HTML Editor Syntax Highlighter
by Peter Mukhortov · Uncategorized
Add syntax highlighting to WordPress code editors using CodeMirror.js
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Health
A 87/100
no flags
Active installs
60K+
≈61K estimated
Momentum
+33%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Rating quality scores 86/100. Lift the average: resolve the issues driving the low reviews.
87 health vs 58 average across 25,751 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →9.8%
of downloads still active
At least 60K of 613.9K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,772 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.
This plugin shipped 1 release 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 10 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
4.4★ over 110 reviews, smoothed to 4.31★
5 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.
48
Momentum
Holding steady
+0.9
Velocity
places per keyword, 25d
32%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 25d
+1.0
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| syntax | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| html editor | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| code coloring your tag | #1 | #1 | up 7 |
| highlighter | #1 | #1 | up 16 |
| syntax highlighter your tag | #1 | #1 | up 6 |
| code highlighter your tag | #1 | #1 | up 11 |
| syntax highlight | #1 | #1 | up 11 |
| syntax highlighting | #2 | #2 | up 1 |
| php html editor | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| highlighting syntax | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| text highlighter | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| html | #3 | #3 | up 1 |
| codemirror your tag | #4 | #3 | up 16 |
| mac | #3 | #4 | 0 |
| coloring | #2 | #2 | 0 |
| html tag | #5 | #3 | — |
| add html | #3 | #3 | 0 |
| highlighting | #8 | #9 | 0 |
| text editor your tag | #10 | #9 | 0 |
| visual editor | #6 | #7 | 0 |
112 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 71 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words).
What to do about it
- Your five tags are all earning their place. Each gets you onto page 1 of its own search, so none is worth giving up. “html tag”, “nextpage” and “custom html” (#5, #13 and #14 untagged) would be the next worth testing if a slot frees up.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 17K · 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
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
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
1
releases in the last 12 months
10d ago
latest release · v2.5.0 · 22 Oct 2026
48
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 “60K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 46 days ago and the previous band took 20 months to cross, so the real count is still just over 60K.
At the current install trend, crossing 70K+ in roughly 157 days.
Install history since 25 Jul 2021
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ xiaoxiewl2.3y ago
这个代码高亮插件是我测试过效果最好的一个，但是只能在后台实现，如何在前端文章页面也使用高亮效果呢
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Marco Panichi2.7y ago
In the era of Gutenberg and visual builders, as a good old programmer of the past, I need to edit HTML code in the showcase pages of the WordPress sites I create. This plugin is therefore a must-have for me. It works very well, it doesn’t have many options but all those necessary to configure the editing environment comfortable for me.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Alexander Guskov5.0y ago
The fantastical plugin that converts faceless TinyMCE to the powerful tool. The only suggestion is to mark dark/light themes, please
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ FolioVision5.2y ago
HESH is built on top of Code Mirror which is first class code. The implementation is somewhat eclectic including a settings button in the front end which allows the user to really play with editor settings. Easy access to the settings is convenient at first and then a bit of a distraction. HESH even highlights WordPress shortcodes [shortcode] syntax. What HESH doesn’t have is Markdown syntax highlighting in the posts/pages plain text editor but the WordPress shortcodes and HTML highlighting helps make up for it. What is buggy are the settings on iPhone (iOS 13.5) where the settings buttons more or less don’t work and the settings can’t be closed. If you don’t touch the settings though, HESH provides a better plain text editor than WordPress default (which can be very finicky to accept text entry). It remains easier to edit on iOS with HESH installed than without so no downnmarks here. All in all a great plugin, a bit overwhelmed right now with legacy support for WordPress 4.9 editor, Classic Editor, Code view, plain text editor, Gutenberg and the sixteen different kinds of blocks which might need syntax highlighting. I can’t blame the plugin authors for not being on top of all editors all the time now in the current Gutenberg-induced editor hell. Very, very grateful for their hard work and looking forward to HESH v3. This topic was modified 4 years, 11 months ago by FolioVision.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ ximbor5.2y ago
Thank you for taking the time to create such an awesome plugin 🙂 lots of options of colours etc. Very good.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ muhiBBi5.4y ago
It’s nice that this plugin is customizable. However, it causes delays while writing in the editor. These pauses are very frustrating.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Tim Reeves5.6y ago
And what’s really neat, is that there is no WP Admin page, all settings are performed while editing. This is a perfect job. I have only used the classic editor (still waiting until Gutenberg is more mature). A previous reviewer wrote that text added in the Text tab is lost when switching to Visual – I have not seen this happen. I’m very happy 🙂
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ liaris6.2y ago
Amazing!
Read on wp.org ↗
Latest updates
via wp.org changelogRecent releases and news for this plugin
- — Version 2.4.4 Added about 15 new themes 2.4.4
- — Version 2.4.3 Updated css for wordpress v5.8 2.4.3
- — Version 2.4.2 removing survey notice 2.4.2
- — Version 2.4.1 fixed bug: notification would not dismiss if the visual editor was open fix bug: Setting Form can now submit from memory, not just when the dom is in the page. 2.4.1
- — Version 2.4.0 updating a major number so I can review downloads more accurately. reorganized the codebase Reverting the name-change of hesh.php This name-change of html-editor-syntax-highlighter.php to hesh.php caused the plugin to de 2.4.0
- — Version 2.3.5 remove Github Updater headers testing WP update Process 2.3.5
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.4.8 · WP 5.8.1
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 7 languages, 0 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 "Add syntax highlighting to WordPress code editors using CodeMirror.js"
- ✓ Has a FAQ 8 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 7 of 8 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 Mentions Gutenberg.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 649 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ! Tags match the text Only 2 of 5 tags appear in the text ("code coloring", "code highlighter", "syntax highlighter" missing).
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-09-16 50K+ → 60K+ up after 599 days in tier
- 2025-01-25 60K+ → 50K+ down after 265 days in tier
- 2024-05-05 50K+ → 60K+ up after 145 days in tier
- 2023-12-12 60K+ → 50K+ down after 263 days in tier
- 2023-03-24 50K+ → 60K+ up after 19 days in tier
- 2023-03-05 60K+ → 50K+ down after 10 days in tier
- 2023-02-23 50K+ → 60K+ up after 90 days in tier
- 2022-11-25 60K+ → 50K+ down after 10 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).
- U Urvanov Syntax Highlighter 3K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A
-
CodeMirror Blocks 1K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags C -
AH Code Highlighter 60+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D -
iG:Syntax Hiliter 30+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags B - R rtSyntax 10+ installs · 3.9★ · 2 shared tags D
- L Lite Syntax Highlighting 10+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for HTML Editor Syntax Highlighter into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/html-editor-syntax-highlighter" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="HTML Editor Syntax Highlighter — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> HTML Editor Syntax Highlighter: 60K+ active installs, 4.4★ (110 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/html-editor-syntax-highlighter
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