iThemes Exchange – Custom Loop Add-on
by ronaldvw · Uncategorized
Also makes 1 other plugin · 20+ installs across the portfolio →
Create a custom loop for your product store pages, add selections, grid/list view and more.
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 49/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
10+
≈15 estimated
Momentum
+12%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: One page off on “ithemes exchange”. #16 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
49 health vs 58 average across 25,736 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.2%
of downloads still active
At least 10 of 4.8K lifetime downloads are still running, below its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,765 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.
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 10+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.4.34, well behind 6.8.
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.
Under-optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 3862 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.4.34; the current branch is 6.8
5.0★ over 10 reviews, smoothed to 4.25★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 3862 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ithemes exchange your tag | #16 | #8 | 0 |
| add on your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| addon your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| exchange add on your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| exchange addon your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
1 search this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- One page off on “ithemes exchange”. #16 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- “add on”, “addon” and “exchange add on” 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 · 1,487 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 185 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #30,100 to #45,000, alongside the other plugins at 10+ installs. Plugins with the same install count swap places between wp.org requests, so this is where most of them sit. Checked monthly, last on 21 Oct 2026.
Update activity
Downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites.
Not enough installs to measure. This needs at least 100 active sites; below that, a handful of downloads reads as tens of thousands.
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
10.6y ago
latest release · v1.0.14 · 4 Apr 2016
15
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
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 “10+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 21 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 14 Sep 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Zach Skaggs10.5y ago
I was really disheartened at the layout options in iThemes exchange…enough that I figured I wasted my money on the Pro Pack and was about to move on. Then, I saw @ronaldvw ‘s extension and decided to give it a try. Holy cow, this is exactly what I was looking for. If I were iThemes, I would be looking to integrate all of these features into iThemes Exchange core. It’s the biggest thing missing from the plugin and I am incredibly thankful for it. Thank you so much!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Todd10.6y ago
This plugin fills a gap in Exchange very nicely. It’s a must-have if you’re using Exchange.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Snaggers10.7y ago
Thanks Ronald for the great plugin. Greatly improves the user experience and reduces clutter which is essential for a positive customer experience in an online store. The Custom Loop add-on is also easy to configure by activating the custom loop with a check-box on any normal WordPress page. From there you can configure the store how you would like. Support is also great when needed with prompt replies and action.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Nurron Shodiqin10.8y ago
Thanks for your plugin, now i can see my e-magz showcase much better than before. For everyone who want or already use exchange, this plugin number one list you should try.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Elio Leonardo Carchidi11.0y ago
I like this plugin and Exchange…
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ 3056bike11.4y ago
It’s an awesome plugin that really makes Exchange complete since I have different sorts of products. Uber support too.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ vespamoto3911.6y ago
A great plugin, allows to show really well all my products, in the way I like the most!! Easy to use, and a great support too!! Look how it shows my products in a category of my shop:
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ fernandomoe11.7y ago
I like and will use again. Thanks
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3.2
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 29 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Create a custom loop for your product store pages, add selections, grid/list view and more."
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("if you have"); 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 17 headings and 1 list.
- ✓ Enough to quote 3,478 characters of description.
- ! Tags match the text Only 2 of 5 tags appear in the text ("add on", "Exchange add-on", "Exchange addon" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-01-31 20+ → 10+ down after 300 days in tier
- 2024-04-06 30+ → 20+ down after 98 days in tier
- 2023-12-30 40+ → 30+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2023-12-28 30+ → 40+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2023-12-25 40+ → 30+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-12-24 30+ → 40+ up after 74 days in tier
- 2023-10-11 20+ → 30+ up after 6 days in tier
- 2023-10-05 30+ → 20+ down 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 iThemes Exchange – GIS Layout Add-on 10+ installs · 3.6★ · 5 shared tags
-
Timeline Express – Date – Time Add-On 100+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags D - F FAQ & Knowledge Base Plugin 10+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Category Related Products for iThemes Exchange 10+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D -
OoohBoi Steroids for Elementor 40K+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag A - A ACF qTranslate 8K+ installs · 4.3★ · 1 shared tag D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for iThemes Exchange – Custom Loop Add-on into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/exchange-addon-custom-loop" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="iThemes Exchange – Custom Loop Add-on — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> iThemes Exchange – Custom Loop Add-on: 10+ active installs, 5.0★ (10 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/exchange-addon-custom-loop
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