What are Helpers in CodeIgniter?

Helpers in CodeIgniter are collections of standalone PHP functions (not classes) that assist with specific tasks. They are organized by type and must be loaded before use. Load a helper: helper("url") or load multiple: helper(["url", "form", "text"]). Built-in helpers: url (URL-related functions like base_url(), redirect()), form (HTML form generation), text (text manipulation), html (link and img tags), date (date formatting), file (file-related functions), array (array utilities), security (xss_clean()), cookie. Load helpers globally in app/Config/Autoload.php under the $helpers array, or per-controller in the constructor. You can also create custom helpers in app/Helpers/.