Default Sort Ascend
by rdsteed · Uncategorized
This plugin changes the default order of queries generating posts from descending to ascending.
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 79/100
Few reviews
Active installs
400+
≈480 estimated
Momentum
—
no download trend yet
Biggest opportunity: Swap “order” and “reverse” for “defaults” and “default order”. “order” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “defaults” sits at #12 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “reverse” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “default order” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
79 health vs 58 average across 25,737 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.7%
of downloads still active
At least 400 of 14.8K 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 7 reviews to 2017-05-17Reviewers say it works right out of the box and fixes post ordering with no code fiddling, with one noting the older and newer post links end up reversed.
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 213 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.9.11, the current branch or newer
4.9★ over 7 reviews, smoothed to 4.20★ 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.
32
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.9
Velocity
places per keyword, 27d
6%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| sort your tag | #7 | #14 | down 2 |
| chronological your tag | #8 | #14 | down 1 |
| default | #9 | #15 | down 1 |
| default order | #15 | #19 | 0 |
| defaults | #12 | #19 | up 3 |
| sort posts | #15 | #22 | down 1 |
| posts sort | #15 | #22 | down 2 |
| post sort | #17 | #22 | down 3 |
| ascending order | #10 | #16 | down 1 |
| sort order | #11 | #16 | down 1 |
| default theme | #20 | #21 | down 4 |
| reverse post order | #23 | #22 | down 3 |
| sort post | #19 | #23 | down 1 |
| ascending your tag | Not checked yet | ||
| order your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| reverse your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
17 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 13 listed. 4 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
- Swap “order” and “reverse” for “defaults” and “default order”. “order” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “defaults” sits at #12 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “reverse” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “default order” sits at #15 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 192 · 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 · 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 “400+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 3 months ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 500.
Install history since 19 Aug 2016
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Adryle9.5y ago
Hi, This plugin saves my life, it works perfectly well, thank you very much! WordPress 4.7.5 with GeneratePress
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ FredTTT10.1y ago
Bravo !!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Fairy-Rider10.1y ago
This is my best part of using this plugin. It works just out of the box. That enables my posts to be reordered from the oldest to newest,–just like pages in a book. This is useful if you write a wordpress site as a book, making it easier for some users to travel from one page to the another, if your content is a full post without a <!–more–> tag. This is a fun plugin to use for writing fictional stories like a book; arrange tutorials, wiki content, and more. How do I found out: As I activated the plugin network wide; it started running without any trouble! I believe this plugin has did an awsome job with arranging posts in ascending order. As I test read my site; it’s kind of like reading a book. I don’t need to go to the last page to update my older posts. Without this plugin… It will be awkward to edit posts from the oldest to newest. Writing a new post is kind of like adding a new page to a book. No need to change your theme’s code. The advantage of using this plugin is: You can enable to expand your site with newer posts via the last page,–all without a worry. The disadvantage is: If you have news archives; this will not do because, most news sites have descending posts,–enabling visitors to catch the recent news as they visit news sites. I don’t need to go to the control panel, and adjust the settings. All I have to do just activate it, and let it do the rest of the work. I liked this plugin! This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by Fairy-Rider. Reason: Added additional information about this review via my analysis of using this plugin via an experiment This topic was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by Fairy-Rider. Reason: Fixed unordered list
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ habartlow10.3y ago
Thank you! This did exactly what it said it would do.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Anairb11.3y ago
I installed this – despite the warning that it hasn’t been updated; followed the easy instructions and – Fantastic! – a problem that has been driving me mad solved! Thank you.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ wimb11.8y ago
Seems to be correct working on: WordPress 4.1 running Twenty Twelve theme. A very small thing is that the link to older and newer posts are reversed.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ReneODeay12.8y ago
it just works, no messing around with codes…. using 3.8 with custom Twentyeleven-child theme….. in a MAMP install. Thanks…..
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
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
1 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 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 0 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 908 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text All 5 tags appear in the text.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-08-17 500+ → 400+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-08-16 400+ → 500+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-08-15 500+ → 400+ down after 587 days in tier
- 2025-01-05 600+ → 500+ down after 301 days in tier
- 2024-03-10 700+ → 600+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2024-03-09 600+ → 700+ up after 13 days in tier
- 2024-02-25 700+ → 600+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2024-02-24 600+ → 700+ up after 2 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).
-
I Order Terms 1K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags B - T Terms Order WP – Categories And Taxonomies Order Plugin 800+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags C
- R Reverse Order Comments 100+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
- T Terms Order 90+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
-
Sort Export for Gravity Forms 60+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B - P Posts Order Widget 30+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Default Sort Ascend into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/default-sort-ascend" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Default Sort Ascend — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Default Sort Ascend: 400+ active installs, 4.9★ (7 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/default-sort-ascend
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