Things happen on WordPress.org! Last week was the WordPress theme directory redesigned with a clean and fresh look. Next in line where the WordPress plugin directory which now has received the same makeover from the WordPress.org Meta team.
It’s great to see that even the plugin directory is given a new appearance. The old one was actually awful and quite dull.
Now there is a new theme for the plugin directory that’s much more appealing than the previous one. Plus there are a lot of improved features that make it easier for all viewers and visitors to get a better overview of all plugins in the directory.
Scott Reilly says in the release article – New Plugin Directory Theme.
The site didn’t just get a facelift; the update includes a few new features not previously available in the directory:
Introduction of a “Favorites” section:
Previously, you could only see a simple listing of plugins on your profile page. Now if you are logged in a new section gives you direct access to the list of your favorited plugins.
Introduction of a “Beta Testing” section:
This new section lists and display plugins proposed for inclusion in a future version of WordPress. Previously only available in the wp-admin plugin browser on sites running a development copy of WordPress.
Ability to search for plugins by author:
In the same fashion as in the wp-admin plugin browser, you can now search for plugins by author (by username).
Listings now display a count of active installs instead of downloads:
Now you can see the number of downloads to the number of active installs for a plugin. This information is now also shown on all plugin listings, such as search results.
WordPress is on a roll and the WordPress.org Meta team has definitely done a great job with both the theme and the plugin directory in a short time.
Why not a new design for the entire WordPress.org site?
All new features contribute significantly to a better and more user-friendly environment and help you find plugins, see stats etc. One thing I miss though! You can not list the most recently added plugins which you can in the themes directory. Hopefully, this feature is included in a future update.
If I’m going to be a bit critical, This is something that should have been done a long time ago. But WordPress is perhaps not known to be one of the most flexible players when it comes to design and look. Maybe next time why not a new design or a redesign for the entire WordPress.org site?