Minimal WordPress Shortcode plugin example

Also see:
Minimal WordPress JS plugin example
Minimal WordPress CSS plugin example

This plugin creates a simple (static – no parameters) shortcode in WordPress

First, create a directory for your plugin in wp-content/plugins/, e.g. wp-content/plugins/my-shortcode-plugin

Save the following code as functions.php in the plugin folder, e.g. wp-content/plugins/my-shortcode-plugin/functions.php

<?php 
/*
Plugin Name: My shortcode plugin
*/

function my_shortcode( $atts , $content = null ) {
   return '<h2>Shortcode works</h2>';
}
 
add_shortcode( 'my-shortcode', 'my_shortcode' );

Now activate your plugin your WordPress admin area.

You can now create a post or page containing this code:

[my-shortcode][/my-shortcode]

which will be rendered like this:

Shortcode works