Genesis Blocks

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

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.

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.

62 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 9 listed. 53 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.

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

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 92% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Crossed into this band 19 months ago; a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.

1. ★★★★★ johnny861

   1.4y ago

   For version 3.1.7, i’m seeing in WP 6.8.1 PHP 8.2.x Function _load_textdomain_just_in_time was called <strong>incorrectly</strong>. Translation loading for the <code>genesis-page-builder</code> domain was triggered too early warning: My guess is the priority of things are being loaded. If I add a priority 11 to: wp-content/plugins/genesis-page-builder/vendor/genesis/blocks/genesis-blocks.php:33 This makes the warning go away, but the editor throws some errors, so will need to experiment more. However, would be great if the vendor could provide an update to remedy. This topic was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by johnny861.

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ vincentbao

   2.3y ago

   Current version is nice and we recently used in couple of client sites but We wish they increase development and start adding more features so we can achieve advanced layouts too.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ Sybre Waaijer

   2.6y ago

   A user installed this plugin on my network without install_plugins capabilities via StudioPress’s Genesis theme. Today, I got notified that a security fix had been committed for one of the plugins on my network. I inspected the security fix, and practically, a user was permitted to install this backdoor. No wonder it got 100k+ installs while being a most obscure addition to WordPress. The Genesis theme also installed a couple of Awesome Motive plugins via this, a company that goes against everything WordPress that I wouldn’t dare to touch with a 10-foot cable. They do this via genesis_do_onboarding_pack_selection(), which checks for manage_options, not install_plugins or is_super_admin(), allowing anyone to hijack an open WordPress Multisite network. I reported these security issues to them two years ago, but obviously, they still haven’t been resolved. They show no care about your website. Moreover, this plugin pollutes the global namespace with functions like is_heading() (without a namespace). I don’t know who StudioPress is hiring nowadays, but the senior developers are long gone since its merger with WP Engine. Amateurs. You shouldn’t have ignored my previous calls, so enjoy this stain on your record.

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ valex83

   2.8y ago

   I like their blocks but when they upgraded from atomic to genesis I had to change all the blocks for each articles. It took me hours This topic was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by valex83. This topic was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by valex83.

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ peterhann

   3.1y ago

   I’m so impressed with how smooth and intuitive Genesis Blocks is. Best page builder I’ve tried. Five stars!

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ Anonymous User 21067829

   3.2y ago

   Saved my time when using Gutenberg editor at Genesis theme on my WordPress website. This topic was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Anonymous User 21067829. Reason: Grammar error This topic was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by Anonymous User 21067829. Reason: Update

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ timbearcub

   3.7y ago

   OK I tried 3/4 of the major critically praised block systems out there, and stupidly I should have just tried the one that was already installed – Genesis Blocks – cos it just works. It’s simple compared to the fanciness of Spectra or Kadence, but Kadence kept crashing my page and giving errors, and Spectra have decided to make their Accordion block a ‘FAQ Block’ and not allow you to add your own paragraphs in (???) and not tell anyone, least of all the WP info page….I deleted it in disgust. Don’t advertise ‘Accordion blocks’ and then not provide them….And Essential Blocks just didn’t work; the content overlaid when re-collapsed, even on a simple FSE child theme of Automattic’s 2023! Which is as standard as a theme gets, really.But Genesis might not have all the fancy styling (which in the case of Spectra those default styles overrode my theme CSS, even when set to system default, annoyingly, including ignoring the heading styles?!) but Genesis just happily uses the body typeface, and you can add CSS and it’s simple to modify the default classes, they make sense.So +1 to Genesis vs the bloaty big boys. This topic was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by timbearcub. This topic was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by timbearcub. This topic was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by timbearcub.

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ Anonymous

   3.8y ago

   Worked great for the last couple of years but crashes my sites if I attempt to upgrade PHP to 8.0. I’ve tried different themes, including the Genesis Sample theme with the same result.

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 3.1.10 Fixed: Correct stylesheet loading to fix a regression in 3.1.9 where theme styles could load before block styles on the frontend. 3.1.10
2. — Version 3.1.9 Changed: Updated all blocks to WordPress Block API version 3 for improved compatibility in preparation for WordPress 7.0. Fixed: Resolved WordPress 7.0 component deprecation warnings across all blocks. Fixed: Improved bl 3.1.9
3. — Version 3.1.8 Fixed: Resolved deprecation notices related to the Newsletter block. 3.1.8
4. — Version 3.1.7 Fixed: Resolved deprecation notices for use of translation functions too early. 3.1.7
5. — Version 3.1.6 Security: Genesis Blocks now uses its own update mechanism from WP Engine servers. 3.1.6
6. — Version 3.1.5 Fixed: Escape exception output as prompted by Plugin Check. 3.1.5

All 4 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (3.1.11). Sites still on an older version should update.

1. Patched Medium · 6.4 Genesis Blocks <= 3.1.3 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Sharing Block Attributes ↗
   2024-07-08 CVE-2024-3563 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.1.3 Patched in 3.1.4
2. Patched Medium · 6.4 Genesis Blocks <= 3.1.3 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗
   2024-04-12 CVE-2024-3901 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.1.3 Patched in 3.1.4
3. Patched Medium · 6.4 Genesis Blocks <= 3.1.2 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Block Content ↗
   2024-04-01 CVE-2024-1946 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.1.2 Patched in 3.1.3
4. Patched Medium · 6.4 Genesis Blocks <= 3.1.2 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via postTitleTag ↗
   2024-02-29 CVE-2024-2761 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 3.1.2 Patched in 3.1.3

Translated into 15 languages, 4 at 90% or more

Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.

This plugin’s searches fall outside the topics measured so far. See the topics measured so far.

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2025-04-12 50K+ → 40K+ down after 115 days in tier
2. 2024-12-18 40K+ → 50K+ up after 19 days in tier
3. 2024-11-29 80K+ → 40K+ down after 1 days in tier
4. 2024-11-28 90K+ → 80K+ down after 12 days in tier
5. 2024-11-16 100K+ → 90K+ down after 290 days in tier
6. 2024-01-31 90K+ → 100K+ up after 95 days in tier
7. 2023-10-28 80K+ → 90K+ up after 94 days in tier
8. 2023-07-26 70K+ → 80K+ up after 245 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).

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Drop a live Pulse card for Genesis Blocks into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Genesis Blocks: 40K+ active installs, 3.7★ (24 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-03. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/genesis-blocks