OpenStation – Admin Dashboard Notes, Custom Dashboard, AI Assistant & PWA
by WordPress.org · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 22 other plugins · 11.2M+ installs across the portfolio →
A productivity desktop and custom dashboard for wp-admin: windows, dark mode, dashboard notes, an AI assistant, and a progressive web app (PWA).
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 88/100
no flags
Active installs
1K+
≈1.9K estimated
Momentum
-26%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “notes”, “custom dashboard” and “admin dashboard” for “windows”, “dismiss dashboard widget” and “productivity”. “notes” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #15. “windows” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “custom dashboard” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #12. “dismiss dashboard widget” sits at #7 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “admin dashboard” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #11. “productivity” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
88 health vs 56 average across 5,897 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.8%
of downloads still active
At least 1K of 57.1K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,189 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.
This plugin shipped 41 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
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
Well tuned across the board
Updated 2 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 23 reviews, smoothed to 4.38★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
1 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
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, 28d
17%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| openstation | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| desktop | #2 | #4 | down 1 |
| desktop mode | #1 | #2 | 0 |
| sticky notes your tag | #4 | #5 | 0 |
| pwa | #5 | #7 | 0 |
| windows | #5 | #8 | 0 |
| dashboard notes your tag | #7 | #8 | 0 |
| admin dashboard your tag | #11 | #12 | 0 |
| custom dashboard your tag | #12 | #19 | 0 |
| admin productivity | #4 | #5 | down 1 |
| dismiss dashboard widget | #7 | #9 | up 1 |
| productivity | #10 | #12 | 0 |
| progressive web app | #11 | #8 | down 2 |
| custom sticky notes | #5 | #8 | up 1 |
| progressive | #12 | #10 | up 1 |
| sticky note | #9 | #15 | down 1 |
| command palette | #9 | #8 | 0 |
| notes your tag | #15 | #13 | 0 |
| wordpress pwa | #5 | #6 | 0 |
| wp pwa | #5 | #6 | 0 |
226 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 186 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Swap “notes”, “custom dashboard” and “admin dashboard” for “windows”, “dismiss dashboard widget” and “productivity”. “notes” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #15. “windows” sits at #5 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “custom dashboard” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #12. “dismiss dashboard widget” sits at #7 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. “admin dashboard” isn't earning its slot: it only gets you to #11. “productivity” sits at #10 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
- One page off on “admin dashboard”. #11 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- One page off on “custom dashboard”. #12 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- One page off on “notes”. #15 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 2 May 2026 · 184 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 17.8K · 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.
Release cadence
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
41
releases in the last 12 months
2d ago
latest release · v1.1.18 · 30 Oct 2026
41
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
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 “1K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 41 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 2K.
Install history since 1 May 2026
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ nysc4mo ago
If you have a lot of custom post types, pages, posts, etc., and you’re working on many of them simultaneously, this is a God-send. Even better if you have a large monitor. Well done. This topic was modified 2 days ago by nysc. This topic was modified 2 days ago by nysc. This topic was modified 2 days ago by nysc.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ MauroS5mo ago
This plugin blowed my mind. It turns your wordpress admin in such a beautiful dashboard. What an experience. Contratulations to the owners of the project!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Rami Obeidat5mo ago
Really interesting concept and one of the more unique WordPress admin experience plugins I’ve tested recently. I especially like the desktop/workspace direction and the overall creativity behind the UI. I spend a lot of time testing modern admin/workspace plugins and Desktop Mode definitely stands out with its own approach. Looking forward to seeing how the project evolves 👌
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Abhishek Padhi5mo ago
This plugin is awesome! It runs perfectly smoothly and completely upgrades the default dashboard experience. If you spend a lot of time in the WordPress backend, this makes a world of difference. I’ve been using it on my website, Key2blogging, and it has made managing everything so much cooler and easier. Highly recommended!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ speff5mo ago
This is a really neat idea. WP core’s been giving me similar vibes to Tiddlywiki in its capability towards extensibility and this plugin solidifies that idea in my mind. I’d be interested in having other providers available for use with quick search – and even an option to fall back to the normal Ctrl+K behavior. But this is a great enhancement of WP Admin for my personal use-case as-is and really makes my personal site feel like home. This topic was modified 1 month, 3 weeks ago by speff.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ karelv925mo ago
Very interesting idea. It makes working in WP somewhat more productive…
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ tickastudios5mo ago
It’s a cool project. Very much creative. I wouldn’t have ever thought about turning WP admin into a desktop-like interface. How did you come up with it?
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ José Lemus5mo ago
En mi primer REVIEW de plugins en WordPress y quiero decir que este es uno de los plugin MÁS CREATIVOS que he visto desde que llevo usando este CMS. Mis felicitaciones ante alta creatividad. Por favor darle apoyo. Definitivamente estará en todas mis instalaciones de WordPress.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 0.9.6 Improved button accessibility and visual feedback by implementing the missing busy spinner and aria-busy attributes on the Button component AI assistant as the shell’s ⌘K palette (Commands + Ask AI) Add pinned notes: pap 0.9.6
- — Version 0.9.5 AI Copilot now uses WordPress 7.0 providers: configure a provider once in Settings → Connectors and the assistant uses it — no more per-plugin keys AI Copilot tools are now WordPress Abilities, so the assistant works acr 0.9.5
- — Version 0.9.3 Rewrite WordPress.org plugin page, leaner copy, video embed, screenshots Review: doc/comment accuracy, security hardening, and cleanups across the plugin 0.9.3
- — Version 0.9.2 Persist welcome-dialog dismissal when OpenStation is disabled Welcome dialog reappears on every page when the admin is served from an origin that differs from site_url 0.9.2
- — Version 0.9.1 Make native list windows opt-in (Beta) instead of opt-out Scope AI to comment spam + native-search assistant Feat/unfocus window effects Fix placement, gear/Help, and dock⇄desktop visibility bugs Fix Guidelines-experimen 0.9.1
- — Version 0.9.0 Gate per-user REST routes on OpenStation enabled Refine recycle bin badge styling and sync on stop Clear comments selection after applying action Don’t let a failing sync block the agent Make the AI-disabled error link t 0.9.0
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (1.1.18). Sites still on an older version should update.
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 5 languages, 0 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
6 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 9 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 9 of 9 read like questions a user would type.
- ! 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 Mentions WooCommerce, Jetpack, OpenAI, Multisite.
- ✓ Headings and lists 16 headings and 6 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 12,873 characters of description.
- ✓ 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
- 2026-09-21 2K+ → 1K+ down after 111 days in tier
- 2026-06-02 1K+ → 2K+ up after 14 days in tier
- 2026-05-19 900+ → 1K+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-05-18 800+ → 900+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2026-05-16 700+ → 800+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-05-15 600+ → 700+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-05-14 500+ → 600+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-05-13 200+ → 500+ up after 3 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).
-
Sticky Notes for WP Dashboard 1K+ installs · 4.3★ · 3 shared tags A -
Jass Admin Sticky Notes — installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags -
WP Dashboard Notes 20K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A - D Dashboard Sticky Notes 2K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags D
-
LH Dashboard Notes 400+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags D -
KeepInMind Dashboard Notes 300+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for OpenStation – Admin Dashboard Notes, Custom Dashboard, AI Assistant & PWA into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/desktop-mode" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="OpenStation – Admin Dashboard Notes, Custom Dashboard, AI Assistant & PWA — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> OpenStation – Admin Dashboard Notes, Custom Dashboard, AI Assistant & PWA: 1K+ active installs, 5.0★ (23 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/desktop-mode
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