Darkstar File Manager
by justinblayney · Uncategorized
Also makes 1 other plugin · 30+ installs across the portfolio →
Secure client document management system allowing administrators to share files with clients and clients to upload their own documents.
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 83/100
Few reviews
Active installs
20+
≈20 estimated
Momentum
-30%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “client files”, “client portal” and “document management” 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.
83 health vs 58 average across 25,737 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.7%
of downloads still active
At least 20 of 1.2K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,770 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 4 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
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 1 reviews to 2026-04-01The single review here is happy, calling it a safe way to share sensitive documents.
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 54 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 1 review, smoothed to 4.12★ 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.
37
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.3
Velocity
places per keyword, 19d
17%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 19d
-0.3
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| secure file sharing | #18 | #23 | down 2 |
| portal manager | #23 | #23 | up 1 |
| client files your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| client portal your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| document management your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| file upload your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| secure documents your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
7 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 2 listed. 5 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “client files”, “client portal” and “document management” 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 4 Mar 2026 · 241 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 231 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #25,300 to #28,300, alongside the other plugins at 20+ installs. Plugins with the same install count swap places between wp.org requests, so this is where most of them sit. Checked monthly, last on 21 Oct 2026.
Update activity
Downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites.
Not enough installs to measure. This needs at least 100 active sites; below that, a handful of downloads reads as tens of thousands.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
4
releases in the last 12 months
2mo ago
latest release · v1.0.5 · 7 Sep 2026
4
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 “20+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 6 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just over 20.
At the current install trend, crossing 30+ in roughly 259 days.
Install history since 5 Mar 2026
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ smartflow7mo ago
A great way to safely share sensitive documents.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 7.0
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
7 of 8 pass · checked 29 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Secure client document management system allowing administrators to share files with clients and clients to..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 10 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 10 of 10 read like questions a user would type.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("perfect for"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Polylang.
- ✓ Headings and lists 9 headings and 4 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 3,183 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "client files", "secure documents" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-25 10+ → 20+ up after 4 days in tier
- 2026-10-21 20+ → 10+ down after 9 days in tier
- 2026-10-12 10+ → 20+ 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).
-
User Private Files – Secure File Sharing and Client Portal Plugin 1K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A -
FileDeck – Document Library & Download Manager 100+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
Filevue 80+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags A -
Treder Client Content Handoff — installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags -
Folderit Forms — installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags -
Simple File Vault – Secure Client Document Manager, File Sharing & Frontend Uploader — installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Darkstar File Manager into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/darkstar-file-manager" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Darkstar File Manager — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Darkstar File Manager: 20+ active installs, 5.0★ (1 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/darkstar-file-manager
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