Custom Background Extended
by Justin Tadlock · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 35 other plugins · 30.8K+ installs across the portfolio →
Allows users to create a custom background on a per-post basis.
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 49/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
700+
≈780 estimated
Momentum
n/a
no downloads in the prior 30 days to compare with
Biggest opportunity: “admin”, “image” and “images” 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.
49 health vs 56 average across 5,904 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.4%
of downloads still active
At least 700 of 29.7K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,194 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Admin & Utilities 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 13+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 3.7.41, well behind 7.1.
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 4785 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 3.7.41; the current branch is 7.1
5.0★ over 10 reviews, weighted for review count to 4.2★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 4785 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| admin your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| image your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| images your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| post your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| posts your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “admin”, “image” and “images” 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 · 1,491 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 161 · 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
13.1y ago
latest release · v0.1.0 · 27 Sep 2013
1
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 17 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 15 Mar 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ admintam9.4y ago
Superb plugin, works well with the newest version of WordPress. Cheers.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mackie4512.4y ago
Love the idea of this plug in and maybe i’m not utilizing it correctly but my background isn’t showing up on my Arcade theme. Please help!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ John12.6y ago
My new theme has a full background on the home page but on content pages only a portion of that background show below the header. Consequently my background image looked goofy (only the top portion of a product showing). This plugin allowed me to make a new background for just those pages. What a relief not to mess with the php to accomplish what I needed. Thanks
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ inflatabill12.6y ago
This plugin works out of the box, and does exactly what it says it will do. It has options for controlling the position of the image: repeat, horizontal position, vertical position, and fixed vs. scrolling. It even has the option for selecting a background color. What’s missing is the one feature I need, which is the option to scale the image to fill the entire page. I was able to remedy this with a single CSS statement, but it would be nice to do it with JS for greater browser compatibility. It’s a great plugin, nonetheless!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Shrikant13.1y ago
I just explore the use of this great plugin, Its like you can add new bg in no seconds for each page and wow. That’s really cool . !! Thanks Justin Again
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ wiselywoven13.1y ago
I’ve been dreaming of a plugin like this for a long time. Kudos Justin!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ruphel13.1y ago
This plugin is effortless and intuitive to use. It allows you to create a unique background for each post. As simple as this sounds, it really offers users a way to differentiate their content visually. It truly is a remarkable plugin, in that it can alter the entire look of your website with minimal effort on your behave. It is the best example in the WordPress plugin repository, that I am aware of, to immediately and directly demonstrate how a design can address or solve a functional problem. i.e, now I can visually differentiate each of my categories! Simple and brilliant.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Arya13.1y ago
Simple and efficient without bloated scripts/styles at admin dashboard.
Read on wp.org ↗
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.
This plugin’s searches fall outside the topics measured so far. 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 "Allows users to create a custom background on a per-post basis."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 7 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 7 of 7 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 2 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 597 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ! Tags match the text Only 2 of 5 tags appear in the text ("admin", "images", "posts" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-17 800+ → 700+ down after 202 days in tier
- 2026-03-29 900+ → 800+ down after 183 days in tier
- 2025-09-27 1K+ → 900+ down after 917 days in tier
- 2023-03-25 2K+ → 1K+ down after 1510 days in tier
- 2019-02-04 3K+ → 2K+ down after 368 days in tier
- 2018-02-01 4K+ → 3K+ down after 699 days in tier
- 2016-03-04 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).
- W WP Admin UI Customize 30K+ installs · 4.4★ · 3 shared tags C
-
SEO Friendly Images 10K+ installs · 3.2★ · 3 shared tags D - N Newpost Catch 9K+ installs · 4.1★ · 3 shared tags A
-
Post Duplicator 200K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
Responsive Lightbox & Gallery 100K+ installs · 4.9★ · 2 shared tags B -
All In One Favicon 60K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags C
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Custom Background Extended into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/custom-background-extended" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Custom Background Extended — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Custom Background Extended: 700+ active installs, 5.0★ (10 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-03. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/custom-background-extended
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