Advanced Query Loop
by Ryan Welcher · Uncategorized
Transform your Query Loop blocks into powerful, flexible content engines! 🚀
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Health
B 75/100
no flags
Active installs
6K+
≈7K estimated
Momentum
-4%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “post meta”, “taxonomy” and “custom queries” for “queries”, “custom query” and “transform”. “post meta” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “queries” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “taxonomy” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “custom query” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “custom queries” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #11. “transform” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
75 health vs 58 average across 25,735 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.9%
of downloads still active
At least 6K of 154.4K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,764 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Uncategorized plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 4 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
Details
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: Support resolution
Updated 61 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.6★ over 30 reviews, smoothed to 4.29★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 5 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
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.
38
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.6
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
18%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
+0.4
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| loop | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| query loop your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| query | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| the loop | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| no loop | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| loop taxonomy | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| inclusion | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| meta query | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| post loop | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| advanced queries your tag | #6 | #12 | down 3 |
| queries | #5 | #9 | down 1 |
| loop post | #3 | #5 | 0 |
| custom queries your tag | #11 | #17 | down 4 |
| custom loop | #5 | #7 | 0 |
| custom query | #9 | #14 | 0 |
| post query | #6 | #9 | down 1 |
| transform | #15 | #19 | up 1 |
| content curation | #17 | #10 | down 3 |
| alphabetical | #19 | #17 | down 2 |
| last modified | #22 | #15 | down 3 |
| post meta your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| taxonomy your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
67 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 44 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Swap “post meta”, “taxonomy” and “custom queries” for “queries”, “custom query” and “transform”. “post meta” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “queries” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “taxonomy” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “custom query” sits at #9 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “custom queries” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #11. “transform” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “custom queries”. #11 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 23 Dec 2022 · 1,409 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 16.3K · 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
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
4
releases in the last 12 months
2mo ago
latest release · v5.0.0 · 31 Aug 2026
40
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. 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 “6K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 2 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 7K.
At the current install trend, crossing 7K+ in roughly 371 days.
Install history since 22 Dec 2022
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ letto14mo ago
It’s not possible to put a query inside a widget, and questions on the support forum are ignored.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ primitivenet8mo ago
So useful – particularly for building a calendar with the date filters.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Mark Wilkinson1.0y ago
This is a brilliant plugin the surfaces all of the additional options that are often needed for the query block. If you find yourself needing to exclude categories from queries, build more complex taxonomy queries or even build meta queries it is a must have. Thanks so much for making this available to everyone Ryan and well done on a great plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ proximitas1.2y ago
This plugin is solving the issue I have spent all morning trying to figure out: Excluding Certain Categories from the Query Loop block. The options this plugin adds to the core query loop block are brilliant and I don’t understand how WordPress missed it. I have only scratched the surface of this plugin and I’m sure I will discover more as I dive into the nuances of this plugin.Brilliant, Simply Brilliant! This topic was modified 11 months ago by proximitas.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ yarsel1.2y ago
This is pretty useful to extend/replace the ability of the core query block and it works like a charm with the block theme’s post patterns as well. This topic was modified 11 months, 1 week ago by yarsel.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ playwithtoy1.2y ago
pls note the CPT must have ‘public’ and ‘show_in_rest’ args set to true i would give an additional half star if i could to excellent customer service and explanation by plugin author
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ genepine1.3y ago
Using Meta values, I was able to very easily sort posts in ACF calendar order, for example by birthday, and in Japanese alphabetical order.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ iandamy1.6y ago
I use WordPress to run a custom site with multiple taxonomies. It lets me filter posts based on various conditions, making content organization fast and efficient. With custom taxonomies, I can sort posts by genre, mood, artist, or any category I define. WordPress handles complex filtering without slowing down the site. It’s flexible, reliable, and perfect for content-rich projects.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 4.4.1 Add optional chaining to fix crash on templates Fix ExcludePostsControl fetching all posts (props @PatelUtkars) 4.4.1
- — Version 4.4.0 Add transient caching for query results and related UI control. Add current post ID and post type to context for SlotFill extensions. Add E2E tests using Playground and expand unit test coverage. Add static linting for P 4.4.0
- — Version 4.3.0 Exclude posts (props @darylldoyle, @Pulsar-X). Updated Post Meta Query UI Fixed showing child pages only. 4.3.0
- — Version 4.2.0 Fix taxonomy pagination limit (props @NickOrtiz). Allow controls to be filtered at the code level. 4.2.0
- — Version 4.1.2 Harden up the code to remove a warning. Resurrect the disable pagination toggl 4.1.2
- — Version 4.1.1 Allow extended orderby values for all publicly queryable post types (props @ocean90) Decode entities in the FormTokenField for post inclusion. Fix post type merge issue to retain default post type on frontend (props @meh 4.1.1
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 8 languages, 0 at 90% or more
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
5 of 8 pass · checked 28 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Transform your Query Loop blocks into powerful, flexible content engines! 🚀"
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("perfect for"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Advanced Custom Fields, ACF.
- ✓ Headings and lists 17 headings and 6 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 6,633 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "advanced queries", "Custom Queries" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-29 7K+ → 6K+ down after 14 days in tier
- 2026-10-15 6K+ → 7K+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2026-10-12 7K+ → 6K+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2026-10-09 6K+ → 7K+ up after 171 days in tier
- 2026-04-21 5K+ → 6K+ up after 104 days in tier
- 2026-01-07 4K+ → 5K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-01-06 5K+ → 4K+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-01-04 4K+ → 5K+ up after 1 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).
-
Custom Post Type UI 1M+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag A -
Remove Category URL – Remove ‘category’ base from category permalinks 40K+ installs · 4.2★ · 1 shared tag A -
Search & Filter 40K+ installs · 4.5★ · 1 shared tag A -
PublishPress Taxonomies – Tag, Category, and Taxonomy Manager – Autotagger Automatically Add Terms 40K+ installs · 4.5★ · 1 shared tag A -
Radio Buttons for Taxonomies 20K+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag C -
Essential Content Types 20K+ installs · 3.9★ · 1 shared tag B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Advanced Query Loop into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/advanced-query-loop" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Advanced Query Loop — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Advanced Query Loop: 6K+ active installs, 4.6★ (30 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/advanced-query-loop
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