[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):

 Replying to [comment:41 alanfuller]:
 > Are we in agreement we need 3 steps?
 > 1. Add
 > 2. Activate
 > 3. Setup / configure / onboard - optional - controlled by plugin
 developer?

 Thanks for this question as it helped to me to reconsider what a two-step
 approach might look like.

 **Two-step Expectations**

 My experience with other app stores causes me to to expect a two-step
 process (despite my previous proposal to Install > Activate > Configure.

 In generic terms, most app stores:

 1. Get the thing into an active state on the device
 2. Then open the thing (where onboarding typically follows)

 One might say we already have a two-step process with Install and
 Activate, but the problem is that activation in WordPress—when it includes
 redirects—actually spans elements of steps 1 and 2 above, which results in
 unpredictability that is not present in other app stores.

 **Combining Install and Activate**

 I recommend we do not break the Install/Activate paradigm in WordPress
 even though activation an extra step that most app stores do not require.
 With that said, it is worth considering combining Install and Activate as
 the default action specifically on the Add Plugins screen.

 In my experience:

 - I am nearly always activating a plugin after installing it from the Add
 Plugins screen.
 - Sometimes I'm installing and activating multiple plugins (which is when
 the redirects become especially problematic).
 - I rarely, if ever, install a plugin from the Add Plugins screen and then
 do not activate it right away. If I do delay activation, it's because I
 know a redirect is going to take me way.

 **"Install and Activate" then "Open"**

 By combining Install and Activate, we could achieve a two-step flow that
 is more in line with other app store experiences:

 1. "Install and Activate"
 2. "Open" (or what I've previously been referring to as "Configure")

 I've been thinking about a more suitable term for "Configure" and came to
 the realization that "Open" is a more generic, familiar, and flexible
 action for the majority of use cases. Whether you just want to get users
 to your plugin page or kick off an onboarding experience, "Open" makes
 sense in both scenarios. The text could still be filtered to "Start
 Onboarding" or something else if the plugin desires. And if there is no
 value defined by the plugin, then the disabled "Active" button could be
 displayed by default as it is today. I'll attach a mockup for review.

 **Installing Without Activating**

 If we want to maintain an option for users who really want to install
 without activating from the Add Plugins screen, then here are couple of
 possibilities:

 1. Consider a combo button where "Install and Activate" is the default
 option while "Install Only" is a secondary option.
 2. Consider having "Install and Activate" and "Install Only" actions
 available in the existing modal that opens when pressing "More Details."

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/61040#comment:42>
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