Custom Category Templates
by shazdeh · Uncategorized
Also makes 22 other plugins · 4.4K+ installs across the portfolio →
Define custom templates for category views.
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 45/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
3K+
≈3.9K estimated
Momentum
+31%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “category”, “category template” and “custom template” 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.
45 health vs 58 average across 25,751 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →4.8%
of downloads still active
At least 3K of 63K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,772 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 10+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.4.34, 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 3895 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.4.34; the current branch is 6.8
4.3★ over 6 reviews, smoothed to 4.12★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3895 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| category your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| category template your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| custom template your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| template your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| theme 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
- “category”, “category template” and “custom template” 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 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 632 · 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 “3K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 15 months ago; the previous band took 18 months to cross, which places it about 86% of the way through.
Install history since 10 May 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ avanser10.6y ago
Thanks for plugin. For WPML sites there will be problem, because of WPML bug https://wpml.org/forums/topic/category-templates-issue/ We resolved it by adding 11 priority in add_filter( ‘category_template’, array( $this, ‘category_template’ ), 11 );
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Cresencio12.7y ago
If you still need someone holding your hand through template development then this plugin might be a bit out of your league. It works perfectly, just an awesome plugin. Great job shazdeh.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Clems 197113.4y ago
This sucks! It would give it a minus figure if I could do that! As a newbie to WP, this has got to be one of THE WORST plug-in’s I’ve ever seen. Where’s the documentation? I got this to appear in my drop-down menu when creating a category by pure luck as it doesn’t even mention what page to add the bit of code to. I’ve no idea how to make any changes to said template or if I even need to look for a specific page or php file to edit. This plug-in has been based on people with experience of WP and hasn’t given any thought to people like me who are new to this.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Daniele Scasciafratte13.6y ago
yahooo i have resolved 😛
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ keshavnaidu13.6y ago
Tired of looking solution for using custom template of Specific category with thir subcategories… finally got this plugins in WP plugin search.. Thanks a lot.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ johnbhartley13.8y ago
I was losing my mind trying to figure out how to set up different templates for different cat archives when someone tweeted this plugin to me. It’s 1,000 times easier than trying to toss a lot of logic into category.php. Do yourself a favor and use it. Thanks you!!!!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 10 languages, 1 at 90% or more · development strings
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
1 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 No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! 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 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 481 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "theme" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-07-30 2K+ → 3K+ up after 536 days in tier
- 2024-02-10 1K+ → 2K+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2024-02-08 2K+ → 1K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2024-02-07 1K+ → 2K+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2024-02-05 2K+ → 1K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2024-02-04 1K+ → 2K+ up after 22 days in tier
- 2024-01-13 2K+ → 1K+ down after 25 days in tier
- 2023-12-19 1K+ → 2K+ 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).
- C Custom Category Template 1K+ installs · 3.7★ · 3 shared tags D
-
Multiple Themes 10K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags C - C Custom Post Template 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Canvas 9K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags A -
Quick Child Theme Generator 800+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags D - P Post Template 400+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Custom Category Templates into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/custom-category-templates" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Custom Category Templates — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Custom Category Templates: 3K+ active installs, 4.3★ (6 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/custom-category-templates
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