Front-end Editor
by scribu · Uncategorized
Also makes 26 other plugins · 26.7K+ installs across the portfolio →
Edit content inline, without going to the admin area.
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 53/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
500+
≈550 estimated
Momentum
+20%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “edit in place”, “editor” and “inline” 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.
53 health vs 58 average across 25,736 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.2%
of downloads still active
At least 500 of 274.2K 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 13+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 3.6.1, 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 4848 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 3.6.1; the current branch is 6.8
4.0★ over 23 reviews, smoothed to 4.07★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 4848 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| edit in place your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| editor your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| inline your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| visual your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| wysiwyg your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
2 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 0 listed. 2 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
- “edit in place”, “editor” and “inline” 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 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 250 · 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
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
13.3y ago
latest release · v2.3.1 · 23 Jul 2013
9
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 91% 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 “500+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 7 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 22 May 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ RDoberstein7.1y ago
Does not work with PHP 7. PHP 5 is fine, but to old. Its a pitty.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ burlyqlady7.3y ago
It’s a shame it doesn’t work anymore in the latest WordPress. It was the best inline wordpress editor – no fuss, not heavy, very clean UI. Please update it!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ luclaf211.8y ago
This plug in is realy great to use and save many efforts. Congratulations for it!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ biba10211.9y ago
Love this plugin! It saved my time
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ NightL12.2y ago
Tried this on two different themes – using different computers. If main admin was open then for one site there would be a 40 second plus delay in opening the website front end and on the other site the front end would not open at all, I had to use different browser to check edits. Even working in only the admin edit page area the same issues occurred with the Preview Changes feature. Same issue in both Chrome and IE (latest version of browsers) This issue occurred on two Windows 7 PCs and a Mac Even if it did work (as obviously it does for some) the editing and checking process is probably longer when developing a page.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ X-Raym12.5y ago
The only one who doesn’t disturb the original source code 😀 Awesome !
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ rajlaksh13.0y ago
2.3.1 become reaily bader. Where older version is awesome. You can font-size,link etc . now its lost all of it. Its now Useless.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ shaunybhoy13.1y ago
Sure it seems like a great idea, you see something in a post that you quickly want to edit, however it’s filled with bugs. For example when I edit something on the front page, the <more> will disappear from post, so then I need to go in admin anyway to add it back on!! Also the way it operates is lousy, jumps about a lot and not easy to select what you want to edit, or to cancel or save. Probably ok with other themes, but not for mine and don’t trust it.
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (2.3.1). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2012-04-07 CVE-2012-10019 Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type Affects < 2.3 Patched in 2.3
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 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 87 languages, 6 at 90% or more
Plus 63 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
4 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 "Edit content inline, without going to the admin area."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 4 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 3 of 4 read like questions a user would type.
- ! 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 2 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 819 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "edit-in-place", "visual" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-03-27 600+ → 500+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-03-26 500+ → 600+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2026-03-24 600+ → 500+ down after 14 days in tier
- 2026-03-10 500+ → 600+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-03-09 600+ → 500+ down after 279 days in tier
- 2025-06-03 700+ → 600+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2025-06-02 600+ → 700+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-06-01 700+ → 600+ down after 4 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).
-
Black Studio TinyMCE Widget 200K+ installs · 4.7★ · 3 shared tags A - D Disable Visual Editor WYSIWYG 1K+ installs · 4.6★ · 3 shared tags D
- W WYSIWYG Inline Code Command 100+ installs · 4.2★ · 3 shared tags D
-
Re-add text underline and justify 50K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags B - A Advanced TinyMCE Configuration 10K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D
-
WP Editor Widget 9K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Front-end Editor into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/front-end-editor" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Front-end Editor — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Front-end Editor: 500+ active installs, 4.0★ (23 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/front-end-editor
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