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I have inherited a plugin. If the plugin is called example and is in /wp-content/plugins/example what are the implications if the main plugin file is called example-plugin.php and not just example.php?

I know that the plugin will work, but are there any unforeseen problems that could arise?

I do understand that changing it will cause the plugin to deactivate, but there is a very clear notice.

FWIW this has come about because I am trying to use the internal updater on a custom Pro version of a plugin (that isn't in the repository) using this: getbutterfly.com/custom-wordpress-plugin-update-server and it only works if the plugin file name matches the plugin slug

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    I have never encountered such problems, so I don't know either. Also, Hello Dolly used a name that's different from the plugin slug (which should match the Plugin Name header, e.g. my-plugin if the header's value is My Plugin). But we should follow the plugin handbook's recommendation - "it’s also good to name this file after your plugin".
    – Sally CJ
    Sep 25 at 0:52
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    "it only works if the plugin file name matches the plugin slug" - that is actually a plugin-specific requirement. What the plugin handbook stated, was simply a recommendation and not a requirement. So perhaps the plugin author was encouraging developers to follow the handbook's recommendation, but you'll need to consult them for the exact reasons why did they make that requirement.
    – Sally CJ
    Sep 26 at 2:43
  • @SallyCJ this requirement was actually for the code I want to use for having my custom plugin updated by the native wordpress process. It isn't for the plugin itself.
    – Steve
    Sep 27 at 10:01
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    I was saying that you could actually modify the custom updater plugin so that the plugin being checked doesn't need to have its main file's name be matching the plugin slug. ( basically, by changing all the $plugin_slug . '/' . $plugin_slug . '.php' to $plugin_slug . '/example-plugin.php' ) I already tried & tested that with WordPress v6.3.1, and my (test) plugin was updated just fine with the help of that custom updater plugin/code.
    – Sally CJ
    Sep 27 at 16:24
  • Thanks @SallyCJ - I was considering that, but I have been under the pump with a flaky server. The original question was really an "out of curiosity" thing. :o)
    – Steve
    Sep 27 at 23:08

1 Answer 1

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It's only a good pratice to adopt this naming convention. As long as you have in the header of your main file the meta (at last Plugin name: Name of Your Plugin, WordPress will automatically recognize this file for being the main one.

Be aware that at the top of this file you should write at least :

/*
 * Plugin Name: YOUR PLUGIN NAME
 */

In the plugin handbook, WordPress it is written :

Create a new PHP file (it’s also good to name this file after your plugin, e.g. plugin-name.php).

[…] Only one file in the plugin’s folder should have the header comment — if the plugin has multiple PHP files, only one of those files should have the header comment.

As you can see, it's only a naming convention. It is not mandatory.

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  • Thanks for that. Unfortunately it does affect the operation of the updater I am trying to get going, that requires that the main plugin file be named the same as the plugin slug.
    – Steve
    Sep 25 at 23:11

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