Getting them right.
THE COMMON MISTAKE
Installing and activating without configuring.
Default settings are rarely what you want.
WHAT TO DO AFTER ACTIVATING
Open the settings and go through every option.
Understand what each does before changing it.
WHAT TO PAY ATTENTION TO
Anything affecting the front end Anything scheduling work Anything sending email Anything collecting data
FOR PERFORMANCE PLUGINS
Enabling everything at once is how sites break.
Enable one option, test, enable the next.
FOR SECURITY PLUGINS
Aggressive defaults can block legitimate visitors.
Check what is blocked, and check your own access works from elsewhere.
DOCUMENTING SETTINGS
Screenshot important configuration.
After an update resets something, that is how you restore it.
WHAT TO RECHECK
Settings after major updates. They sometimes reset or gain new options.
