Admin Bar User Switching
by Saad Iqbal · Login & Users
Also makes 51 other plugins · 1.3M+ installs across the portfolio →
Extends the excellent User Switching plugin by John Blackbourn by adding a User Switching to the admin bar for quick and easy user switching.
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
D 48/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
2K+
≈2.5K estimated
Momentum
+8%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “user switching” and “users” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
48 health vs 61 average across 2,206 Login & Users plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.9%
of downloads still active
At least 2K of 51.1K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Login & Users plugin keeps 0.7%, across 1,477 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Login & Users plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
Removal-risk signals
53/100Maintenance and integrity signals that tend to precede a WordPress.org removal. Not an official status, a heads-up to act.
- Long abandoned. No update in 4+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Falling behind WordPress. Tested up to WordPress 6.0.18.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 12 reviews to 2024-06-02Reviewers keep calling it a time saver that does exactly what it promises, with the only gripes being interface requests like a user dropdown instead of a search box.
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Under-optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 1623 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.0.18; the current branch is 6.8
4.8★ over 12 reviews, smoothed to 4.24★ and held back under 25 reviews
2 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Last updated 1623 days ago — ship an update; wp.org decays a listing's search weight after ~180 days.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
Not enough tracked days yet to call a direction. Momentum needs at least three keywords measured a week or more apart.
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| user switching your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| users your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “user switching” and “users” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,490 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 624 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
Release cadence
No release in a yearHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
0
releases in the last 12 months
4.4y ago
latest release · v1.4 · 24 May 2022
5
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 91% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “2K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 23 months ago; the previous band took 2.7 years to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 19 Jul 2019
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Dennis Bareis2.4y ago
It is easy to switch back from a switched to account, not so easy to switch away as a user list is not displayed, you have to search first. Ideally I’d have an option to choose the accounts and have a button for each.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ neon674.4y ago
10nx very so much
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ SimpleRick4.9y ago
Fast fixing of errors 🙂 Plug-In works like it should
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Сергей6.1y ago
Чувак! Ты сделал идеально работающую вещь! :)))
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ lucasbustamante8.2y ago
Suggestions: Option to show dropdown instead of text input (from personal experience, most of the time site only have 2~3 users) Dropdown is loosing focus when trying to click on it, it’s kinda annoying Uninstalled it right away, but could be a good thing with some tweaks. This topic was modified 7 years, 11 months ago by lucasbustamante.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ smart.u9.6y ago
Perfect! Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ok9.6y ago
perfect customisation for a very useful plugin, does what it says on the tin
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ lriaudel9.7y ago
The missing feature of “User Switching” plugin
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- 2020-02-11 Version 1.2 Update – WordPress 5.3 compatibility Tweak – Update and modernize the codebase 1.2
- — Version 1.4 Fixed – Fixed Undefined Variable $port. 1.4
- — Version 1.3 Fixed – Deprecated error. 1.3
- — Version 1.1.1 Only enqueue js if the user is logged in Do not seperately enqueue jQuery as it is already stated as a dependency 1.1.1
- — Version 1.1 Add keyboard navigation Add magic-word feature, keyboard-only usage of the plugin Focus search input on clicking the admin-bar button – thanks to @shadyvb for work on these features Allow search on any user fields rather 1.1
- — Version 1.0.6 Make the capability (edit_users by default) needed to be able to switch to users be filterable. 1.0.6
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
4 of 8 pass · checked 29 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 3 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 3 of 3 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("great for"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ! Names what it works with Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,035 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 2 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2024-11-30 3K+ → 2K+ down after 988 days in tier
- 2022-03-18 2K+ → 3K+ up after 1489 days in tier
- 2018-02-18 1K+ → 2K+ up after 369 days in tier
- 2017-02-14 900+ → 1K+ up after 299 days in tier
- 2016-04-21 600+ → 900+ up after 146 days in tier
- 2015-11-27 500+ → 600+ up after 82 days in tier
- 2015-09-06 300+ → 500+ up after 102 days in tier
- 2015-05-27 200+ → 300+ up
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
User Switching 200K+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags A - U UM User Switching 10+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
-
Simple Local Avatars 100K+ installs · 4.5★ · 1 shared tag A -
One User Avatar | User Profile Picture 100K+ installs · 4.5★ · 1 shared tag A -
User Profile Picture 40K+ installs · 4.5★ · 1 shared tag A -
Basic User Avatars 20K+ installs · 4.5★ · 1 shared tag C
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Admin Bar User Switching into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/admin-bar-user-switching" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Admin Bar User Switching — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Admin Bar User Switching: 2K+ active installs, 4.8★ (12 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/admin-bar-user-switching
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