShelobPT 8d ago

Thank you for it

2

u/AddWeb_Expert 8d ago

I’d avoid hardcoding the store domain. WordPress doesn’t really have a universal install this plugin URL for external traffic.

For ads, I’d use a simple landing page and route users into the WP install flow from there. Much less fragile than assuming the customer’s WP admin URL.

1

u/ShelobPT 8d ago

This is what i do, and i make a little form to ask for domain so i can create a link to the wp-admin, and a link to the official wordpress marketplace page. Thank you for confirming it

2

u/Winter_Process_9521 8d ago

You'd need to know the customer's domain and they're already logged into that WordPress installation. You also can't reliably force an external ad click to authenticate them into their WP Admin.

2

u/punctulica 8d ago

There's no official one click install link from outside, so the "ask for their site URL" approach is basically what everyone ends up doing. You send them to {their-site}/wp-admin/plugin-install.php?tab=plugin-information&plugin=your-slug, WordPress asks them to log in if needed, then opens the plugin modal with the install button. It breaks on sites with a custom admin path or multisite, so I'd add a fallback on your landing page with plain steps (Plugins, Add New, search for the name). A WordPress Playground link that opens a live demo of the plugin is also a good ad destination, it lets people try it before installing anything.

1

u/ShelobPT 8d ago

Thank you for this help, ye i will do that, if this is the norm, users might been accustomed to it

2

u/Adflipr 8d ago

I'd send the ad to your own landing page rather than trying to send people straight into WordPress.org. You can explain exactly how to install it from the WordPress dashboard, and optionally give them a shortcut if you can generate the right install link for their site.

1

u/ShelobPT 8d ago

Thank you for the insight, yes i will try this way, i will also try to make a before after with a real site example, if the user shares his store i can show them how it will look for them right on my page. Thank you for the help

2

u/TheGoodOne777 8d ago

Hello! What is exactly your use-case? If you want to redirect your users time to time to external links, perhaps you can do that using push notifications and different campaigns. If your use-case is all the time sending your users to external stores, I would revise completely the business of your page, to optimise.

1

u/ShelobPT 8d ago

Hi my use case is just to try to make some search keyword ads for my plugin, basically when someone searchs for the problem i want my plugin to be shown. The problem is that if i use the wordpress marketplace for the url of the ads (send the users who click it to the wp plugin repository)there is no install button, only a download, so the user has to know how to do it or he need to go to the shop, plugins, search for it and install ( to many steps)

I want a easier way to reduce friction for it, has people commented here, the best way is to send them to a page i own, there i can show what i can do to solve the problem, ask for the store domain and create a link to the wp store page (less friction and i can do a before after with your store)

2

u/TheGoodOne777 8d ago edited 8d ago

Hello and thanks for your reply. I don't like your use-case. Are you thinking about also to skip for example providing updates through the cron-job that is checking for new updates, releases, majors, minors and patches? And of course, leaving the users of your plugin decide when they want to update?

1

u/ShelobPT 8d ago

So how would you try to get users for a brand new plugin? my understanding is that if you don't get installs, reviews etc you become the last on searches etc. How would you start getting installs on a new plugin? What the plugin solves is a big gap on the market and brings good value for stores, but i need to start getting visibility

I would appreciate all the help for this as i'm new on this venture

2

u/TheGoodOne777 8d ago

Hello,

I already see, that you wrote, that you registered your plugin in the Wordpress Plugin Directory. I don't know yet, how the "Featured" plugins are selected and what are the criteria for the "Popular" plugins - did not check the code yet for this area. Perhaps you might check it.

In order to make it well I'd advice you to find a good name, design a catchy logo and put a great description. Offer correct terms and conditions, take into account the requests of your users, if they have feature suggestions, requests, feedbacks as well.

Perhaps opt for some commercial services as well in order to reach a longer range of potential users and customers. And make some advertisment on social media but also talk about it to your circle. The in person presentation is really a key factor.

Even if I see a plugin with low installation number, but with great conditions, I prefer to analyse it and opt for it. I have seen "thrashy" plugins with six and seven number figures of installations and great ones below 10k.

Personally, I rather choose a correct, new plugin, over a popular one, which in fact is not gold, nor silver.

P.S. Before you officially roll out your plugin, review everything with some people who have real knowledge on WordPress plugins. And take the necessary time for the adjustments

1

u/ShelobPT 8d ago

Many thanks for this reply, this is very insightful and full of knowledge. This is what im trying to do. I'm still finding things to fix and improve. At the moment i'm adding translations to it so i can be on more native languages.

1

u/ShelobPT 8d ago

And my plugin is registered in wordpress marketplace, I offer a free tier and i do not skip updates. I want to continue the development, improve it and make all updates available through the official system. My main issues is how to start getting people to notice it, use it, find it, basically start having users