Child Theme Check
by Torsten Landsiedel · Uncategorized
Also makes 3 other plugins · 1.7K+ installs across the portfolio →
Warns you about outdated template files in your child theme and shows a diff view of the changes between parent and child theme template.
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
B 84/100
Few reviews
Active installs
700+
≈800 estimated
Momentum
+23%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “theme” for “diff”. “theme” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #18. “diff” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
84 health vs 58 average across 25,734 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.0%
of downloads still active
At least 700 of 23.2K lifetime downloads are still running, above 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.
This plugin shipped 1 release 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.
Excellent listing optimization
Most to gain: Rating quality
Updated 153 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.0.8, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 8 reviews, smoothed to 4.22★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Too few reviews to rank on quality — nudge happy users to leave one.
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.
42
Momentum
Mixed: one swing, the rest drifting
0.0
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
27%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| child theme check your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| diff | #5 | #8 | up 1 |
| child theme your tag | #6 | #12 | down 1 |
| check your tag | #7 | #14 | up 1 |
| child your tag | #8 | #15 | down 1 |
| parent child posts | #3 | #8 | 0 |
| theme customization | #6 | #15 | 0 |
| child themes | #7 | #12 | 0 |
| child pages | #9 | #14 | 0 |
| child post | #6 | #12 | 0 |
| theme your tag | #18 | #21 | 0 |
| parent child | #6 | #12 | 0 |
| theme template | #16 | #20 | up 1 |
| parent theme | #7 | #14 | 0 |
| outdated | #24 | #17 | down 3 |
| child page | #11 | #19 | down 2 |
| check in | #12 | #19 | up 1 |
| theme updates | #24 | #21 | down 3 |
| theme update | #24 | #22 | down 1 |
| plugin check | #22 | #23 | down 1 |
32 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 12 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Swap “theme” for “diff”. “theme” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #18. “diff” sits at #5 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 838 · 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
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
1
releases in the last 12 months
5mo ago
latest release · v1.0.10 · 31 May 2026
10
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 “700+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 16 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 800.
Install history since 1 Feb 2018
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ exius6.3y ago
Diff works as advertised. It highlights changes to lines of code inside my child-theme files as compared to the parent theme files. Since I’m using a premium theme, I don’t have control over how the theme is written, so the @version detection feature will doubtfully be useful in this case since the parent theme isn’t using that on top of all their pages. They are however using the @since tag for almost every function. That seems complicated to track. Diff is already highlighting the differences between lines of code, so @since might not be too useful either.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ John10.1y ago
Very useful and works just fine. Many thanks for your work!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Sven Wagener10.4y ago
This tool have been really helpful for me. Thanks a lot!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Li-An10.4y ago
I was bored to verify if my child themes were up to date and this plugin is a great tool to see in a glimps if you have to rework your child theme.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ websupporter10.6y ago
Thank you Thorsten et.al for this very useful plugin. I think it’s a fantastic idea to check for a version header and this plugin is a good reminder of developing with a useful standard.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ dimitris3310.6y ago
Just found it, great tool, thanks for sharing
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Alex H.10.7y ago
Clear and fast overview about your changes with comparison view. I hope more theme developer would use to record the version in the files.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ CMG10.9y ago
Works flawlessy and gives after every Update of the Mothertheme the overview I need to fix some code. Thanks for a good portion of security.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 6 languages, 4 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
3 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 "Warns you about outdated template files in your child theme and shows a diff view of the changes between pa..."
- ! Has a FAQ Only 1 question in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 1 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ! 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 2 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,131 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "child theme check" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-15 800+ → 700+ down after 9 days in tier
- 2026-10-06 700+ → 800+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-10-05 800+ → 700+ down after 6 days in tier
- 2026-09-29 700+ → 800+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-09-28 800+ → 700+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-09-26 700+ → 800+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2026-09-23 800+ → 700+ down after 71 days in tier
- 2026-07-14 700+ → 800+ up after 4 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).
-
Child Theme Configurator 300K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags C -
WP Child Theme Generator 20K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A -
Generate Child Theme 9K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B - C Child Themify 6K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
-
WPS Child Theme Generator 6K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A -
Quick Child Theme Generator 800+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Child Theme Check into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/child-theme-check" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Child Theme Check — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Child Theme Check: 700+ active installs, 5.0★ (8 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/child-theme-check
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