Flexible Recent Posts
by Paul Annekov · Admin & Utilities
Also makes 1 other plugin · 300+ installs across the portfolio →
Displays recent posts using flexible template system. Define template for each post entry, set needed taxonomy and much 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 48/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
300+
≈350 estimated
Momentum
+74%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “post”, “posts” and “recent” 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.
48 health vs 56 average across 5,896 Admin & Utilities plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.3%
of downloads still active
At least 300 of 23.1K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Admin & Utilities plugin keeps 0.6%, across 4,186 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.
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 11+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 3.9.40, 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 4031 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 3.9.40; the current branch is 6.8
5.0★ over 8 reviews, smoothed to 4.22★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 4031 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| post your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| posts your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| recent your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| template your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| widget your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
1 search this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 0 listed. 1 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “post”, “posts” and “recent” 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 116 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #10,100 to #11,100, alongside the other plugins at 300+ 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
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
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
11.0y ago
latest release · v1.0.4 · 18 Oct 2015
8
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 “300+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 6 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 12 Sep 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Jason King10.4y ago
I needed to put the latest three news items on the home page with titles, excerpts and medium sized images. I’m using Bootstrap, so wanted to sprinkle some additional html around the individual news items. This plugin enabled me to do that nicely and simply. Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ shoelace129110.7y ago
I have not run into any problems with this plugin and find it very useful! The only suggestion I have is to maybe add a shortcode for a category tree to show what category and subcategory(if it’s in a subcategory) a post is in. For example: Xbox > FPS Other than that, I have no complaints!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ moradpour12.2y ago
thank you Mr. Paul Annekov
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ moradpour12.2y ago
thank you Mr. Paul Annekov
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ moradpour12.2y ago
thank you Mr. Paul Annekov
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Kassandra_P12.7y ago
Love the fact you can “build your own” widget, exactly as you want it. Well thought out and works beautifully.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Shasta13.1y ago
I’m really impressed…I’m using WP e-commerce to manage products, and I wanted to display the newest product from each of two categories on the front page. In theory there is a built-in widget for this, but it allows NO control over display and was a complete mess. I tried shortcodes, various ‘recent post’ widgets…but they all had some deal-breaker. This one did everything I wanted and a whole lot more. I’m thrilled with it! If it holds up over time (I just installed it) I’ll be adding it as a default on every new installation.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ nuonis13.2y ago
This plugin is perfect. It allows great flexibility and is easy to use. Thank you!
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
4 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 "Displays recent posts using flexible template system. Define template for each post entry, set needed taxon..."
- ! Has a FAQ Only 2 questions in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 0 of 2 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("undefined").
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("if you want"); 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 2 headings and 4 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,982 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
- 2026-04-23 400+ → 300+ down after 4 days in tier
- 2026-04-19 300+ → 400+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-04-18 400+ → 300+ down after 10 days in tier
- 2026-04-08 300+ → 400+ up after 8 days in tier
- 2026-03-31 400+ → 300+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-03-29 300+ → 400+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-03-28 400+ → 300+ down after 483 days in tier
- 2024-11-30 500+ → 400+ down after 315 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).
-
Post Duplicator 200K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A - W WP Admin UI Customize 30K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags C
- P Public Post Preview Configurator 10K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
- C Custom Post Template 10K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags D
- N Newpost Catch 9K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A
-
Flexible Posts Widget 7K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Flexible Recent Posts into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/flexible-recent-posts" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Flexible Recent Posts — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Flexible Recent Posts: 300+ active installs, 5.0★ (8 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/flexible-recent-posts
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