Description
WhyKeep Notes helps developers and site administrators preserve the context behind a WordPress website.
Document why a plugin is installed, record important technical decisions, leave maintenance instructions, and keep information that you or the next developer may need later.
WordPress tells you what is installed. WhyKeep Notes tells you why it is there.
WhyKeep Notes lets you:
- Create private internal notes inside WordPress admin.
- Attach notes directly to installed plugins.
- Leave general notes about the website, configuration, maintenance, or technical decisions.
- Mark important notes so critical information is easy to find.
- Organize notes with categories.
- Search and filter your documentation.
- Create, view, edit, and delete plugin notes in a modal on the Plugins screen.
- Use Tools > WhyKeep Notes for the full timeline and management workflow.
- Preserve plugin notes even when the related plugin is no longer installed.
WhyKeep Notes is designed for developers, freelancers, agencies, and site administrators who want to leave useful context behind instead of relying on memory.
Privacy and external services
WhyKeep Notes works completely inside your WordPress installation.
It does not:
- Send data to external services.
- Include telemetry or tracking.
- Display advertising.
- Load anything on the frontend.
- Require an external account.
Screenshots
Installation
- Install and activate WhyKeep Notes.
- Open Tools > WhyKeep Notes in WordPress admin.
- Select Add note to create a general note.
- To document a specific plugin, select WhyKeep Note beside it on the Plugins screen. Manage its notes in the modal without leaving the screen.
FAQ
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Who can access WhyKeep Notes?
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Only users with the
manage_optionscapability can access WhyKeep Notes. WordPress administrators have this capability by default. -
Can visitors see my notes?
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No. WhyKeep Notes is an administrator-only tool. Notes are not displayed on the frontend of your website.
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Can I manage notes without leaving the Plugins screen?
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Yes. Select WhyKeep Note or Notes (N) beside an installed plugin to create, view, edit, or delete its notes in a modal. The full notes page under Tools remains available.
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The note is preserved together with the plugin’s last known name, so important historical context is not lost.
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What happens when WhyKeep Notes is deactivated?
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Your notes are preserved and become available again when the plugin is reactivated.
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What happens when WhyKeep Notes is uninstalled?
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WhyKeep Notes currently preserves its database table and notes after uninstalling. Uninstalling does not automatically delete stored notes.
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Where are dates stored?
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Dates are stored in GMT and displayed using your WordPress timezone and date/time settings.
Reviews
Contributors & Developers
“WhyKeep Notes” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
Translate “WhyKeep Notes” into your language.
Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
0.2.1
- Include a Ukrainian translation for the admin interface.
0.2.0
- Manage plugin notes in a modal on the Plugins screen.
- Keep existing notes visible while adding, editing, or deleting notes.
0.1.0
- Initial release with the full notes management page.