WP Help

What is WP Help?

WP Help is a specialized plugin that enables site operators to create detailed, hierarchical documentation directly inside the WordPress admin. Developed by Mark Jaquith, this plugin has been available for 15 years, making it one of the oldest dedicated documentation tools in the repository. With 10K+ active installs and a 4.8/5 rating from 54 reviews (89% of which are five-star), it has earned a loyal following among developers who need to provide clear guidance to clients.

The core idea is simple: instead of sending external emails or PDFs, you create help documents using WordPress’ own Custom Post Types. The plugin turns the admin area into a living manual. It is a strong example of a WordPress documentation plugin that stays out of the way while getting the job done.

Key Features of WP Help

• Hierarchical Documentation — Arrange help pages in a parent-child structure, just like WordPress Pages, using the familiar Attributes meta box.
• Role-Based Access — Anyone who can save posts can view the docs. Only users who can publish_pages (Editors and Administrators) can edit them.
• Cross-Install Sync — Pull help documents from another WP Help install. Changes, additions, and deletions at the source update automatically on connected sites.
• Default Document Setting — Mark any help page as the default landing document using a simple checkbox in the editor.
• Internal Linking — When editing a help document, WordPress’ internal linking tool filters results to show only other help pages, making navigation easy.
• Custom Menu Placement — The “Publishing Help” menu item can be renamed and relocated in the admin sidebar to fit your client site documentation workflow.
• Multisite Ready — The sync feature is ideal for consultants managing multiple client installs, allowing a single source of truth for documentation.
• Lightweight & Stable — Tested up to WordPress 6.5.8 and requiring only WordPress 4.9+, the plugin runs without bloat.

Who Should Use WP Help?

WP Help is built for developers, agencies, and site builders who hand over customized WordPress sites to clients. If you want to know how to add documentation for clients in WordPress without building a custom solution, this plugin is a direct answer. The target user is someone comfortable installing plugins and configuring user roles, but the plugin itself does not require coding skills to operate.

With 10,000+ active installs, it serves a niche but dedicated audience. The 89% five-star rating suggests that users who need this tool find it reliable. It is particularly suited for WordPress multisite networks or consultants maintaining many client installs who need to create help documentation in the WordPress admin once and push updates everywhere.

Installation & Setup

Installation is straightforward: upload the wp-help folder to /wp-content/plugins/ and activate the plugin. Beginners can handle this without issues. After activation, visit the “Publishing Help” menu item in the admin sidebar to begin adding your first help document — you can rename this menu item from the plugin settings if desired.

Support & Community

The support data tells a specific story. Over the last 2 months, there have been 0 open threads and 0 resolved threads, giving a 0% resolution rate. This figure likely reflects the plugin’s age and stability rather than neglect — at version 1.7.5 and 15 years old, most issues have been worked out. The 2% one-star rating is notably low, indicating few critical bugs remain.

However, the plugin has not been updated since Apr 20, 2024. Users considering WP Help for new projects should verify compatibility with their current WordPress version. The lack of recent support activity means you rely on the plugin’s mature codebase and community knowledge rather than active developer responses. For those who need to add internal help docs for WordPress authors and editors, this remains a proven, if quiet, option.