Debug Bar
by WordPress.org · Uncategorized
Also makes 22 other plugins · 11.2M+ installs across the portfolio →
Adds a debug menu to the admin bar that shows query, cache, and other helpful debugging information.
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
A 86/100
no flags
Active installs
20K+
≈25K estimated
Momentum
+12%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “bar”, “bottom bar” and “debugging” to your wp.org tags. You rank #5, #8 and #15 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 1 listed these are the slots worth spending.
86 health vs 58 average across 25,737 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.8%
of downloads still active
At least 20K of 2.5M 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.
Details
Recent review vibe
read from the latest 12 reviews to 2026-03-27Older reviews call it a lifesaver, but the recent ones report PHP errors, WordPress 6.7 incompatibility, and a plugin that's gone over a year without an update.
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: Listing tuning
Updated 17 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.0.8, the current branch or newer
4.1★ over 69 reviews, smoothed to 4.10★
1 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Only 1 tag — use the full 5 relevant tags so search matches more queries.
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.
40
Momentum
Mixed: one swing, the rest drifting
+0.1
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
22%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 27d
-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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| debug bar | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| debug your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| debug bar shortcodes | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| debug bar post types | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| notice bar | #2 | #2 | up 3 |
| loading bar | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| bar | #5 | #6 | 0 |
| fixed bar | #3 | #2 | 0 |
| debug wordpress | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| wordpress debug | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| wp debug | #5 | #6 | up 1 |
| debug plugins | #3 | #3 | down 1 |
| admin bar | #10 | #11 | up 1 |
| helpful | #12 | #13 | up 1 |
| bottom bar | #8 | #7 | down 1 |
| page bar | #6 | #8 | 0 |
| debugging | #15 | #14 | down 3 |
| wp bar | #7 | #8 | up 1 |
| remove admin bar | #7 | #6 | down 1 |
| mysql | #15 | #15 | up 2 |
55 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 27 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Add “bar”, “bottom bar” and “debugging” to your wp.org tags. You rank #5, #8 and #15 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 1 listed these are the slots worth spending.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 66.8K · 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. 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 “20K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 23 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 1 Aug 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Lene7mo ago
It works…
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Michael Galli12mo ago
Finding bugs is very easy and efficient with that plugin. I can highly recommend it.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ James Hunt1.3y ago
Debug Bar is still listed in WordPress’s own developer documentation as a go-to debugging tool, yet it hasn’t been updated in over a year and throws PHP errors. It’s a clear example of Automattic promoting a tool while failing to maintain it – a pattern that’s become too common. For a plugin they recommend, its neglect is frustrating and undermines developer trust.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Traci Larson1.4y ago
This is a very useful plugin, but I am getting errors when WP_DEBUG is set to true based on the updates in WordPress 6.7. Notice: Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called <strong>incorrectly</strong>. I hope there will be an update soon!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Marcin Pietrzak2.9y ago
A plugin without which I cannot imagine my work. It would definitely be much more difficult.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Mehedi Hasan3.3y ago
Simple and useful.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Fellipe Sanches3.4y ago
Where is the debug? Only memory usage is displayed… Where are the usage instructions?
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ fanfan533.9y ago
Ne fonctionne pas
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.1.8 Add late output escaping where missing in the WP_Query panel. 1.1.8
- — Version 1.1.7 Resolves a PHP Warning in WP 6.7+. 1.1.7
- — Version 1.1.6 1.1.5 didn’t have the minified CSS rebuilt. 1.1.6
- — Version 1.1.5 Update CSS to remove gradient and shadow styles Use dashicons as action buttons instead of misaligned text. 1.1.5
- — Version 1.1.4 Fix PHP8+ critical error if php_uname is disabled 1.1.4
- — Version 1.1.3 Fix notices in HTTP Requests panel when a request is stopped/doesn’t finish. Decode the SQL in the WP_Query panel. 1.1.3
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (1.2.0). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2013-05-15 CVE-2013-10021 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 0.8 Patched in 0.8.1
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 23 languages, 11 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 31 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Adds a debug menu to the admin bar that shows query, cache, and other helpful debugging information."
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("for developers"); say who the plugin is for and 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 733 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 1 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2024-12-10 30K+ → 20K+ down
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).
-
WP Crontrol 300K+ installs · 4.4★ · 1 shared tag B -
Query Monitor 200K+ installs · 4.9★ · 1 shared tag A -
WP Debugging 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag A -
Debug Log Manager – Conveniently Monitor and Inspect Errors 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag A -
My WP Customize Admin/Frontend 8K+ installs · 4.1★ · 1 shared tag A -
Code Profiler – WordPress Performance Profiling and Debugging Made Easy 8K+ installs · 4.2★ · 1 shared tag A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Debug Bar into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/debug-bar" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Debug Bar — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Debug Bar: 20K+ active installs, 4.1★ (69 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/debug-bar
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