Head Meta Data
by Jeff Starr · SEO
Also makes 30 other plugins · 1.1M+ installs across the portfolio →
Adds a custom set of <meta> tags to the <head> section of all posts & pages.
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
A 89/100
no flags
Active installs
10K+
≈15K estimated
Momentum
-7%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “data”, “meta title” and “meta keywords” to your wp.org tags. You rank #4, #5 and #9 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 4 listed these are the slots worth spending.
89 health vs 65 average across 2,216 SEO plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →2.0%
of downloads still active
At least 10K of 497K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median SEO plugin keeps 1.2%, across 1,192 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other SEO plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
This plugin shipped 5 releases in the last 12 months, and every existing install that updated counted as another download. wp.org publishes no split between first installs and updates, so we show the raw rate rather than guess at one.
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.
Excellent listing optimization
Well tuned across the board
Updated 82 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.8★ over 19 reviews, smoothed to 4.29★ and held back under 25 reviews
4 of 5 tags set · short description in place
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.
37
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.2
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
16%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.1
Acceleration
recent half vs earlier
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| meta data | #2 | #4 | 0 |
| head | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| data | #4 | #8 | up 1 |
| change meta data | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| image meta data | #2 | #5 | 0 |
| posts meta data | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| plugin meta data | #2 | #4 | 0 |
| user meta data | #2 | #4 | 0 |
| head to head | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| wp head | #2 | #3 | up 1 |
| meta your tag | #8 | #13 | down 1 |
| meta title | #5 | #9 | 0 |
| meta box | #5 | #8 | down 1 |
| head tags | #3 | #6 | 0 |
| meta robots | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| robots meta | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| add to head | #4 | #5 | 0 |
| meta description | #7 | #9 | 0 |
| meta tags | #10 | #15 | up 2 |
| meta tag | #8 | #14 | up 2 |
| seo your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
135 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 96 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 1 of its tags isn't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Add “data”, “meta title” and “meta keywords” to your wp.org tags. You rank #4, #5 and #9 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 4 listed these are the slots worth spending.
- One page off on “robots”. #16 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 11.5K · 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
Actively maintainedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
5
releases in the last 12 months
3mo ago
latest release · v20260810 · 10 Aug 2026
32
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin. 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 “10K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 23 months ago; the previous band took 3.3 years to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 22 Sep 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ LSBK1.3y ago
It helped me handling all meta data in an easy way.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jhoujhou3.4y ago
You did a great job
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Rod Mitchell3.5y ago
Hi there just installed your plugin and wonder if someone can help me. I’m running the wp 2021 theme and it won’t let me create a header for my home page. I don’t mean the site title, I mean header for my home page. There’s a box there for it, but it won’t register the title I put in it for some reason. Been told theme doesn’t support that but it’s affecting my SEO, so screming frog spider tells me 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Isaac Beneli3.7y ago
good plugins
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ffghhb3.9y ago
thanks
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ robmoerland4.5y ago
This plugin is simple yet powerfull. All you need.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ azbce5.1y ago
I like this plugin. It’s great if you don’t know your way around your template.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ oceanswardrobe15.3y ago
Works well and am happy
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (20260810). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Head Meta Data <= 20251118 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Post Meta ↗2026-01-20 CVE-2026-0608 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 20251118 Patched in 20260105
- Patched Medium · 6.4 Head Meta Data <= 20250327 - Authenticated (Author+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2025-12-14 CVE-2025-66081 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 20250327 Patched in 20251118
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 3 languages, 1 at 90% or more
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
5 of 8 pass · checked 26 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Adds a custom set of <meta> tags to the <head> section of all posts & pages."
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Google Analytics, REST API, Facebook, Twitter.
- ✓ Headings and lists 7 headings and 4 lists.
- ✓ Enough to quote 4,863 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 4 tags appear in the text; "metadata" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2024-11-29 20K+ → 10K+ down after 1200 days in tier
- 2021-08-17 10K+ → 20K+ up after 757 days in tier
- 2019-07-22 8K+ → 10K+ up after 873 days in tier
- 2017-03-01 6K+ → 8K+ up after 526 days in tier
- 2015-09-22 5K+ → 6K+ up
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).
-
mypace Custom Meta Robots 2K+ installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags -
SEO SIMPLE PACK 100K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A -
Meta Tag Manager 70K+ installs · 4.7★ · 2 shared tags A -
WP Robots Txt 40K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags A -
Simple SEO 10K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Robots.txt Editor 10K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Head Meta Data into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/head-meta-data" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Head Meta Data — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Head Meta Data: 10K+ active installs, 4.8★ (19 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/head-meta-data
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