Admin Classic Borders
by Andy Mercer · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 1 other plugin · 3K+ installs across the portfolio →
Starting with the MP6 plugin, and by default in WordPress 3.8, the admin backend has been flattened. This plugin restores classic (3D) borders.
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 47/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
20+
≈25 estimated
Momentum
-39%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: One page off on “mp6”. #16 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
47 health vs 56 average across 5,896 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.4%
of downloads still active
At least 20 of 5.1K lifetime downloads are still running, below its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,188 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Admin & Utilities plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
High removal-risk signals
63/100Maintenance 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 10+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.6.30, well behind 6.8.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 6 reviews to 2015-06-29Reviewers like the subtle borders and separators the plugin brings back to the admin, saying it's easier on the eyes on large screens, and one notes it works fine alongside a classic colors plugin.
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 3730 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.6.30; the current branch is 6.8
5.0★ over 6 reviews, smoothed to 4.20★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3730 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| mp6 your tag | #16 | #18 | 0 |
| admin your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| backend your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| borders your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| style your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
2 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 1 listed. 1 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- One page off on “mp6”. #16 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- “admin”, “backend” and “borders” 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 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 122 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #25,300 to #28,300, alongside the other plugins at 20+ installs. Plugins with the same install count swap places between wp.org requests, so this is where most of them sit. Checked monthly, last on 21 Oct 2026.
Update activity
Downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites.
Not enough installs to measure. This needs at least 100 active sites; below that, a handful of downloads reads as tens of thousands.
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
10.2y ago
latest release · v1.7.1 · 14 Aug 2016
12
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 100% 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 “20+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 8 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 19 Sep 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Gahapati11.3y ago
The way I am using this plugin one might think it wasn’t actually doing all that much – that’s because changes are subtle. And that’s also why they are so pleasing to the eye. Besides the return of 3D looks, I also like the narrower Admin Bar that is provided as an option. Thanks. I’m glad to have found this. This topic was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by Gahapati. Reason: Updated WP Version, Typo
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ andiszek11.4y ago
i love it! the nice, subtle separators make the admin menu much more userfriendly; the hover effect on rows is the best part, imho, as i have a huge screen with a lot of columns – the hover effect helps me visualise on which row i`m currently on. thank you for developing it!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jan Teriete12.0y ago
Just wanted to say thank you for this great plugin. I really hated the new backend theme, because my eyes got lost in the menu without border lines.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ z6ysolt12.7y ago
I use it with the WP Admin Classic Colors plugin, and work well.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Patchouli5912.8y ago
Flat design does not work on a large screen, my eyes get lost. Thanks for a great plugin!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Zeeron Solutions12.9y ago
Thanks for this nice plugin. Flat design is good for mobile and tab viewers but I don’t think its always the best look for desktop users. This plugin adds those 3D touches that is loved by desktop users.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3.2
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
3 of 8 pass · checked 24 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Starting with the MP6 plugin, and by default in WordPress 3.8, the admin backend has been flattened. This p..."
- ! Has a FAQ Only 2 questions in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 2 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or 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 1,036 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "style" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-02-27 30+ → 20+ down after 273 days in tier
- 2025-05-30 40+ → 30+ down after 370 days in tier
- 2024-05-25 50+ → 40+ down after 238 days in tier
- 2023-09-30 60+ → 50+ down after 10 days in tier
- 2023-09-20 50+ → 60+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2023-09-19 60+ → 50+ down after 4 days in tier
- 2023-09-15 50+ → 60+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2023-09-14 60+ → 50+ down after 345 days in tier
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).
-
Add Admin CSS 10K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags B -
Featured Galleries 3K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags D -
WPC Admin Columns 1K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
Admin Customizer 1K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags D -
Floating Publish Button 1K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags D - B Better User Search 600+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Admin Classic Borders into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/admin-classic-borders" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Admin Classic Borders — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Admin Classic Borders: 20+ active installs, 5.0★ (6 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/admin-classic-borders
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