12 WordPress Plugins To Manage Front-End Content
WordPress is a great platform for managing a blog, website, portfolio, etc. but is limited when it comes to the way you manage your content – everything is done from the backend of the blog. This means that even if you need to edit something quickly on a post or page, you’ll need to go to the backend to do so.
Granted, there are other things that can only be done from the backend like uploading media, creating categories, switching themes, creating new posts, and more. But having to constantly go to the WordPress Admin area just for a small change can be a huge setback if you have other things that require your attention.
Wouldn’t it be much easier if you could edit your content, add new posts, add new categories and such from the front-end? Thanks to the plugins on this list, you can. Below you’ll find 12 useful front-end plugins to use on your WordPress blog.
Recommended Reading: Beginner’s Guide To WordPress Plugin Development
Front End Upload
With this plugin, your visitors can upload files to your Media Library from the front-end of your blog. Just add a simple shortcode where you’d like the form to appear. You’ll get a notification when new items have been uploaded. The plugin has taken a number of precautions to ensure your safety and to protect you against malicious file uploads. [Get it here]
Front End Login Form
As the name suggests, this plugin adds a login form to the front-end of your blog. It’s a huge timesaver and really convenient. No longer will you or your members have to go to /wp-login or /wp-admin to log into your blog; you’ll be able to do so from wherever you’d like – via a shortcode. [Get it here]
WP Front-End Repository Manager
WP Front-End Repository Manager gives members of your site the ability to upload files and create directories. It includes AJAX-based validation, progress bar for uploads, customizable dialog messages, and you can restrict file types and sizes. Your members can add details to their files, and you can add custom file meta input fields for them to fill in when uploading files. [Get it here]
Front-End Editor
Don’t want to go to the WordPress dashboard for quick fixes? This is the plugin for you. With Front-End Editor, you can make quick changes to your content (pages, posts, comments, widgets, and more) from the front-end of your blog. It uses the same permissions as your backend so if a user isn’t allowed to edit from the Admin area, they won’t be able to edit from the front-end either. [Get it here]
Front-End Help / Feedback Widget
This plugin adds a quick messaging widget to your blog’s sidebar. Visitors can use it to send queries, request help, provide feedback and create support tickets. You’ll receive a simple email letting you know that a message was received, and you’ll get a link in the email so that you can quickly respond to the user. [Get it here]
Front End Theme Switcher
The Front End Theme Switcher plugin adds a drop down menu to your blog (in 1 of 4 locations) so that visitors can change the theme of your blog. With this plugin, you’re not limited to a single theme, and your visitors can choose their preferred look in seconds. [Get it here]
Back End Instructions
Back End Instructions delivers instructions to clients who require instructions on how to run their new WordPress site (built by developers) or readers with instructions on how to use a site. This plugin also serves multi-author blogs; the owner can add a checklist to the front-end of the blog. [Get it here]
DJD Site Post
If you accept guest posts on your blog, DJD Site Post adds a responsive front-end blog post editor to your blog (on a page or in the sidebar) letting guests write posts without having to go to the backend. There’s also translation options. [Get it here]
Frontend Publishing
Have a group of writers you regularly publish on your blog? Frontend Publishing allows them, once registered, to submit, edit, and delete posts from the front-end of your blog. All posts that meet your guidelines will be added to the pending queue, those that don’t will automatically be filtered out. You can also add instructions into the form, letting members know what can and can’t be included in their posts. [Get it here]
Guest Posts
Guest Posts allow both registered and unregistered users to use this front-end publishing form to submit posts. New submissions will then be added to the pending queue. It also saves the author’s name and email, making it easy for you to give credit to your guest authors. You can also automatically send a custom Thank You message after a post is submitted. [Get it here]
Live Edit
If you need to edit the title, content or any Advanced Custom Fields on your template, this is the perfect plugin. It provides a slide out panel for editing. With this plugin, you can specify the DIV elements that you want to be able to edit, thus creating multiple edit regions on a single page. [Get it here]
User-Dashboard
The name says it all: this plugin adds the user dashboard to the front-end of your blog. The registration/login form along with forgot password, edit profile, and edit profile picture will all appear on the front-end. Just add the shortcode to a post or page and the dashboard will appear. [Get it here]
Conclusion
As you can see, these plugins can prove to come in handy for different tasks in WordPress. It’s just a matter of figuring out what you need and what works for you. Do you use front-end plugins on your blog? If so, which ones are you using? Let us know in the comments.