WordPress Tools I Actually Use on My Blog

I have used WordPress long enough that my site has slowly turned into a collection of little systems I built for myself.

Some are plugins. Some are reusable block patterns. Some are custom shortcodes I created because I got tired of repeating the same task over and over.

None of them is especially glamorous. No one is going to gasp when I tell them I optimized an image or turned a layout into a reusable pattern. But together, these tools make writing and managing Redcypress Designs much easier.

This is not a list of every WordPress plugin installed on my website, and it is definitely not one of those “47 essential plugins every blogger needs” posts. These are the tools I actually use: the plugins that solve a problem for me, the patterns that keep my posts consistent, and the custom WordPress tools I built when I could not find exactly what I wanted.

My WordPress Toolbox Has Three Parts

When I talk about my WordPress tools, I am really talking about three different things:

1. Custom shortcodes and small plugins I built around the way I work.
2. Reusable patterns for layouts I use again and again.
3. Plugins that already solve a problem well.

I do not believe every problem needs custom code. I am a software engineer, but sometimes the smartest solution is still installing the plugin that already does the job. On the other hand, I also do not want to force my workflow into a plugin that almost—but not quite—does what I need.

My system is basically: use the existing tool when it fits, and build the tiny missing piece when it does not.

Custom WordPress Tools I Built for My Own Workflow

This is where the developer side of my brain gets involved.

My custom tools are not enormous, all-purpose plugins. Most of them solve one very specific annoyance. That is precisely why they are useful.

Featured Post Link for the Classic Editor

The first piece is a shortcode called .

I can give it a post ID, and it displays that post’s featured image, linked title, and excerpt. I originally paired it with a Classic Editor button that lets me choose a published post instead of remembering or manually typing the ID.

Example:

[featured_post_link id="123"]

It is a small tool, but it makes internal linking more visual and useful than dropping another plain text link into the post.

Featured Post Selector for Gutenberg

As my WordPress workflow changed, I wanted the same convenience in the block editor. So I created a searchable Featured Post Selector.

Instead of hunting for a post ID, I can add the block, start typing the post title, and select the correct published post from a dropdown. The current plugin includes two blocks:

• Featured Post Selector, which uses my existing  shortcode.
• Featured Post with Excerpt, which independently displays the featured image, title, and either my manual excerpt or a generated excerpt.

The administrative side matters to me just as much as the front-end result. The reader never sees the dropdown, but I do every time I build a post. Making that part easier means I am more likely to add the internal links in the first place.

I have published the code for both tools in my WordPress Toolkit on GitHub.

My Recent Posts Shortcode

recent_posts shortcode

It can filter posts by category or tag, control how many posts appear, show thumbnails and excerpts, and add a related “Read more” link. I later changed it to sort by the date a post was modified rather than only its original publication date, which is much more useful when I refresh older content.

I can also add a custom CSS class through the shortcode. That lets the same underlying tool work in different areas of the site without forcing every group of posts into exactly the same layout.

Examples:

[recent_posts category="juicing" class="test-kitchen"]
[recent_posts tag="amazon-finds" count="4" class="two-column home-posts"]

This is the kind of feature that would be excessive if I only needed it once. Because I use it throughout the site, turning it into a reusable tool makes sense.

I have published the code for both tools in my WordPress Toolkit on GitHub.

Amazon Keyword Link

My newest custom tool started with a very specific affiliate-link problem.

Sometimes I want to recommend one particular product. Other times, especially in decorating and party posts, it is more useful to send readers to an Amazon search for a category such as linen pillow covers, woven storage baskets, or tropical party decorations.

Creating those search links manually meant building the URL, adding my Amazon tracking ID, checking the affiliate attributes, and repeating the process every time. So I created the Amazon Keyword Link plugin.

The block lets me enter:

• The visible link text
• The Amazon search keywords
• Optional text that appears immediately after the link
• Whether the link should look like regular text or a button
• Whether it should open in the same tab or a new tab

New-tab behavior is optional and turned off by default.

My Amazon Associates tracking ID is saved once in the plugin settings rather than entered into every block. The plugin then creates the search URL and automatically adds the appropriate sponsored and nofollow relationship values.

For example, I can create a link that reads:

Shop coastal pillow covers on Amazon — an easy way to soften your existing sofa.

The reader gets a useful shopping shortcut, and I do not have to find and maintain one exact product every time I mention a broader category.

The plugin also includes a shortcode for places where I am not using the block editor:

Shop coastal pillow covers on Amazon — an easy way to soften your existing sofa

Like my other small WordPress tools, it does one specific job that removes a surprisingly repetitive part of publishing. I have also added the reusable version to my WordPress Toolkit on GitHub.

Why I Finally Put My WordPress Tools on GitHub

For a long time, these little tools lived wherever I happened to create them: inside WordPress, in downloaded ZIP files, in project folders, or buried in an old conversation.

That is not much of a system. 😂

I finally created a public WordPress Toolkit repository to give the reusable pieces a proper home.

The repository is not meant to be a giant commercial plugin collection. It is a practical record of the small tools I built for Redcypress Designs, with the source code and instructions kept together. It gives me version history, a backup outside WordPress, and a much better answer to “Where did I put that code?”

Only the generic, reusable tools belong there. Larger client-specific projects stay separate.

Reusable WordPress Patterns That Save Me Time

Plugins are only one part of my setup. Some of my most useful tools are WordPress patterns I created from layouts I was already repeating.

A pattern is essentially a saved group of blocks. I can insert the complete layout into a new post and change the content instead of rebuilding the structure from scratch.

That sounds simple because it is simple. It is also one of the best things I have done for my blogging workflow.

My Solid Color Amazon Links Pattern

Party readers are often shopping for a very specific color palette. They may need black plates, cream napkins, gold utensils, warm-white balloons, or a table runner that ties the entire setup together. A giant product list is not always the easiest way to help them.

One of my favorite examples is the Solid Color Amazon Links pattern I use in party posts.

The Solid Color Amazon Links pattern gives those shopping links a consistent visual structure. I can reuse the layout, change the colors and labels for that particular party, and connect each option to the appropriate Amazon products or Idea List.

For example, the same basic pattern can support:

• Black, gold, cream, and warm white for an elegant retirement party
• White, black, red, and yellow for an Over-the-Hill party
• Tropical colors for a luau
• Soft neutrals for a boho picnic

Instead of designing that section again for every post, I insert the pattern and customize it. The reader gets a clear, familiar shopping section, and I do not have to rebuild a row of buttons for the nine-hundredth time.

Why I Use Patterns Instead of Copying Old Posts

Before I started creating patterns, the temptation was to open an older post, copy the section, paste it into the new post, and then replace everything.

That works—until you accidentally leave behind an old link, an outdated color name, or formatting that has been copied so many times it has developed a personality of its own.

A saved pattern gives me one intentional starting point. It is faster, cleaner, and much easier to keep consistent.

Plugins I Use Instead of Reinventing Everything

AffiliateX

I use AffiliateX for affiliate-focused product layouts.

Technically, I could build every product section myself. I could create the columns, format the buttons, adjust the spacing, and repeat the whole process every time I wanted to feature something from Amazon.

I could also spend my entire afternoon nudging buttons by three pixels instead of writing the post. 😂

AffiliateX gives me ready-made blocks for presenting affiliate products, so I can focus on which products genuinely belong in the post and why they might help the reader. It is useful when I want something more structured than a regular text link without hand-building a new layout every time.

I still adjust the wording and presentation to fit my site. The plugin provides the structure; it does not replace the part where I explain why I chose the product or how I actually use it.

AffiliateX helps me present individual products without rebuilding every affiliate section. My Amazon Keyword Link plugin handles broader keyword-based shopping links. ShortPixel manages the image optimization I do not want to handle one file at a time. Patterns give me reusable layouts, while my other shortcodes and small plugins fill the gaps that are specific to the way I run my site.

Connecting AffiliateX to the Amazon Creators API

I also have AffiliateX connected to the Amazon Creators API. That connection lets AffiliateX bring Amazon product information into the blocks instead of making me enter every product detail manually.

This is where the plugin becomes more than a collection of attractive layouts for me. The block handles the presentation, the API connection reduces the repetitive product setup, and I can concentrate on the part that still needs a human: choosing products that make sense for the post and explaining why I am including them.

The API does not write the recommendation for me or decide whether a product is useful. It simply makes the technical side of adding the product more efficient.

If you connect AffiliateX to Amazon, be careful when taking screenshots or documenting the setup. API keys, credentials, tokens, and tracking information should always remain private.

ShortPixel

Redcypress Designs is a very visual site. Between room inspiration, party setups, recipes, product images, screenshots, collages, and Pinterest graphics, I upload a lot of images.

That is wonderful for the reader and potentially terrible for page speed.

I use ShortPixel to optimize images so I do not have to manually manage every file after uploading it. Image optimization is one of those behind-the-scenes jobs readers should never have to notice. The post should simply load without making someone wait for seventeen enormous room photos to arrive one at a time.

ShortPixel is not the exciting part of creating a post, but it helps all the exciting parts behave themselves.

Using ShortPixel for AI-Generated Alt Text

I also use ShortPixel’s AI alt text generation. With as many images as I add to Redcypress Designs, writing alt text for every useful image can become its own little project. The AI-generated description gives me a starting point instead of an empty field.

I still review the result before using it. AI can describe what is visible in an image, but it does not always understand why that image matters inside the post. I may need to correct a detail, remove unnecessary wording, or rewrite the description so it reflects the image’s actual purpose.

That review is important because alt text is primarily there to make meaningful images understandable to readers who use screen readers. It should describe the image clearly—not become a hiding place for a pile of keywords. Decorative images may not need descriptive alt text at all.

For me, the feature does not eliminate the accessibility decision. It eliminates the blank-page part of writing the description, which is still a meaningful time-saver when a post contains a lot of images.

How I Decide Whether to Use a Plugin, Pattern, or Custom Code

I do not have a complicated decision process. I ask what kind of repetition or problem I am dealing with.

The real goal is not to collect tools. It is to remove friction.

Every plugin adds something else to maintain. Every custom feature adds code I am responsible for. Every pattern needs to be clear enough that I can recognize it six months later. I only keep a tool when it makes the actual publishing process easier.

More Redcypress Finds

Using ChatGPT as My Design Feedback Partner Pinterest Kept Opening Amazon in Its Browser — Here’s What Worked for Me

Building The NOLA Beer Bus Live Tracker The 3 Pinterest Pins You Need for Every Blog Post (If You Actually Want Clicks)

More Practical Guides & Ideas

Easy Pirate Party Ideas You Can Set Up on a Budget

How to Tell if Something Is FSA/HSA Eligible on Amazon

The Best WordPress Tools Are the Ones That Fit Your Actual Work

My WordPress setup did not appear all at once. It grew one repeated task and one tiny annoyance at a time.

AffiliateX helps me present products without rebuilding every affiliate section. ShortPixel handles the image optimization I do not want to manage one file at a time. Patterns give me reusable layouts. My shortcodes and small plugins fill the gaps that are specific to the way I run my site.

None of these tools runs the blog for me. They simply remove enough repetitive work that I can spend more time testing ideas, creating useful content, and improving the parts readers actually see.

And, perhaps most importantly, less time trying to remember which old post contains the layout I want to copy. 😂