Async JS and CSS
by dmikam · Uncategorized
Also makes 1 other plugin · 720+ installs across the portfolio →
Converts render-blocking CSS and JS files into NON-render-blocking, improving performance of web page.
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 46/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
700+
≈760 estimated
Momentum
—
no download trend yet
Biggest opportunity: “async”, “asynchronous” and “javascript” 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.
46 health vs 58 average across 25,733 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.6%
of downloads still active
At least 700 of 115K lifetime downloads are still running, in line with its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,766 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.
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 8+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 3.7.41, well behind 6.8.
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.
Under-optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 3259 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 3.7.41; the current branch is 6.8
4.2★ over 51 reviews, smoothed to 4.15★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3259 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| headjs your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| async your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| asynchronous your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| javascript your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| js your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
1 search this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “async”, “asynchronous” and “javascript” 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 195 · 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.
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 “700+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 5 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 62% of the way through.
Install history since 21 Aug 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ lanuevareligiondt8.2y ago
nice job
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ wpprup9.5y ago
This plugin crashed many functions in my Divi page. The worst thing of it all is that the page did not get restored by neither deactivating the functions nor the whole plugin! Plus, the last support answer is one year old so there was obviously no hope for help. It was the first time ever I had to replay a backup of my site which is absolutely recommended to make before you install this troublesome plugin IMHO. I would warn from using this plugin after my experiences. This topic was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by wpprup.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Abhishek Ghosh10.1y ago
Does the job and helps to do more tweaks.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Holyto10.3y ago
Giving it 1 star because it breaks the site, especially the Revslider. Don’t risk.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ w3arts10.3y ago
you will get a high pagespeed score but some parts of the site brakes and also my site has lower request but loads longer as without plugin. For a small simple site you may use it but for a complex one no chance to use it.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ vidabandida10.4y ago
Async JS and CSS prevents plug-in theme JavaScript and CSS are loaded properly and do WPtouch plugin to work how can I solve this?
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ convictedvapour10.8y ago
Massive 30% reduction is google page insights across the board. DO NOT RECOMMEND AT ALL! Doesn’t break site however doesn’t function as described!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Bruce Killer11.0y ago
This was the only plugin that made the magic happen. Tested dozens of plugin and this is the only one I solved my problem with PageSpeed.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 65 languages, 0 at 90% or more · development strings
Plus 41 more locales with partial translations.
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 31 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Converts render-blocking CSS and JS files into NON-render-blocking, improving performance of web page."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 4 questions in the FAQ.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 3 of 4 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("Installation Instructions").
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Jetpack.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,920 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "headjs" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-06-16 800+ → 700+ down after 194 days in tier
- 2025-12-04 900+ → 800+ down after 128 days in tier
- 2025-07-29 1K+ → 900+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2025-07-28 900+ → 1K+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2025-07-26 1K+ → 900+ down after 624 days in tier
- 2023-11-10 2K+ → 1K+ down after 156 days in tier
- 2023-06-07 3K+ → 2K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-06-06 2K+ → 3K+ 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).
- A Asynchronous Javascript 100+ installs · 3.8★ · 5 shared tags D
- H Head.WP 10+ installs · 3.6★ · 4 shared tags
-
Async JavaScript 60K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags C - S SOGO Add Script to Individual Pages Header Footer 20K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags D
- S Shadowbox JS 1K+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags D
- W WP Minify Fix 800+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Async JS and CSS into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/async-js-and-css" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Async JS and CSS — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Async JS and CSS: 700+ active installs, 4.2★ (51 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/async-js-and-css
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