What a parent plugin means
An add-on extends an existing tool. Bricks QuickNav, for example, needs a supported Bricks builder for its navigation; Genesis Widgetized Footer needs an active Genesis theme for its footer features. GP Project Export Name works with GlotPress.
If that foundation is missing or temporarily inactive, some features cannot usefully run. This is different from a failed save and is not a reason to force you onto another admin screen.
Allow installation, pause dependent features
My principle is that, with the technical minimum requirements met, such an add-on should generally remain installable and activatable even if its functional foundation is not ready yet. Features that depend on that foundation pause, and a clear notice explains what is missing.
Existing settings should be retained. Where it is sensibly implemented, the settings page also stays accessible so you can understand the situation or prepare the setup. Not every setting needs to be locked; what matters is keeping unavailable features inactive.
The checked examples below already show this behavior. This does not mean every older plugin or every feature has reached the same state; the guide for the particular version describes its actual scope.
Setup should not depend on the perfect order
You might install my add-on first and the required main plugin ten minutes later. You might prepare a website before activating the appropriate theme. The add-on should explain what is still missing instead of turning that order into an obstacle.
Once the supported prerequisite is detected again, the related features can become available again. A missing-dependency notice does not replace setting up the main plugin or theme itself.
When support or troubleshooting needs a temporary pause
During a support request, a vendor may recommend temporarily deactivating their plugin. This can also be useful when troubleshooting. My add-on should not make that work harder through its own activation lock, a forced redirect or the loss of its settings.
Dependent features are unavailable during that time. After reactivating the prerequisite, check that the notices have cleared and the features you need work again. A theme change or a paused main plugin can still affect the website in its own right; the add-on’s paused state does not remove those effects.
Three existing examples
These examples refer to the published versions documented here. What matters is which feature is missing its prerequisite, not merely whether the add-on is listed as active.
Bricks QuickNav
v2.0.2Without an active supported builder, settings remain accessible while toolbar navigation waits for its prerequisite. A notice explains the state.
Read the documentation →Genesis Widgetized Footer
v2.0.2Without active Genesis, footer features pause. The notice on the settings page explains that saved widgets and settings are preserved.
Read the documentation →GP Project Export Name
v2.0.0Export features pause if GlotPress is not ready. Settings and the quick guide remain accessible; a permalink structure other than Plain is also required.
Read the documentation →Technical minimum requirements still apply
A missing functional foundation is not the same as an outdated WordPress or PHP version. The plugin’s minimum requirements still apply, as do permissions and explicitly documented exceptions.
In future updates, I want to add or improve this calm approach to prerequisites wherever it makes sense. The aim is not to ignore dependencies, but to explain their state and keep a way forward open.