JSON API User
by Ali Qureshi · Social
Also makes 7 other plugins · 1.8K+ installs across the portfolio →
Extends the JSON API Plugin to allow RESTful user registration, authentication & many other User Meta, BP functions. A Pro version is also available.
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 85/100
no flags
Active installs
1K+
≈1.5K estimated
Momentum
+9%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Swap “authentication” for “json”. “authentication” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “json” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
85 health vs 58 average across 1,835 Social plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.8%
of downloads still active
At least 1K of 126.1K lifetime downloads are still running, above its category: the median Social plugin keeps 0.5%, across 1,276 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Social 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 3 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 55 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
3.9★ over 21 reviews, smoothed to 4.04★ and held back under 25 reviews
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.
39
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.1
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
20%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.2
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| restful user registration your tag | #1 | #2 | 0 |
| restful facebook login your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| restful user meta and buddypress xprofile your tag | #1 | #1 | 0 |
| json api your tag | #2 | #3 | 0 |
| restful | #2 | #1 | 0 |
| restful delete user | #1 | #2 | — |
| restful api | #1 | #1 | — |
| json | #4 | #8 | 0 |
| json web authentication | #6 | #14 | down 1 |
| xprofile | #6 | #5 | 0 |
| delete user api | #8 | #19 | down 1 |
| api | #24 | #21 | down 1 |
| json rest api | #9 | #14 | down 1 |
| buddypress activity user | #15 | #19 | 0 |
| meta api | #18 | #19 | down 1 |
| api authentication | #19 | #19 | down 1 |
| registration api | #19 | #23 | down 1 |
| user authentication | #22 | #21 | down 3 |
| facebook api | #23 | #24 | down 1 |
| no api | #23 | #20 | up 1 |
| authentication your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
66 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 20 listed. 46 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
- Swap “authentication” for “json”. “authentication” isn't earning its slot: you're not in the first 24 results for its own search. “json” sits at #4 untagged, close enough for a declared tag to move it up. All five slots are taken, so one has to go.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,489 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 2.5K · 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
Occasionally updatedHow often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.
3
releases in the last 12 months
2mo ago
latest release · v4.1.4 · 7 Sep 2026
51
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 38% 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 “1K+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 22 months ago; the previous band took 17 months to cross, which places it about 50% of the way through.
Install history since 27 May 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ evgentret1.8y ago
Sending email without link.Plugin used own api system, that obsolete
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Andrey5.2y ago
Dont work This topic was modified 4 years, 10 months ago by Andrey.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ HectaCon6.3y ago
Waste of time and misleading
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ job6.8y ago
Saves a lot of time!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ proeyes7.6y ago
Many thanks for this plugin is done my job quickly.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ danilopaulinodasilva8.8y ago
Really great plug-in
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ dleeward9.0y ago
. This topic was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by dleeward.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ dleeward9.0y ago
I paid for the paid version, User Plus for the admin usermeta features. I needed it to work without cookies and the developer made changes in a matter of a couple days. Fills the gap in the WP REST API shortcomings with users and usermeta.
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceAll 2 disclosed vulnerabilities are patched in the current version (4.1.4). Sites still on an older version should update.
- Patched Medium · 6.4 JSON API User <= 4.1.0 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'content' Parameter ↗2026-07-02 CVE-2026-9626 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 4.1.0 Patched in 4.1.2
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 7.0.1
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 29 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "Extends the JSON API Plugin to allow RESTful user registration, authentication & many other User Meta, BP f..."
- ✓ Has a FAQ 15 questions in the FAQ.
- ! FAQ asks real questions 15 of 15 FAQ entries are headings, not questions ("Method: info").
- ! Names who it is for One audience phrase ("who want"); say who the plugin is for and what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions BuddyPress, REST API, Facebook.
- ! Headings and lists 1 heading and 2 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 3,848 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
- 2025-01-22 2K+ → 1K+ down after 524 days in tier
- 2023-08-17 3K+ → 2K+ down after 400 days in tier
- 2022-07-13 4K+ → 3K+ down after 609 days in tier
- 2020-11-11 5K+ → 4K+ down after 972 days in tier
- 2018-03-15 4K+ → 5K+ up after 258 days in tier
- 2017-06-30 2K+ → 4K+ up after 515 days in tier
- 2016-02-01 1K+ → 2K+ 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).
- L Limit Login Attempts 200K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag C
-
WPS Limit Login 100K+ installs · 4.8★ · 1 shared tag A -
Two Factor 100K+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag A -
WP-Members Membership Plugin 50K+ installs · 4.6★ · 1 shared tag B -
Google Authenticator 20K+ installs · 4.3★ · 1 shared tag A -
miniOrange 2FA – Two Factor Authentication for WordPress (OTP, SMS, Email, Google Authenticator) 10K+ installs · 4.5★ · 1 shared tag A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for JSON API User into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/json-api-user" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="JSON API User — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> JSON API User: 1K+ active installs, 3.9★ (21 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/json-api-user
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Report a data issue and we'll check it against the source.