Local Development
by Andy Fragen · Uncategorized
Also makes 12 other plugins · 52.8K+ installs across the portfolio →
Places development notice for plugins or themes that are in local development. Prevents updating of selected plugins and themes.
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 88/100
Few reviews
Active installs
90+
≈90 estimated
Momentum
-14%
downloads vs prior 30d
Biggest opportunity: Add “git”, “local” and “branch” to your wp.org tags. You rank #19, #20 and #24 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 4 listed these are the slots worth spending.
88 health vs 58 average across 25,755 Uncategorized plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.8%
of downloads still active
At least 90 of 11.1K 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
Most to gain: Rating quality
Updated 80 days ago
Tested up to WordPress 7.1.4, the current branch or newer
5.0★ over 5 reviews, smoothed to 4.18★ and held back under 25 reviews
4 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Too few reviews to rank on quality — nudge happy users to leave one.
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.
36
Momentum
Losing ground
-0.5
Velocity
places per keyword, 28d
13%
Breadth
of keywords climbing, 28d
-0.1
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| local development | #1 | #6 | — |
| development your tag | #3 | #14 | 0 |
| theme development | #7 | #21 | 0 |
| localhost your tag | #15 | #18 | down 2 |
| local | #20 | #20 | down 5 |
| local time | #17 | #21 | down 1 |
| wordpress development | #10 | #23 | up 1 |
| plugin development | #12 | #22 | 0 |
| git | #19 | #19 | down 1 |
| develop | #24 | #24 | 0 |
| branch | #24 | #15 | down 3 |
| theme your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| upgrade your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
25 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days, 11 listed. 14 left out as unrelated or noise (years, numbers, stray words). 2 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- Add “git”, “local” and “branch” to your wp.org tags. You rank #19, #20 and #24 for them without listing them, close enough for a declared tag to move you up. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so with 4 listed these are the slots worth spending.
- One page off on “localhost”. #15 puts you just past the first ten results, where almost all the clicks stop. The gap to close is small.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 431 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank
Ranked about #16,800 to #17,400, alongside the other plugins at 90+ 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 1 Nov 2026.
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
Downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites.
Not enough installs to measure. This needs at least 100 active sites; below that, a handful of downloads reads as tens of thousands.
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
3mo ago
latest release · v2.11.1 · 13 Aug 2026
44
tagged releases on record
Recent releases
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 88% 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 “90+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 7 days ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just over 90.
Install history since 1 Oct 2020
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ claygriffiths5.8y ago
I expect no less from Andy 😃
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Larry Daniele6.1y ago
I’m using MAMP to develop a plugin locally. When MAMP is properly set up and running, it’s easy not realize if the website in the browser is running locally or remotely. Installing the “Local Development” plugin makes it easy to see via the green highlight in the admin bar along with the word “local” in it. Simple, visual and effective. Thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ wpadvocate6.3y ago
This can prevent a potential disaster if you work locally. In my past I have made changes to live site by mistake. NO MORE!!! Thanks to this plugin.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Clifford Paulick6.4y ago
Plus, Andy is great!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Kevin Pryce10.8y ago
Did everything it said it would. Will be a good tool.
Read on wp.org ↗
Security history
via Wordfence IntelligenceThe 1 disclosed vulnerability is patched in the current version (2.11.1). Sites still on an older version should update.
- 2023-07-24 Cross-Site Request Forgery Affects <= 2.8.2 Patched in 2.8.3
Vulnerability records provided by Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. License and terms.
Languages
via translate.wordpress.orgTranslated into 129 languages, 2 at 90% or more
Plus 105 more locales with partial translations.
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
1 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 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 Names no plugin, service or platform it works with.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 1 list; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ! Enough to quote 689 characters of description; under 1,000 there is little to quote.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 4 tags appear in the text; "upgrade" does not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-10-25 80+ → 90+ up after 13 days in tier
- 2026-10-12 100+ → 80+ down after 124 days in tier
- 2026-06-10 90+ → 100+ up after 78 days in tier
- 2026-03-24 80+ → 90+ up after 3 days in tier
- 2026-03-21 90+ → 80+ down after 9 days in tier
- 2026-03-12 80+ → 90+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2026-03-11 90+ → 80+ down after 3 days in tier
- 2026-03-08 80+ → 90+ up after 100 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).
- E Easy Theme and Plugin Upgrades 60K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags D
- W Windows Compatibility Fix 1K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D
- S Show Template 60+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
- D Dev Theme 30+ installs · 4.0★ · 2 shared tags D
-
WP Dev Flag 10+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags B -
Child Theme Configurator 300K+ installs · 4.7★ · 1 shared tag C
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for Local Development into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/local-development" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Local Development — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> Local Development: 90+ active installs, 5.0★ (5 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-11-01. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/local-development
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