Easy Custom Sidebars
by Sunny Johal · Uncategorized
Also makes 1 other plugin · 110K+ installs across the portfolio →
This plugin allows you to replace any sidebar/widget area in your theme without writing a single line of code!
Removed from WordPress.org
wp.org closed this plugin on 2026-09-09. It's no longer installable or updated. If you're running it, plan a replacement: closures are often security-related and WordPress won't warn you.
Health
D 46/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
10K+
≈15K estimated
Momentum
+18%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “create sidebars”, “custom sidebars” and “dynamic sidebar” 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.
46 health vs 58 average across 25,763 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →3.2%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 310.9K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,773 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
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.
Room to improve
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 1928 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 5.8.15; the current branch is 6.8
4.1★ over 40 reviews, smoothed to 4.10★
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 1928 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| create sidebars your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| custom sidebars your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| dynamic sidebar your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| replace sidebars your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| unlimited sidebars your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “create sidebars”, “custom sidebars” and “dynamic sidebar” 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 · 1,436 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 1.2K · 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
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 · 85% 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.
Crossed into this band 23 months ago; the previous band took 2.3 years to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 14 Apr 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ kenjikato2.2y ago
This plugin was installed with the theme my client is using, and it caused the sites menus to become unresponsive. Disabling it solve my issues.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ flavponch2.3y ago
After 2 years of use on my site, the plugin no longer works since the WordPress 6.6 update… I disable it… This topic was modified 1 year, 12 months ago by flavponch.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ cherrycommunicatie4.2y ago
Developer has not answered questions or did any updates for about a year.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ popmon5.4y ago
Why do these plugins, that everyone finds so easy to use, never work for me Try as a might, following the out of date video, and then the documentation, this plugin simply doesn’t work. I created the sidebars, set up the Sidebar Replacements and it does nothing. Such a shame, it looked like it was going to be a cool little plugin too
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ crold5.6y ago
Kudos to the plugin author. Mimics core perfectly and does exactly what I need it to do. Plus – no intrusive ads.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ hirejordansmith5.8y ago
I’ve used this plugin for many years now and have always been very satisfied with the functionality as well as the support. Very reliable solution when you need to have a more complex, dynamic sidebar setup on your WordPress website.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ fitz1005.9y ago
Searched high and low for an easy to use custom sidebar plugin, and this is by far the best plugin I have come across, and so easy to use. Great job with the latest update.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ clipsin95.9y ago
Plugin Works well with our website and easy to reach out for any support needed.
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.0.1 Remove unintentional newline character appearing in the widget output. 2.0.1
- — Version 2.0.0 Important: You need to have php 7.0+ installed on your server to use this plugin. Admin Screen Update: now rewritten in javascript/React and utilising the REST API. Huge UX testing and update. Huge improvement in query/d 2.0.0
- — Version 1.0.9 Updated CSS for the Admin UI. 1.0.9
- — Version 1.0.8 Fixed compatibility issue with WordPress 4.7 and the save_posts action. 1.0.8
- — Version 1.0.7 Fixed visual display issues on the settings page. 1.0.7
- — Version 1.0.6 Fixed issue where pages with ampersands in the title weren’t being added to a custom sidebar. 1.0.6
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 64 languages, 0 at 90% or more · development strings
Plus 40 more locales with partial translations.
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
Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
Not checked yet. The readme could not be read from WordPress.org on this visit.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2024-11-28 20K+ → 10K+ down after 843 days in tier
- 2022-08-08 30K+ → 20K+ down after 1245 days in tier
- 2019-03-12 20K+ → 30K+ up after 518 days in tier
- 2017-10-10 10K+ → 20K+ up after 672 days in tier
- 2015-12-08 9K+ → 10K+ up after 40 days in tier
- 2015-10-29 8K+ → 9K+ up after 65 days in tier
- 2015-08-25 6K+ → 8K+ up after 80 days in tier
- 2015-06-06 5K+ → 6K+ 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).
- M Multiple Sidebar Generator 100+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Content Aware Sidebars – Fastest Widget Area Plugin 30K+ installs · 4.9★ · 1 shared tag A -
Ocean Custom Sidebar 20K+ installs · 4.3★ · 1 shared tag A -
Simple Page Sidebars 20K+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag C -
Stag Custom Sidebars 2K+ installs · 4.3★ · 1 shared tag D -
Custom Sidebars by ProteusThemes 1K+ installs · 3.6★ · 1 shared tag
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Easy Custom Sidebars into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/easy-custom-sidebars" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Easy Custom Sidebars — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Easy Custom Sidebars: 10K+ active installs, 4.1★ (40 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-02. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/easy-custom-sidebars
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