[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #61040: Provide a framework for plugin onboarding experiences

[WordPress Trac]

#61040: Provide a framework for plugin onboarding experiences
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 Reporter:  jorbin       |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement  |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal       |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Plugins      |     Version:
 Severity:  normal       |  Resolution:
 Keywords:               |     Focuses:  administration
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Comment (by kevinwhoffman):

 In Post Status, @afragen asked for more details about my "Configure" link
 proposal originally posted in ticket:60992#comment:53, so I'll copy my
 response here for transparency:

 Given that different plugins can live in different areas of WP Admin, I
 don’t think core can possibly apply a standard “Configure” link to all
 plugins, so each plugin would define its own “Configure” link. Possible
 methods of definition include a Configuration field in the plugin header
 or a hook provided by core. I imagine the value would be a path relative
 to {{{/wp-admin}}} such as {{{/admin.php?page=wpseo_dashboard#top#first-
 time-configuration}}} for Yoast SEO. This allows the configuration page to
 work on sites where WP Admin is in a non-standard location.

 **Examples:**

 - For plugins like WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, and GiveWP which have first-
 time onboarding experiences, the “Configure” link could be set to the
 onboarding wizard.

 - For plugins like ACF that do not have a first-time onboarding
 experience, the “Configure” link could be set to the Fields Groups page
 which provides some guidance through an empty state panel.

 - For plugins like Hello Dolly with no standalone plugin pages, the
 “Configure” link can be left undefined and the existing disabled “Active”
 button can be displayed.

 It’s important to emphasize that the “Configure” link should be timeless;
 it should always allow you to configure the plugin, whether it is
 immediately after activation or 30 days later. If a user clicks
 “Configure” some time after completing the onboarding experience, then the
 plugin should recognize this and redirect them to an appropriate settings
 page (similar to what happens when you skip an onboarding wizard). Yes,
 plugins with onboarding experiences would still use a redirect, but the
 difference is that the plugin determines where it’s best to send the user
 after the user has signaled an intent to configure the plugin. The user
 makes the choice, and the plugin responds.

 Historically plugins have felt the need to redirect based on an activation
 hook because there was no other reliable convention in place to direct a
 user to what’s next after plugin activation . With a prominent “Configure”
 link in key areas of WP Admin, plugin developers can rely on it as the
 funnel into plugin configuration and move away from relying on post-
 activation redirects.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/61040#comment:5>
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