WordPress plugin Installation section carries the post-install work
Use the readme Installation section for custom setup notes the admin needs right after activation, not as a generic unzip tutorial.
Why this can grow a startup
WordPress is unusually clear that the Installation section can be omitted for simple plugins, but it becomes the right place when custom configuration is required after install. That matters because the plugin directory is often the last calm screen before the admin has to do real setup work. When the readme names the next steps plainly, the install feels supported. When it stays generic, the admin lands inside WordPress still guessing what has to be configured before the plugin is actually useful.
Company example
The handbook says plugins without custom install settings may omit the Installation section, and that plugins with configuration notes after install should put that guidance there.
Source and metric
Source: WordPress Plugin Handbook: Plugin Readmes · Browse WordPress Plugin Handbook: Plugin Readmes tactics
WordPress explicitly reserves the Installation section for custom post-install configuration when that work exists.
When to use it
Use this when Onboarding, Marketplaces, Documentation is relevant to installation, setup docs, activation and you can run a bounded test with a free budget.
When not to use it
Do not use it as a substitute for customer evidence, a clear owner, or a measurable stop condition. Local platform rules and market behavior still need checking.
Founder checklist
- Read WordPress Plugin Handbook: Plugin Readmes and identify what is directly supported.
- Choose one channel context: Onboarding, Marketplaces, Documentation.
- Define the test around WordPress explicitly reserves the Installation section for custom post-install configuration when that work exists..
- Set an owner, evidence window, and stop condition before launch.
Explore the context
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