Links shortcode
by Maarten · Social
Also makes 2 other plugins · 850+ installs across the portfolio →
The plugin provides the shortcode 'links'. This shortcode shows all links having specified characteristics, following a specified template.
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 49/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Open vulnerability
Active installs
800+
≈880 estimated
Momentum
—
no download trend yet
Biggest opportunity: “category”, “facebook” and “link” 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.
49 health vs 58 average across 1,834 Social plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →1.8%
of downloads still active
At least 800 of 44.2K 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.
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 6+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 5.2.30, 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 2547 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 5.2.30; the current branch is 6.8
4.5★ over 12 reviews, smoothed to 4.18★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 2547 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| category your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| facebook your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| link your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| links your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| shortcode your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “category”, “facebook” and “link” 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 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 195 · 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
7.0y ago
latest release · v1.8.3 · 10 Nov 2019
19
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 “800+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 2 months ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 900.
Install history since 6 Sep 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ AlfredG10.5y ago
I surely recommend this plugin if you want to make a link page with a great flexibility in layout options! I’ve staggered with two other pluging, one to big an the other with some stange behaviour in its layout, bit this one realy did the trick! Bedankt voor deze mooie plugin!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ otoraby10.8y ago
Great Plugin! I really enjoyed it! I hope developers would add Google Plus options too.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Venutius11.7y ago
Great plugin, works great!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ maphy-psd11.8y ago
Nice plugin. thanks for that! Option to not display the rating/stars would be useful.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ gmisura11.8y ago
Nice plugin. Just would like an option to NOT display the rating/stars.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ nadworks12.1y ago
The one thing you do not seem to provide in the settings is the actual shortcode to use…. why??
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ IAmTam12.9y ago
This plug-in has helped me so much! Thank you!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ jasoncsking13.1y ago
Does the job but HTML code created is poor.
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence Intelligence1 open vulnerability affects the current version (1.8.3). 0 of 1 disclosed are patched.
- Open Medium · 6.4 Links shortcode <= 1.8.3 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting ↗2025-09-27 CVE-2025-62898 Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation Affects <= 1.8.3 No patch available
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
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 26 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "The plugin provides the shortcode 'links'. This shortcode shows all links having specified characteristics,..."
- ! 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 Facebook.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 3,359 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
- 2026-08-29 900+ → 800+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-08-28 800+ → 900+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2026-08-26 900+ → 800+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2026-08-24 800+ → 900+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-08-23 900+ → 800+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-08-22 800+ → 900+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-08-21 900+ → 800+ down after 8 days in tier
- 2026-08-13 800+ → 900+ up after 2 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).
- A Autologin Links 8K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Simple Keyword to Link 3K+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags D - L Log Out Shortcode 2K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags C
-
Broken Link Notifier 1K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags A - E Extra Shortcodes 1K+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
-
Broken Link Checker 500K+ installs · 3.8★ · 1 shared tag A
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Links shortcode into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/links-shortcode" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Links shortcode — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Links shortcode: 800+ active installs, 4.5★ (12 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/links-shortcode
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