PluginScore

Squiz.PHP.DiscouragedFunctions.Discouraged

Discouraged PHP function

The plugin uses a PHP or WordPress pattern that coding standards discourage.

medium weight

Why It Shows Up

Plugin Check found a discouraged function, forbidden function, goto, backtick operator, or similar construct.

Why It Matters

Discouraged patterns are often harder to review, less portable across hosts, or easier to misuse securely.

How to Fix

  • Identify why the construct is used and whether WordPress provides a safer API.
  • Replace shell execution, dynamic execution, or broad forbidden functions with constrained WordPress APIs.
  • If a third-party library triggers the warning, isolate and document it.

References

WordPress Coding Standards

Affected Plugins

RankPluginScoreErrorsWarningsInstallsAddedUpdatedTop Issue
#201Spreadsheet Price Changer for WooCommerce and WP E-commerce – Light23386999400Non-prefixed global variable
#202Ezoic2343251610k+Output is not escaped
#203Fastcache by Host.it231,327203800Text Domain Mismatch
#204Flexmls® IDX Plugin231,2689571k+Output is not escaped
#205Freshdesk (official)23194386800Non-prefixed function
#206Front End PM239782,2645k+Non-prefixed global variable
#207Futurio Extra2378720520k+Text Domain Mismatch
#208GamiPress – Gamification plugin to reward points, achievements, badges & ranks in WordPress233,5892,76010k+Output is not escaped
#209Anti-Malware Security and Brute-Force Firewall23543965100k+Output is not escaped
#210Gmedia Photo Gallery233501,1217k+Non-prefixed global variable
#211Groovy Menu Plugin (Free)231,7292834k+Text Domain Mismatch
#212Groundhogg — CRM, Newsletters, and Marketing Automation231369212k+Non-prefixed global variable
#213Interactive Content – H5P2356538040k+Non Singular String Literal Domain
#214Hunk Companion232,5476876k+Text Domain Mismatch
#215Payment forms, Buy now buttons, and Invoicing System | GetPaid233891,2665k+Non-prefixed global variable
#216IP Geo Block233995898k+Output is not escaped
#217Kadence Blocks — Page Builder Toolkit for Gutenberg Editor23552,127600k+Non-prefixed global variable
#218Kenta Companion236571,4192k+Non-prefixed global variable
#219King Addons for Elementor – 80+ Elementor Widgets, 4 000+ Elementor Templates, WooCommerce, Mega Menu, Popup Builder231,8343,87710k+Non-prefixed global variable
#220Masteriyo LMS – LMS Course Builder, Quizzes & Certificates231902,1225k+Non-prefixed global variable
#221Like Button Rating ♥ LikeBtn231,2316174k+Unsafe printing function
#222Link Whisper Free233,8825,30330k+Text Domain Mismatch
#223LLMagnet – AI Visibility & AI SEO for Claude, ChatGPT & More236271,798400Non-prefixed global variable
#224Locatoraid Store Locator233186451k+Non-prefixed global variable
#225MailPoet – Newsletters, Email Marketing, and Automation23931718500k+Exception output is not escaped
#226Master Addons For Elementor – Widgets, Extensions, Theme Builder, Popup Builder & Template Kits235251,54130k+Non-prefixed global variable
#227MasterStudy LMS WordPress Plugin – for Online Courses and Education231,4194,87510k+Non-prefixed global variable
#228Media Library Assistant231,1313,75970k+Nonce verification recommended
#229Order Bump for WooCommerce231,7201,562600Output is not escaped
#230MotoPress Appointment Booking232,3628572k+Text Domain Mismatch
#231Restaurant Menu and Food Ordering233858532k+Non-prefixed global variable
#232MPG – Multiple Page Generator, Bulk Landing Pages & Programmatic SEO234855802k+Missing nonce verification
#233MyWorks Sync for WooCommerce & QuickBooks Online232,2929,1015k+Non-prefixed global variable
#234ND Shortcodes236212,42620k+Non-prefixed global variable
#235Next Active Directory Integration236832842k+Exception output is not escaped
#236Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery232,129993400k+Text Domain Mismatch
#237NitroPack – Performance, Page Speed & Cache Plugin for Core Web Vitals, CDN & Image Optimization2331663990k+Output is not escaped
#238Ocean Extra231,4942,107500k+Non-prefixed global variable
#239Patchstack – WordPress & Plugins Security2310748950k+Missing nonce verification
#240Photo Gallery by 10Web – Mobile-Friendly Image Gallery234,1591,553100k+Output is not escaped
#241ExpressTechSoftwares Discord Add-on for Paid Memberships Pro23454449700Text Domain Mismatch
#242Postie2340825910k+Output is not escaped
#243PowerPress Podcasting plugin by Blubrry234,8072,39420k+Output is not escaped
#244Print My Blog – Print, PDF, & eBook Converter WordPress Plugin231,0771,6608k+Non-prefixed global variable
#245Revive.so – Bulk Rewrite and Republish Blog Posts23332228700Text Domain Mismatch
#246SecuPress with Simple SSL – Simple and Performant Security231,6971,60140k+Non-prefixed global variable
#247Secure Custom Fields232401,37080k+Non-prefixed function
#248Seraphinite Post .DOCX Source231,156110900Output is not escaped
#249Seriously Simple Podcasting2354862930k+Non-prefixed hook name
#250Simple URLs – Link Cloaking, Product Displays, and Affiliate Link Management232952984k+Non-prefixed global variable