Dashboard Notepad
by Stephanie Leary · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 18 other plugins · 16.2K+ installs across the portfolio →
The very simplest of notepads for your Dashboard.
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 50/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Open vulnerability
Active installs
10K+
≈14K estimated
Momentum
+41%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “dashboard”, “notes” and “widget” 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.
50 health vs 56 average across 5,895 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →11%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 94.7K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,188 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 9+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.1.42, well behind 6.8.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 12 reviews to 2017-11-03Reviewers keep calling it simple and genuinely useful for keeping admin notes, with the only gripes being an early report of a notepad that wouldn't accept text and a settings link that's hard to spot.
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 3380 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.1.42; the current branch is 6.8
4.6★ over 12 reviews, smoothed to 4.20★ and held back under 25 reviews
3 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3380 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| dashboard your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| notes your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| widget your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 3 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “dashboard”, “notes” and “widget” 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 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 540 · 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
11.7y ago
latest release · v1.42 · 3 Feb 2015
21
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 98% 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 “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Modeled within the band wp.org reports; tightens as we track daily.
Install history since 1 Sep 2020
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ adamharvey9.0y ago
Thanks for this plugin, it works great!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Paula Finch10.3y ago
Works just like a plugin should. Easy to install and simple to use.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Daniel10.5y ago
thanks for this. I use it to communicate with other authors. Really a labour saving device.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Ken of Kentropolis10.7y ago
I use it on nearly every single and multi-site I run, keeping notes on stuff like credentials, code snippets, client information, etc..
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ vlaaD11.2y ago
Never forget anymore a production note …
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ squalle6911.5y ago
This is one of those plugins you can’t be without. Keep notes to keep everybody on top of things and on the same page. Great work!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ AngusMcKinnon11.8y ago
Such a simple but oh so handy plugin. Great to leave reminder notes in the admin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Blair jersyer11.9y ago
a textarea is available, but not working…
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.42 Dutch (nl_NL) translation by Axel Vanderhaeghen 1.42
- — Version 1.41 Italian (it_IT) translation by Francesco Bevivino. Ukranian (uk_UA) translation by Michael Yunat 1.41
- — Version 1.40 Romanian (ro_RO) translation by Web Hosting Geeks. 1.40
- — Version 1.39 Fixed a bug in which users’ permissions could not be removed once given. 1.39
- — Version 1.38 Swedish (se_SV) translation by Rabatt Corrected German translation. 1.38
- — Version 1.37 German (de_DE) translation by Guido Kerkewitz. 1.37
Security history
via Wordfence Intelligence1 open vulnerability affects the current version (1.42). 0 of 1 disclosed are patched.
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 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 14 languages, 6 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
3 of 8 pass · checked 26 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 2 headings and 1 list.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,136 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 3 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
No tier crossings observed yet.
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).
-
Dashboard Widgets Suite 4K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags A - D Dashboard Sticky Notes 2K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Dashboard Columns 1K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B -
Noted! 1K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Admin Dashboard Last Edits 900+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A - C Custom Dashboard Help Widget 800+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Dashboard Notepad into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/dashboard-notepad" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Dashboard Notepad — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Dashboard Notepad: 10K+ active installs, 4.6★ (12 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/dashboard-notepad
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