Essentials by Digital Creatings
Lightweight WordPress essentials for security, performance, SMTP email, and custom code — built by Digital Creatings.
Use with caution
Essentials by Digital Creatings works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 5 months ago, and scores 51/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & supportDaily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Essentials by Digital Creat… stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| custom scripts | >100 |
| digital creatings | #16 |
| performance | >100 |
| security | >100 |
| smtp | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Essentials by Digital Creatings
From the official readme · v2.0.0Description
Essentials by Digital Creatings is a lightweight and powerful WordPress plugin designed to improve security, optimize performance, and enhance email functionality. It hides WordPress version exposure, hardens common attack surfaces, removes unnecessary bloat, and lets you configure SMTP and inject custom scripts from a single admin hub.
New in Version 2.0:
* Modern admin UI — Redesigned dashboard aligned with WordPress 6.x / 7.0 admin patterns
* Self-hosted assets — No external Bootstrap CDN; faster and more privacy-friendly
* Unified navigation — Quick access across Security, SMTP, and Custom Scripts
* Backward compatible — All existing option keys, database tables, and front-end behavior preserved on upgrade
🔒 Security + Optimization + Email + Custom Code in one plugin from Digital Creatings.
Features:
🔹 Security Enhancements:
– Disable XML-RPC to help prevent brute force attacks
– Hide WordPress version details (meta, query strings, HTTP headers)
– Remove REST API links to reduce exposure
– Disable RSS feeds and feed links
– Block self-pingbacks and comment spam
– Remove RSD (Really Simple Discovery) link
– Remove shortlinks for better privacy
🚀 Performance Optimizations:
– Disable Emojis to reduce unnecessary script loads
– Remove jQuery Migrate to improve front-end speed
– Disable Google Maps API if unused
– Remove WordPress embeds to prevent external content embedding
📧 SMTP Email Configuration:
– Configure SMTP settings (Host, Port, Username, Password, Encryption)
– Choose SMTP or default PHP mail
– Set custom “From Name” and “From Email” for outgoing emails
– Send test emails directly from the admin panel
💻 Custom Scripts:
– Add header, body, or footer snippets
– Target all pages or specific post/page IDs
– Stored in a dedicated database table (unchanged in 2.0)
About Digital Creatings
Essentials by Digital Creatings is developed and maintained by Digital Creatings, a company focused on reliable WordPress solutions for businesses and agencies.
Website: https://www.digitalcreatings.com
Support: https://www.digitalcreatings.com/contact/
Support
For support, please visit Digital Creatings or contact us.
Installation
- Upload the plugin folder to your
/wp-content/plugins/directory. - Activate the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress.
- Go to Essentials by DC in the WordPress admin panel.
- Configure security, SMTP email, and custom scripts as needed.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes this plugin?
Essentials by Digital Creatings is a product of Digital Creatings. Visit https://www.digitalcreatings.com for more information and support.
Will upgrading to 2.0 reset my settings?
No. Version 2.0 keeps the same WordPress options and custom scripts table. Your security toggles, SMTP credentials, and snippets remain intact after updating.
How do I configure SMTP?
Navigate to Essentials by DC → SMTP Email, enter your SMTP details, save, then use Send Test Email to verify delivery.
Will this plugin affect my site’s speed?
The plugin can improve performance when optimization features are enabled (emojis, embeds, jQuery Migrate, etc.). Disabled features have no effect.
Changelog
Major UI refresh for WordPress 7.0. Safe to update — settings, SMTP config, and custom scripts are preserved. No migration required.
2.0.0
- New: Modern admin UI compatible with WordPress 7.0
- New: Self-hosted admin CSS/JS (removed external Bootstrap CDN dependency)
- New: Unified navigation and card-based settings layout
- Improved: Dashboard welcome screen with feature overview
- Improved: SMTP and Custom Scripts admin experience
- Maintained: All existing option names, hooks, and front-end behavior for sites already using the plugin
1.4.3
- Tested compatibility with WordPress 7.0
- Updated minimum PHP requirement to 7.4 (aligned with WordPress 7.0)
- Improved admin asset loading on all plugin settings screens
1.3
- Added: SMTP Email Configuration (SMTP settings for outgoing emails)
- Added: Test Email Functionality (Send test emails from the admin panel)
- Added: Login Security (Customize login URL)
- Added: Disable RSS feeds, REST API links, and self-pingbacks
- Added: Remove jQuery Migrate, shortlink, RSD link, and embeds
- Improved: Performance optimizations for WordPress sites
1.2.2
- Added: Option to disable XML-RPC
- Added: Option to remove WordPress version information
- Improved: Security enhancements and settings page UI
1.2.1
- Initial stable release with essential security and performance features.
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Essentials by Digital Creatin… alternatives
All custom scripts plugins →| Rank | Plugin | Active installs |
|---|---|---|
| 2 |
Wyvern Toolkit
Wyvern Toolkit is a fast, reliable, and affordable professional WordPress plugin that does…
|
<10 |
FAQ
Essentials by Digital Creatings: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 14, 2026
Is Essentials by Digital Creatings free?
Yes. Essentials by Digital Creatings is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Essentials by Digital Creatings safe to use in 2026?
Essentials by Digital Creatings works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 5 months ago, and scores 51/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Essentials by Digital Creatings?
Essentials by Digital Creatings is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 1,103 times since it launched in February 2025. It was downloaded 61 times in the last 30 days.
Does Essentials by Digital Creatings work with WordPress 7.1?
Essentials by Digital Creatings is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.7, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Essentials by Digital Creatings need?
Essentials by Digital Creatings requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Essentials by Digital Creatings last updated?
The latest version, 2.0.0, was released on May 27, 2026 (5 months ago).
Who makes Essentials by Digital Creatings?
Essentials by Digital Creatings is developed and maintained by Puneet Tiwari.
What are the best alternatives to Essentials by Digital Creatings?
The most popular alternatives to Essentials by Digital Creatings are Wyvern Toolkit (<10 installs).
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