Most WordPress plugins create tight coupling — deactivate one, and everything breaks. We use a pattern where every cross-plugin call is wrapped in a class_exists() check.
The Pattern
Each plugin exposes a public API class. Other plugins check for that class before calling methods. If the dependency is missing, the feature gracefully degrades.
Real-World Example
Our booking plugin checks class_exists(‘Cruvai_Stripe’) before processing payments. No Stripe plugin? The booking still works — it just skips payment processing and shows a manual payment notice.