How to Create a Module or Extension in Magento 2

Magento 2 is a powerful and flexible eCommerce platform, and one of its greatest strengths is its modular architecture. If you’re a developer looking to enhance the functionality of a Magento 2 store, creating a custom module or extension is the right approach.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create a Magento 2 module from scratch, following best practices and using the recommended file structure.

Why Create a Magento 2 Module?

Modules in Magento 2 allow you to:

• Add new features without modifying core files
• Reuse code across projects
• Keep your customizations organized and maintainable
• Follow Magento’s architecture and upgrade path

Set Up Your Module Folder

First, navigate to your Magento installation directory and go to the app/code folder. If it doesn’t exist, create it.

Now create the vendor and module namespace:

<magento root directory>/app/code/Magencode/MyModule

Create module.xml

Inside app/code/Magencode/MyModule/etc, create a file named module.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:framework:Module/etc/module.xsd">
	<module name="Magencode_MyModule"/>
</config>

Register the Module

Create registration.php in the root of your module folder:

<?php
/**
 * Copyright © Magencode 2025 All rights reserved.
 * See COPYING.txt for license details.
 */
declare(strict_types=1);

use Magento\Framework\Component\ComponentRegistrar;

ComponentRegistrar::register(ComponentRegistrar::MODULE, 'Magencode_MyModule', __DIR__);

Enable the Module

Run the following commands in your terminal:

php bin/magento setup:upgrade

php bin/magento module:enable Magencode_MyModule

php bin/magento cache:clean

Verify the Module

Check that the module is enabled:

php bin/magento module:status

You should see Magencode_MyModule in the list of enabled modules.

Add Functionality

Once your module is registered and enabled, you can add:

• Controllers (Controller/)
• Models (Model/)
• Blocks (Block/)
• Observers (etc/events.xml)
• CLI Commands (Console/Command)
• REST or GraphQL APIs

Best Practices for Magento 2 Module Development

• Follow PSR-4 autoloading standards
• Use Dependency Injection instead of ObjectManager
• Never modify core files
• Keep your module loosely coupled and reusable

Final Thoughts

Creating a Magento 2 module might seem complex at first, but once you understand the structure and workflow, it becomes a powerful tool for custom development. Whether you’re adding simple features or building a full extension, modules keep your code clean, modular, and upgrade-safe.