Improved Cron
by CPK Web Solutions · Uncategorized
Also makes 4 other plugins · 150+ installs across the portfolio →
Keep WP-Cron running every minute for scheduled tasks without actually using Cron.
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 45/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
100+
≈190 estimated
Momentum
+54%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: “cron”, “jobs” and “ping” 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.
45 health vs 58 average across 25,735 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.1%
of downloads still active
At least 100 of 9.3K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Uncategorized plugin keeps 0.6%, across 17,764 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 11+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 4.3.34, 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 4051 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 4.3.34; the current branch is 6.8
4.2★ over 5 reviews, smoothed to 4.11★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 4051 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| cron your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| jobs your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| ping your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| scheduled your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| view your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
1 search this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 0 listed. 1 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
- “cron”, “jobs” and “ping” 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 · 1,487 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 97 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #13,300 to #16,400, alongside the other plugins at 100+ installs. Plugins with the same install count swap places between wp.org requests, so this is where most of them sit. Checked monthly, last on 21 Oct 2026.
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
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
11.1y ago
latest release · v1.3.3 · 28 Sep 2015
5
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 “100+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 50 days ago and the previous band took 22 months to cross, so the real count is still just under 200.
Install history since 3 Jun 2016
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ Harry8.7y ago
It’s still works fine at wordpress version 4.9.4 with PHP 7.1
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ meadows199.8y ago
Simple and works nicely. Thank you for making this free and for maintaining it.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Hinnerk Altenburg11.2y ago
Hi I am proud to start contributing to the great “Improved Cron” plugin with updating the code and make it run with WP 4.3, properly. Additionally, I have added a filter hook to adjust the fake visit interval without altering the plugin’s code. Thanks Paul for this great tool and giving me the chance to contribute! Cheers, Hinnerk
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Gary Gordon12.7y ago
I said “at the moment” since I posted a question to the plugin author. It says “no support” (which is odd) but I’m just trying to get this plugin to work and it seems to be functioning, but other indications show that the plugin “is not” working. So, at the moment, I need to give this plugin only a rating of one star since I’m anticipating no help from the author and the plugin appears to not be working. I’ve tried disabling all plugins .. but that didn’t help. If the author replies back and helps with this, I’ll certainly update my post and rating. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. It would be nice if this plugin worked.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ CPK Web Solutions13.1y ago
Hi I hope you find this plugin useful. It was previously sold on Code Canyon, but due to an extremely low number of sales, I’ve decided to make it available here on an ‘as is’ basis. I can’t guarantee it will work for all users (especially if you use a windows server or require multisite support) and I’m too busy to provide any free support. Best wishes Paul
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
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
3 of 8 pass · checked 24 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 8 questions in the FAQ.
- ✓ FAQ asks real questions 8 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 Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 450 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 4 of 5 tags appear in the text; "ping" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-09-11 200+ → 100+ down after 650 days in tier
- 2024-11-30 300+ → 200+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2024-11-27 200+ → 300+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2024-11-26 300+ → 200+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2024-11-25 200+ → 300+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2024-11-23 300+ → 200+ down after 35 days in tier
- 2024-10-19 200+ → 300+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2024-10-18 300+ → 200+ down after 1 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).
-
WP-Cron Status Checker 5K+ installs · 3.7★ · 2 shared tags B - S Scheduled Jobs Dashboad Widget 10+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
-
WP Crontrol 300K+ installs · 4.4★ · 1 shared tag B -
WP Job Manager 70K+ installs · 4.4★ · 1 shared tag A -
HireZoot – Job Listings, Career Page & Recruitment Tool 30K+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A -
Advanced Cron Manager – debug & control 30K+ installs · 4.5★ · 1 shared tag B
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Improved Cron into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/improved-cron" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Improved Cron — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Improved Cron: 100+ active installs, 4.2★ (5 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/improved-cron
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