Admin CSS MU
by Arun Basil Lal · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 3 other plugins · 110.3K+ installs across the portfolio →
Add custom CSS to style the WordPress Admin. Works with Multisites.
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
C 64/100
Stale
Active installs
10K+
≈19K estimated
Momentum
+31%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “admin” for “wordpress mu”. “admin” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “wordpress mu” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
64 health vs 56 average across 5,896 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →8.6%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 116.7K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,189 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.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 12 reviews to 2024-03-22Reviewers say it does exactly one job well, adding custom CSS to the admin, with a couple noting it can't handle media queries or multiple selectors and asking for an update for newer WordPress and PHP.
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.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 692 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.7.11; the current branch is 6.8
4.5★ over 26 reviews, smoothed to 4.24★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 692 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.
30
Momentum
Losing ground
-1.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 26d
0%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 26d
+0.3
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| mu plugin your tag | #9 | #10 | down 2 |
| wordpress mu | #10 | #14 | down 1 |
| admin css your tag | #24 | #24 | down 1 |
| admin your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| admin interface your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| custom admin css your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
5 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 3 listed. 2 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “admin” for “wordpress mu”. “admin” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “wordpress mu” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 7.6K · 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
3.1y ago
latest release · v2.10 · 4 Oct 2023
13
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 85% 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 “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 6 years ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 90% of the way through.
Install history since 18 Mar 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ hirenwebs2.6y ago
This plugin helped me to enable table columns in device mode. Good plugin to use it.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jimmy Lee2.7y ago
Exactly what I needed! Thanks so much!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ tlcpllechlak3.0y ago
Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ tokach3.0y ago
It do simple css but can’t handle media queries or multiple selectors. Better it simply add styles than making them pretty, I bet tidying is messing all
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Mara-z3.0y ago
Works great. Thank you.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mikguel3.1y ago
Works perfectly, thanks! good job!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Sean3.2y ago
All I needed to do was add some custom css to display the WPML language switcher in wp-admin on mobile: #wp-admin-bar-WPML_ALS { display: block!important; } Now the plugin repository notes that this plugin has not been tested with the latest version of WP, but I am using it on 6.3 and also php 8.1 and it seems to be fine.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ laserstore3.7y ago
A very simple method for add a css custom in admin panel. Very good!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.10 Date: 04.October.2023 Tested with WordPress 6.3.1 Enhancement: Added compatibility with PHP 8.x 2.10
- — Version 2.9 Date: 16.May.2023 Tested on WordPress 6.2 Enhancement: Added support for justify-content . align-items , and flex-wrap in CSSTidy. 2.9
- — Version 2.8 Date: 9.February.2023 Tested on WordPress 6.1.1 Enhancement: Added support for flex-direction in CSSTidy. 2.8
- — Version 2.7 Date: 19.October.2022 Tested on WordPress 6.0.3. Security Fix: Deleted unwanted files in CSSTidy. Thanks Darius from Patchstack for the heads up. 2.7
- — Version 2.6 Date: 17.May.2021 Tested on WordPress 5.7.2 Updated CSSTidy to 1.7.3 Added support for CSS properties grid-gap and grid-template-columns. Fix PHP warning: PHP Warning: “continue” targeting switch is equivalent to “break” 2.6
- — Version 2.5 Date: 18.January.2018 Added support for PHP version lesser than PHP 5.5 Updated text domain. For plugins, text domain should be the slug which is admin-css-mu in this case Tested with WordPress 4.9.2 2.5
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (2.10). Sites still on an older version should update.
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.3.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 2 languages, 2 at 90% or more · development strings
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
2 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 "Add custom CSS to style the WordPress Admin. Works with Multisites."
- ! 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 One audience phrase ("if you want"); 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 556 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "custom admin css", "mu plugin" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2020-10-20 7K+ → 10K+ up after 315 days in tier
- 2019-12-10 6K+ → 7K+ up after 96 days in tier
- 2019-09-05 200+ → 6K+ 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).
-
CSH Login 500+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D -
Loginizer 1M+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A -
Redux Framework 900K+ installs · 4.4★ · 1 shared tag A -
Admin Menu Editor 300K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag A -
White Label CMS 200K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag A -
Advanced Custom Fields: Extended 100K+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Admin CSS MU into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/admin-css-mu" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Admin CSS MU — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Admin CSS MU: 10K+ active installs, 4.5★ (26 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/admin-css-mu
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