Force Post Category Selection
by Jatinder Pal Singh · Uncategorized
Also makes 4 other plugins · 320+ installs across the portfolio →
This is simple plugin which forces the users to select atleast one category from the list while publishing a new post.
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
Active installs
100+
≈150 estimated
Momentum
-1%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “category”, “post” and “publish” 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 58 average across 25,735 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.3%
of downloads still active
At least 100 of 7.9K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,766 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 11+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.x, 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 4281 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.x; the current branch is 6.8
4.8★ over 10 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 4281 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| category your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| post your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| publish your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| require your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| without 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
- “category”, “post” and “publish” 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 203 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #13,300 to #16,400, alongside the other plugins at 100+ 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.
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.
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
11.7y ago
latest release · v1.1 · 10 Feb 2015
2
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 “100+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 12 months ago; the previous band took 2 years to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 26 Sep 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ venelinpetrov9.4y ago
Even it’s not updated lately it works as expected !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ AndyWarren10.1y ago
Just found this little gem of a plugin. Its so simple to use, literally just install then forget about it. I have two categories, and needed to make sure at least one of them was selected. This did the job perfectly. Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Damian Davila10.9y ago
Works just as advertised. Thank you for saving me some coding time Jatinder.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ bcarney11.1y ago
Does what it says it does – forces a user to select a Category before publishing.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ CyberNetikz11.5y ago
Worked perfect with WordPress 4.2.2, thanks for this nice plugins.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ shedden11.7y ago
Post authors often forget to choose the category. I use both “Restrict Categories” and “Force Post Category Selection” plugins, they work great together to do what I want, which is to force authors to select the correct category.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jakubd11.7y ago
Plugin is very simple – you can´t select, which taxonomies have to be mandatory. It just checks, if there is at least one selected option from at least one taxonomy.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ lydia_b12.4y ago
I am glad to find this plugin. It works for my 3.9.1 single sites and for 3.9.1 multisite blogs when network activated. Very helpful!
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 29 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 Only 1 question in the FAQ; 3 or more gives an assistant something to match.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 1 of 1 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("Plugin is not working as expected").
- ! 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 697 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "require" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2025-10-29 200+ → 100+ down after 733 days in tier
- 2023-10-27 300+ → 200+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-10-26 200+ → 300+ up after 9 days in tier
- 2023-10-17 300+ → 200+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-10-16 200+ → 300+ up after 6 days in tier
- 2023-10-10 300+ → 200+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2023-10-09 200+ → 300+ up after 5 days in tier
- 2023-10-04 300+ → 200+ down after 365 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).
-
Require Post Category 1K+ installs · 4.4★ · 3 shared tags D -
Bulk Move 8K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags D -
Requirements Checklist 800+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D -
WP Discord Post Plus – Supports Unlimited Channels 600+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags B -
Better Random Redirect 600+ installs · 4.2★ · 2 shared tags C -
Category Featured Image 400+ installs · 3.4★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Force Post Category Selection into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/force-post-category-selection" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Force Post Category Selection — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Force Post Category Selection: 100+ active installs, 4.8★ (10 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/force-post-category-selection
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