Async JavaScript
by David Clough · Performance
Also makes 1 other plugin · 70.0K+ installs across the portfolio →
Async Javascript lets you add 'async' or 'defer' attribute to scripts to exclude to help increase the performance of your WordPress website.
52 health vs 67 average across 1,076 Performance plugins
Removal-risk signals
45/100Maintenance 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 3+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
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.
Room to improve
Biggest win: Update recency
To rank higher: Last updated 1160 days ago — ship an update; wp.org decays a listing's search weight after ~180 days.
Get the full rank-higher report →Daily downloads
Since 2022-10-05 · 1,421 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peaks are release surges
2.0K
now · peak 8.7K
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
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
3.2y ago
latest release · v2.21.08.31
49
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 93% 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 “70K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Refined from the date this plugin crossed into its current band.
Install history · since 2015-08-21 · 1,465 observations
Estimated value
What this plugin might earn a year, and what it might sell for. Modeled from public signals; we don't see anyone's books.
Est. annual revenue
Est. acquisition value
No paid tier is visible, so we don't put a figure on revenue or sale value: that would be guessing. The install base is a real asset to an acquirer, just not one public data lets us price.
Details
- Version
- 2.21.08.31
- Last updated
- 3.2y ago
- Added
- 2014-12-11 · 11 yrs old
- Requires WP
- 4.6
- Tested up to
- 6.2.11
- Requires PHP
- —
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.21.08.31 workaround for issues with some inline JS getting asynced (hat tip to WP Bullet’s Mike) 2.21.08.31
- — Version 2.21.06.29 fix for an authenticated stored XSS vulnerability, credits to m0ze for discovering confirmed working with WordPress 5.8 (beta) 2.21.06.29
- — Version 2.20.12.09 fix for some ternary operators warning in PHP 7.4 and up. hard-exclude document.write (WordPress core injects inline JS that has in it which AsyncJS acted on) fix for WordPress 5.6 renaming jQuery from jquery.js into jqu 2.20.12.09
- — Version 2.20.03.01 extra security measure; check the nonce when saving settings/ going through wizard. wizard: if something fails then communicate this onscreen instead of on the console. autoptimize integration: change copy to explain thi 2.20.03.01
- — Version 2.20.02.27 fix for some nasty issues, thanks for the heads-up Mikey 2.20.02.27
- — Version 2.19.07.14 add asyncjs_filter_noptimize filter changed textdomain to match slug as suggested by Eneko Garrido confirmed working with WordPress 5.2 2.19.07.14
Known vulnerabilities
via Wordfence Intelligence2 disclosed vulnerabilities on record for this plugin, all fixed in the current version. Sites on older versions stay exposed until they update.
- 2021-06-13 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') Affects <= 2.20.12.09 Patched in 2.21.06.29
- Medium · 6.4 Async JavaScript <= 2.19.07.14 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2020-02-27 CVE-2020-36854 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') Affects < 2.20.02.27 Patched in 2.20.02.27
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 7.4.8 · WP 5.8
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 18 languages, 9 at 90% or more
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-04-16 80K+ → 70K+ down after 189 days in tier
- 2025-10-09 90K+ → 80K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2025-10-08 80K+ → 90K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-10-07 90K+ → 80K+ down after 163 days in tier
- 2025-04-27 100K+ → 90K+ down
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).
-
LiteSpeed Cache 7M+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A -
WP Fastest Cache – WordPress Cache Plugin 1M+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags B -
W3 Total Cache 900K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A -
Autoptimize 800K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Aruba HiSpeed Cache 100K+ installs · 3.5★ · 2 shared tags B -
10Web Booster – Website speed optimization, Cache & Page Speed optimizer 70K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Async JavaScript into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/async-javascript" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Async JavaScript — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Async JavaScript: 70K+ active installs, 4.7★ (102 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-08-25. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/async-javascript