Custom Related Posts
by Brecht · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 6 other plugins · 76.3K+ installs across the portfolio →
Manual related posts without slowing down your website!
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Health
A 91/100
no flags
Active installs
3K+
≈3.5K estimated
Momentum
+23%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “custom sidebar” to your wp.org tags. You rank #24 for it without listing it, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 4 listed it's a slot worth spending.
91 health vs 56 average across 5,895 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.6%
of downloads still active
At least 3K of 82.8K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,187 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.
This plugin shipped 3 releases 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.
Well optimized
Most to gain: Support resolution
Updated 73 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.9★ over 46 reviews, smoothed to 4.48★
4 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Mark more forum threads resolved — the resolved ratio feeds the ranking.
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.
38
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.3
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
19%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| custom related posts | #1 | #2 | 0 |
| custom related | #1 | #2 | 0 |
| manual related posts your tag | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| related posts your tag | #6 | #6 | down 1 |
| related | #8 | #12 | 0 |
| related posts widget | #7 | #12 | down 1 |
| related posts thumbnails | #4 | #6 | 0 |
| thumbnail related posts | #4 | #5 | 0 |
| related posts shortcode | #6 | #12 | 0 |
| related posts plugin | #7 | #12 | 0 |
| related post | #7 | #11 | up 1 |
| related posts for wordpress | #8 | #15 | 0 |
| wordpress related posts | #8 | #15 | 0 |
| post related | #8 | #15 | 0 |
| manual featured posts | #13 | #18 | 0 |
| custom posts | #13 | #19 | up 1 |
| custom sidebar | #24 | #19 | down 2 |
| posts id | #18 | #23 | 0 |
| custom posts type | #21 | #21 | 0 |
| custom post type your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| widget your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
61 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 19 listed. 42 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Add “custom sidebar” to your wp.org tags. You rank #24 for it without listing it, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 4 listed it's a slot worth spending.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 2.6K · 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.
Release cadence
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
3
releases in the last 12 months
6mo ago
latest release · v1.8.2 · 19 May 2026
11
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 66% 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 10 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 16 Apr 2021
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.8.2 Improvement: Add relations modal UI 1.8.2
- — Version 1.8.1 Improvement: Compatibility with Block Editor in iFrame Fix: Additional check to make sure a logged in user can only see his own posts Fix: Change default post status to published only Fix: Icon color in Block Editor 1.8.1
- — Version 1.8.0 Feature: Add customizable fields for related posts display including author, date, and excerpt Feature: Implement search type selection in the related posts modal with customizable search options (by title, ID, or defaul 1.8.0
- — Version 1.7.5 Improvement: WordPress 6.8 compatibility Fix: Sanitization to prevent misuse of shortcode by contributors Fix: Loading translations too early 1.7.5
- — Version 1.7.4 Fix: Restrict AJAX access to prevent misuse by contributors 1.7.4
- — Version 1.7.3 Fix: Notice due to incorrect textdomain loading 1.7.3
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 3 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (1.8.2). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2025-12-25 CVE-2025-68033 Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor Affects <= 1.8.0 Patched in 1.8.1
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Custom Related Posts <= 1.7.4 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2025-04-22 CVE-2025-46227 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.7.4 Patched in 1.7.5
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
CVE records: Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE terms of use.
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 9 languages, 0 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
2 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 Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ! Has a FAQ Only 2 questions in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 2 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 Mentions Gutenberg, Block editor.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 681 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 4 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-01-04 4K+ → 3K+ down after 354 days in tier
- 2025-01-15 5K+ → 4K+ down after 167 days in tier
- 2024-08-01 6K+ → 5K+ down after 5 days in tier
- 2024-07-27 5K+ → 6K+ up after 7 days in tier
- 2024-07-20 4K+ → 5K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2024-07-19 3K+ → 4K+ up after 14 days in tier
- 2024-07-05 4K+ → 3K+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2024-07-04 3K+ → 4K+ up after 3 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 Post Type Widgets 10K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags B
-
Same Category Posts 3K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A -
Blocksy Companion 300K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag A -
Black Studio TinyMCE Widget 200K+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag A -
Table of Contents Plus – Automatic Table of Contents for Posts & Pages 200K+ installs · 4.4★ · 1 shared tag A -
Custom Post Type Permalinks 200K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Custom Related Posts into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/custom-related-posts" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Custom Related Posts — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Custom Related Posts: 3K+ active installs, 4.9★ (46 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/custom-related-posts
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