How to Create a WordPress Plugin With AI (Real Example)

Quick answer

A WordPress plugin is a PHP file in wp-content/plugins with a comment header that starts with Plugin Name. To create one with AI, describe exactly what it should do, where it appears and what settings it needs, have the AI write the file, check the PHP for errors, install it deactivated, test it on a staging copy or a quiet moment with a backup ready, then activate it. Small, single-purpose plugins are where AI does best.

What you can build

Most sites end up needing one small thing no plugin does quite right: a banner, a shortcode, a tweak to a form, a custom field. Instead of installing a large plugin for one feature, or pasting code into your theme's functions.php, you can have a tiny plugin that does exactly that and nothing else.

For this guide we built one on our test site, a plumbing company: a bar pinned to the bottom of the screen on phones, with a message and a Call button, and a settings page to change both. The whole plugin is one file of 78 lines.

A WordPress site on a phone with a navy bar at the bottom reading Burst pipe or no hot water and an orange Call button — The plugin we built, on a real page at phone width.

Plugin or functions.php?

Code in your theme's functions.php disappears when you change themes, and gets overwritten when a theme updates (unless you use a child theme). Put code there only if it is about how the theme looks. Anything about what the site does, such as a banner, a shortcode, tracking or a custom post type, belongs in a plugin, so it survives theme changes and you can switch it off on its own.

What a plugin is made of

A plugin is a folder in wp-content/plugins with a PHP file inside. Four parts matter, and you will see all four in what the AI writes:

The real plugin file with its Plugin Name header, ABSPATH guard, hooks and prefixed functions, explained in four cards — The first lines of the real plugin, and the four parts every plugin has.

Step 1: Describe the plugin precisely

The quality of the plugin depends on the description. Cover:

What it does in one sentence.
Where it appears: every page, only on phones, only on posts, in wp-admin.
Settings you want to change later without code, and their defaults.
What it must not do: for example, load scripts on pages that do not need them.

Ours was: "On phones, show a bar at the bottom with 'Burst pipe or no hot water?' and a Call button. I want to change the text and number in Settings."

Step 2: Check the code before it runs

One PHP mistake in an active plugin can take the whole site down. So every file should be checked before it is saved. If you work by hand, run php -l plugin-file.php, which reports syntax errors without running anything.

wptaskify does this check automatically. We sent it a plugin with a missing semicolon on purpose; it refused to write the file and returned the exact error:

Code with a missing semicolon and the wptaskify Pro add-on refusing it with php_syntax parse error on line 13 — A real refusal. The broken file was never written, so the site was never at risk.

Step 3: Install it deactivated

Upload the folder to wp-content/plugins by SFTP, or zip it and use Plugins, then Add New, then Upload Plugin. It appears in the plugins list, inactive, using the name and description from its header.

WordPress plugins list showing Northside Emergency Bar with its description and version 1.0.0 — The new plugin in the real plugins list.

Step 4: Activate, test, and keep a way back

Take a backup, or test on a staging copy first.
Activate it, then open the pages it affects, logged in and in a private window, on desktop and phone.
If anything breaks, deactivate it. If wp-admin itself is down, rename the plugin's folder over SFTP; see the white screen of death guide.

Our plugin added a page under Settings, then Emergency Bar, built with WordPress's own settings tools so the values are cleaned before they are saved:

Emergency Bar settings page in WordPress with Show the bar on phones, Message and Phone number fields — The plugin's real settings page.

Review what the AI wrote

You do not need to be a developer to do a basic review. Look for:

Escaping output: anything printed on a page passes through esc_html(), esc_attr() or esc_url().
Cleaning input: settings and form data pass through sanitize_text_field() or similar before saving.
Permissions: admin pages check a capability such as manage_options.
Prefixes: every function and option name starts with the same short prefix.
No surprises: no calls to outside servers, no code that runs on every page if it is only needed on one.

Ask the AI to explain any line you do not understand. If it cannot explain it plainly, ask it to rewrite it more simply.

Doing it from a chat with wptaskify

If your site is connected to Claude or ChatGPT through wptaskify, the AI can do steps 2 to 4 on your site: create_plugin writes the plugin with a valid header and checks the PHP first, write_theme_plugin_file edits it later (with a backup of the old version), and activate_plugin switches it on when you say so. These tools need the wptaskify Pro add-on on a paid plan. Our plugin was created through exactly that route.

Example conversation: the AI creates the emergency bar plugin with create_plugin and activates it after the user agrees — An example conversation with the real create_plugin and activate_plugin tools.

When not to build your own

Payments, logins and security: use established plugins that are maintained and audited.
Something a well-rated plugin already does well: a maintained plugin gets updates you would otherwise have to ask for.
Large features such as a booking system or a shop. AI can write them, but you then own a lot of code to maintain.

Small, single-purpose plugins are the sweet spot. For bigger design changes, see how to create a custom theme with AI.

Frequently asked questions

Can AI create a WordPress plugin?

Yes, especially small single-purpose plugins such as banners, shortcodes or settings tweaks. Describe it precisely, check the PHP for errors, test it on a backup or staging copy, then activate it.

What is the minimum code for a WordPress plugin?

A PHP file in wp-content/plugins whose first comment includes Plugin Name. WordPress lists it from that header. Everything else is the code that does the work, usually attached with add_action or add_filter.

Is it safe to use an AI-written plugin?

It can be, if you check it. Make sure output is escaped, input is sanitized, admin pages check permissions, and nothing calls outside servers unexpectedly. Test before activating on a live site.

Should I put custom code in functions.php or a plugin?

In a plugin, unless the code is about the theme's appearance. Plugin code survives theme changes and can be turned off on its own.

How do I remove a plugin that broke my site?

Deactivate it in wp-admin. If you cannot log in, rename the plugin's folder in wp-content/plugins over SFTP or your host's File Manager, and WordPress turns it off.