Hotjar
by Hotjar · Uncategorized
The fast & visual way to understand your users.
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 50/100
Stale · Likely abandoned
Active installs
60K+
≈70K estimated
Momentum
+20%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: One page off on “hotjar”. #16 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
50 health vs 58 average across 25,752 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →5.4%
of downloads still active
At least 60K of 1.1M lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,773 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.
Removal-risk signals
53/100Maintenance 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 3+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Falling behind WordPress. Tested up to WordPress 6.0.18.
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 1103 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 6.0.18; the current branch is 6.8
2.9★ over 18 reviews, smoothed to 3.78★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
0 of 1 support threads resolved in the last 2 months
To rank higher: Last updated 1103 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| hotjar your tag | #16 | #14 | down 1 |
| heatmaps your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| insights your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| recordings your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| visual your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
1 search this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 4 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- One page off on “hotjar”. #16 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
- “heatmaps”, “insights” and “recordings” 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 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 60.7K · 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
3.0y ago
latest release · v1.0.16 · 25 Oct 2023
16
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 “60K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 14 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 70K.
Install history since 2 May 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Matt Lowe2.4y ago
…Now it won’t even correctly verify the installation. The tracking script was in my website yet the HotJar control panel claimed over and over that it wasn’t when I tried to verify the installation. I tried FOUR different browsers, since it claimed that ad blocking in my primary browser was preventing it from working. The other 3 browsers have no ad-blocking extensions. Still no dice. I could see the requests reaching the site while trying to verify, and I even tested the requests that were made and, sure enough, the tracking script was installed. So… I’m done. I’ll find another way to tackle the task I needed to complete. My HotJar account is deleted and I will no longer be suggesting it to my customers.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ karenelated3.2y ago
the plugin states connection is verified on all pages I checked. The site says I need to complete the installation before continuing.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ kateeba3.4y ago
I have already tried a few analytics applications. However, I never found the right one. hotjar is easy to use and provides considerable insights even in the free version. Super. I can only recommend it.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ tecbay3.4y ago
I know that Hotjar is awesome, but this plugin was useless to me. After activating, it does not show anywhere. All I’ve got is a folder in the plugins directory.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mbarabash3.4y ago
Went against the better judgment of 1 star reviews and tried this plugin anyway. Manually placed the code and did the WooCommerce setup. The plugin still can’t receive data, but it gives a warning message that two code snippets are successfully installed.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ davethemedic3.5y ago
The plugin worked only on one of my two sites. On the other site, I can see that it has added the tracking code to the header, but hotjar fails to find the code every time. Ironically, it worked on the site that had more plugins, features and custom code installed! Just doing it manually will likely save you time
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ teintensivo4.3y ago
I´ve been using this plugin for about a year (free account) and you suddenly took out the limit of survey responses (downgraded to 20 a month), got really disapointed because it was the only thing that could maintain your plugin working on my blog. Deactivated and uninstalled.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Maryna5.3y ago
Thank you so much for your great plugin. I truly like it!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 1.0.16 cross-site scripting vulnerability fixed. 1.0.16
- — Version 1.0.15 Updated description. 1.0.15
- — Version 1.0.14 Fixed a warning (PHP 8 compatibility). 1.0.14
- — Version 1.0.13 Tested on WP 6.0. 1.0.13
- — Version 1.0.12 Updated assets and tested on WP 5.8.1 1.0.12
- — Version 1.0.11 Tested on WP 5.8. 1.0.11
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (1.0.16). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 4.4 Hotjar <= 1.0.15 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2023-10-05 CVE-2023-1259 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.0.15 Patched in 1.0.16
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 8.1.12 · WP 6.3.2
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 18 languages, 16 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
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 Short description names no action; say what the plugin does for the site.
- ✓ Has a FAQ 7 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 7 of 7 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 4 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 2,197 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
- 2026-10-18 70K+ → 60K+ down after 196 days in tier
- 2026-04-05 80K+ → 70K+ down after 251 days in tier
- 2025-07-28 90K+ → 80K+ down after 240 days in tier
- 2024-11-30 100K+ → 90K+ down after 986 days in tier
- 2022-03-20 90K+ → 100K+ up after 180 days in tier
- 2021-09-21 80K+ → 90K+ up after 151 days in tier
- 2021-04-23 70K+ → 80K+ up after 43 days in tier
- 2021-03-11 60K+ → 70K+ up after 106 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).
-
Advanced Hotjar 30+ installs · 3.6★ · 4 shared tags - S Session Mirror — installs · 3.6★ · 4 shared tags
-
LiveSession – Visitor Recording for WordPress 100+ installs · 4.0★ · 3 shared tags D -
Session Rewind 70+ installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags -
Allsource — installs · 3.6★ · 3 shared tags -
Nelio Session Recordings 100+ installs · 3.7★ · 2 shared tags B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Hotjar into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/hotjar" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Hotjar — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Hotjar: 60K+ active installs, 2.9★ (18 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/hotjar
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