Author Category
by Bainternet · Uncategorized
Also makes 18 other plugins · 7.4K+ installs across the portfolio →
simple lightweight plugin limit authors to post just in one category.
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
4K+
≈4.5K estimated
Momentum
+44%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “author category”, “author posts to category” and “limit author to category” 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 25,735 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →12%
of downloads still active
At least 4K of 33.5K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,765 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 9+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.7.0, 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 3611 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.7.0; the current branch is 6.8
4.3★ over 10 reviews, smoothed to 4.13★ and held back under 25 reviews
3 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3611 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| quickpress | #4 | #2 | 0 |
| author category your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| author posts to category your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| limit author to category your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
1 search this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “author category”, “author posts to category” and “limit author to category” 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 353 · 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
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
9.9y ago
latest release · v0.8 · 11 Dec 2016
8
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 “4K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 11 months ago; the previous band took 14 months to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 5 Dec 2019
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Leo Antonioli7.6y ago
Não restringe as categorias, pelo menos a partir do WordPress 5.1.1 🙁
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Jennifer Moss11.3y ago
We use categories as separate “Blogs” on our site. So it is critical that one blogger does not post in another’s category. This makes it simple to make sure of that. Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ gilvancn12.0y ago
I really enjoyed this plugin to get the smartphone and test to see how he quit. To my misfortune he showed all categories ability to author that I had set only one category to be displayed. TRADUZIDO PELO GOOGLE TRADUTOR DE: Não funciona na versão móvel do wordpress Gostei muito deste plug-in mas quando testei no smartphone para ver como ele se saia. Para minha infelicidade, ele mostrou todas as categorias da capacidade “autor” e eu havia definido apenas uma categoria a ser exibida para autores.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ gilvancn12.0y ago
I really enjoyed this plugin to get the smartphone and test to see how he quit. To my misfortune he showed all categories ability to author that I had set only one category to be displayed.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Anonymous12.7y ago
This plugin works perfectly in a multi-author environment when you don’t want every author to be able to post to whichever category they want. I’m using it for a school. So, the coaches can post to “athletics.”
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ krogan.ro12.9y ago
works as described 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ gerardbik12.9y ago
It looks like this plugin is going to solve the problem of having 12 different schoolteachers supply posts for just the blog of their own class. The school has a Multisite with four sub-sites. No problems found so far. Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Mustafa13.1y ago
it works fine for new posts, only the allowed category is displayed. however, posts in different categories can be edited, and the post’s category is changed to the allowed one. it’s a severe bug! if it’s fixed, it’ll be a great, easy to use plugin!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 0.8 Added POT file for translations. Added french translation. Fixed translation loading to an earlest time to allow panel translation. 0.8
- — Version 0.7 updated simple panel version. added textdomain to plugin and to option panel. wrapped checkboxes with labels categoires are now ordered by name. 0.7
- — Version 0.6 Fixed xmlrpc posting issue. Added an option panel to allow configuration of multiple categories. added An action hook in_author_category_metabox 0.6
- — Version 0.5 Added post by mail category limitation. 0.5
- — Version 0.4 Added support for multiple categories per user. added option to remove user selected category. 0.4
- — Version 0.3 added plugin links, added XMLRPC and Quickpress support changed category save function from save_post to default input_tax field. added a function to overwrite default category option per user. 0.3
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
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 30 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ! Says what it does Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 3 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 2 of 3 read like questions a user would type.
- ! 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 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 574 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ! Tags match the text Only 0 of 3 tags appear in the text ("author category", "author posts to category", "limit author to category" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-12-13 5K+ → 4K+ down after 423 days in tier
- 2024-10-16 4K+ → 5K+ up after 87 days in tier
- 2024-07-21 5K+ → 4K+ down after 656 days in tier
- 2022-10-04 6K+ → 5K+ down after 691 days in tier
- 2020-11-12 4K+ → 6K+ up after 848 days in tier
- 2018-07-18 3K+ → 4K+ 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).
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Author Category into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/author-category" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Author Category — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Author Category: 4K+ active installs, 4.3★ (10 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/author-category
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