Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

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.

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.

338 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 281 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.

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

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 60% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 3.8 years ago; the previous band took 6.9 years to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.

1. ★★★★★ hurtadodoo

   9mo ago

   Sticky panel plugin is perfect. It keeps my CTA visible without breaking the layout, even on long pages.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ ws24

   1.1y ago

   I have indiv. widgets for indiv. pages, setting this up works OK with this plugin. Also together with Polylang for different languages. One remark: the ads in the Widgets overview are a bit too large…. This topic was modified 9 months, 2 weeks ago by ws24.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ rivmanbx

   2.1y ago

   Installing and activating “this” plugin, add a layer of blur canvas on whole admin pages (all pages). We can’t click on anything. The plugin can be disabled from dashboard, the only way to regain control of the website is to delete (for good) this masterpiece of software….Sadly, not only the name has changed, the developpers also. This is a bad joke….

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ michaeljamisontttttttttttttt

   3.8y ago

   I installed, activated and it crashed the site. POS

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ obsidiaan

   3.8y ago

   If it works, it would be a great plugin however I encountered two major issues. – When entering existing categories, the plugin cannot find them. they will not show up in the list. – When setting the filter on what page & categorie to show the sidebar, it will ignore these filter settings and will replace the sidebar everywhere.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ cambeul

   4.0y ago

   It was good, but suddenly I cannot see/access the widgets because of ads. I installed the advertised items, but now it is just blank where the ads were.

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ sabash

   4.7y ago

   Easy setup and desired result. WebFactory – THANK YOU!!!

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ huyrealproperty

   5.3y ago

   Custom sidebars is great plugin, but I got a notice that “Custom Sidebars plugin is NOT compatible with the new widgets edit screen (powered by Gutenberg). Install the official Classic Widgets plugin if you want to continue using it” when I update WordPress 5.8 version. Does anyone also have this notice? and is there any effect? I use Flatsome Theme, and everything still looks good.

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 3.38 2025-03-04 Bug fix related to notice on Dashboard page causing a fatal error 3.38
2. — Version 3.37 2025-03-01 Minor security and compatibility fixes 3.37
3. — Version 3.36 2022-11-26 Minor security fixes 3.36
4. — Version 3.35 2022-01-11 Improved the classic widgets screen detection – “Classic Widgets” plugin is no longer necessary if you add appropriate filters via some other plugin or theme 3.35
5. — Version 3.32 2021-07-18 Added notice for WP 5.8 3.32
6. — Version 3.31 2021-01-30 Minor fixes Added action link to plugins table 3.31

All 3 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (3.38). Sites still on an older version should update.

1. Patched High · 8.8 Custom Sidebars <= 3.0.9 - Cross-Site Request Forgery ↗
   2017-10-04 CVE-2017-18510 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects <= 3.0.9 Patched in 3.1.0
2. Patched High · 8.8 Custom Sidebars <= 3.0.8 - Cross-Site Request Forgery ↗
   2017-06-29 CVE-2017-18511 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects <= 3.0.8 Patched in 3.0.8.1
3. Patched Medium · 6.1 Custom Sidebars < 2.1.0.2 - Reflected Cross Site Scripting ↗
   2015-01-11 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects < 2.1.0.2 Patched in 2.1.0.2

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.7.2

Translated into 82 languages, 16 at 90% or more

Plus 58 more locales with partial translations.

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.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2023-01-13 200K+ → 100K+ down after 2533 days in tier
2. 2016-02-06 100K+ → 200K+ 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 Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Custom Sidebars – Dynamic Sidebar Classic Widget Area Manager: 100K+ active installs, 4.7★ (1,028 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/custom-sidebars