Plugin Header Generator
Generate the plugin file header WordPress reads, with the version requirements, text domain, update URI and the ABSPATH guard.
<?php
/**
* Plugin Name: My Plugin
* Description: Does one useful thing, with no settings to learn.
* Version: 1.0.0
* Requires at least: 6.5
* Requires PHP: 7.4
* Author: Your Name
* License: GPLv2 or later
* License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html
* Text Domain: my-plugin
*
* @package my-plugin
*/
// Stops the file doing anything when it is requested directly over the web.
defined( 'ABSPATH' ) || exit;
define( 'MY_PLUGIN_VERSION', '1.0.0' );
define( 'MY_PLUGIN_FILE', __FILE__ );
define( 'MY_PLUGIN_DIR', plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) );
define( 'MY_PLUGIN_URL', plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) );
Output is valid and updates as you type.
Fix the highlighted fields to update the output.
Fill in the headers WordPress reads from your main plugin file and copy the result to the top of it. The generator adds the ABSPATH guard and the version constants most plugins end up writing anyway.
How to use
- Name the plugin. That single header is all WordPress needs to recognise the file, but the rest decide how it behaves.
- Set Requires WordPress and Requires PHP honestly. WordPress blocks activation below them, which is better than a fatal error on someone’s live site.
- Match the text domain to the plugin folder name. WordPress.org builds translation packages from the folder, so a mismatch means no translations.
- Leave the constants on unless you already define your own. They give you a version string and both paths without repeating
plugin_dir_path()everywhere. - Paste the block at the very top of your main plugin file, before any other code.
Example
A plugin requiring WordPress 6.5, PHP 8.0 and two other plugins, shipping its own translations:
<?php
/**
* Plugin Name: Acme Cache Purge
* Description: Adds one purge button to the admin bar.
* Version: 2.1.0
* Requires at least: 6.5
* Requires PHP: 8.0
* Requires Plugins: woocommerce, wordpress-seo
* Text Domain: acme-cache-purge
* Domain Path: /languages
*/
defined( 'ABSPATH' ) || exit;Requires Plugins arrived in WordPress 6.5 and takes WordPress.org slugs only. On older versions the line is ignored rather than fatal.
Pitfalls
- The header must be in the main plugin file, in the first block comment. WordPress reads only the first 8 KB of the file, so a header below a long banner comment is never seen.
- Text Domain has to match the plugin folder name for WordPress.org translations.
my-pluginin a folder calledmy-plugin-proloads nothing. - Version is what update checks compare. Leaving it at 1.0.0 across releases means no user is ever offered the update.
Requires Pluginsaccepts slugs, not names, and only for plugins hosted on WordPress.org. A private dependency cannot be declared this way.- Without
defined( 'ABSPATH' ) || exit;the file runs when requested directly, which turns any fatal into a public stack trace. Update URIset to false stops WordPress.org offering an update for a plugin whose slug collides with a hosted one. Without it, your plugin can be replaced by a stranger’s.- Domain Path only matters when you ship
.mofiles yourself. Setting it without those files makes translation loading fail quietly. - Network: true means the plugin can only be activated network wide on multisite, which is a support decision as much as a technical one.
Compatibility
Every header here except Requires Plugins and Update URI has been read by WordPress since 3.x. Update URI needs WordPress 5.8, Requires Plugins needs 6.5, and both are ignored on older versions rather than causing an error. The generated file targets PHP 7.0 and up.
Frequently asked questions
Which headers are actually required?
Why does my plugin not appear on the Plugins screen?
Does the text domain have to match the folder?
.mo files, it must match what you pass to load_plugin_textdomain().